What Is a Podcast Guest One-Sheet?
A podcast guest one-sheet is a single-page document, usually a PDF, that summarises a prospective guest for a podcast host or producer: who they are, the topics they can cover, suggested questions, evidence of expertise and how to book them.
It sits between a pitch email and a full press kit. The pitch makes the case for one episode idea; the one-sheet is the reference document the producer forwards to the host, prints for prep, or files for later. It is narrower than a media kit (see press kit vs media kit) and should never replace a tailored pitch. Our guide on pitching yourself as a podcast guest covers the outreach; this guide covers the document you attach or link.
How to Write a Podcast Guest One-Sheet at a Glance
| Step | Action | Expected result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Collect and verify the facts about the guest | A fact file with a source for every claim |
| 2 | Write a 50 to 100 word bio and a one-line intro | Text a host can read aloud |
| 3 | Choose three to five episode topics | Specific angles, each with a listener benefit |
| 4 | Draft five to eight sample questions | Questions the guest can answer well |
| 5 | Add proof, past appearances and links | Verifiable credibility in one block |
| 6 | Lay out one page and export a small PDF | A readable, accessible file well under email limits |
| 7 | Host it at a stable URL and add disclosures | A link that works and an honest record |
Time: two to four hours for a first version (our estimate). Tools: a word processor or design tool that exports PDF, a headshot, a web page you control. Cost: none beyond your own time. Skill level: beginner.
What You Need Before Starting
- The guest's current title, employer and the exact spelling of their name, confirmed by the guest.
- A recent headshot the guest has the rights to share, in landscape and square crops.
- A list of past podcast, press and speaking appearances with URLs.
- A verified executive bio; see how to write an executive bio for media.
- The company boilerplate, if the guest represents a company; see how to write a company boilerplate.
- A decision on whether any appearance will be paid or sponsored, so the disclosure can be written in from the start.
Step 1: Collect and Verify the Facts
Build a fact file before you write a word of copy. Hosts often read the one-sheet on air, so an inflated title or a stale statistic becomes a public error.
Process: list every claim you may use (job title, company size, funding, awards, books, degrees, numbers) and next to each put the source: an official page, a filing, a publisher listing. Drop anything you cannot source. Expected result: a two-column fact file. Verify: a colleague can open every source link and find the claim. Common mistake: repeating a vanity figure (followers, downloads) with no date. If a number goes on the sheet, date it.
Step 2: Write the Bio and a One-Line Introduction
Write two pieces: a one-sentence introduction a host can say in five seconds, and a short bio of about 50 to 100 words (our suggested range for a one-page layout).
The one-liner names the person, their role and the single reason they are worth hearing: “Jane Doe runs supply-chain planning at Example Co and has rebuilt three distribution networks after port closures.” The bio adds two or three supporting facts from the fact file, in the third person, without adjectives such as “visionary” or “world-class”. Expected result: text that reads naturally aloud. Verify: read it aloud in under 30 seconds. Common mistake: pasting a 400-word corporate bio that no host will use.
Step 3: Choose Three to Five Episode Topics
Offer specific angles, each written as a title plus one sentence on what listeners will learn. Topics are the main thing a producer scans for fit with their show.
Process: start from what the guest knows that the audience of the target shows does not, then write each topic as a concrete question or claim (“Why most freight forecasts fail in the first week of a disruption”) rather than a category (“Supply chain”). Order them from most to least broadly useful. Expected result: three to five topics, each two lines. Verify: each topic could be the title of a 30-minute episode. Common mistake: topics that are product features. A host will treat that as an ad request; see podcast guesting vs podcast advertising.
Step 4: Draft Five to Eight Sample Questions
List questions the guest can answer with a story or a specific example. Hosts use them to prepare quickly, and a few will be asked as written.
Mix one or two easy openers, three or four questions tied to the topics, and one forward-looking close. Keep them open-ended. Brief the guest on each question and agree what they will not discuss; our guide to preparing an executive for a podcast interview describes a claims sheet for exactly this. Expected result: a numbered list. Verify: the guest has a prepared answer to each. Common mistake: leading questions that only invite a sales pitch.
Step 5: Add Proof, Past Appearances and Links
Add a short credibility block: two to four past appearances or publications with links, and one or two verifiable credentials. Producers check whether a guest can hold a conversation, so a link to a previous episode is worth more than a list of logos.
