Free templateExcel template + PDF guide, 20 pages

Content Brief and Content Calendar Template

An Excel workbook with a one-page content brief, a quarterly content calendar and a filled example of each, plus a short PDF guide. It is for B2B and SaaS content leads who brief writers and plan what to publish each quarter.

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Cover of Content Brief and Content Calendar Template

20pages
free

3h 20maverage time to write one blog postOrbit Media, 2026
94%of business buyers use AI in their buying processForrester, 2026
18review checks your editor can tick before approval

What's inside

Content Brief and Content Calendar Template, chapter by chapter.

Write a brief writers can follow
A filled example brief
Plan a quarter with the calendar
The review checklist

A Calendar sheet with dropdowns for funnel stage, format and status, colors by status and week numbers that fill in from the publish date.
Twelve example rows that plan a full quarter for a fictional software company, marked Example so you can clear them in one step.
A Quarter summary sheet that counts your pieces by funnel stage, status and persona.
A one-page Brief sheet with fourteen fields, from reader and angle to AI search questions and internal links.
A filled Brief example that shows how much detail a writer needs to draft without a kickoff call.
A PDF guide on writing briefs, planning a quarter and setting a schedule for each piece.
A review checklist your editor can tick before any piece is approved.

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Look inside

Real pages from the template. No filler.

Page 2 of Content Brief and Content Calendar Template — Page 2

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Page 11 of Content Brief and Content Calendar Template — Page 11

Page 16 of Content Brief and Content Calendar Template — Page 16

Page 20 of Content Brief and Content Calendar Template — Page 20

Who it's for

Built for the people who do the work.

Content leads

Plan a quarter on the Calendar sheet and check the funnel mix on the Quarter summary before booking writers.

Editors

Send writers a filled Brief sheet and run the review checklist before any piece moves to Approved.

Freelance and in-house writers

Draft from the brief alone, with the reader, angle, outline, sources and AI questions set out in one place.

Questions

Before you download.

What is a content brief?

A content brief is a one-page plan for a single piece. It tells the writer who the reader is, what the page must cover and how the editor will judge it.

What is in the Excel workbook?

It has a Calendar sheet, a Quarter summary, a blank Brief, a filled Brief example and a How to use sheet. The example rows are marked Example so you can delete them in one step.

How far ahead should I brief a writer?

We brief three weeks before the publish date. The draft goes to the editor 10 days out, and the piece is approved and scheduled 2 days before it goes live.

Why add AI search questions to a brief?

Buyers now ask AI assistants the questions they used to type into Google. A page that answers each one in one or two clear sentences is easier for those tools to quote.

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