The short answer
Send logo files, brand colors and fonts, real photos of your business and team, the text you want kept, access to the platforms involved, and a one page brief. Share large files by link (Google Drive, Dropbox or Loom), never by password or as a pile of email attachments. Sending everything early is the single best way to keep a project moving.
Why late content is the most common cause of delay
When a project slips, people tend to look for a technical reason. Usually there is a simpler one: something we needed from the client had not arrived. A page cannot be finished without its text. A gallery cannot be built without photos. A booking system cannot be connected without access to the booking account. Each of those waits is invisible, because nothing is broken. The project is simply paused.
Late content also has a compounding effect. A page designed around placeholder text often has to be redesigned once the real text arrives, because real sentences are longer, shorter or differently shaped than placeholders. Photos that show up at the end force layout changes at the end, when changes are most expensive to review. Sending material early is not about being tidy. It removes the pauses and the rework.
Your project manager will tell you what is outstanding and when it is needed, so you are never guessing. If something is hard to get, say so early. We can often plan around a gap, for example by building other pages first, but only if we know about it. How the whole sequence works is in how a project runs.
What to send, by project type
The table below is the full list. Do not worry if you cannot supply every item. The left column is what we need to start well, and the right column is what makes the result better. Where you have nothing, tell your project manager and we will suggest an alternative.
| Project type | Need to start | Makes it better |
|---|---|---|
| New website or redesign | Logo files, brand colors and fonts, the text you want kept, list of pages you expect, access to current site and domain account | Photos of your real work and team, customer reviews you can share, examples of sites you like and dislike |
| Website updates | The exact change, the page it belongs on, the new text or images in final form | A screenshot with the area marked, a deadline that matters to you and why |
| SEO | Access to Google Search Console and analytics, list of services and locations you want to be found for, access to the website | Your best customers and why they chose you, competitors you already track, past SEO work |
| AEO (getting named in AI answers) | The questions your customers ask, your credentials and proof points, access to the website | Case details you are allowed to share, any wrong things AI tools currently say about you |
| Paid ads | Monthly budget you have in mind, access to ad accounts, conversion goals, the offer | Customer photos, past campaign results, seasonal dates |
| Copywriting | Brief (see below), existing copy, access to anyone who can answer technical questions | Recorded call or voice note where you explain the business in your own words |
| Branding | Business story, audience, any existing assets, examples you admire | Words you want people to use about you, and words you never want used |
File formats and sizes
You do not need to prepare files carefully. Send the originals and we will resize and compress them. The common mistake is the opposite: sending a version that has already been shrunk by a messaging app or a screenshot, which cannot be restored to full quality. Google's own documentation notes that high-quality photos appeal to users more than blurry, unclear ones, and it supports formats including JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG and AVIF, so there is plenty of room for good source files.
| Item | Best format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Logo | SVG, or PNG with a transparent background | Also send the original design file if you have one. Do not send a screenshot of your logo. |
| Photos | Original JPEG or PNG straight from the camera or phone | Full size is fine. Name files descriptively if you can, for example kitchen-remodel-after.jpg. |
| Text | Google Doc or Word file | Mark what is final and what is a draft. Avoid text pasted into email threads, which loses structure. |
| Video | Link to a video you host, or a Loom recording | Do not attach video files to email. Send a link. |
| Documents (PDFs, price lists) | PDF, plus the editable source if we need to change it | Tell us which version is current. |
| Fonts | The font files or the name and where it is licensed | Fonts have licenses. We will not use a paid font without the license being yours. |
If a file is huge, do not compress it yourself to make it fit. Send a link instead and keep the original quality.
How to send large files by link
Large files do not belong in email attachments. Upload them to a shared folder and send us the link. The most common options are Google Drive, Dropbox and, for screen recordings, Loom. All three work the same way: you upload, you set who can open it, and you send the link.
- 1Create one folder for the project and give it a clear name, such as "Company name, website materials".
- 2Put every file in that folder, using sub-folders for photos, logos and documents if there are many.
- 3Open the sharing settings. In Google Drive, choose Share, then under General access choose Anyone with the link, and pick Viewer. Viewer means people can open the files but not change them.
- 4Copy the link and test it in a private or incognito window. If you can open it without signing in, we can too.
- 5Send the link in your reply or support ticket, with a short note saying what is in the folder and what is final.
- 6Add new files to the same folder instead of sending more links. That keeps everything in one place.
Never send passwords, in a link, a document or a ticket. We never ask for them, and we can reset access without seeing a password. If a platform needs to give us access, add our team as a user instead.
How to write a brief for your own business
A brief is a page or less that tells us what only you know. It saves a round of questions and it makes copy sound like your business instead of any business. You do not need to write well. Bullet points are fine. Answer these in your own words:
- What do you sell, and to whom? Be specific: "homeowners in two counties who need a bathroom renovated" beats "people who want home services".
- Why do customers pick you over others? Use the real reasons you have heard from customers, not the ones from your brochure.
- What is the one action you most want a visitor to take: call, book, request a quote, buy?
- What do customers worry about before they contact you, and what do you tell them?
- What can you prove? Credentials, years in business, certifications, reviews, guarantees you really offer.
- What must not be said, shown or promised? Regulation, licensing and legal wording sometimes limits what you can claim.
- Who else needs to approve? If a partner or legal advisor signs off, say so now.
Example: A brief that saved a week
A clinic owner sent a half page: "We treat sports injuries. Our patients are mostly runners and cyclists in their 30s to 50s. They are scared it will mean months off. Our physiotherapists have all worked with local clubs. The goal is booked first appointments. We cannot promise outcomes." That last line stopped three drafts of wording that would have needed legal review. The copy was right on the first pass, and the owner spent ten minutes writing the brief instead of rounds of rewrites.
When you are missing something
Not having photos, a logo file or finished text is normal. Say so early and we will suggest the next best thing: a short photo list to shoot on a phone, a request to the designer who made your logo, or a call where we capture the text from you in conversation. What causes delay is silence, not gaps. A gap we know about is a planning problem. A gap we find out about at the end is a delay.
Also tell us about anything that might change. A new service launching in a month, a price list being updated, a person leaving the team. We would rather build for the real situation than rebuild later.
When to ask us
Ask us if you are unsure what to send, if a file will not upload, if a platform will not let you add us as a user, or if you cannot get hold of something on the list. Use the support form, choose "Something else" if nothing fits, and include a link to the shared folder, a short note on what is final, and the deadline if there is one. If a deadline matters, tell us why. Do not include any password. For project timing questions, speak to your project manager, as described in who to contact.
