Client Intake Form
This Client Intake Form Template helps you onboard new clients by collecting goals, background, and contact information upfront.
The template includes project scope questions, timelines, and preferred communication details.
This free client intake form template starts projects with clear context.
Data to collect
- Client NameRequired
- Company NameOptional
- Email AddressOptional
- Phone NumberOptional
- Project TypeOptional
- Project DescriptionOptional
- Budget RangeOptional
- Desired TimelineOptional
- Goals and ObjectivesOptional
- Additional NotesOptional
Live preview
Get the context you need before the first client call
A client intake form gives both sides a clearer starting point. Instead of searching through several emails for a budget, deadline, or project description, you can review the answers together before proposing next steps. Use this template for a new inquiry or after a client agrees to explore a project with you.
The preview above lets you try the respondent experience. Select “Use this template” to create your own version, then edit the questions and design. The field list shows what the current template collects; you can change which answers are required in the editor.
An intake is broader than a contact form, which may only collect a name, email, and message. It is usually less detailed than a final project specification. If your audience is still deciding whether to contact you, remove questions they cannot reasonably answer yet and gather the detail during a later conversation.
Turn the intake fields into a useful project brief
- Client and contact details
- Client name, company, email, and phone establish who you are speaking with and how to follow up. Decide which contact method you actually need. If email is necessary, change its required setting before sharing the form.
- Project type and description
- A service choice helps route the inquiry; the description explains the work in the client’s words. Replace broad project options with the services you actually offer, and ask for context rather than expecting a complete specification.
- Budget and desired timeline
- Budget bands and a date range help you assess whether a conversation is practical. Adjust the bands to your market. Allow uncertainty when appropriate, and confirm whether a date is a preference or a firm external deadline.
- Goals and additional notes
- Goals explain what success would look like. Additional notes give clients space for something your questions missed. Ask for the outcome they want, such as making booking easier, rather than only a list of deliverables.
Example: a website project inquiry
- Budget
- $5,000–$15,000
- Timing
- Before the seasonal campaign
- Main goal
- Make booking easier on mobile
- Still to prepare
- New photography
Use the brief to prepare your first call. Confirm the scope, content readiness, and deadline before sending a proposal.
If you serve several project types, add conditional logic so a website inquiry can receive a relevant follow-up, while a branding inquiry follows another path. Add the branches you need in the editor.
Customize, test, and connect your intake workflow
- Trim the questions. Keep the information needed for your next decision. A consultant, creative studio, and home-service business need different context; remove irrelevant software or marketing choices.
- Explain what happens next. Add a welcome message describing the purpose and an ending that sets a realistic expectation for your reply. Do not imply the project is booked just because the form was submitted.
- Match the design. Adjust fonts, colors, and images. Your own logo, custom domain, and removal of Deformity branding require a paid plan; compare current plans if these matter to your client experience.
- Run a sample inquiry. Try the published link on a phone, submit realistic dummy answers, and check required fields, optional questions, and the ending. Test every branch you added.
- Assign the review. Choose who checks Conversations and follows up. If you connect Google Sheets or notifications, verify the destination with a sample submission before relying on the automation.
Request only information relevant to the project and explain how it will be used. Link your privacy notice where appropriate, limit access to people who need the answers, and decide how long to keep unsuccessful inquiries. For a broader workflow, browse the project intake template or the branding project intake template.
Client intake form questions
What is a client intake form?
A client intake form collects the background you need before beginning work: contact information, project type, scope, goals, budget, and timing. It gives your team a starting brief to review with the client. It does not replace a proposal, contract, or a conversation about unclear requirements.
Is this client intake form template free?
Yes. You can use the template and collect unlimited static responses on Free, subject to fair use. Custom logos, domains, branding removal, and team collaboration are paid options. If you choose an AI form, Free has a separate allowance of 100 total respondent conversations across your organization, without a monthly reset.
Which fields should be required?
Require only what you need to take the next step. The template’s Data to collect list above shows its current required and optional fields. For an inquiry workflow, you may want to make an email address required before publishing; budget or detailed notes can stay optional if clients may not know them yet.
Can I ask clients to upload a project brief?
You can add a file-upload question when customizing your form; it is not one of the default fields listed above. Free supports files up to 10MB each. Explain which documents are useful, and avoid requesting passwords, account credentials, or unrelated confidential information.
Can I customize this for my service business?
Yes. Change the project choices, budget bands, dates, questions, and design to suit your services. A design agency might ask about an existing website; a consultant might ask which business outcome matters most. Test the complete flow after editing so instructions and choices still make sense together.
Where do completed intake forms go?
Review submitted answers in Conversations. You can export CSV data or configure integrations such as Google Sheets and notifications. Submit a sample intake after connecting a destination and check the received fields. A submission should trigger a review process, not be treated automatically as an accepted project.
