> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.tahua.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.tahua.io/knowledge-base/administrator-help-guides/contracts/contract-variations.md).
# Creating a Contract Variation
Use a Contract Variation to formally amend a signed Contract, for example to add a Milestone or change a Milestone's date or amount.
A Contract Variation is a formal amendment to a signed Contract. It's a **separate Contract that sits alongside the original**, signed by both parties in its own right. The original Contract stays active and unchanged, and its Milestones carry on as they are.
This means a Variation only needs to contain **what's changing**, not a copy of the whole Contract.
{% hint style="info" %}
**Just need to add a Milestone, and it doesn't need to be signed?** You don't need a Variation. See [Adding Milestones to a Live Contract](/knowledge-base/administrator-help-guides/contracts/adding-milestones-to-a-live-contract.md).
{% endhint %}
### What carries over from the original Contract
| Carried over automatically (and can't be changed on the Variation) | Entered fresh on the Variation |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------- |
| The linked Application (if any) | Title |
| Contract Category | Start and end dates |
| Contract Manager | Contract Amount |
| Bank account number | Milestones |
| | Contract document and signatories |
The **Counterparty** starts as the original Contract's Counterparty, but you can change it on the Variation, for example if the original organisation has handed the work on to someone else. See [Creating a Contract](/knowledge-base/administrator-help-guides/contracts/creating-a-contract.md#contract-variations).
The original Contract's **Milestones are not copied** into the Variation. They stay on the original Contract, where they continue to be tracked, submitted and paid as normal.
### How to create a Variation
{% stepper %}
{% step %}
### Open the original Contract
Go to **Contracts**, open the Contract you want to vary, and click **Create Variation** in the **Actions** section of the sidebar.
**Create Variation** only appears on an original Contract once it's fully executed (signed by your organisation). It isn't offered on a Variation, because a Variation can't be varied further. If you need to change a Variation, create another Variation against the original Contract.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Details
Enter a title and the start and end dates for the Variation. The original Contract is shown at the top of the page for reference. The Counterparty is carried over from the original Contract; change it here if the Variation is with someone else.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Milestones
Add only the **new** Milestones that this Variation introduces, using **Create Milestone** or **Import Template**. You can also click **Skip Milestones** if the Variation doesn't add any.
You don't need to re-add the original Contract's Milestones. To change one of those, see [Changing an existing Milestone](#changing-an-existing-milestone) below.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Funding
Enter the **Contract Amount** for this Variation.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Document
Choose the Contract template for the Variation, add signatories, and preview the document, or upload a document that was signed outside Tahua.
{% endstep %}
{% step %}
### Send Contract
Send the Variation for signing. Once signed, it appears as its own Contract, linked to the original.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}
### Changing an existing Milestone
To change the due date or amount of a Milestone that's already on the original Contract:
1. **Edit the Milestone where it is, on the original Contract.** Open it from the original Contract and update its **Due date** and **Amount**. This keeps tracking and payment correct, and avoids having two versions of the same Milestone.
2. **Record the change in the Variation document**, for example: *"Milestone 2: due date changed from 31 March to 30 June; amount changed from $10,000 to $12,000."*
{% hint style="warning" %}
Don't recreate the changed Milestone on the Variation. The original Milestone would still be on the original Contract, so the Counterparty would see, and could submit, both.
{% endhint %}
### Making the changes clear to the other party
Tahua doesn't highlight differences between the original Contract and the Variation, so it's best to spell them out. We recommend the Variation document includes a short summary of what's changed, such as Milestones added, dates or amounts changed, and any new terms.
If you'd also like the full picture in the document, these personalisations are available in your Contract template:
* `[[milestone_table]]`: the Variation's own (new) Milestones
* `[[main_contract_milestone_table]]` and `[[main_contract_payment_schedule]]`: the original Contract's Milestones and payment schedule, showing their current dates and amounts
See [Contract Personalisations](/knowledge-base/administrator-help-guides/contracts/contract-templates/contract-personalisations.md).
### Example: adding one Milestone and changing another
1. On the **original Contract**, edit the existing Milestone's due date and amount.
2. Click **Create Variation**, and at the **Milestones** step add the new Milestone with **Create Milestone**.
3. In the Variation document, summarise both changes.
4. Send the Variation for signing.
### Completing a Variation
A Contract Variation has its own independent status, separate from the original contract it was created from. Once a Variation's own milestones are all approved (or Finance Approved) or paid, it can be marked **Complete** the same way as any contract, via the **Complete** button in its Actions section.
{% hint style="info" %}
Marking a Variation as Complete does **not** automatically mark the original contract as Complete, and completing the original doesn't affect any of its Variations — each is tracked independently. If you want both the original contract and the Variation to show as Completed, mark each one individually.
{% endhint %}
See [Completing a Contract](/knowledge-base/administrator-help-guides/contracts/completing-a-contract.md) for more on how the Complete action works.
### FAQs
Why can't I see the original Contract's Milestones when I click Link Milestone?
**Link Milestone** only lists Application Milestones that aren't linked to any Contract yet. Milestones already on the original Contract won't appear, and you don't need them to: they stay on the original Contract and carry on as normal.
Does the original Contract still exist after I create a Variation?
Yes. The original Contract, its signed document and its Milestones all stay in place. The Variation sits alongside it as a separate, linked Contract with its own document, Milestones and status.
Will editing a Milestone on the original Contract change its signed document?
No. A signed Contract document is a snapshot of what was agreed when it was signed, and it never changes. The Milestone itself is updated for tracking and payment, which is why the change should also be recorded in the Variation document.