Guest Post Submission
Accept guest blog post pitches with topic, writing sample link, target audience and author bio.
A ready-to-use creative, design & media form for studios, freelancers and creative agencies: 14 questions, 3 pages, 3 conditional rules.
- Questions
- 14
- Pages
- 3
- Layouts
- classic · card
- Conditional rules
- 3
- Typical time
- 5 min
Searches this template answers
Live preview and test console
This is the real form. Answer it to test the 2 conditional rules — nothing is sent or stored.
Page 1 of 3 — Pitch
1 question is hidden by conditional logic right now — change an answer above to reveal it.
What happens after submit: nothing is stored in this preview. On your own copy, every response triggers an instant email notification and lands in your response dashboard, ready to export or forward.
Happy with it? Take a copy into your workspace — every question, rule and setting comes with it.
Who this template is for
Guest Post Submission is built for studios, freelancers and creative agencies who need to brief a project properly before work starts.
- Studios, freelancers and creative agencies working in creative, design & media.
- Teams who need to brief a project properly before work starts without writing code or paying for a custom build.
- Anyone replacing scope creep caused by an incomplete brief with one structured record per enquiry.
- Respondents are clients and collaborators — the form asks them 14 questions across 3 screens.
- Mobile-heavy audiences, thanks to the one-question-per-screen card layout.
Why this form is useful
It removes the cost of scope creep caused by an incomplete brief and turns each submission into a record your team can act on immediately.
- 5 questions are required, so submissions arrive complete instead of needing a follow-up email.
- It collects a verified email address so replies and confirmations land.
- It accepts a document or photo upload as evidence.
- Conditional logic hides 3 questions until they are relevant — shorter forms convert better than long ones.
- Splitting the form across 3 pages keeps each screen short and shows respondents how much is left.
- Every response is stored, searchable and exportable, so nothing depends on one person's inbox.
How to use this template
From copy to live form is a few minutes of work, and every step is reversible.
- 1Press “Use this template” — a fresh copy of Guest Post Submission lands in your workspace, ready to edit.
- 2Rename or delete any question, and change what is required. Nothing here is fixed.
- 3Open Notifications and add the email addresses that should be alerted on each submission; add an auto-reply to the respondent if the form collects an email address.
- 4Check the upload limits on the file question so respondents can attach what you actually need.
- 5Publish it, then either share the link directly or paste the embed snippet into your site — the embedded form resizes to fit and loads no marketing or advertising trackers.
- 6Watch responses land in Submissions, where you can filter, label and export them to CSV or PDF.
Logic and conditions blueprint
Exactly how this form behaves as it is answered — 3 conditional rules ship with it.
- Features advanced show logic: if “Has this content been published elsewhere?” is Yes, the form dynamically exposes “Where was it published?”. Otherwise that question never appears.
- Features conditional validation: if “Does your post include any links to products or services?” is Yes, “Are any of these links paid or sponsored?” becomes mandatory before the form can be sent.
- Features advanced show logic: if “Submission type” is Full draft ready, the form dynamically exposes “Paste or link your draft”. Otherwise that question never appears.
- All 3 rules are editable in the Logic tab, and the built-in checker warns about rules that contradict each other.
About this template
A "write for us" page without a structured form usually turns into an inbox full of unrelated pitches, because there's nothing steering contributors toward what the publication actually wants. This form starts by asking for a proposed title and a short outline rather than a full draft, since reviewing an outline is far faster than reading a finished piece that turns out to be off-topic. A target audience and content category question help an editor see quickly whether the pitch fits the publication's existing sections. A link to two or three writing samples, rather than an attached full-length résumé, gives editors exactly what they need to judge quality without asking for more than a first-time contributor is usually willing to send. Original-content and no-paid-links questions are asked directly as yes/no confirmations, since undisclosed sponsored content and duplicate publishing are the two most common reasons a submission gets rejected after the fact rather than before. The form closes with an author bio and headshot, submitted once alongside the pitch so an accepted piece is ready to publish without a second round of asset-chasing.
What this form asks
Every question is editable — rename it, make it optional, or delete it entirely.
Page 1 — Pitch
- Author namerequired
- Email addressrequired
- Proposed title
- Content category
- Submission typerequired
- Outline or summaryrequired
- Paste or link your draft
Page 2 — Originality & links
- Has this content been published elsewhere?required
- Where was it published?
- Does your post include any links to products or services?
- Are any of these links paid or sponsored?
