Updated: 6 November 2026 · Ritik Verma, Founder, 7SEA Marketing
A good Shopify project brief has 10 sections: business context, goals, project type, scope, catalog and data, integrations, design direction, content, budget range and timeline. It usually fits on 2–4 pages. Send the same brief to every agency you're considering, and the quotes you get back become comparable, instead of five prices for five different projects.
Most quotes are far apart for one reason: each agency guessed at a different scope. One priced a theme refresh, another a custom build, a third a build plus migration. A brief fixes that before the first call.
The template is below. Copy it, fill it in, and delete what doesn't apply.
Why a brief changes the quotes you get
| Without a brief | With a brief |
|---|---|
| Quotes range from $5k to $60k for "the same" project | Quotes cluster around the real scope |
| Each agency spends the first call discovering basics | First call goes straight to approach and risks |
| Hidden scope surfaces mid-project as change orders | Integrations and data are priced from day one |
| You compare prices | You compare approach, team and value |
The brief doesn't need to be perfect. "We don't know yet" is a useful answer: it tells the agency where to ask questions, and where discovery time belongs in the quote.
The 10-section Shopify brief template
1. Business context
- Company name, website, what you sell, who you sell to
- Annual online revenue range (e.g. under $500k / $500k–$2M / $2M–$10M / $10M+)
- Current platform and plan (Shopify Basic / Grow / Advanced / Plus, or another platform)
- Team: who will run the project on your side, and who signs off
2. Goals, and how you'll measure them
- The 1–3 problems this project must solve
- The metric for each (conversion rate, AOV, page speed, time spent on manual work)
- Current baseline for each, if you have it
Example: "Mobile conversion is 1.1% vs 2.4% on desktop. Goal: close half the gap within 6 months of launch."
3. Project type
Tick one:
- New store build
- Refresh (same theme, updated look)
- Redesign (new theme or new UX)
- Custom rebuild
- Migration from another platform (which one?)
- Ongoing development / support
Not sure which? Shopify Redesign: refresh vs redesign vs rebuild
4. Scope: pages and features
- Templates needed: home, collection, product (how many distinct layouts?), cart, about, blog, landing pages
- Must-have features vs nice-to-have (list separately)
- Markets and languages
- B2B / wholesale, subscriptions, bundles, product customisation: yes or no
5. Catalog and data
| Item | Your numbers |
|---|---|
| Number of products | |
| Variants per product (typical / max) | |
| Customers to migrate | |
| Orders to migrate (how many years?) | |
| Blog posts / pages to migrate | |
| URLs with organic traffic to redirect |
6. Integrations and apps
- Current apps you'll keep, replace or remove
- Systems the store must connect to: ERP, PIM, 3PL/warehouse, CRM, email/SMS, reviews, loyalty, accounting
- For each: is there an existing app, or does it need custom work?
This is the section that moves quotes the most. A single custom ERP integration can cost more than the whole theme.
7. Design direction
- Brand guidelines (attach), or "needs creating"
- 3 sites you like, and why (specific: "their product page layout", not "it's clean")
- 1–2 sites you don't like
- Premium theme you'd consider, if any
8. Content
- Who writes copy? Who supplies photography and video?
- Are product descriptions ready, or do they need writing?
- SEO: rankings and pages that must be protected
9. Budget range
State a range. It's the most useful line in the brief.
| Project type | Typical market range (2026) |
|---|---|
| Theme refresh | $1,500 – $5,000 |
| New store on a premium theme | $5,000 – $15,000 |
| Redesign / custom theme | $15,000 – $50,000+ |
| Migration (small/mid) | $3,000 – $15,000 |
| Migration (large / Plus) | $25,000 – $80,000+ |
| Ongoing support | $500 – $2,500+/month |
Market ranges from US agency and vendor sources. Ranges vary widely with scope and who builds it.
A range doesn't mean agencies will "spend it all". It means they'll propose what's achievable within it, and tell you if it isn't.
10. Timeline and decision process
- Ideal launch date, and the hard deadline, if any (avoid launching right before Black Friday)
- When you'll decide, and who decides
- What you need in the proposal (fixed price vs time and materials, team, timeline, references)
A filled-in example (short version)
Business: Outdoor apparel brand, ~$1.8M online revenue, Shopify Grow, team of 6. Marketing lead runs the project; founder signs off.
Goals: Raise mobile conversion from 1.2% to 1.6%; cut product-page load time below 3s.
Type: Redesign on a premium theme with custom product-page sections.
Scope: 1 home, 3 collection layouts, 2 product layouts, cart drawer, size guide, US + Canada.
Catalog: 420 products, ~6 variants each. No migration.
Integrations: Keep Klaviyo, reviews app, returns app. Replace 2 page-builder apps. No ERP.
Design: Guidelines attached. Likes: 3 competitor product pages (links). Dislikes: heavy pop-ups.
Content: Copy in-house; new photography in March.
Budget: $12,000–$20,000.
Timeline: Launch by end of May; decision by Feb 15.
That's enough for any competent agency to return a real proposal, not a guess.
Mistakes that make briefs useless
- No budget range. Agencies either guess low (and change-order you later) or quote high to be safe.
- "Like Amazon, but for us." Name specific features and pages instead.
- Hiding integrations. The ERP mentioned in week 6 is the classic budget-breaker.
- Different briefs to different agencies. Then the quotes can't be compared.
- 20 pages of requirements nobody prioritised. Separate must-have from nice-to-have.
- Forgetting SEO. For a redesign or migration, list the pages and rankings that must survive.
Moving platforms? The data and redirect sections matter most: BigCommerce to Shopify Migration · Shopify Migration Checklist
How to compare the quotes you get back
| Compare | Ask |
|---|---|
| Scope match | Did they quote what you asked, or quietly change it? |
| Assumptions | What did they assume about the parts you left blank? |
| Exclusions | What's explicitly not included? |
| Team | Who actually does the work, and where are they based? |
| Payment terms | Deposit size and milestones |
| After launch | Warranty period, bug fixes, support options |
The lowest quote often has the longest exclusions list. Read that section first.
What to ask agencies on the first call: How to Choose a Shopify Development Agency · Warning signs: Shopify Agency Red Flags
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a Shopify project brief include?
Ten sections: business context, goals and how you'll measure them, project type, scope of pages and features, catalog and data volumes, integrations and apps, design direction, content responsibilities, budget range and timeline with decision process. Most good briefs fit on 2–4 pages.
Should I include my budget in a brief to agencies?
Yes. A budget range is the most useful line in the brief. Without it, agencies guess (some low, some high) and the quotes can't be compared. A range lets them propose what's achievable within it, or tell you honestly that it isn't.
What's the difference between a project brief and an RFP?
A brief describes your business, goals and scope so agencies can propose a solution. An RFP (request for proposal) is more formal: it adds required response format, evaluation criteria and deadlines. For most Shopify projects, a clear brief plus a short list of what you want in the proposal is enough.
How long should a Shopify brief be?
Usually 2–4 pages. Long enough to cover scope, data and integrations; short enough that agencies read all of it. Attach supporting files (brand guidelines, app list, analytics screenshots) separately.
How many agencies should I send my brief to?
Three to five is typical. Fewer gives you little to compare; more takes a lot of time to evaluate properly. Send all of them the same brief.
What if I don't know some of the answers?
Write "not sure" rather than leaving a section out. It tells the agency where discovery is needed, and good agencies will either ask or include a discovery phase in the quote.
Why are Shopify quotes so different for the same project?
Usually because each agency assumed a different scope, especially for integrations, data migration, number of templates and custom features. A shared brief narrows that gap; the remaining difference reflects team, process and location.
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