12 Questions to Ask in a Client Intake Form
A client intake form should ask 8 to 15 questions: contact details, what the client wants to achieve, what is in the way, how soon they want to start, and anything you must know before you meet. Ask only what you will read before the first meeting.
Get this form readyUpdated
Why the right questions matter
Without an intake form, the first meeting is spent on basics: who the client is, what they do, what they want. That is time the client often pays for, and it delays the moment they feel helped. With the answers in front of you, the first meeting starts with the actual problem.
An intake form also shows you early whether you are the right fit. A client who wants results next week, or who needs a service you do not offer, is better found before the meeting than after it. The questions below fit consultants, coaches, trainers and other professionals who start with a first session, and each one says how to word it and which field type to use.
The 12 questions, by section
About the client
1Full name
Why ask it: The basic detail for your records and for addressing the client by name in the first meeting.
Example wording: What is your full name?
Field type: Short text · Required
2Email and phone
Why ask it: You need a way to send the meeting link, a reminder or a change of time. Ask for both and let the client choose which is required.
Example wording: What is your email address? / What is your phone number?
Field type: Email · Required
3Business or role
Why ask it: Context changes the advice. A founder of a small shop and a manager in a large company may describe the same problem in very different ways.
Example wording: What is your business or your role?
Field type: Short text · Optional
Goals
4What they want to achieve
Why ask it: This is the most important question in the form. It tells you what success looks like for the client, in their own words.
Example wording: What would you like to achieve by working together?
Field type: Long text · Required
5The biggest challenge right now
Why ask it: Goals say where the client wants to go; the challenge says what is stopping them. Together they give you the agenda for the first meeting.
Example wording: What is the biggest challenge you face right now?
Field type: Long text · Required
6What success looks like
Why ask it: Asking how the client will know it worked turns a vague goal into something you can measure later.
Example wording: How will you know that our work together was a success?
Field type: Long text · Optional
7What they have tried already
Why ask it: It saves you from suggesting what has already failed, and shows how much experience the client has.
Example wording: What have you already tried?
Field type: Long text · Optional
Practical details
8How soon they want to start
Why ask it: Urgency tells you how to follow up and whether your schedule fits. A client who is just exploring needs a different reply from one who wants to start this week.
Example wording: How soon would you like to start?
Field type: Single choice · Required
9Meeting format
Why ask it: Video, phone or in person decides whether you send a link, call or share an address.
Example wording: How would you prefer to meet?
Field type: Single choice · Required
10Budget range
Why ask it: Ranges with a "not sure yet" option let you check fit without scaring anyone away.
Example wording: What budget do you have in mind for this?
Field type: Single choice · Optional
11Limits you must know about
Why ask it: For trainers and health professionals this is a safety question: injuries, conditions or medication. For others it may be time limits or constraints at work.
Example wording: Is there anything I should know before we start, such as health limits or time constraints?
Field type: Long text · Optional
12How they found you
Why ask it: It shows which channel brings real clients, and gives you a warm way to open the first conversation.
Example wording: How did you find me?
Field type: Dropdown · Optional
What not to ask
- Sensitive details you will not use. Every sensitive question asks the client to trust you. Ask for health or personal details only if you need them for the work, and say why.
- Their whole story in one field. One huge open question is tiring. Two or three focused questions, such as goal, challenge and what was tried, get better answers.
- Details you can find yourself. A company website, a public profile or a city are easy to look up. Asking for them makes the form longer for no reason.
The ready form
Most of these questions are already in this template. Open it in the chat and ask the AI to add the rest, or to change anything for your business.
Consultation Intake FormOpens the ready template in the chat, so you can fit it to your business.
Frequently asked questions
How many questions should an intake form have?
For most services, 8 to 15 questions is enough. If you would not read an answer before the first meeting, remove the question.
When should I send the intake form?
As soon as the first meeting is booked, so the client has time to answer and you have time to read the answers.
Should intake questions be required?
Keep contact details, the goal and the challenge required, and the rest optional. Clients finish the form more often that way.
Is an intake form the same as a medical questionnaire?
No. An intake form helps you prepare. If you work in health or fitness and a client reports a condition, follow the rules of your profession and ask for clearance when needed.
Who can see the answers in Pinkit?
Only you, the owner of the form. You can read each response, download them as CSV, or ask the AI to summarise them.