Web designer brief template

Fill in the boxes, print the page or save it as a PDF, and send it to each designer you talk to. A written brief lets you compare quotes fairly and puts ownership, access and basic search requirements on paper before work starts.

Nothing you type here is sent anywhere or saved. It stays in your browser until you close the page, so print or save before leaving.

1. About the business

Business name and what you do, in two sentencese.g. what you sell or serve, where, and to whom

What "vegan" means for your businessFully vegan, vegan options, vegan-owned, certified? Say exactly, and list any certification you hold.

Who the site is forYour main customers and what they usually want to find out first

The one thing a visitor should doBook, buy, call, visit, sign up

2. What exists today

Current website address, if any

Domain name and who holds the registrationThe business should be the registered holder.

Accounts you already haveGoogle Business Profile, Search Console, analytics, HappyCow, social accounts, email provider

What must be keptPages, web addresses, photos, text, branding

3. Pages and content

Pages you expectHome, about, contact, menu or products, locations, others

Who writes the text and who supplies the photosSay who owns that content and the deadlines

Claims that will appear on the siteVegan, plant-based, green, health. These should be checked before publishing.

4. Requirements to put in writing

Works well on phonesAsk for a test on a real phone before sign-off

Speed targetAsk the designer which tool and which measure they will use, and what result they will deliver

Accessibility levelFor example WCAG 2.2 level AA, and how it will be checked

Search basics includedUnique title and H1 per page, text not only in images, menu as a web page, sitemap if wanted, redirects from old addresses

Structured data, if wantedWhich types, and that it matches visible content

MeasurementWhich analytics, set up in an account you own

5. Ownership and handover

Who owns the design files, text, images and codeGet it in writing

Logins and admin accessYou should have admin access to hosting, domain and the site at launch

Backups and updatesWho does them, how often, and who pays

Support after launchWhat is included, for how long, and what it costs

Total cost and payment scheduleWhat is included and what is extra, such as hosting, plugins, stock photos, extra revisions

Timeline and milestonesDates for drafts, feedback and launch

Questions to ask each designer

Can I see two or three sites you built, and speak to the owners?
Who will actually do the work, and who is my contact?
Will the domain, hosting and analytics accounts be in my name?
How will you handle the move from my old addresses to the new ones?
How will you test speed and accessibility, and will I see the results before launch?
What happens if I want to leave: can I take the site, files and content with me?
Do you promise search rankings? (Treat any promise of rankings as a warning sign. This is our view, not a Google statement.)
Will you ask me to buy links, or to swap links with other sites? (Google's spam policies list exchanging goods or services for links as link spam.)

Before you sign

Run the finished site through the website review template.
If you run a restaurant, add the restaurant website checklist to the brief.
For a plain-English overview of what a vegan business site needs, read a website for your vegan business.
Have a lawyer read the contract. Terms on ownership, payment and termination differ by country.

Sources (accessed 2026-10-21):

Google Search Central: spam policies (updated 2026-08-28)
W3C: Understanding SC 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (updated 2026-09-06), for the WCAG 2.2 reference

The rest of this brief is good practice and our own suggestion, not claims from these sources. This is general information, not legal advice. Want a second opinion on a quote? See the free program.