How to Write a Technical Specification: A Guide for Clients

Every second web project starts with the same phrase: “I want to create a cool SaaS project, like that one, but better.” And then it begins: a cycle of endless revisions: “Damn, this is not what I want, why did you do this?”, deadlines become uncertain, and the budget becomes vague. The reason is almost always the same - there was no technical specification.

And now for the good news: you don’t need to be a developer to create a working technical specification. You just need to understand how to write a technical specification, what it consists of, and why each part is necessary. Let’s break it down step by step.

Why do you need a technical specification if you are not a developer

A technical specification is not just a formality or a joke. It is the only document that protects both parties:

• You - from the situation of “I meant something completely different,” when the finished website does not meet expectations.

• The contractor - from endless “can we fix this too,” which were not initially agreed upon and consume time beyond the budget.

Without a technical specification, the project relies on verbal agreements and vague phrases like “make it beautiful, aesthetically pleasing, and with a WOW effect.” And “aesthetically pleasing and with a WOW effect” can look completely different to you and the designer.

How a technical specification differs from a brief

Here, two documents are often confused:

• Brief - a short questionnaire at the beginning: who you are, what you do, what the goal is, if there are references, what the budget is. Usually 10-15 questions, taking 15-20 minutes.

• Technical specification - a much more detailed document that appears after the brief and discussions. It records the specific structure of the website (or variations of the structure), the functionality of each page, integrations, design requirements, and criteria by which you will accept the finished work.

The brief is a starting point; you could say it’s an introduction to you. The technical specification is essentially a contract, even if it is not legally formalized.

What a working technical specification consists of

Here is the minimum set of blocks without which the technical specification turns into a meaningless document.

1. Project goal and business tasks

Not “I need a website,” but “I need a website that generates requests for window installation” or “I need a showcase that builds trust before meeting with investors.” The goal defines everything else - from structure to the tone of the texts.

2. Target audience

Who are these people, what are they looking for, from what device do they most often access (mobile traffic is often more than half now). This affects design priorities and what to show first.

3. Website structure (section map)

A list of all pages: home, catalog, product card, about us, contacts, and so on. For each, a short description of what should be on it.

4. Functionality

What the website should be able to do, not just show:

• application form - where the data goes, is CRM needed (This can be Bitrix, ZohoCRM, etc.);

• catalog - are there filters, sorting, search;

• personal account - registration, authorization, what the user sees;

• integrations - payment systems, delivery services, analytics.

5. References, but with a caveat

Sending 10 different websites, each of which you like for its own reason, is bad practice. Better: 2-3 websites and specifically, what exactly you like about each (“this way of displaying the product,” “this menu structure”). This saves hours of discussions.

6. Content

Who writes the texts and makes photos/videos - you or the contractor? This is critical: without ready content, the design is often laid out “dry,” and then everything shifts when replaced with real texts.

7. Budget and deadlines

Without a budget range, the contractor will either offer an option that is not affordable or, conversely, underestimate the scope of work to fit an unclear figure. An honest range is not a weakness in the negotiating position but a way to get a relevant proposal.

8. Acceptance criteria

How will you know that the work is done and can be accepted? Write it down specifically: “all pages from section 3 are implemented,” “the form sends the application to email and CRM,” “the website opens on mobile without horizontal scrolling.” Vague criteria are the main source of disputes at the end of the project.

Common mistakes clients make when creating a technical specification

• “Make it like the massage parlor across from the pub, but better” - specifics is not a task, but a wish. Better than whom, by what parameters?

• Merging stages - trying to approve design, code, and content all at once in one document at the start, when nothing is even agreed upon at the structural level.

• Absence of acceptance criteria - the most common reason for conflicts of “we didn’t discuss this” after the project is delivered.

• A technical specification in 2 lines in a messenger - “need a landing page, budget 500 USD, deadline a week” - this is not a technical specification, it’s a request for misunderstanding.

Checklist: what should be in the technical specification before starting work

• Project goal and key business task

• Portrait of the target audience (This usually affects colors, illustrations, UX)

• Complete website structure (section map)

• Description of functionality for each section

• 2-3 references with explanations of what exactly is liked

• Who prepares the content - you or the contractor

• Budget range

• Deadlines with key points (not just the final deadline)

• Acceptance criteria for the finished work

If all nine points are covered in your technical specification - you can go to any contractor, and the likelihood of getting exactly what you wanted increases exponentially.

How a good technical specification saves budget

The order of figures that is constantly encountered in project practice: modifications and revisions that arise from an unclear technical specification are many times more expensive than the same requirements accounted for at the start. The reason is simple - redoing already finished functionality is always more expensive than designing it correctly from the outset.

If you don’t want to write a technical specification manually - at vyxro.dev we have an interactive brief for this purpose: you answer by voice or text at a comfortable pace, and then we turn this into a structured technical specification together with you.