Original framework
The BRIEF specification
Use the brief to preserve page purpose from research through review and publication.
1. Page identity
Record the proposed or existing URL, page type, primary audience, service or topic owner, dominant intent and relationship to nearby pages. Confirm the canonical destination before drafting begins.
2. Reader decision and promise
Write one sentence explaining what the reader should be able to understand, evaluate or do after the page. This statement should control what is included and excluded.
3. Evidence requirements
List the business facts, subject-matter input, screenshots, examples, policies, primary sources and limitations needed. Mark fictional demonstrations and anonymized patterns clearly. Do not ask a writer to invent proof that the business has not supplied.
4. Section responsibilities
Define the question each section must answer, not just a keyword-led heading. Include a direct answer near the beginning where useful, then sequence context, evidence, decisions, exceptions and next steps.
5. Internal and external links
Name the pages this content should support and the older pages that should link back. Specify the relationship behind each link and cite primary documentation where technical or time-sensitive claims require it.
6. Conversion and measurement
Choose a CTA appropriate to the reader’s stage and explain what it offers. Define page-level success such as service progression, resource use, valid enquiries or assisted conversions.
7. Editorial acceptance criteria
Require factual review, visible limitations, original contribution, accurate metadata, crawlable links, mobile readability, structured-data consistency and a substantive reviewed date where applicable.
What the brief should not prescribe
Avoid universal word counts, mandatory keyword density, copied competitor outlines, invented statistics, guaranteed outcomes and unnecessary FAQ sections. The brief supports expert judgment; it does not replace it.
Primary sources
Platform behavior and documentation can change. These primary references were reviewed for this guide: