Intake Form Examples to Streamline Your Workflow

A bad intake form costs you clients before you even speak to them.

Too many fields, confusing language, or missing mobile optimization turns a simple data collection process into an abandonment problem. The right intake form examples show you exactly what works across healthcare, legal, business services, and HR onboarding.

This guide breaks down real intake form templates by industry. You’ll see the specific fields that medical practices, law firms, marketing agencies, and therapy offices use to gather client information.

Each example includes the form structure, required sections, and compliance considerations that apply to your situation.

What is an Intake Form

An intake form is a structured document that collects information from clients, patients, or customers during their first interaction with a business or service provider.

Healthcare facilities use them for medical history. Law firms gather case details. Marketing agencies document project scope and budget constraints.

The form sits at the start of the client onboarding process, capturing personal details, consent documentation, and service preferences before work begins.

Unlike a basic contact form, intake forms dig deeper into specifics that shape how services get delivered.

Intake Form Examples

Patient Intake Form

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Patient Intake Form by Bogdan Sandu (@bogdansandu)
on CodePen.

Client Intake Form

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Client Intake Form by Bogdan Sandu (@bogdansandu)
on CodePen.

Appointment Scheduling Form

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Modern Gradient Scheduling Form by Bogdan Sandu (@bogdansandu)
on CodePen.

Modern Logo Designer Client Onboarding Form

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Modern Logo Designer Client Onboarding Form by Bogdan Sandu (@bogdansandu)
on CodePen.

Modern Patient Onboarding Form

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Modern Patient Onboarding Form by Bogdan Sandu (@bogdansandu)
on CodePen.

Employment Application Form

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Modern Employment Application Form with Animated Gradient by Bogdan Sandu (@bogdansandu)
on CodePen.

Cardiology Intake Form

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Modern Multi-Step Cardiology Intake Form by Bogdan Sandu (@bogdansandu)
on CodePen.

Types of Intake Forms

What are the different categories of intake forms?

Intake forms break down by industry and purpose. Each type of form serves a different data collection need.

• Client intake forms – business services, agencies, consultants
• Patient intake forms – hospitals, clinics, private practices
• Legal client intake forms – law firms, attorneys
• Project intake forms – IT departments, creative agencies
• Employee intake forms – HR onboarding, new hire paperwork
• Therapy intake forms – mental health practitioners, counselors
• Salon and spa intake forms – beauty and wellness services

Client Intake Form Examples

How does a marketing agency intake form work?

Marketing agencies use client intake forms to understand business goals before creating campaigns. The form captures company background, target audience, and budget range in one submission.

Key fields in a marketing intake form

• Company name and website URL
• Primary contact information
• Project type (SEO, social media, paid ads)
• Monthly budget range
• Campaign timeline and deadlines
• Competitor URLs

Good form design keeps these fields organized into logical sections so clients complete them without confusion.

How does a consulting client intake form work?

Consulting intake forms qualify prospects and gather project requirements simultaneously. They screen for budget fit while collecting enough detail to prepare for discovery calls.

Standard consulting intake fields

• Business size and industry
• Current challenges or pain points
• Desired outcomes and success metrics
• Previous consulting experience
• Decision timeline
• Budget expectations

Using conditional logic shows different questions based on business type, keeping the form relevant to each respondent.

How does a freelance service intake form work?

Freelancers use intake forms to screen clients, set expectations, and gather project specs before sending proposals.

Freelance intake essentials

• Client name and contact details
• Project description and deliverables
• Reference files or examples
• Preferred communication method
• Project deadline
• Budget or rate confirmation

Adding a file upload field lets clients attach briefs, brand guidelines, or reference materials directly.

Patient Intake Form Examples

How does a medical patient intake form collect information?

Medical intake forms gather demographics, insurance details, and health history before the first appointment. HIPAA compliance requires specific privacy disclosures and consent fields.

Core sections in medical intake

• Demographics – name, date of birth, address, emergency contact
• Insurance information – provider, policy number, group ID
• Medical history – chronic conditions, surgeries, family history
• Current medications – drug names, dosages, prescribing physicians
• Allergies – medication allergies, food allergies, environmental
• Consent forms – Notice of Privacy Practices, treatment authorization

Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems often integrate with digital intake forms to auto-populate patient charts.

How does a therapy intake form differ from standard medical forms?

Therapy intake forms go beyond physical health to capture mental health history, presenting concerns, and treatment goals. They establish the therapeutic relationship from the first interaction.

Therapy-specific sections

• Reason for seeking therapy
• Previous mental health treatment
• Current symptoms and their duration
• Substance use history
• Safety assessment questions
• Treatment goals and expectations
• Informed consent for telehealth (if applicable)

Language matters here. Replace clinical jargon like “presenting problem” with “what brings you to therapy today” for a more welcoming tone.

