An SLA policy template for managed service providers
A good SLA says what you will do, when, and how both sides will know. Use this as a starting point and change every number to match your contracts.
Updated November 2026
What the policy should cover
- Scope: which services, sites and users the SLA applies to
- Coverage hours: business hours or 24x7, and which holidays count
- Priority definitions, based on business impact
- Response and resolution targets for each priority
- When the clock pauses, and who decides
- Escalation steps and named roles
- Exclusions, such as work outside the contract
- Monthly reporting and a regular review
Define priority by impact, not by who shouts loudest
Give each priority a definition the client can check against. The targets below are common starting points. Set your own in the contract, based on what you can staff and what the client needs.
| Priority | Definition | First response (example) | Resolution target (example) |
|---|---|---|---|
| P1 Critical | Service down for the whole site or a critical system, no workaround | 15 minutes | 4 hours |
| P2 High | Major function degraded or a group of users blocked | 1 hour | 8 business hours |
| P3 Medium | One user or a minor function affected, workaround available | 4 business hours | 3 business days |
| P4 Low | Question, request or cosmetic issue | 1 business day | 5 business days |
Say when the clock runs
State whether targets run during business hours or around the clock. Many MSPs run P1 on a 24x7 calendar and every other priority on business hours. Name the holiday calendar, and say which time zone applies when a client has several sites.
Be clear about when the clock pauses
Write down who can pause a ticket and that the reason is recorded on it. Disputes about SLAs are almost always disputes about paused time.
- Waiting for the client to reply or give access
- Waiting for a scheduled maintenance window the client agreed
- Waiting for a third-party vendor, if the contract says so
Escalate before you breach
- At 75% of the target time, warn the assigned engineer and the team lead
- At 100%, notify the service manager and tell the client what is happening
- For P1, name the engineer, the manager and the client contact who join the call
Report the same way every month
- Tickets opened and closed, by priority
- Share resolved within target, by priority
- Every breach, with the cause and what changes
- Open items older than the target, and the plan for them
Sample wording
"The Provider will respond to and aim to resolve each ticket within the times shown for its priority. Times are measured during the coverage hours in this agreement. The clock stops while the Provider is waiting for information or access from the Client, and the reason is recorded on the ticket. The Provider will report performance against these times each month."
Have your own lawyer review the final wording. This template is general guidance, not legal advice.
Kitadesk tracks SLA targets with calendars, holidays, pauses and warnings, so the clock follows your policy. See SLA management
See it with your own tickets.
Free for up to three agents. No card needed. Every new workspace gets 14 days of Business.