Client intake form template

What to include in a client intake form

Keep a field when it helps your team prepare the next step. A first inquiry needs enough context for a useful reply; a full delivery brief can wait until you have agreed to work together.

• Reply details: name, email, company or website when relevant, and a preferred contact method.
• The need: the service requested, the problem to solve, and the result the prospect wants.
• Scope: expected deliverables, quantity, channels, or features that change the work.
• Timing: preferred start date, a hard deadline, and what is driving it.
• Budget context: a useful range with an undecided option when the prospect needs help scoping the work.
• People and dependencies: the main contact, who approves the work, and what must happen before the project can start.

Explain how you will use the answers and when someone will reply. Make additional marketing subscriptions a separate choice. Use conditional logic for follow-ups that only apply to one service.

Example: intake for a digital marketing agency

Imagine a business asking for more sales from its website. Before proposing a campaign, ask which product or service it wants to promote, who buys it, and what a useful result would look like.

If the request involves advertising, ask about the channels already in use, the campaign period, and the advertising budget separately from agency fees. If it involves content, ask about the audience, formats, subject expertise, and who can review drafts. For a website project, ask what the site needs to do and whether content is ready.

These are suggested branches to configure in your own copy. Review the answers, ask for any missing context, and offer a discovery call when the request fits. Keep a manual-review path for an uncertain budget or unusual requirement instead of automatically rejecting it.

After the scope is agreed, collect the fuller marketing brief and onboarding details. Request access to accounts through the appropriate invitation process rather than asking for passwords in an intake form.

Client intake form sample questions

Use these as suggestions when editing your copy. They describe a possible intake process, not a verified list of the live template’s preset questions.

Start the conversation

• What would you like help with?
• What is happening now, and what would you like to change?
• What is the best email address for a reply?

Understand the work

• Which deliverables or services do you have in mind?
• What has already been tried, and what is still missing?
• What content or other project materials are available?
• Who will be the main contact, and who will approve the work?

Check the practical details

• When would you like to begin?
• Is there a fixed deadline, and what is driving it?
• Do you have a budget range, or would you like help defining the scope?
• Are there requirements we should discuss before arranging a call?

A consultant may need more background on the business problem. A creative studio may need the intended audience and formats. A service provider may need job size or location. Ask only for details that are relevant to the service.

How to create and use your client intake form

1. Make your own copy. Choose Use this template. Review the existing questions and replace the examples with your services and wording.
2. Configure useful paths. Add follow-up questions for relevant services, an optional upload for a brief, and an ending that explains the next step. Check the form on a phone and review each path.
3. Prepare the handoff. Choose where submissions arrive and who reviews them. Use a direct Google Sheets or Slack connection, or configure a CRM workflow through an automation service.
4. Share at the right point. Link from your service page or send it after a relevant inquiry. Use the response to prepare a conversation; move into onboarding once you have agreed the work.

If suitable prospects should book directly, add a supported scheduling block and configure the appropriate path. See the calendar and CRM handoff guide. A submitted intake form is not itself a confirmed appointment or an accepted project.

Free includes logic, website embeds, file uploads up to 10MB each, and unlimited responses within fair use. Branding removal, adding your logo, custom domains, payments, and partial submissions require Pro. Connected services may have their own plans and fees.

Feature sources reviewed 14 September 2026: Youform plans, conditional logic, and Zapier setup.