Client Intake Template
A structured set of questions sent to a potential client before the first call. The goal is to arrive at the call with enough information to have a real conversation about scope and fit — not to spend 30 minutes gathering basic context you could have collected in advance.
Why use a structured intake
Most freelancers go into discovery calls with one concrete piece of information: the client's name and company. Everything else — budget, timeline, decision-making process, what they've already tried — gets surfaced during the call, which compresses the time available for actually scoping the work.
A pre-call intake shifts that context-gathering to asynchronous exchange. By the time you join the call, you know the basic parameters. The call can focus on fit and detail rather than orientation.
A secondary benefit: clients who respond thoughtfully to an intake tend to make better clients. Clients who refuse to fill it in, or respond with one-word answers, are telling you something about how they communicate.
What to include and what to omit
The intake should take the client 10-15 minutes to complete. More than that and completion rates drop significantly. Keep questions specific and low-effort to answer. Avoid open-ended questions that require the client to write an essay — save those for the call.
Do not ask for detailed technical specifications in the intake. That level of scoping happens in the call or in a follow-up. The intake is about context, not spec.
The seven questions
What do you need done?
One paragraph. What is the deliverable or the outcome you're looking for? Not a full brief — just enough to understand the category of work.
What's the timeline?
When does this need to be done? Is there a hard deadline or a preferred target? Is the deadline driven by an external event (launch, board meeting, publication date)?
What's the budget range?
A range is fine. This question filters out mismatches before the call and allows you to frame the scope conversation correctly. Clients who skip this question often expect the freelancer to propose a price before understanding budget — which leads to anchoring problems. Asking upfront is professional, not rude.
What have you already tried?
Previous freelancers, agencies, internal attempts. What worked, what didn't? This surfaces constraints and context that would otherwise take 20 minutes of call time to uncover.
Who makes the decision?
Are you the sole decision-maker, or does this go through a committee, a manager, a board? How many rounds of approval are typical? This affects timeline and the nature of deliverables.
How do you prefer to communicate?
Async (email, messages) or sync (calls, Slack)? What's your response time expectation? What does a good working relationship look like to you? Mismatched communication expectations are a leading cause of project friction.
Anything else I should know?
Open field. Some clients use this well; most don't. Keep it as a catch-all rather than a primary question.
Template
Two versions below: a short plain-text version to paste into an email, and a formatted version for embedding in a Notion page or Typeform.
Hi [name],
Thanks for reaching out. Before we jump on a call, it would help to have some context upfront — it means we can use the call time more productively.
Could you answer a few quick questions?
1. What do you need done? (One paragraph — deliverable or outcome you're looking for)
2. What's the timeline? (Hard deadline or preferred target, and what's driving it)
3. What's the budget range? (A range is fine — this just helps me scope the conversation correctly)
4. What have you already tried? (Previous freelancers, internal attempts — what worked, what didn't)
5. Who makes the decision? (Just you, or does this go through approvals?)
6. How do you prefer to communicate? (Async / sync preference, response time expectations)
7. Anything else I should know?
Takes about 10 minutes. Once I have this, I'll confirm a time to talk.
[Your name]## Client Intake — [Project / Client name]
**1. What do you need done?**
[Client answer]
**2. Timeline**
- Target completion date:
- Hard deadline? Yes / No
- What's driving the deadline:
**3. Budget range**
- Approximate range: €_____ to €_____
- Is this fixed or flexible:
**4. Previous attempts**
- What's been tried before:
- What worked:
- What didn't:
**5. Decision-making**
- Decision-maker(s):
- Approval stages:
- Typical turnaround for feedback:
**6. Communication preferences**
- Preferred channel:
- Async or sync preference:
- Expected response time:
**7. Anything else**
[Client answer]
---
Intake received: [date]
Call scheduled: [date / time]
Notes from call: [to be filled post-call]After the intake
Review the intake before the call. Identify the questions that weren't answered or were answered vaguely — those are the priority topics for the call. If the budget question was skipped, address it directly in the first five minutes. If the timeline is unrealistic given the scope described, flag it early.
After the call, use the Project Fit Filter to run the project through a structured assessment before committing.