A free, editable web design proposal template you can download without signing up, a fully filled small-business example, a field-by-field explanation of scope and exclusions, and how to turn it into a build brief.
<p class="lead text-xl text-[#3a3a3a] mb-8"> A web design proposal turns a conversation into an agreed scope: what you will build, what you will not, what the client must supply, when, and for how much. This page gives you an editable template, a completed example for a fictional business, and an explanation of every field. The download needs no sign-up. </p>
<h2>Download the template</h2> <p><a href="/downloads/web-design-proposal-template.txt" download>Download the web design proposal template (.txt, editable)</a>. It opens in any text editor and pastes cleanly into Google Docs or Word, where you can add your logo and save as PDF for the client.</p> <p>This is a proposal, not a contract. If you attach contract terms, have them reviewed by a qualified lawyer where you work.</p>
<h2>Completed example: a small-business website</h2> <p>The example below is for a fictional client, "Harbour Line Plumbing", from a fictional freelancer. No real client or outcome is implied.</p> <pre><code>Proposal for: Harbour Line Plumbing Valid until: 30 days from date Prepared by: [freelancer name]
WHAT YOU TOLD US Two-person plumbing business, North Shore. No website; jobs come by word of mouth. Wants customers to call or send a job request from a phone.
GOALS AND CHECKS
test job request reaches owner inbox.
licence number with register link on Home and About.
PAGES (5 included; extra pages [price] each) Home | services, areas, call button | us (copy), client (photos) Services | drain, hot water, bathroom plumbing | client supplies details Areas we serve | suburb list | client About | owner, licence + register link | client Contact | job request form + phone | us
INTEGRATIONS: none at launch. Domain: client owns it at their registrar. EXCLUSIONS: photography, logo, ongoing SEO or ads, more than 5 pages. CLIENT DECISIONS: content by week 2; one approver (owner); 2 revision rounds. TIMELINE: draft week 3, revisions week 4, launch week 5 if content is on time. PRICE: build [amount]; 50% to start, 50% at launch. OWNERSHIP: client owns domain, content and all logins at handover.</code></pre>
<h2>Field-by-field: what each section is for</h2> <table> <thead><tr><th>Section</th><th>Why it matters</th><th>Common mistake</th></tr></thead> <tbody> <tr><td>What you told us</td><td>Shows you listened; the client can correct you before work starts.</td><td>Generic text about "a modern online presence".</td></tr> <tr><td>Goals and checks</td><td>Every goal has a test you can run at launch.</td><td>Promising rankings, traffic or sales you cannot control.</td></tr> <tr><td>Pages</td><td>Defines scope and who supplies content for each page.</td><td>"Up to 10 pages" with no content owner.</td></tr> <tr><td>Services, evidence, integrations</td><td>Surfaces what proof the client actually has and which tools must connect.</td><td>Discovering a booking system in week 4.</td></tr> <tr><td>Exclusions</td><td>Stops scope creep politely.</td><td>Leaving it out, then arguing about "just one more page".</td></tr> <tr><td>Client decisions</td><td>Deadlines depend on content and approvals arriving.</td><td>Timelines with no dependency on the client.</td></tr> <tr><td>Price and payment</td><td>Clear amounts, schedule and ongoing costs.</td><td>Hiding hosting or software costs until launch.</td></tr> <tr><td>Ownership</td><td>The client keeps the domain and logins.</td><td>Registering the client's domain in your own account.</td></tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Working out your fee? Try the <a href="/tools/freelance-rate-calculator">freelance rate calculator</a> or the <a href="/tools/website-cost-calculator">website cost calculator</a>. For the wider sales process see <a href="/guides/how-to-create-client-proposal">how to create a client proposal</a>.</p>
<h2>Adapting it for a second business model: an online shop</h2> <ul> <li><strong>Pages:</strong> replace Services and Areas with Shop, Product pages, Shipping and returns, and Terms.</li> <li><strong>Evidence:</strong> product photos, descriptions and prices supplied by the client, in a spreadsheet.</li> <li><strong>Integrations:</strong> payments, shipping rates and tax settings become in-scope decisions; name who configures each.</li> <li><strong>Exclusions:</strong> cap the number of products you will enter (for example 25), with a price for more.</li> <li><strong>Goals and checks:</strong> a test order goes through end to end and the confirmation email arrives.</li> </ul>
<h2>Turn the approved proposal into a build brief</h2> <p>Once the client signs, copy the approved facts into the appendix of the template: business name, one-line description, area, pages, services, checkable proof, main action, integrations and tone. That same brief is what you start the build from, so nothing unapproved slips into the site.</p> <figure> <img src="/images/app/dashboard-prompt-1200.webp" alt="Starting a new website in We.Inc by describing the business" loading="lazy" width="1200" height="750" /> <figcaption>Starting a site in We.Inc from a written brief.</figcaption> </figure> <p>In the <a href="/website-builder">We.Inc website builder</a> you can start from a <a href="/website-templates/business">business template</a> on the Free plan (up to 3 template sites on a we.inc address, no AI credits, no custom domain), or paste the brief as a prompt on Starter ($20/month), which adds AI building and custom domains (<a href="/pricing">pricing</a>). Agencies building for many clients can look at <a href="/white-label">We.Inc white-label</a>. Before handover, run the <a href="/tools/website-grader">website grader</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://my.we.inc/signup">Start building your business website</a></p>
The client's problem in their words, goals with a check for each, the pages and who supplies content, integrations, exclusions, client responsibilities, timeline, price and payment schedule, and who owns the domain and logins.
No. The template is a plain text file you can download and edit directly from this page.
No. It sets out scope and price. If you attach contract terms, have a qualified lawyer review them.
No. Harbour Line Plumbing is a fictional business used to show a completed proposal.
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