Website Content Collection Checklist: What to Request From Clients

Before building or populating pages, you typically need four kinds of material:

• Brand assets: approved logos, brand guidelines, colours, typography references, and imagery rules.
• Website copy: headlines, introductions, services, about information, calls to action, and contact details.
• Photos and supporting files: team images, location photos, portfolio images, product photos, PDFs, or downloadable resources.
• Operational details: approved business information, destinations for forms, social links, and the person responsible for content approval.

Not every website needs every item. Use the project's agreed scope to decide what to request, and label optional material clearly.

Brand and shared assets

• Primary logo in the best available quality (preferably a vector original where available).
• Alternative logo versions, such as light, dark, icon-only, and horizontal layouts.
• Brand guidelines, approved colours, and typography information.
• Permission or licence information for fonts, stock photos, and other third-party assets where relevant.
• Approved business name, short description, and tagline.
• Primary call-to-action text and destination (for example, “Book a consultation”).

Site-wide business information

• Main contact email and phone number intended for publication.
• Business address, service area, and opening hours, if applicable.
• Links to social profiles the client wants shown.
• Navigation labels and the agreed page list.
• Legal or policy copy supplied or approved by the appropriate professional, where required.
• The person responsible for final content approval.

Text and media for each page

• Approved page headline and introductory copy.
• Section-by-section text, not just rough notes with no owner.
• Page-specific calls to action and destination links.
• Images for each section, with a clear indication of which image goes where.
• Image captions, credits, or alternative text guidance where available.
• Testimonials, case-study facts, or claims that the client has permission to publish.

Final checks before publication

• Names, service descriptions, prices, dates, and contact information verified by the client.
• Copy reviewed and approved by the agreed decision-maker.
• Permissions confirmed for photos, testimonials, logos, and other third-party materials.
• Any missing content assigned an owner and an agreed delivery date.
• Final URLs, form destinations, and contact details tested as part of launch QA.

Imagine you're building a website with Home, About, Services, Portfolio, and Contact pages. Instead of emailing “Please send your content,” split the request into named fields that correspond to those pages.

You don't need to show all of these fields on a single screen or request every answer at the same time. The point is to make ownership and location obvious. “About page team photo” is actionable; “Send some images” isn't.

A clear request tells the client what the item is, how it will be used, and what to do if it isn't ready. Compare these two approaches:

The word count is a guide for the client, not a rigid publishing requirement. Ask for enough information to do the work, and confirm who will edit it. Another example:

Be specific about what is needed, but don't require clients to know web-production terminology. You can guide them on formats and dimensions once the design requirements are clear.

Before you begin collecting, agree on three roles:

1. 1
   Provider

   Who supplies the original text or asset.

2. 2
   Editor

   Who turns drafts into website-ready content, if editing is included.

3. 3
   Approver

   Who gives the final sign-off for publication.

For example, the client may provide service facts and photographs, the freelancer may write the page copy, and the business owner may approve the result. If the client assumes “content is included” while the freelancer assumes “client supplies all copy,” the schedule will slip even if every design is finished.

Put these responsibilities in the proposal or project agreement, then make the individual content requests match them. If the client has not supplied an item, record what is missing and who will provide it instead of repeatedly asking for “an update.”

1. 1
   Confirm the sitemap and page ownership.

   Work from the approved page list, not an outdated draft. Identify any content that is being written by your team rather than supplied by the client.

2. 2
   Request content in small, named fields.

   Use a separate request for each important text section and file. A field labelled “Homepage headline” is easier to complete and track than a shared document called “Website content.”

3. 3
   Make priorities visible.

   Mark launch-critical items, explain the requested date, and distinguish required files from optional enhancements.

4. 4
   Review what arrives.

   A file can be submitted but still be unsuitable. Check that images are usable, copy answers the right question, and claims have been approved.

5. 5
   Follow up only on what remains missing.

   Send a specific reminder about unfinished fields rather than restarting the entire conversation.

6. 6
   Get final approval before publishing.

   Confirm that the client has approved the public-facing copy, imagery, and business details. Save the approved version in your normal project workflow.

With WebIntake, you can make a structured request containing long-text answers, file uploads, links, checklists, and other field types. Clients use the shared link without registering, and you can see which requested answers and files have been received and which are outstanding. Eligible paid plans offer automatic reminders for incomplete requests.

For a website project, you might create fields named “Homepage headline,” “Approved logo,” “Services page copy,” and “Contact details.” Each response stays with the question that explains it, instead of getting buried in unrelated emails.

For the earlier project stages, use a website project questionnaire to define scope and a web design client intake form to gather initial onboarding details.

Weighing WebIntake against other options? See the client intake software comparison against Content Snare, Jotform, Google Forms and Dubsado.