Client Intake Form
A first call with a new client goes better when you already know what they need. This client intake form collects contact details, the work they're after, goals, budget, timeline and who makes the decision. Edit it for your services, try it yourself, then send it before every discovery call.
Last reviewed October 9, 2026 by FormSign team.
Edit it, try it, then create an account to save and share.
Build for free. Pay once a workflow goes live at 10 submissions or 2 documents sent for signature.
Questions in this template
Contact
- Your name (required)
- Email (required)
- Phone
- Company or organization
- Website
- Business address
The work
- What do you need help with? (required)Replace these with your own services.Strategy or consulting · Design · Marketing · Bookkeeping or finance · Something else
- Tell us about the project or problem (required)
- What would a great result look like? (required)
Budget and timing
- Budget rangeUnder $1,000 · $1,000–$5,000 · $5,000–$15,000 · $15,000+ · Not sure yet
- Ideal start date
- Any hard deadline?
- Who makes the final decision? (required)Me · Me and others · Someone else
Extras
- Anything we should see?A brief, existing materials or examples. Optional.
- How did you hear about us?Referral · Search · Social media · Event · Other
- It's okay to contact me about this request. (required)
What is a client intake form?
A client intake form is a questionnaire a new or prospective client fills in before you start working together. It replaces the back-and-forth of a first email thread with one structured set of answers: who they are, what they need, by when, for how much, and who decides.
When to use it
- Before a discovery or sales call, so you can prepare.
- When a lead comes in from your website, a referral or an event.
- When you're onboarding a client who has already said yes and you need their details to start.
- When several people on your team handle new clients and you want everyone asking the same questions.
What to include
Contact details
Name, email, phone, company and website.
The work
The service they need, in their own words, and what a great result looks like.
Budget and timing
A budget range (not an exact figure), start date and deadline.
Decision-making
Who signs off. It saves weeks later.
Supporting files
An optional upload for briefs or examples.
Consent to contact
A simple checkbox.
What to leave out
Don't ask for payment details on an intake form, and for regulated work (healthcare, legal) use forms that meet your industry's rules.
Why FormSign
Every intake becomes a row on your FormSign board, so new leads are easy to track from inquiry to signed client. When a client says yes, add your engagement letter or service agreement as a document: FormSign fills in the client's name, company and project details from their answers and sends it for e-signature, so you don't retype anything.
Questions
What's the difference between a client intake form and a contact form?
A contact form asks how to reach someone. An intake form asks what they need, by when and for what budget, so you can decide whether and how to help before the first call.
Should I ask for a budget?
Asking for a range is usually enough and feels less intrusive than an exact number. Include "Not sure yet" so people don't skip the question.
Can I turn the intake answers into a contract?
Yes. Add your agreement as a document in the same workflow. FormSign fills it from the intake answers and sends it for e-signature.
Can clients upload files?
Yes. The template includes an optional file upload for briefs or examples.
Is this suitable for medical or legal intake?
This template is for general service businesses. Healthcare and legal intake often have specific privacy and record-keeping rules, so use forms designed for those requirements.
Do I need an account to try it?
No. Open it, edit the questions and test it. You'll create an account when you want to save and share it.
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Build for free. Pay once a workflow goes live at 10 submissions or 2 documents sent for signature.