PrepareClientsTemplate

Client Project Brief Template

Use this before contacting candidates or requesting proposals. It gives everyone the same starting information while leaving room for discovery and a project-specific agreement.

Source: assistedfreelance.com/templates/client-project-brief

Context and limits

Before you use it

Mark uncertainty instead of inventing details. A good candidate should still have questions.
Do not include passwords, private customer information, or confidential account details. Share access later through your organization’s approved secure method.
A project brief informs proposals; it is not automatically a complete statement of work or contract.

Blank reusable version

Copy, edit, and verify.

# Client Project Brief

## Organization and context
[What does the organization do, and what context does a freelancer need?]

## Business problem
[What is difficult now? What evidence or observations support this?]

## Audience
[Who experiences the problem or will use the result?]

## Desired outcome
[What should become easier, clearer, or possible? Avoid guaranteeing results outside the project’s control.]

## Deliverables
[List expected outputs, quantities, formats, features, and documentation.]

## Exclusions
[State work that is not included or requires a separate decision.]

## Budget range or constraint
[State the available range, currency, included expenses, and any uncertainty.]

## Target dates
[Name the desired dates, why they matter, and dependencies that may affect them.]

## Supplied assets and access
[List content, files, systems, and account access the client will provide. Do not place live credentials here.]

## Stakeholders and approver
[Who contributes input? Who consolidates feedback? Who gives final approval?]

## Constraints
[Technical, brand, accessibility, privacy, security, operational, or platform constraints.]

## Success and acceptance indicators
[What observable checks will show that each important deliverable is ready?]

## Open questions
[What is still unknown or should candidates address in their proposal?]

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Completed fictional example

Harbor Street Bakery’s five-page website brief

Use this to understand the level of specificity, not as facts, pricing, tax treatment, or agreement wording for your project.

# Client Project Brief — Harbor Street Bakery

## Organization and context
Harbor Street Bakery is a fictional neighborhood bakery with one location and a growing catering service.

## Business problem
Customers repeatedly call because the current one-page site does not make products, catering details, or the inquiry process easy to find on a phone.

## Audience
Local customers planning everyday purchases, celebrations, and small catered events.

## Desired outcome
Visitors can understand the bakery’s offer, find practical information, and send the details needed for a catering follow-up. The site cannot guarantee inquiries or sales.

## Deliverables
Five responsive pages: Home, Products, Catering, About, and Contact; a catering inquiry form; basic analytics handoff; editor access; and a short update guide.

## Exclusions
Ecommerce, online payment, copywriting, photography, ongoing hosting administration, and guaranteed lead volume.

## Budget range or constraint
Up to $6,000 USD including approved expenses and contingency. This is a fictional planning figure, not a market benchmark.

## Target dates
Target launch in eight weeks. Candidates should identify content, access, review, and testing dependencies before confirming dates.

## Supplied assets and access
Sam supplies approved copy, prices, logo files, photographs, and domain access through an approved secure method. No credentials are included in this brief.

## Stakeholders and approver
Sam is the final approver and will return one consolidated response per review round.

## Constraints
The site must work on the agreed mobile and desktop environments, support keyboard use, route form submissions to the designated inbox, and be manageable by bakery staff.

## Success and acceptance indicators
Approved pages and copy are present; navigation works; the form validates and reaches the designated inbox; agreed device, browser, keyboard, and accessibility checks pass; access and documentation are handed over.

## Open questions
Which content system and hosting approach best fit staff capacity? What ongoing costs or licenses should the bakery expect?

Field by field

Adapt it deliberately

Context and problem: Give enough background to explain why the work matters, then separate observations from assumptions.
Audience and outcome: Describe what the relevant person should be able to do without promising a business result the deliverable cannot control.
Deliverables and exclusions: Use quantities and formats. Name likely adjacent work that is intentionally outside the request.
Budget and timing: State currency, expense assumptions, meaningful dates, and which dependencies can move them.
Inputs and ownership: Name the person responsible for content, access, consolidated feedback, and final approval.
Acceptance: Use observable checks tied to the deliverables, not only subjective approval language.

Important considerations

Common mistakes

Do not use a brief to hide a fixed solution when you genuinely need a candidate’s diagnosis.
Do not send different material facts to different candidates if you expect comparable proposals.
Do not place passwords, private customer data, or unnecessary candidate personal information in the document.