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Service Level Agreement (SLA) Template
A structured SLA template for product teams. Define uptime commitments, response times, support tiers, escalation paths, and remedies.
IPBy IdeaPlan Editorial · Methodology
Updated 2026-03-05
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an SLA, SLO, and SLI?+
An SLI (Service Level Indicator) is the metric you measure (e.g., uptime percentage). An SLO (Service Level Objective) is the internal target for that metric (e.g., 99.95% uptime). An SLA (Service Level Agreement) is the contractual commitment to the customer with defined remedies for failure. SLIs feed SLOs, and SLOs inform SLAs.
Should every customer tier have an SLA?+
Not necessarily. Free and low-cost tiers often have no formal SLA. Business and Enterprise tiers should. The SLA is a value differentiator. Customers pay more for stronger reliability commitments and faster support response times.
How do we handle planned maintenance?+
Define a maintenance window in the SLA exclusions. Standard practice is 72 hours advance notice for planned maintenance. Some teams use a weekly maintenance window (e.g., Tuesday 2-4am UTC) that customers can plan around. Planned maintenance with proper notice should not count against uptime.
What happens if we consistently exceed our SLA?+
Tighten it. If you have been at 99.99% for 12 months and your SLA says 99.9%, you are leaving value on the table. A stronger SLA is a competitive advantage in enterprise sales. Just make sure the buffer remains sufficient.
Should we publish our SLA publicly?+
Yes, for enterprise and B2B SaaS products. A published SLA signals confidence in your platform. Most competitors publish theirs, so not publishing creates an unfavorable comparison. Link the SLA from your pricing page and security/compliance documentation.
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