An open suggestion channel gets you a pile of unsorted, half-formed ideas you cannot triage. This template asks what the idea is about first, then routes the follow-up to match, so an event idea and a feature idea each get the question that matters for them. You end up with a sorted, prioritized backlog instead of a noisy channel.
Stand it up as your permanent “got an idea?” box. Members tag the suggestion, write it, answer one category-specific follow-up, and rate how much it matters.
Sorted input, not noise
Categorizing up front lets you route and count. The routed follow-up pulls the detail that matters for each kind of idea, an event’s cadence or a feature’s payoff, while uncovered categories skip straight to the free-form box. The category is quoted back so it reads like a conversation, and unlimited responses mean members can keep dropping ideas over time.
The example is a standing community suggestion box. Swap the categories and follow-ups for your world.
Variants
- A route per category: add a follow-up for every category for a fully guided intake.
- Anonymous box: switch to anonymous for sensitive feedback or a report-a-problem variant.
- Vote-on-suggestions loop: pair it with a vote to put the shortlisted ideas back to the community.
- Product feedback: reskin the categories (bug, feature, UX, docs) for a SaaS feedback box.