Website Brief Template
A structured brief template for commissioning a new website — covering goals, audience, content, technical requirements, and what success looks like.
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A well-written brief saves money, time, and misaligned expectations. A website project that starts without a clear brief tends to expand, drift, and end with a client who's disappointed and a developer who's frustrated — even when both parties are doing their best.
This template is designed to be completed before you approach any agency or developer. The process of filling it in also forces useful thinking about what you actually need.
Section 1: Business Context
Business name:
What does the business do? (plain language, no jargon)
How long has the business been operating?
What is the current situation? (no website / old website that needs replacing / new business launching)
Why does the website need to be built or rebuilt now? What has changed, or what isn't working?
Section 2: Goals
Primary goal of the website: What is the single most important thing the website should do? (e.g. generate enquiries, sell products, build credibility, provide information to existing clients)
Secondary goals: What else should the website achieve?
What does a successful website look like in 12 months? Be specific: "We want to receive 20 enquiry form submissions per month" is more useful than "we want more leads."
What is the website NOT for? Defining what's out of scope is as valuable as defining what's in.
Section 3: Audience
Who is the primary audience for this website?
Describe them in detail: age range, profession or lifestyle, what they're looking for, what their objections might be, what would convince them to take action.
Are there secondary audiences? (e.g. potential employees, press, existing clients looking for support information)
What does the audience know about your business before arriving? Have they been referred by someone, found you via search, or are they likely first-time encounters?
What action do you want the primary audience to take? Be specific: call, complete a form, make a purchase, book an appointment, download something.
Section 4: Content
How many pages does the site need? List them if you can. (e.g. Home, About, Services × 3, Portfolio, Blog, Contact)
Who will write the copy? Will you provide it, or is copywriting part of the brief?
What imagery is available? Existing photography, new photography needed, illustration, stock images?
Is there any existing content that needs to be migrated? Blog posts, case studies, product listings — what carries over?
Will there be ongoing content requirements? Blog, news, events, product catalogue updates — who manages these and how often?
Section 5: Technical Requirements
Does the website need e-commerce functionality? If yes: approximate number of products, payment methods required, delivery/fulfilment complexity.
Does the website need a booking or reservation system?
Does it need to integrate with any existing tools? CRM systems, email marketing platforms, booking software, accounting tools — list anything that needs to connect.
What CMS (content management system) preference, if any? Do you or your team need to edit content independently? What is the technical confidence of the person who will manage the site?
Are there any regulatory requirements? GDPR compliance, accessibility standards (WCAG), industry-specific requirements.
What analytics are needed? Google Analytics, conversion tracking, heatmaps?
Section 6: Design Direction
Describe the visual tone you're aiming for. Adjectives work well here: clean, warm, bold, restrained, editorial, playful, premium, technical.
List 3–5 websites you like visually, with a note on what you like about each. (These don't need to be in your industry.)
List any websites you dislike, with a note on why.
Are there existing brand guidelines? Logo files, colour palette, typeface specifications — what exists and what's the status?
Are there any visual non-negotiables? Brand colours, logo placement, imagery style?
Section 7: Budget and Timeline
What is the total budget for this project? Include all phases: design, development, photography, copywriting if needed.
If you're uncertain what things cost, it's still useful to indicate a range. It helps a supplier know whether they can deliver what you need within your budget or need to suggest a reduced scope.
Is there a hard deadline? A product launch, an event, a funding announcement — anything the site must be live before?
What is the preferred launch timeline if no hard deadline?
Section 8: Decision Process
Who is the primary contact for this project?
Who else needs to be involved in decisions or approvals? Knowing about additional stakeholders early prevents delays later.
How will the final decision on who to commission be made, and by when?
How Suppliers Use This Brief
When you send this brief to agencies or developers, you should receive:
- A proposal with a defined scope, timeline, and cost
- Any questions about areas that need clarification
- Examples of relevant previous work
A supplier who doesn't ask any questions after reading a detailed brief is either not reading it carefully or proposing something generic that doesn't respond to your specific needs.
What to Do With This Brief
Complete every section before sending to any supplier. The sections you find hardest to fill in are the areas where you need to do more thinking before a project starts — a good supplier will ask about exactly those areas in a discovery conversation.