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How to create a client intake form (template included)

client intake form
By Drazen Vujovic. Last Updated September 2, 2024

Many businesses and service providers can use a client intake form to improve their onboarding processes. A well-designed questionnaire does two things — it helps you collect client information and sets the stage for a trustworthy relationship.

In this post, we’ll explain the ins and outs of creating a good client intake form. Whether you prefer to design your own questionnaire or use our ready-made template, this guide will equip you with the tools necessary to make the most of your client onboarding process.

Note: Jump straight to our list of client intake form questions if you don’t want to read the full post.

What is a client intake form (and what can it do for you)?

client intake form

A client intake form is a questionnaire that helps you better understand the requirements of a new client. More importantly, a ready-made intake form is the fastest way to gather all the information you need to provide tailored services.

Anyone who frequently onboards new clients will benefit from making a good intake form template. Such forms are particularly useful for:

  • Digital agencies
  • Law firms
  • Accountants and bookkeeping firms
  • Renovation and interior design services
  • Medical professionals
  • Wellness establishments
  • Real estate companies

What do these (and many other) service-oriented businesses get from a client intake form? 

These are the key benefits:

1. Finding clients that are the right fit for your business

Asking prospective clients to fill in a form as part of your client onboarding process allows you to find the right clients for your business. But there’s more — it also helps you filter out prospects who aren’t ready to start working with you yet, for whatever reason.

2. Providing high-quality service and showing your professionalism

The more you know about your client upfront, the less you'll have to ask from them as your working relationship progresses. Having all the information you need right from the start allows you to serve your clients in the best possible way and provide them with great customer service. 

Plus, asking the right questions shows that you've done this before — you're a trusted professional, and you're experienced at what you do.

3. Saving time

If you need to rely on endless email exchanges to get the information you need from and about your client, the delivery of your project might be negatively impacted. By collecting all the details at once and in one place, you can hit the ground running as soon as you've reached an agreement with your new client.

Related: How this digital marketing agency saves 50 hours each month using Content Snare

4. Avoiding scope creep or too many rounds of edits

Ideally, you want your new clients to tell you what they expect from you before you start the project. If that doesn't happen, you might find yourself in an awkward situation where your client may ask for additional work that you hadn't originally planned for or included in your initial quote.

Also, if you offer a service where edits and revisions may be required (like in the case of a digital agency) using a new client intake form may help you keep the number of changes required under control.

So, if you're sold on the benefits of a new client intake form, how do you decide what you need to include in yours?

20 questions to include in your new client intake form

The exact questions to ask depend on your industry and the type of your business. A real estate company requires different information compared to law firms or digital agencies, but almost all businesses need answers to the questions listed below. 

Note: All screenshots are from Content Snare’s ready-made client intake form template.

Personal/business details

1. Name

2. Phone

3. Email 

4. Address

5. Preferred contact method (email, phone, text)

6. Position within the company

Basic information

online intake form

6. Please provide the date you’re filling out this form.

7. Please provide your agent/representative’s full name (if applicable).

8. What industry type does your company fall under?

9. What are your days of operation?

10. Website URL

Project overview

client intake templates

11. Describe the project you’d like to undertake with us, or the service you’re requesting from us.

12. When do you expect the project to start and end?

13. What is the primary goal of this project?

14. What is your estimated budget for this project? Feel free to provide a range.

15. How will you measure the success of this project?

16. Are there any known challenges that could impact the project?

17. Are there any specific requirements or considerations we should be aware of?

Additional Information

18. Do you have any existing resources, documents, or materials that will be useful for this project?

19. Are there any additional services you might need or be interested in?

20. How did you find out about our agency/firm? 

Create perfect client intake forms with Content Snare

Looking for a client intake form template with all of the questions listed above? Sign up for Content Snare to access our ready-made client intake questionnaire.

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Best practices to tailor your client intake form

Though client intake questionnaires may vary, a few general rules apply to all of them. Here are some best practices to follow when customizing your own form:

Keep it to the point

Your form should be easy to understand and to the point. Questionnaires that take too long to fill out will put your prospective or new clients off, which means they'll either delay completing the form or leave blanks. 

More importantly, avoid asking for more information than you really need to complete the project. For instance, don’t include questions about someone's place of birth, marital status, or salary information if it has nothing to do with your services.

Make a user-friendly form

When designing your intake form, don't just think about what you need — think about the user experience too. 

For one, clients probably expect you to send a paperless, digital form. Secondly, a good questionnaire must include instructions and special field types to make the process more intuitive for respondents.

Here’s an example of an intuitive single-choice question from a legal client intake form:

client intake process

Always review and tweak

Just because everyone else in your industry seems to be asking a certain type of question, it doesn't mean these are the right questions for your business or your audience. If you notice that the quality of the information you get back from your prospects or new clients isn't up to scratch, consider tweaking your questions.

Bonus tip: Use an online form builder to tailor your questionnaire

You can create a list of questions using simple tools such as MS Word or Google Docs, but these can only slow you down. A much better option is to use a professional form-building platform with features that’ll make your work efficient (and your clients satisfied).

Content Snare is one such software. Our platform is designed to help you streamline client intake process with superior features. 

Related: How Clarity Bookkeeping sped up their client onboarding and client queries

For example, it automatically sends notifications to remind your clients to complete the form. It also features a library with more than 50 built-in templates for all sorts of businesses, from accountants and real estate companies to law firms and digital marketing agencies. You can send every ready-made template as-is, or edit it as you see fit.

The best part is that you can test Content Snare for free. Sign up for a 14-day free trial (no credit card info needed) and send your client intake form in a matter of minutes.

Create perfect client intake forms with Content Snare

Stop wasting time collecting content and information from your clients using emails or outdated tools. Use Content Snare to speed up the process, freeing you up to focus on your actual work.

Start your free trial

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Drazen Vujovic

Dražen Vujović is a journalist and content writer. More importantly, he is a father of two and a long-distance runner.

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