Coaching intake

Coaching intake form template: questions to ask before the first session

A coaching intake form should give the coach useful context before the conversation without trying to conduct the coaching session inside the form.

Quick answer

Ask what the person wants to achieve, what is getting in the way, what they have already tried, what support they are looking for, when they want to start and how they prefer to be contacted.

Fields to include

Use the form to prepare, not to replace the conversation

The most useful intake answers give the coach context and help them prepare better questions. They should not force a prospective client to write an essay before the relationship has even started.

Short structured prompts usually create better responses than broad questions such as “tell me everything about yourself”.

Separate goals from obstacles

Asking what someone wants and what currently prevents it produces two different pieces of information. Keeping them separate makes the submission easier to review before a discovery call or first session.

A coach can then use the conversation to explore the detail instead of spending the opening minutes collecting facts that could have been submitted beforehand.

Make expectations clear

The confirmation message should explain what happens next: whether the coach will review the form, send a booking link, confirm suitability or contact the person directly.

Clear next steps reduce uncertainty and stop a submitted intake form from feeling like an unanswered enquiry.

Use the free Formni template

Open the ready-made form, change the questions to match your workflow, preview it and publish your own version. You can customise the form before creating an account.

Open coaching intake template