Campaigns · free template

Media Buying Brief

Give your media buyer a clear budget, audience, flight window, and success measure so they can recommend placements without guessing at your priorities.

A ready-to-use marketing & agency form for small teams who need a reliable intake process: 15 questions, 3 pages, 2 conditional rules.

Questions
15
Pages
3
Layouts
classic · card
Time to complete
≈ 15 min
Conditional rules
2
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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 — Set the Buying Boundaries

Brief the Buy, Not the Creative

Use the name that will appear in the media plan and reporting.

Choose the outcome that should win when reach, cost, and conversion goals conflict.

Primary Objective

Include one primary metric, its target, data source, and measurement window. Label unvalidated targets as provisional.

Enter the total approved placement spend for this flight, excluding production, agency fees, and taxes.

Every question on this page is currently visible.

Compliance checklist

Ready to publish
  • Payment items priced — passingEvery payment question charges a real amount, so a submission always records a payment.
  • Conditional logic resolves — passingEvery rule points at a question or page that exists in this template.
  • Legal text not required — passingThis template collects neither health nor regulated financial information.
  • Question labels unique — passingLogic and exports address questions by label, so duplicates are ambiguous.

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

Media Buying Brief is built for small teams who need a reliable intake process who need to collect the same complete information from everyone.

  • Small teams who need a reliable intake process working in marketing & agency.
  • Teams who need to collect the same complete information from everyone without writing code or paying for a custom build.
  • Anyone replacing chasing missing details over email with one structured record per enquiry.
  • Respondents are the people you send it to — the form asks them 15 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 chasing missing details over email and turns each submission into a record your team can act on immediately.

  • 13 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 allows multiple selections without free text.
  • It captures a numeric value you can filter and sort on.
  • Conditional logic hides 2 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.

  1. 1Press “Use this template” — a fresh copy of Media Buying Brief lands in your workspace, ready to edit.
  2. 2Rename or delete any question, and change what is required. Nothing here is fixed.
  3. 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.
  4. 4Publish 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.
  5. 5Watch 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 — 2 conditional rules ship with it.

  • Features advanced show logic: if “Measurement Readiness” is Setup or validation needed, the form dynamically exposes “Tracking Gaps and Owner”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • Features advanced show logic: if “Buying Approach” is Direct or reserved inventory included, the form dynamically exposes “Inventory Commitments”. Otherwise that question never appears.
  • All 2 rules are editable in the Logic tab, and the built-in checker warns about rules that contradict each other.

About this template

Use this brief before a buyer builds a channel mix or requests inventory pricing. It captures the boundaries of the buy, not the broader campaign story or the creative production request. Ask the person who controls the budget to complete it with the campaign owner; unresolved spending limits should not become a buyer’s assumption. Enter working media spend only, excluding production, agency fees, and taxes. Pair the amount with a currency and a flight window, including any dates that cannot move. Choose one primary objective and define a success measure with its data source. A sales target measured in the commerce platform is a different instruction from a platform-reported return target. Keep requested channels provisional unless an existing agreement makes them mandatory. Describe eligible markets, audience signals, and exclusions separately so the buyer can distinguish reach opportunities from hard restrictions. Avoid uploading customer-level data; audience definitions are enough at this stage. Review measurement readiness before approving the plan. If tracking still needs work, record the gap and its owner rather than implying launch is cleared. For direct or reserved buys, document existing commitments before seeking new quotes. The completed brief should support a proposed plan with explicit assumptions, not serve as automatic permission to spend.

What this form asks

Every question is editable — rename it, make it optional, or delete it entirely.

Page 1 — Set the Buying Boundaries

  • Campaign Namerequired
  • Budget Owner Emailrequired
  • Primary Objectiverequired
  • Primary Success Measurerequired
  • Working Media Budgetrequired

Page 2 — Define Reach and Restrictions

  • Budget Currencyrequired
  • Flight Windowrequired
  • Eligible Marketsrequired
  • Requested Channelsrequired
  • Audience Definitionrequired
  • Placement and Audience Exclusionsrequired

Page 3 — Check Buying Readiness

  • Measurement Readinessrequired
  • Tracking Gaps and Owner
  • Buying Approachrequired
  • Inventory Commitments

15 questions in total.

