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What to put in a guest post brief
A good brief is half a page and saves two rounds of changes. Here is what belongs in it.
17 October 2026 · 3 min read
Most delays on a guest post come from a brief that left things out. The writer guesses, the site editor asks questions, and days pass. A short, specific brief prevents most of that.
The essentials
- Your website and the page to link to. Give the exact address. If you have a choice between your home page and a guide or product page, say which one and why.
- Your niche and who you want to reach. One sentence on the reader: who they are and what they want to know.
- The topic, or three you would accept. Topics that fit the host site's own articles are accepted faster than topics that fit only your offer.
- Anchor text you are happy with. Two or three options. See our note on anchor text.
- Length. Many sites set a minimum or a range. Ask the site first, then write to what the article needs rather than to a number.
Things that avoid awkward questions later
- Facts the article may use. Real figures, dates and names you are happy to be quoted on. A writer cannot invent these for you, and should not.
- Things not to mention. Competitors, claims you cannot support, topics your legal team dislikes.
- Tone. Plain and helpful, or more formal. A sentence or two is enough, with a link to an article you like.
- Your bio line, if the site allows one: name, role, one link.
- Your deadline, if you have one, and who approves the final version.
What the host site will ask for
Each site has its own rules, and they are worth knowing before the article is written: no promotional language in the body, a limit on links, a required disclosure, no content already published elsewhere, an image or none. Ask the site for its rules before the article is written, so the first draft already follows them.
A tiny template you can copy
- Site and page to link to:
- Who the reader is:
- Topic (or three options):
- Anchors I would accept:
- Facts and sources the article may use:
- Not to mention:
- Tone, length, deadline:
Send it with your order and we will come back with a shortlist and questions only if something is genuinely missing. Start an order.
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Send your website and niche. We reply with a shortlist you can check yourself.