By Mehdi HassanWhat should a landing page brief include?
A landing page brief should include what the page must achieve, who it's for, what they're being offered, why they might say no and what evidence will change their mind. Everything else, from visual style to platform, is secondary. A brief built around those answers gives the writer an argument to make rather than a list of features to arrange.
These are the questions we work through before writing a word, grouped by the part of the page they shape. Most teams can answer them in an hour or two. If you're comparing providers or pricing the work, see our guide to landing page cost first; this article is about making whichever project you choose go well.
Brief section | Questions it answers | What it shapes on the page |
|---|---|---|
Goal | What one action should a visitor take? | CTA, form, page length |
Audience | Who is the primary buyer and what do they already believe? | Headline, tone, examples |
Traffic source | Where do visitors arrive from, and what did they just see? | Message match in the hero |
Offer | What do they get, and what happens next? | CTA label, reassurance copy |
Objections | Why would a good-fit buyer say no? | Section order, FAQ |
Proof | What can you show, and what are you allowed to show? | Logos, numbers, quotes, demos |
Constraints | Brand rules, legal limits, platform, deadline | Design and build choices |
Success | How will you judge the page in 30 to 90 days? | Tracking setup, test plan |
How do you define the goal in a landing page project brief?
Define the goal as one action a visitor takes on the page, not a business outcome. "Book a demo" is a goal; "grow pipeline" is a reason. A page with two equal goals usually does neither well, so pick the primary action and treat anything else as a secondary link.
Then write down what happens after the action. Does the visitor pick a time immediately, wait for an email, or get access straight away? The next step changes the copy: a visitor who knows they'll talk to a founder within a day behaves differently from one facing an unknown queue. Our landing page wireframe template shows where that reassurance sits on the page.
Which audience questions shape landing page copy most?
The audience questions that shape copy most are what the buyer is trying to get done, what they use today and what would make them switch. Demographics and job titles help less than you'd expect. A headline is written for a situation, not a persona.
- In one sentence, who is the primary buyer? Name the role and the company type.
- What are they trying to get done when they find you?
- What do they use or do today instead, including spreadsheets, an agency or nothing?
- What frustrates them about that current option, in their own words?
- What would they need to believe to switch?
- Who else has a say in the decision, and what do they care about?
The best source for these answers isn't a workshop; it's your sales calls, support tickets and reviews. Paste real phrases into the brief. Our guide on how to write landing page copy shows how those phrases turn into headlines and section titles.
Why does the traffic source belong in the brief?
The traffic source belongs in the brief because the page has to continue the conversation the visitor was already having. Someone clicking a search ad for a specific problem expects that problem in the headline. Someone arriving from a cold LinkedIn ad needs more context first. A newsletter reader already trusts you.
List each source that will send visitors, with the ad or email copy if it exists. If the sources are very different, that's a sign you may need more than one page. That decision affects budget and timeline, so it's better made in the brief than discovered in review.
What proof and constraints should the brief list?
The brief should list every piece of proof you can use, with permission, and every constraint the page has to respect. Writers can't invent credibility, and designers can't plan around rules they don't know. Being explicit here prevents late rewrites.
- Proof: customer logos you're allowed to show, testimonials with names and titles, results customers have agreed to share, ratings, security certifications, press mentions, product screenshots or demo videos.
- Brand: logo files, colors, fonts and any rules about tone or terms to avoid.
- Legal and compliance: required disclaimers, claims you can't make, data and privacy wording.
- Platform: where the page will live, who manages it and which tools the form must connect to.
- People: who reviews, who approves and how many people will comment.
Free template: a landing page brief you can copy
Goal: The one action we want visitors to take is ______. After they take it, they will ______.
Audience: Our primary buyer is ______ at ______. They're trying to ______. Today they use ______. What frustrates them is ______ (paste real quotes).
Traffic: Visitors arrive from ______. The ad or email they saw says ______.
Offer: They get ______. It costs ______ or is free. The next step takes ______.
Objections: A good buyer might say no because (1) ______ (2) ______ (3) ______.
Proof we can use: ______. Proof we can't use: ______.
Constraints: Brand rules ______. Legal ______. Platform and integrations ______. Reviewers and approver ______.
Success: In 30 to 90 days we'll judge the page by ______, measured in ______.
For a longer version with a filled-in example, see our landing page brief template.
How do you set landing page requirements for success and tracking?
Set success requirements by choosing one primary metric, how it's measured and a time frame, and write them in the brief. That turns review conversations from opinions into evidence. It also tells the builder which events and integrations the page needs from day one.
The primary metric is usually the conversion rate of the main action from a named traffic source. Secondary signals help explain it, such as form starts, scroll depth or demo show rate. Our guide to landing page conversion tracking explains how to set up the events. If you also need a full site, our website design brief template covers the extra questions, and a migration needs its own website migration plan.
What makes a creative brief for a landing page fail?
A creative brief for a landing page fails when it's written to approve a design rather than to define an argument. Briefs that open with mood boards, competitor screenshots and color preferences invite people to judge the page on taste. Briefs that open with the buyer, the offer and the objections invite them to judge it on whether it persuades.
The other failure is a brief nobody owns. Assign one person to answer questions and make final calls. Before you choose who to hire, our checklist of what landing page design services should include shows which of these brief sections a provider should help you complete.