Example: A Modular Desk Launch

The fictional Alderloop Furnishings team briefs a buyer on a six-week acquisition campaign.

Campaign Name
Autumn modular desk launch
Working Media Budget
24000
Budget Currency
USD
Flight Window
September 7–October 18, 2026; America/New_York timezone; launch date fixed
Primary Success Measure
180 completed purchases during the flight, measured in the commerce platform using its paid-channel attribution report; target provisional.
Measurement Readiness
Setup or validation needed
Tracking Gaps and Owner
Purchase event missing on the express checkout flow; analytics lead to fix and validate by August 28.

How the form changes as it's filled in

This template ships with 2 conditional rules, grouped into 2 behaviours driven by 2 questions. Everything below is already set up — edit or delete any rule once the template is in your workspace.

Driven by “Measurement Readiness”

  • Reveals questions

    If “Measurement Readiness” is Setup or validation needed, the form reveals “Tracking Gaps and Owner”.

Driven by “Buying Approach”

  • Reveals questions

    If “Buying Approach” is Direct or reserved inventory included, the form reveals “Inventory Commitments”.

Set it up step by step

  1. 1

    Separate spend from delivery costs

    Confirm the working media ceiling before distributing the brief. Keep production and service fees outside this number so the buyer does not overstate purchasable inventory.

  2. 2

    Give the buyer a decision metric

    Choose one primary objective, then state the target and reporting source. If the target is exploratory, say so rather than presenting it as a promised result.

  3. 3

    Distinguish preferences from commitments

    Use Requested Channels for options worth evaluating. Put booked packages and mandatory placements in Inventory Commitments, including whether their costs consume the budget.

  4. 4

    Resolve dependencies before launch approval

    Review tracking gaps alongside the proposed flight window. Assign an owner and date for each fix, then verify readiness separately from approval of the media plan.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Entering the entire campaign budget as working media spend, leaving no allowance outside it for production or fees.
  • Selecting several channels without giving the buyer a primary outcome to optimize toward.
  • Calling measurement ready because a tag exists, without testing the conversion event and reporting source.

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

Send the completed brief to the buyer for a proposed allocation, inventory options, and a list of assumptions. Obtain explicit plan and spending approval before any placements are booked.

Works in both layouts

Browse classic templatesBrowse card templates

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Frequently asked questions

How is this different from a Marketing Campaign Brief?

A Marketing Campaign Brief establishes the campaign strategy, message, and deliverables. This form narrows the handoff to paid distribution: spend, markets, inventory constraints, and measurement.

Should we specify a budget for every channel?

Not unless allocations are already fixed. Give the buyer one working media ceiling and let them propose the split; record any mandatory inventory costs separately.

Can we submit the brief before tracking is ready?

Yes, for planning. Select Setup or validation needed and identify the gaps and owners. Submission does not mean the campaign is cleared to launch.

Where should ad assets and specifications go?

Use an Ad Creative Request for asset production once placement requirements are known. Keep this brief focused on buying decisions rather than scripts, copy variations, or design feedback.

Is the Media Buying Brief template free to use?

Yes. You can preview and test Media Buying Brief 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 Media Buying Brief template ask for?

It asks 15 questions across 3 pages, 13 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 Media Buying Brief 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 marketing & agency form work?

2 conditional rules ship with the template: Features advanced show logic: if “Measurement Readiness” is Setup or validation needed, the form dynamically exposes “Tracking Gaps and Owner”. Otherwise that question never appears. Features advanced show logic: if “Buying Approach” is Direct or reserved inventory included, the form dynamically exposes “Inventory Commitments”. Otherwise that question never appears. All 2 rules are editable in the Logic tab, and the built-in checker warns about rules that contradict each other. All rules are editable in the Logic tab.

Where do responses to the Media Buying Brief 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 Media Buying Brief 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.

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