Content brief template.

A content brief is the page an editor fills in before a writer starts. It says what the piece is for, who is searching for it, what already ranks, and what yours will say that the others don’t.

This template has seven fields, one brief per piece. Page three shows a filled-in brief for a buying guide. Page four has the checks to run before you hand it over, and the five steps from brief to published.

What is in it

Field	What goes in it	The usual mistake
1. The piece in one sentence	Format, topic and where it will live	A topic with no format or home
2. Search and intent	The keyword, its volume, what the searcher wants	Picking a keyword without reading the results
3. What already ranks	The top three results, what they do well and miss	Skipping it to save time
4. Reader and angle	Who reads it, and what only you can say	An angle any competitor could copy
5. Outline	The headings in order, each with its question	“Introduction” and “Conclusion”
6. Proof, links, next step	Sources, internal links, one call to action	Three calls to action
7. Specs	Length range, visuals, voice notes, publish date	A word count instead of a range

How to fill it in

• Read the results yourself. Search the keyword and open the top three pages before you touch field 3. The gap between them is usually your angle.
• Match the format to the intent. If people searching want a list, write a list. If they want a price, put a number near the top.
• Find proof the others don’t have. An interview with someone on your team, your own numbers or a real example.
• Turn headings into questions. Lead each section with its answer, so it still works when someone reads only that part.
• Check every internal link. Point only to pages that are live, not drafts.
• Pick one next step. Decide the single thing the reader should do after the last line.
• Give a length range. “1,500 to 2,000 words” tells the writer more than “2,000 words”, because the piece can end when it’s done.

The problem a brief fixes

In the Content Marketing Institute’s 2026 B2B trends research, the challenge marketers picked most often was creating content that gets the reader to act. 40% put it in their top three.

Fields 4 and 6 are there for that. Agree the angle and the one next step before the draft, and the writer can build toward them from the first line instead of bolting a call to action onto the end.

Next steps

Planning several pieces at once? Start with how to plan a month of content, then write one brief per piece. For campaign work around the content, use our creative brief template. And if you’d rather plan and make the content with a team that already knows your brand, that’s Moonb’s content strategy work.