What information should a client intake form include?

Most client intake forms include basic identification and contact details (name, email, phone, business name), a short description of the client’s needs or project, and any important logistics like preferred start dates or constraints. Depending on your industry, you might also include health or safety questions, consent and policy agreements, or qualification questions to see if the client is a good fit for your services.

What is the difference between a client intake form and a client onboarding questionnaire?

A client intake form focuses on gathering essential information at the very start of the relationship so you can qualify the client and understand the basics of their request. A client onboarding questionnaire usually happens later, after a client has agreed to work with you, and goes deeper into goals, challenges, and collaboration details for the actual project.

How long should a client intake form be?

Most experts recommend keeping your client intake form as short as possible while still collecting the information you truly need to qualify the client and prepare your next step. If the form feels long or overwhelming, clients may delay filling it out, so aim for a form that can be completed in just a few minutes.

Should I use paper, PDF, or an online client intake form?

Paper or PDF client intake forms can work for in-person or one-off situations, but they’re harder to keep organized and share with your team. Online client intake forms and portals make it easier to collect, review, and reuse client data, and they can plug directly into your broader onboarding workflow.

Can I reuse the same client intake form template for different services?

Yes — it’s common to keep a single core client intake form template that covers basic information and service context, and then add a few service-specific questions for different offers or industries. This lets you standardize your intake process while still collecting the details you need to tailor your services for each type of client.

Client Intake Form Template (Free New Client Form)

A client intake form is often the first structured touchpoint in a new client relationship. It captures contact details, basic background, and key context so you can qualify the opportunity and prepare your onboarding process.

On this page, you’ll find a simple client intake form template, an example of what to include, and a practical way to turn it into an online new client intake workflow inside BrieferFlow.

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What is a client intake form?

A client intake form is a standardized questionnaire you send to new or prospective clients to gather essential information about who they are, how to contact them, and why they’re reaching out to you.

Service businesses, agencies, consultants, and healthcare or wellness providers use client intake forms to collect basic demographics, service needs, and initial requirements before the first session or project kick-off.

Why you need a client intake form template

Instead of reinventing your new client form every time, a reusable client intake form template helps you ask the right questions consistently and keep all new client information organized.

Avoid missing important details like contact info, service context, or constraints when a new client comes in.
Qualify leads faster by seeing at a glance whether a client is a good fit for your services.
Share intake data with your team so everyone has the same baseline understanding from day one.
Reduce back-and-forth emails by collecting everything in a single, structured form.
Standardize your intake process so you can scale without lowering the quality of your first interactions.

Simple client intake form template (copy-paste)

Use this simple new client intake form template as your starting point. You can keep it as a document, build it into a form tool, or turn it into an online client intake workflow and portal in BrieferFlow.

Section 1 – Basic client and business information

Start with the essentials so you always have up-to-date contact details and basic business information.

Full name
Company name (if applicable)
Email address
Phone number
Website or main online presence
Role or job title
How did you hear about us?

Section 2 – Service or project context

Next, capture why the client is reaching out and what they are hoping to work on with you.

What type of service are you interested in? (e.g. design, marketing, consulting, development)
Briefly describe what you need help with or what you’d like to work on together.
Have you worked with a similar provider or agency before? If yes, what worked well and what didn’t?

Section 3 – Goals and expectations

Ask a few intake questions about goals and expectations so you can see if you’re a good fit and how to position your offer.

What are your main goals in working with us over the next 3–12 months?
What would you consider a successful outcome from this collaboration?
Do you have a rough budget range or investment level in mind? (Optional)

Section 4 – Logistics and constraints

Finally, cover any timing, logistics, or constraints that could affect how you work together.

Do you have a preferred start date or important deadline we should know about?
Are there any specific constraints, requirements, or policies we should be aware of (tools, platforms, compliance, etc.)?
Is there anything else you’d like to share before our first call or session?

How to use this client intake form template in BrieferFlow

You can send this client intake form template as a static document, but it becomes much more powerful when you turn it into an online client intake workflow and client portal in BrieferFlow.

In BrieferFlow, you can create a reusable “Client Intake Form” template with all the sections above as structured fields, spin up a new intake for each prospect or client, and send them a secure portal link where they can fill it in and upload any additional information — no login required.

On your side, your BrieferFlow dashboard lets you see which intake forms are complete, which are still waiting on information, and review everything in one place before deciding how to move forward.

Turn this client intake form into an online workflow

Create a free BrieferFlow account and start collecting new client details, goals, and requirements through a structured client intake portal instead of scattered emails.

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When to use a client intake form vs. an onboarding questionnaire

A client intake form usually comes at the very beginning of the relationship, when you’re still qualifying a lead or collecting basic information before agreeing to work together.

A client onboarding questionnaire typically happens after a client has signed, and goes deeper into goals, challenges, and how you’ll collaborate during the engagement.

In practice, many teams use both: a short new client intake form to qualify and collect essentials, followed by a more detailed client onboarding questionnaire once the project is confirmed.

If you also need a deeper set of questions for new projects, check out our Client Onboarding Questionnaire.

FAQ about client intake forms

Soon, you’ll also find specialized intake forms for specific services like branding, web design, and ongoing consulting retainers.