How to brief a web design agency: a free website brief template for UK small businesses

A website brief is a short document that tells an agency what your site must achieve. It covers goals, audience, pages, content, features, integrations, accessibility, privacy and cookies, budget, deadline, ownership and success measures. Two to four pages is enough. A clear brief gets you comparable quotes and fewer surprises once work starts.

What is a website brief, and why does it matter?

A website brief is the document you send agencies before they quote. It explains the problem, not the solution. The agency's job is to propose the solution.

This is how the UK Government asks its own buyers to write requirements. Its guidance for digital buyers says to explain the problem you want to solve and focus on the outcome. It also says to describe the budget and any work already done.

The Design Council makes the same point in its Double Diamond model. The first stage exists to help people "understand, rather than simply assume, what the problem is."

In practice, a vague brief produces quotes you cannot compare. One agency prices five pages, another prices twenty. A clear brief puts every agency on the same footing.

What should you include in a website brief?

Copy this template into a document and fill in each row. The example column shows a fictional small business: a two-van plumbing firm in Leeds.

If a row does not apply, write "not needed". That is still useful information for the agency.

Which UK legal points should a website brief cover?

A UK brief should name four things: accessibility, privacy information, cookie rules and domain ownership. Agencies outside the UK will not always raise them unprompted.

Accessibility (WCAG 2.2 AA). WCAG 2.2 became a W3C Recommendation on 5 October 2023. It added nine success criteria, six of them at levels A and AA. These include minimum target sizes and not hiding focused items behind sticky banners. GOV.UK services must meet WCAG 2.2 level AA. It is a sensible benchmark for any business site, so name it in your brief.

Privacy notice (UK GDPR). If your site collects personal data, such as a contact form, people have a right to be told. The ICO says you must give privacy information at the time you collect the data. It must be concise, transparent and in clear and plain language. The brief should say who drafts the notice. Usually that is you, with the agency placing it on the site.

Cookies (PECR). The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations control cookies and similar technologies. The general rule is clear information plus consent before storing or reading anything on a device. There are exceptions. Cookies that are strictly necessary for a service the user asked for are exempt. Following amendments made by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, some analytics cookies are also exempt. That applies only when their sole purpose is improving the site, and users get clear information and a simple, free way to object. Advertising cookies are not covered by these exceptions. Ask the agency to list every cookie the site will set, and why.

Domain (.co.uk via Nominet). Nominet runs the .uk registry. Its terms define the registrant as the person or company recorded in the registry with the right to use the domain. The registrar only acts on the registrant's behalf. Your brief should require the domain to be registered in your business's name, not the agency's.

How much detail does a website brief need?

Enough for an agency to price it, and no more. Two to four pages works for most small business sites.

GOV.UK's guidance warns against long, detailed briefs that are hard to respond to. It also suggests short sentences and spelling out acronyms. Those rules work well for a website brief too.

Three habits help:

• Describe outcomes, not technology. "Customers can book a survey online" beats "we need a booking plugin".
• Mark must-haves and nice-to-haves. It lets agencies quote a core version and price extras separately.
• Add two or three sites you like. Say what you like about each one, not just the link.

If the site is part of a bigger product, scope that first. Our guide on how to scope an MVP covers it.

What should a good agency send back after your brief?

A good agency replies with questions, then a written plan. The plan should restate your goals, list what is in and out of scope, and give a timeline and price.

Here is what we send at Digital Architect. Our full process has more detail.

1. A free 30-minute call to test the brief and fill gaps.
2. A written plan within 5 to 7 business days. It sets out scope, build order, timeline and a fixed price.
3. Every screen designed in Figma before any code is written, so you approve what you will get.
4. A weekly progress link, so you can see the site taking shape.
5. Testing on real phones and browsers before launch.
6. Launch with the domain, hosting and accounts set up in your name.

You own the code, design files, domain and accounts. We work this way for UK clients too. We built Build-Hive, a construction software platform based in Oxfordshire, and its website.

If you are weighing up a team outside the UK, read our guide to hiring an offshore web development agency.

What are the red flags in an agency's reply?

Watch for these when quotes come back:

1. No questions at all. An agency that quotes without asking anything has not read your brief closely.
2. A price with no scope. A single figure with no page list or feature list cannot be compared or held to.
3. The domain or hosting in the agency's name. Nominet treats the registrant as the domain holder. That should be you.
4. No mention of accessibility. If you asked for WCAG 2.2 AA and the reply ignores it, expect it to be ignored in the build.
5. A cookie banner offered as a fix-all. The agency should explain which cookies the site sets and which need consent.
6. Design files or code kept back. If the contract says the agency keeps the source, you cannot easily move supplier later.
7. No testing plan. Ask which phones and browsers they test on before launch.

Frequently asked questions

Should I include my budget in a website brief?

Yes. A range lets agencies propose the best site for that money, rather than guessing. GOV.UK's own guidance tells buyers to describe the budget. Without one, quotes will vary too widely to compare. Every quote we send is a fixed price against a written scope; ask us for one.

Do I need a privacy notice and a cookie banner on a small business website?

If your site collects personal data, you need privacy information that people can easily find. A cookie consent banner is needed only for cookies that require consent under PECR. Strictly necessary cookies are exempt. Some analytics cookies are exempt if users get clear information and a simple way to object.

Who should own the website domain?

Your business should. For a .co.uk, Nominet's terms treat the registrant as the holder of the domain. Ask for it to be registered in your company's name, with the login in your hands.

Can I send the same website brief to several agencies?

Yes, and you should. Sending one brief to three or four agencies gives you quotes you can compare line by line. Give every agency the same information and the same deadline for questions.

Send us your brief

Fill in the template above and send it to us. We will reply with questions, then a written plan with scope, timeline and a fixed price within 5 to 7 business days. Send us your brief.

Sources

• GOV.UK Service Manual, "Understanding WCAG 2.2": https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/helping-people-to-use-your-service/understanding-wcag
• W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, "What's New in WCAG 2.2": https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-22/
• ICO, "Right to be informed": https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/individual-rights/individual-rights/right-to-be-informed/
• legislation.gov.uk, Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations 2003, regulation 6: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2426/regulation/6
• legislation.gov.uk, PECR Schedule A1 (exceptions): https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2003/2426/schedule/A1
• Nominet, "UK Registrant Terms and Conditions" (March 2026): https://nominet.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/UK-Registrant-Terms-and-Conditions-2026-03.pdf
• GOV.UK, "How to write your requirements for Digital Outcomes and Specialists services" (withdrawn 31 December 2025, cited for its general advice): https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-write-your-requirements-for-digital-outcomes-and-specialists-services
• Design Council, "Framework for Innovation" (the Double Diamond): https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-resources/framework-for-innovation/