On this page
In short
A client intake form template should collect contact details, the client’s business and role, what they need and why now, the deliverables they expect, timeline, budget range, how they found you, and consent to be contacted. Keep it to 8–15 fields, send it before the discovery call, and save the answers to the client record so you never ask twice.
Client intake form template: fields to copy
Use these fields, in this order. Mark the first five as required and the rest as optional:
- Name, email and phone number
- Company or business name, website and the person’s role
- What do you need help with? (short answer)
- Why now? What happens if nothing changes?
- Which deliverables do you have in mind? (checkboxes for your services)
- Ideal start date and any hard deadline
- Budget range (offer three or four ranges rather than an open box)
- Who else is involved in the decision?
- How did you hear about us?
- Anything else we should know? (optional)
- Consent: “You may contact me about this enquiry” (add a privacy policy link)
Extra questions by type of service
Add two or three questions that only your kind of work needs:
- Designers: Do you have brand guidelines? Which brands or examples do you like?
- Web designers and developers: Do you have a current website, domain and hosting? Who will write the content?
- Consultants: What have you already tried? Which numbers would show the project worked?
- Marketers: Which channels do you use now, and what is your monthly spend?
- Coaches: What would you like to be different in three months?
- Writers and editors: What is the word count, audience and publication?
Intake form vs onboarding questionnaire
The intake form comes first and is short: it qualifies the lead and gives you enough to scope and price. The onboarding questionnaire comes after the client signs and collects files, access and approval rules. Splitting them keeps the first form quick to finish while the client is least committed.
Turn the answers into a proposal
Read the answers before the discovery call and use the client’s own words for the goal in your proposal. In Workspace369, intake form answers create or update the client record, so the call notes, proposal, contract and first invoice all build on the same information instead of an inbox thread.
Common questions
What should a client intake form include?
Contact details, the business and the person’s role, what they need and why now, expected deliverables, timeline, budget range, who decides, how they found you, and consent to be contacted. Add two or three questions specific to your service.
Should I ask for budget on an intake form?
Yes, as a range. Three or four budget ranges are easier to answer than an open box and quickly show whether the project fits. You can include a “Not sure yet” option.
How long should a client intake form be?
Usually 8 to 15 fields, taking two or three minutes. Longer forms put prospects off before you have spoken. Collect the rest in the onboarding questionnaire after they sign.
Where should I put my intake form?
Link it from your website’s contact or “Work with me” page, your email signature and your booking page. Send the same link when someone enquires by email so every lead arrives in the same format.
