How to Send Client Intake Forms
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An intake form is the first real interaction many clients have with how you work, so it pays to get it right. Done well, a single PDF intake form collects everything you need to start — contact details, project specifics, preferences — in one pass, without a back-and-forth of "can you also send me…". Done badly, it bounces around half-filled and sets a sloppy tone.
The mechanics are simple but the details matter: the form has to be easy to fill on a phone (where most clients will open it), it needs to come back complete and in a usable format, and because it carries personal information, it shouldn't be routed through a random public website on the way.
This guide walks through preparing the intake form, sending it so clients can actually complete it, and collecting responses cleanly — the practical version, not a theoretical one.
Step by step
- 1
Build an intake form that asks only what you need
Every extra field lowers completion. Ask for what you genuinely need to start, group it logically, and leave real space for answers. Keep a blank master you reuse for every new client.
- 2
Send the blank form, not a flattened one
Attach the fillable PDF directly or share it via a drive the client uses. Don't flatten the blank — that strips the fields. Add a one-line note on how to fill and return it.
- 3
Make filling effortless on a phone
Tell clients they can complete it in a PDF app — tap fields or add text on a flat form — sign if needed, and export. Most will do it on a phone, so smooth that path.
- 4
Ask for a flattened copy back
Request a saved or flattened PDF rather than a photo. Flattened forms read consistently, can't be cleared, and slot straight into the client's file.
- 5
File it and confirm receipt
Rename the returned form by client and date, store it with that client's records, and send a quick confirmation. Follow up once if a form comes back with required fields blank.
Tips
- Shorter intake forms get completed; trim every field that isn't genuinely needed at the start.
- Because intake forms carry personal data, prefer direct attachments or a private drive over public 'fill online' services.
- A reusable blank master means each new client gets a clean, identical form with no leftover details.
- Recommend a specific PDF app in your note so phone clients aren't stuck in an email preview that won't type.
- Keep a consistent file-naming pattern so a client's intake form is always easy to locate later.
Try it on your phone
Clients can complete your intake form on a phone with the PDF Editor app — filling fields or adding text to a flat form, signing, and exporting a flattened copy to send straight back. It works on-device, so the personal details they enter aren't uploaded anywhere on the way to you.
