ScopeGuard

About ScopeGuard

ScopeGuard is a revolutionary AI-powered platform designed to protect freelancers and independent contractors from the pervasive and costly problem of scope creep. Scope creep, the gradual expansion of a project's requirements beyond the original agreement, is a silent profit killer, with data showing the average freelancer loses over $5,000 annually to unbilled extra work. ScopeGuard directly addresses this by providing a comprehensive system to define, monitor, and bill for project scope changes. It serves as a digital contract guardian, empowering service providers to confidently manage client requests and ensure they are compensated for every hour of work performed. The core value proposition is simple: transform ambiguous, unbilled work into clearly defined, approved, and invoiced revenue. By integrating seamlessly into a freelancer's existing workflow via a browser extension and a centralized dashboard, ScopeGuard moves beyond simple time tracking to intelligently analyze project boundaries, facilitate client communication, and automate the billing process for out-of-scope tasks, ultimately safeguarding a freelancer's most valuable asset—their time and earnings.

Features of ScopeGuard

AI-Powered Scope Analysis

At the heart of ScopeGuard is its sophisticated artificial intelligence engine. This feature allows users to instantly analyze any text—whether from an email, Slack message, or project management tool—against their imported contract or Statement of Work (SOW). The AI provides a clear, real-time verdict, classifying requests as "In-Scope," "Out-of-Scope," or "Borderline," accompanied by an explanation. This immediate analysis acts as an objective reference, eliminating guesswork and providing a factual basis for client discussions about additional work and associated costs.

Universal Right-Click Integration

ScopeGuard eliminates context switching through its powerful Chrome extension. Users can simply right-click on any text across the web—be it in Gmail, Asana, Trello, Basecamp, or a client's custom portal—to instantly check it against their project scope. This seamless integration ensures that scope verification is a frictionless part of the daily workflow, allowing freelancers to assess client requests the moment they are received without leaving their current application or browser tab.

Client Approval & Invoicing Portal

This feature streamlines the entire process of getting paid for extra work. Once an out-of-scope task is identified and logged with associated hours and rates, ScopeGuard enables users to send secure, professional approval requests directly to clients. Clients can review the details and approve with a single click. Following approval, the platform can automatically generate and send invoices for the scope change, creating a clear, auditable trail from request to payment and significantly reducing administrative overhead.

Centralized Scope & Financial Dashboard

ScopeGuard provides a unified command center where freelancers can oversee all their projects. The dashboard offers a real-time overview of logged out-of-scope work across all active contracts, tracked hours, pending client approvals, and unbilled revenue. This holistic view is crucial for financial forecasting and ensures that no billable task, regardless of how small, is forgotten or slips through the cracks, turning reactive scope management into proactive revenue protection.

Use Cases of ScopeGuard

Managing Incremental Client Requests

A freelance web developer receives a steady stream of emails and Slack messages from a client asking for "tiny tweaks" like font changes, additional image placements, or new form fields that were not in the original SOW. Using ScopeGuard's right-click analysis, the developer can instantly verify each request is out-of-scope, log the 15-30 minutes required, and batch these into a single approval request at the end of the week, transforming dozens of unbilled tasks into legitimate, billable revenue.

Onboarding New Projects and Contracts

At the start of any new engagement, a freelance marketing consultant uses ScopeGuard to import the signed proposal or contract PDF. The AI instantly extracts and catalogs all defined scope items, creating a single source of truth. This establishes a clear baseline for the project, making it easy to reference the original agreement during future discussions and preventing misunderstandings about what was included from the very beginning.

Handling Major Mid-Project Scope Shifts

A client asks a freelance graphic designer to completely redesign a secondary section of a website, a significant departure from the agreed-upon assets. The designer uses ScopeGuard to capture the client's request, compares it to the imported SOW, and uses the AI's "out-of-scope" verdict and explanation to build a professional case. They then log the estimated hours, send a formal approval request through the portal, and upon approval, generate a new invoice for the substantial additional work.

Auditing and Billing for Past Scope Creep

A freelance writer finishing a large content project realizes they have completed several extra articles based on casual client requests. They use ScopeGuard's dashboard to retrospectively log these tasks, attach relevant email snippets as evidence using the screenshot tool, and compile a detailed report. They then send a consolidated approval request to the client, recovering thousands of dollars for work that would have otherwise been donated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the AI scope checking work?

The AI scope checking works by comparing the text of a new client request against the language and deliverables defined in your uploaded contract or Statement of Work. It uses natural language processing (NLP) to understand context and intent, not just keyword matching. It analyzes the semantic meaning to determine if the request aligns with, expands upon, or falls outside the agreed-upon project boundaries, providing an instant verdict with a supporting explanation to justify its assessment.

What file formats can I import?

ScopeGuard supports a variety of file formats for importing your project agreements. You can directly paste text from proposals or contracts, upload PDF documents, or even use screenshot capture tools to import scope details from any digital document. This flexibility ensures you can establish your project baseline regardless of how your contract is formatted or shared.

How does the Chrome extension work?

The ScopeGuard Chrome extension adds a right-click context menu option to your browser. After installing it and linking it to your account, you simply highlight any text on a webpage—such as a client's email in Gmail or a task description in Asana—right-click, and select "Check with ScopeGuard." The text is instantly sent for AI analysis against your selected project's scope, with the result displayed in a small pop-up, all without leaving the page you are on.

Is my contract data secure?

Yes, ScopeGuard employs enterprise-grade security measures to protect your sensitive data. Your contracts and client communications are encrypted both in transit and at rest. The platform is built with a strong privacy-first architecture, ensuring your confidential business agreements and project details never leave the secure servers and are not used for any purpose other than providing the service to you.

Pricing of ScopeGuard

ScopeGuard offers simple, transparent pricing designed for individual freelancers and independent contractors. The primary plan is the Solo plan, priced at $29 per month. This plan includes all core features: unlimited projects, AI-powered scope analysis, the client approval portal, PDF and screenshot import, the Chrome extension, automatic invoice generation, a real-time dashboard, and priority support. Prospective users can start with a full-featured 14-day free trial, which requires no credit card to begin, allowing them to experience the platform's value before making a financial commitment. The pricing model is built on a clear return-on-investment premise, where recovering just one average scope change can cover the cost of the tool for an entire year.