Practical guide

Write the catalogue brief before opening a store

Last materially reviewed 2026-09-27

Quick answerA useful brief records the actual buyer, package, purchase options and support responsibility—not a target page count.
What to know

Describe one buyer task

Start with the buyer’s next action after purchase. They may need to read instructions, print a particular format or open a chart in compatible software. Describe that action plainly without collecting unnecessary personal details. If several buyers need materially different files, make those differences explicit before adding variants.

What to know

Write the package promise

Record what is included, what is not included, the file formats, the language and the version. A fictional brief might say: instructions and a home-print file are included; materials and a finished garment are not. Keep the wording tied to files that actually exist rather than attractive features you intend to create later.

What to know

Assign the ongoing work

Someone must receive delivery questions, maintain corrections and decide when a version is retired. Write a contact route and a realistic response expectation. Do not advertise round-the-clock support or lifetime updates unless you can substantiate and honour that promise. Software availability is not the same as your own service commitment.

What to know

Use the brief as a filter

Compare platforms against this brief, then use it again when checking the final product page. A requirement should have a matching file, explanation or support process. Anything left unmatched is a release task, not a reason to add vague marketing language. Keep the brief private if it contains customer or unpublished business information.

What to know

An original working example

Here is a fictional brief structure to adapt privately: product identifier; intended task; included files; optional formats; required tools; excluded items; current revision; support owner; correction route. Put an actual answer beside each field or mark it unresolved. “Digital download” alone is not enough for the included-files field, and “contact us” is not a complete support plan if nobody receives the message. Use the same brief when drafting the listing and checking the release. The exercise is complete when another person can describe the purchase accurately without needing access to your design workspace or assumptions about your future plans.

Continue when useful

Next: Make a pattern package the buyer can understand

List every delivered file and its purpose before uploading; a folder is not an explanation.

Open Make a pattern package the buyer can understand →

Sources used for this page

These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.

  1. Adding a digital product — Merchant documentation · help.payhip.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-27
  2. Digital product variants — Merchant documentation · help.payhip.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-27
  3. Payhip sewing-pattern category — Merchant documentation · payhip.com · Merchant-controlled · checked 2026-09-27