What a useful WordPress website brief should include

A clearer brief helps you choose an editable structure, prepare content and avoid unnecessary revisions.

Define the main decision the website should support

Explain who the visitor is and what they should understand before contacting you. A professional-services website may need to establish expertise and clarify scope. A publication may need search, article categories and a sustainable editorial structure. The brief should identify the primary job.

List the pages and the owner of each piece of content

Include the homepage, service pages, about page, contact journey, blog and policy pages. Identify who writes the copy, provides images and approves the facts. Avoid treating content as a final task after the layout is complete.

Specify what needs to be editable

Ask which parts your team can change without a developer. In WordPress, that may include page sections, navigation, footer, global colours and reusable patterns. Ask for an editor demonstration with a real page, rather than relying on the word customisable.

Describe the form journey beyond the submit button

State which details you need, where requests go and what the visitor sees after submission. Decide whether a newsletter signup is separate. Test delivery and failure messages as part of acceptance. Keep the form proportional to the request.

Include migration and search requirements

Record existing URLs, valuable articles and any current search data. Preserve useful URLs and create deliberate redirects where changes are necessary. Assign responsibility for metadata, sitemaps and analytics configuration so multiple systems do not output conflicting information.

Agree on a practical handover

The brief should include backups, access ownership, training and a short maintenance plan. Define what is included after launch and what becomes a new request. An editable website works best when the team knows how to use it.

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