How does a dental intake form collect patient information?

Dental intake forms focus on oral health history, current concerns, and relevant medical conditions that affect treatment.

Dental-specific fields

• Last dental visit and previous dentist
• Current dental concerns or pain
• History of dental procedures
• Teeth grinding or jaw pain
• Medical conditions affecting dental care (diabetes, heart conditions)
• Blood thinners or medications causing dry mouth

Legal Client Intake Form Examples

How does a law firm intake form capture case details?

Legal intake forms document case specifics, conflict checks, and client background before attorney-client relationships begin. They protect both the firm and the potential client.

Law firm intake components

• Client personal information
• Case type and description
• Opposing party names (for conflict check)
• Relevant dates and deadlines
• Previous attorney information
• How the client found the firm
• Fee arrangement preferences

Firms handling sensitive cases often implement additional form security measures to protect client data during submission.

How does a family law intake form differ from criminal defense intake?

Family law intake collects information about marriages, children, assets, and custody preferences. It documents both parties, living arrangements, and financial situations.

Criminal defense intake focuses on charges, arrest details, court dates, and prior criminal history. It needs incident timelines, witness information, and bail status.

Family law specific fields

• Marriage date and separation date
• Children’s names, ages, current custody
• Marital assets and debts
• Spouse’s attorney (if known)
• Domestic violence history

Criminal defense specific fields

• Charges and case number
• Arrest date and arresting agency
• Bond status and conditions
• Court date and assigned judge
• Prior criminal record
• Witness contact information

Both practice areas benefit from lead generation strategies that qualify potential clients before the initial consultation.

Project Intake Form Examples

How does an IT project intake form gather requirements?

IT project intake forms document technical requirements, system integrations, and resource needs before development begins.

IT intake form fields

• Project name and requesting department
• Business problem or opportunity
• Technical requirements and specifications
• System integrations needed
• Security and compliance requirements
• Estimated budget and timeline
• Stakeholder approvals

Breaking long IT forms into multi-step forms reduces abandonment and keeps requesters focused on one section at a time.

How does a graphic design intake form collect project details?

Design intake forms capture creative direction, brand guidelines, and deliverable specifications upfront.

Design project intake fields

• Project type (logo, brochure, social graphics)
• Brand colors and fonts
• Target audience description
• Competitor examples or inspiration
• File format requirements
• Revision rounds included

How does a web development intake form structure information?

Web development intake forms gather technical specs, content requirements, and functionality needs before quoting or starting projects.

Web development intake essentials

• Current website URL (if exists)
• Platform preference (WordPress, custom, Shopify)
• Page count and site structure
• E-commerce functionality needs
• Third-party integrations (CRM, email marketing)
• Hosting and domain status
• Content readiness (copy, images, videos)

Agencies building sites on WordPress often use WordPress forms to keep the intake process on the same platform as the final deliverable.

Employee Intake Form Examples

How does an HR onboarding intake form collect new hire information?

HR intake forms gather tax documents, emergency contacts, and benefits enrollment data before a new employee’s first day.

Standard HR intake sections

• Personal information and contact details
• W-4 Form data for tax withholding
• I-9 Form employment eligibility
• Direct deposit banking information
• Emergency contact names and numbers
• Benefits enrollment selections
• Equipment and access requests

Digital employee intake forms sync with practice management software to create employee records automatically.

Adding clear placeholder text in banking fields prevents errors in direct deposit setup.

How to Create an Effective Intake Form

What fields should every intake form include?

Certain form fields appear across every industry, regardless of the intake form’s specific purpose.

Universal intake fields

• Full legal name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Date of form completion
• Digital signature or consent checkbox
• Primary reason for contact

What makes an intake form easy to complete?

Forms with clear section headers, logical field order, and minimal required fields get completed more often.

Usability checklist

• Group related fields together
• Use dropdown menus for predefined options
• Mark required vs optional fields clearly
• Keep the form under 15 fields when possible
• Test on mobile devices
• Show progress indicators on longer forms

Proper form UX design reduces friction and keeps completion rates high.

A clear form submission confirmation message tells users their information went through successfully.

What compliance requirements apply to intake forms?

Different industries face different data protection rules that affect how intake forms collect and store information.

Industry compliance needs

• Healthcare – HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, informed consent, Patient Bill of Rights acknowledgment
• Legal – Attorney-client privilege disclosure, conflict of interest checks
• Financial services – Data protection notices, identity verification
• Any business with EU clients – GDPR consent requirements

Businesses collecting data from European users need GDPR compliant forms with explicit consent checkboxes.

