Short answer
Put four things in the contract: the number of revision rounds included, a definition of a round, a definition of what counts as a new direction rather than a revision, and a price for anything beyond the cap. Two to three rounds is the common range for video. What follows is general practice from agency guides, not legal advice: have a lawyer review the final wording for your jurisdiction.
Why AI video needs a cap too
AI video is cheap to render, so agencies often skip the cap, because another version costs a few dollars. On Fabeo’s pricing, a rendered minute is $3, or about $2.60 on the Agency plan’s included minutes.
But most of the cost of a revision is people: reading the feedback, rewriting the prompt, reviewing the new cut and sending it back. Without a limit, a client who treats every draft as a chance to start over turns a fixed fee into unpaid hours. A month-end report shows this as a client with many revision rounds and a low margin.
How many rounds to include
- Mediabistro (April 2026) says most agencies include two to three rounds in the project fee, and gives two to three cuts for video. It notes this is common practice, not a universal standard.
- Creator Essentials gives no standard number. It says creators usually include a small, defined number based on the project’s complexity and price, with one included round as an example.
A workable default for short AI ads is two rounds on the first cut. Raise it for longer or higher-priced projects, and lower it for low-priced batch work.
Define a round
A cap is only as clear as the word “round”. PremiumBeat counts one email listing all the changes as one round, and changes spread over several emails as several. Creator Essentials describes a round as one full feedback cycle: the brand reviews, sends one consolidated set of changes, and the creator returns an updated version.
For AI video, tie the definition to the one place you collect feedback. If you share a single review link per delivery, say that one consolidated list of notes on that link is one round. Comments left elsewhere (chat, email, a call) don’t count as a round until they’re added to the list.
Separate revisions from a new direction
Mediabistro defines a revision as a change within the agreed creative scope and strategic direction, and a new direction as a fundamental change of strategy, audience or concept. Rewording a headline is a revision. Changing the target audience or scrapping the concept is a new direction, which Mediabistro suggests handling with a change order that states the price and timeline before work begins.
For AI video, add the usual triggers: a new script, a new product, a different format or length, or a new voice. Treat each one as a new video.
Price the extras
Creator Essentials lists the options: a flat fee per extra round, an hourly or day rate, or a new quote for big changes in scope, with written approval before work starts. Mediabistro recommends putting the overage rates in the original proposal.
Pick one method and write the number down. A flat fee per round is the easiest for a client to accept and for you to track. If you quote per minute, remember that re-rendering a whole video uses minutes again, so say whether re-renders for client-requested changes are billed or included. For example prices, see how to quote AI video.
Sample clause (example only, not legal advice)
Revisions. The fee includes two (2) rounds of revisions on each delivered video. A “round” is one consolidated list of requested changes submitted through the review link we provide. Requests made outside the review link are not a round until they are added to it. A “revision” is a change within the agreed brief. A change to the audience, product, script, format, length or concept is a new request and will be quoted separately before work begins. Each additional round is billed at [amount] per round. We will tell you in writing when the included rounds have been used.
Adjust the numbers, add a deadline for notes (for example, within five business days), and have a lawyer review it.
Make the process match the clause
A clause only helps if your workflow follows it:
- Take the brief in writing before you generate anything. See how to brief an AI video tool from a client call.
- Get the script approved before you render, so word changes don’t cost renders.
- Check each cut yourself before the client sees it.
- Collect notes in one place with a client approval workflow.
- Send a short message when the last included round has been used, as Mediabistro advises.
FAQ
How many revision rounds should I include?
Two to three is the common range for video. Start at two for short ads.
Are re-renders free?
That’s your decision. Say in the contract whether a re-render the client asks for counts against a round or is billed.
Can I be more flexible than the cap?
Yes. A cap is a default you can waive for good clients, as long as the contract still says what happens beyond it.
Is this legal advice?
No. It describes common agency practice. Have a lawyer check the clause before you use it.
Next step
See how Fabeo handles review links and client workspaces for agencies, and compare plans on the pricing page.