Page 3 — About you
- Short author bio
- Headshot photo
- Link to 2-3 writing samples
14 questions in total.
How the form changes as it's filled in
This template ships with 3 conditional rules, grouped into 3 behaviours driven by 3 questions. Everything below is already set up — edit or delete any rule once the template is in your workspace.
Driven by “Has this content been published elsewhere?”
- Reveals questions
If “Has this content been published elsewhere?” is Yes, the form reveals “Where was it published?”.
Driven by “Does your post include any links to products or services?”
- Makes answers required
If “Does your post include any links to products or services?” is Yes, “Are any of these links paid or sponsored?” becomes required before the form can be submitted.
Driven by “Submission type”
- Reveals questions
If “Submission type” is Full draft ready, the form reveals “Paste or link your draft”.
Set it up step by step
- 1
Review outlines before drafts
Asking for a title and outline first lets you reject off-topic pitches in a minute instead of reading a full piece that was never going to fit.
- 2
Ask about paid links directly
Undisclosed sponsored links are the most common reason a guest post gets pulled after publishing — ask up front instead of finding out later.
- 3
Collect the bio and headshot at pitch stage
Getting author assets alongside the pitch means an accepted piece can go straight to publishing without a second email chasing details.
- 4
Ask for samples, not credentials
Two or three writing sample links tell you more about fit than a full CV, and they're far less friction for a first-time contributor to send.
Mistakes to avoid
- Accepting full drafts with no outline stage first, which wastes editor time on off-topic pitches.
- Not asking whether links in the post are paid or sponsored, risking an undisclosed-ads problem after publishing.
- Skipping the author bio at submission, leading to a delayed publish while you chase details later.
What it pairs with
Most teams don't run this form on its own. These are the forms and systems it sits next to.
What to do with the responses
Review pitches by category against your existing content calendar, and reply with acceptance, rejection or requested changes within a week so contributors aren't left waiting.
Works in both layouts
Forms that overlap this one
These pages cover the same subject ground as the guest post submission, matched on the words people actually search for.
Frequently asked questions
Should I accept full drafts or outlines only?
Outlines first is faster for most editorial teams — the submission-type question lets contributors choose, and only shows the draft field once they say a full draft is ready.
How is this different from Speaker Proposal Form?
That form is for pitching a talk or session at an event; this one is for written content pitches to a blog or publication. The review criteria and required assets differ enough to keep them separate.
What if the same piece is being pitched to multiple publications?
The originality question surfaces that directly — most editors will still consider a piece pitched elsewhere as long as it hasn't already been published.
Can this double as a feature-request channel from contributors?
No — if contributors also want to suggest product changes rather than write about your product, point them to Feature Request Submission instead.
Is the Guest Post Submission template free to use?
Yes. You can preview and test Guest Post Submission on this page without an account, and take a copy into your own HelloForms workspace on the free plan. There is nothing to install and no card required to publish it.
What does the Guest Post Submission template ask for?
It asks 14 questions across 3 pages, 5 of which are required. Every question is listed in full further down this page, and each one can be renamed, reordered, made optional or deleted after you copy the template.
Can I edit the Guest Post Submission form after copying it?
Yes — the copy is entirely yours. Change wording, add or remove questions, switch between the classic and card layouts, restyle it to match your brand, and set who gets notified on each submission.
How does the conditional logic in this creative, design & media form work?
3 conditional rules ship with the template: Features advanced show logic: if “Has this content been published elsewhere?” is Yes, the form dynamically exposes “Where was it published?”. Otherwise that question never appears. Features conditional validation: if “Does your post include any links to products or services?” is Yes, “Are any of these links paid or sponsored?” becomes mandatory before the form can be sent. Features advanced show logic: if “Submission type” is Full draft ready, the form dynamically exposes “Paste or link your draft”. Otherwise that question never appears. All rules are editable in the Logic tab.
Where do responses to the Guest Post Submission form go?
Submissions land in your workspace under Submissions, where you can search, filter, label and export them to CSV or PDF. You can also email a notification to your team on every submission and send the respondent an auto-reply.
Can I embed the Guest Post Submission form on my own website?
Yes. Publish the form and paste the embed snippet into any page or share the direct link. The embedded form resizes to fit its container and loads no advertising or marketing trackers inside the iframe.
Can respondents upload files?
Yes. This template includes a file upload question, so respondents can attach documents or photos with their answers. You can adjust the accepted file types and size limits on that question.
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