Intake Form Best Practices by Industry

What do healthcare intake forms require?

Healthcare intake demands HIPAA compliance, insurance verification fields, and integration with Electronic Health Records systems.

• Privacy notice acknowledgment (required by law)
• Consent to treatment documentation
• Insurance card upload capability
• Medication list with dosages
• Allergy documentation with severity levels

Effective lead generation for healthcare practices starts with intake forms that balance thoroughness with patient convenience.

What do legal intake forms require?

Legal intake prioritizes conflict checks, case documentation, and clear fee disclosures.

• All party names for conflict screening
• Case type classification
• Statute of limitations dates
• Retainer and fee structure acknowledgment
• Document upload for relevant evidence

What do business client intake forms require?

Business intake forms focus on project scope, budget qualification, and timeline alignment.

• Company size and industry
• Project scope and deliverables
• Budget range (even a broad range helps)
• Decision-maker identification
• Timeline and urgency level

Good intake forms double as qualification tools, filtering out poor-fit prospects before sales calls.

Common Mistakes in Intake Forms

What errors reduce intake form completion rates?

Certain mistakes cause users to abandon intake forms before submitting. Fixing these issues directly impacts conversion rates.

Mistakes that kill completion rates

• Too many fields – every additional field drops completion by 4-5%
• No mobile optimization – over 50% of form fills happen on phones
• Confusing field labels – users skip what they don’t understand
• Missing error messages – people don’t know what went wrong
• No save progress option – long forms need pause capability
• Requiring unnecessary information – ask only what you truly need

Clear form error messages tell users exactly what to fix instead of generic “invalid input” alerts.

Following mobile form best practices catches the majority of users filling out forms on smartphones.

How to fix high abandonment

• Cut fields that don’t affect service delivery
• Add progress bars to longer forms
• Use autofill for standard fields (name, email, address)
• Test the form yourself on multiple devices
• Add a save and continue later option

Track where users drop off using form analytics, then optimize forms based on actual behavior data.

Small changes to form validation rules prevent frustration from rejected submissions.

FAQ on Intake Forms

What is the purpose of an intake form?

An intake form collects client or patient information before services begin. It gathers contact details, medical history, project requirements, or case specifics depending on the industry. This data helps providers prepare and deliver personalized service.

What should be included in a client intake form?

Include full name, contact information, service needs, budget range, and timeline. Add industry-specific fields like project scope for agencies or insurance details for healthcare. Keep only fields that directly affect service delivery.

How long should an intake form be?

Keep intake forms under 15 fields when possible. Every additional field reduces completion rates by 4-5%. Use multi-step forms or single-step forms based on how much information you truly need to collect.

Are digital intake forms better than paper forms?

Digital intake forms reduce data entry errors, integrate with CRM and EHR systems, and let clients complete paperwork before appointments. They also support form accessibility features for users with disabilities.

What makes an intake form HIPAA compliant?

HIPAA compliant intake forms include a Notice of Privacy Practices, secure data transmission, encrypted storage, and patient consent documentation. Healthcare providers must also limit access to protected health information and maintain audit trails.

Can I use the same intake form for all clients?

A generic intake form works for basic information gathering. But industry-specific forms perform better. Legal intake needs conflict checks; medical intake requires allergy fields. Customize forms to match your service type.

How do I reduce intake form abandonment?

Remove unnecessary fields, add progress indicators, and test on mobile devices. Use clear field labels and helpful error messages. Following web form best practices keeps users engaged through submission.

Should intake forms include consent checkboxes?

Yes. Consent checkboxes document agreement to terms, privacy policies, and treatment authorization. They protect both the business and the client. GDPR requires explicit consent for data collection from European users.

What software creates professional intake forms?

Google Forms, JotForm, Typeform, and Zoho Forms handle basic intake needs. Healthcare practices use EHR-integrated solutions. Businesses on WordPress can use dedicated WordPress contact form plugins with intake templates.

How do I get clients to complete intake forms before appointments?

Send the form link in appointment confirmation emails. Set a deadline and send reminders. Explain that completing the form saves time during the visit. Short forms with clear instructions get completed more often.

Conclusion

The right intake form examples give you a starting point, not a final product. Adapt the templates and field structures to match your specific client onboarding process.

Patient intake forms need HIPAA compliance. Legal questionnaires require conflict checks. Agency forms focus on project scope and budget qualification.

Start with the universal fields every form needs. Then add industry-specific sections that capture information affecting service delivery.

Test your forms on mobile devices. Track completion rates. Cut fields that don’t directly impact how you serve clients.

A well-built intake form does more than collect data. It qualifies prospects, sets expectations, and starts the professional relationship before the first meeting happens.