The requirements section is the most under-used protection tool in your Fiverr gig setup. When a buyer places an order, before work can begin they must complete the requirements you have configured. The quality of what they provide there — and whether they provide it at all — determines how smoothly the rest of the order goes.
Sellers who treat the requirements section as an afterthought get vague briefs, start work based on guesswork, and then face revision spirals when the output does not match what the buyer imagined. Sellers who configure it carefully get the information they need to start work confidently and protect themselves against scope disputes later.
What the Requirements Section Does
When a buyer places an order, they are taken to a requirements page immediately after payment. They cannot submit the order form — and the seller's delivery clock does not start — until they complete the requirements.
This matters for two reasons. First, it creates a delay that gives buyers time to think clearly about what they actually need before work begins rather than discovering it mid-project. Second, it creates a documented record of what was specified at the start of the order, which is your primary protection in a scope dispute.
A buyer who changes their mind about the project direction two days in and says "I never asked for this" is in a much weaker position if your requirements form captures their original brief clearly. A seller who started work without capturing the brief in writing is in a much weaker position in the same situation.
Structuring Your Requirements
Fiverr allows three types of requirement fields: free text (open answer), multiple choice, and file attachment. Use all three types appropriately rather than defaulting to free text for everything.
Free text fields work best for open-ended information: project description, target audience, any context the buyer wants to provide. Label these specifically. "Describe your project" produces vague answers. "Describe what this [logo/article/video] is for and who will see it" produces useful ones.
Multiple choice fields work best for options with discrete answers: preferred style, file format requirements, delivery preference, platform type. Configuring multiple choice for these questions prevents buyers from writing "whatever you think is best" in a free text field for questions where you actually need a specific answer.
File attachment fields work best for visual references, existing brand assets, raw footage, or source documents. Mark these as required when you genuinely cannot start work without them.
The Questions Worth Asking
Configure your requirements around what you actually need to start work without follow-up. Every question that you currently have to ask in the inbox after an order is placed is a question that belongs in requirements.
For design gigs:
Business name (required, free text)
Industry or niche (required, free text)
Target audience — who uses your product or service (required, free text)
Preferred style — with reference links or examples (required, free text)
Colours to use or avoid (optional, free text)
Where this will be used — website, print, packaging, social (required, multiple choice)
Existing brand assets — logo, guidelines, fonts (optional, file attachment)
For writing gigs:
Topic or working title (required, free text)
Target audience and their level of knowledge (required, free text)
Key points to cover or angle to take (required, free text)
Tone of voice — formal, conversational, technical (required, multiple choice)
Target keyword if SEO content (optional, free text)
Reference articles or style examples (optional, free text)
For video editing gigs:
Raw footage upload (required, file attachment)
Platform and dimensions — TikTok, Instagram, YouTube (required, multiple choice)
Style references — examples of edits you like (required, free text)
Music preference or upload (optional, file attachment)
Any specific moments to include or exclude (optional, free text)
What to Mark as Required
Mark a field as required only when you genuinely cannot start work without it. Marking everything required creates a friction-heavy ordering experience that some buyers abandon before completing.
The test: if a buyer submitted this question blank, could you make a reasonable professional decision without it? If yes, make it optional. If no, make it required.
Required: business name, project description, target audience, specific scope details. Optional: reference links (useful but not blocking), colour preferences (can be discussed), optional extras or preferences.
Scope Notes in Requirements
The requirements section is also where you can restate the scope of the order so buyers see it at the moment it is most relevant. A brief note at the top of the requirements page — "This gig covers X and Y. It does not include Z. If you need Z, please message me before starting so I can send a custom offer" — seen by the buyer immediately after paying is seen at maximum attention. The same note buried in your description is easy to miss.
This is not legally binding language, but it is documented and timestamped, which gives you a clear foundation if a scope dispute arises later.
After the Buyer Submits Requirements
Review the requirements before starting work. If anything is unclear or insufficient, message the buyer immediately and ask the one most important clarifying question. Do not start work on an incomplete brief and then surface the issue mid-delivery.
If the requirements reveal that the project scope is materially different from what your package covers, message the buyer to explain the difference and offer a custom offer for the revised scope before beginning. A buyer who discovers a scope mismatch before work starts is much more willing to adjust than one who discovers it after delivery.
For the complete gig setup process, return to the Fiverr gig guide.