How to Write a Website Brief in One Hour: A Simple Checklist
You don't need a 40-page specification to start a website project. A one-hour brief that answers the right questions gives agencies everything they need for an accurate estimate.
Many projects stall before they start because the client feels they need a perfect technical specification. In reality, a short brief that explains your goals, users and must-have features is enough for a good team to ask the right questions and prepare a realistic estimate.
01Why a short brief beats no brief
Without a brief, every agency fills the gaps with its own assumptions, so you receive quotes that cannot be compared. A one-page brief keeps everyone on the same scope and speeds up the whole process. And if you don't have time even for that, a good partner will run a short discovery session with you — that is how we start every website development project.
02The 1-hour brief: 8 questions
- About your business. What do you do, for whom, and what makes you different?
- Goal of the website. Leads, online sales, recruitment, information for existing clients?
- Target audience. Who are the visitors, which countries and languages?
- Key actions. What should a visitor do: call, fill a form, book, buy?
- Pages and content. Which sections are needed, and who prepares texts and photos?
- Features and integrations. Forms, online payments, booking, CRM, ERP, newsletters.
- Design references. Two or three websites you like and why, plus your brand materials.
- Timeline and constraints. Launch date, internal approvals, technical limitations.
03Template you can copy
Simple website brief structure
| Section | What to write |
|---|---|
| Company | 2–3 sentences about the business and its customers |
| Goal | The main result the website must achieve |
| Audience | Who visits, from which countries, in which languages |
| Pages | List of sections and pages |
| Features | Forms, payments, accounts, integrations |
| Content | What is ready and what needs to be created |
| References | Links to websites you like and your brand guidelines |
| Timeline | Desired launch date and key milestones |
If your project includes selling online or a customer area, add a short description of your products, delivery and payment process — it helps when planning an online store. If the website must exchange data with internal tools, list them too; this often leads to a combined project with a business system.
04Before you send it
- The main goal of the website fits in one sentence
- Must-have features are separated from nice-to-have ones
- Languages and target countries are listed
- You know who will provide texts and images
- References include a short note on what you like about them
- One person is responsible for decisions on your side
05What happens next
With a brief in hand, we clarify open questions, propose structure and stages, and agree on scope and timeline before development starts. The design phase then turns your brief into real screens — see how we approach UI/UX design.
A good brief doesn't describe the solution. It describes the problem clearly enough for the right solution to appear.
Have a brief or just an idea? Send it to us and we'll help you turn it into a clear project plan.