Process: pick appearances on shows similar in audience to the target, and link the specific episode, not the show homepage. Add the guest's website, LinkedIn profile and a booking email. If you plan to track which shows send traffic, use tagged links; see tracking press and podcast links with UTM parameters. Expected result: a block a producer can verify in two minutes. Common mistake: “as seen in” logos for outlets where the guest only bought an advertisement or a sponsored post. That misleads the reader and the host.
Step 6: Lay Out One Page and Export a Small PDF
Fit everything on one page, in this order: name and one-liner with headshot, bio, topics, sample questions, proof and links, contact. Export to PDF and check the file size.
Email limits are the hard constraint. Gmail's limit for personal accounts is 25 MB, and Gmail “automatically removes the attachment and adds it as a Google Drive link” above it (Gmail Help). Microsoft documents a default of 20 MB for internet email accounts in Outlook 2013 and later and 10 MB by default for Exchange mailboxes (Microsoft Learn). A one-page PDF with a compressed photo is normally a small fraction of these; a file that is several megabytes usually contains an uncompressed image.
Megabytes, total attachments per message
Source: Gmail Help, “Attachment size limits”; Microsoft Learn, “Attachment size exceeds the allowable limit error”. Read October 10, 2026.
Workspace and Exchange administrators can set different limits, so the lowest default is the safer target. Limits apply to the total of all attachments on a message.
For readability, keep body text at a normal reading size and with strong contrast. WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 requires “a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1” for normal text and 3:1 for large text (W3C WCAG 2.2). Use real text, not an image of text, so the PDF can be searched, copied and read by screen readers. Expected result: a one-page PDF. Verify: open it on a phone and check the file size. Common mistake: a two-page “one-sheet”.
Step 7: Host It at a Stable URL and Add Disclosures
Publish the one-sheet as a web page or a linked PDF on a domain you control, and link it from the pitch instead of, or as well as, attaching it. Links survive forwarding and spam filters better than attachments, and you can update them.
Add a line on any material connection the audience would not expect. The FTC's endorsement guidance says that if an endorser “has been paid or given something of value”, the connection should be disclosed “clearly and conspicuously”, and it names “talk show appearances by an expert on your payroll” as an example (FTC). If you are paying for the slot, say so to the host up front; costs and norms are covered in what a podcast guest appearance costs. This guide is not legal advice.
Finally, give the host what they need to credit the guest correctly in show notes: exact name, title and a profile URL. Shows that use the Podcasting 2.0 namespace can list guests in the feed with a <podcast:person role="guest"> tag that takes an href and an img (Podcast Index namespace); a ready profile link and square headshot make that easy. Expected result: a live URL and a disclosure line where needed. Common mistake: sending a file named final_v3.pdf; name it with the guest's name.
How to Verify It Worked
- File: the PDF is one page, opens on a phone, and is far below 10 MB.
- Facts: every claim maps to a source in the fact file, dated where it changes.
- Link: the hosted URL loads without a login and the pitch links to it.
- Use: hosts quote the bio or topics in replies or show notes, and the episode credits spell the name correctly. Whether appearances help search visibility is a separate question; see does being a podcast guest help search visibility.
What to Include, by Format
| Element | One-sheet | Pitch email | Full press or media kit |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-line introduction | Yes, at the top | Yes, in the first lines | Yes |
| Short bio (50 to 100 words) | Yes | One or two sentences | Several lengths |
| Episode topics | Three to five | One, tailored to the show | Optional |
| Sample questions | Five to eight | No | Optional |
| Past appearances with links | Two to four | One, the most relevant | Full list |
| Headshots | One small image | No attachment needed | High-resolution set |
| Disclosure of paid or sponsored appearance | Yes, if applicable | Yes, if applicable | Yes, if applicable |
Common Problems and Fixes
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Email bounces or arrives as a Drive link | Attachment too large | Compress the image, re-export, or send a link only |
| Host reads the wrong title on air | Outdated sheet in circulation | Update the hosted version and date it; stop attaching old files |
| No replies | Topics are generic or product-led | Rewrite topics as specific listener questions |
| Host asks for something else | Show has its own guest form | Fill in the form; use the sheet as the source |
| Producer cannot copy text | Sheet exported as an image | Export with live text |
What Not to Do
- Do not inflate credentials. Consequence: a public correction or a dropped booking. Correction: source every claim, as in Step 1.
- Do not use outlet logos for paid placements. Consequence: the host and audience are misled. Correction: list earned coverage only, or label sponsored items.
- Do not hide a paid arrangement. Consequence: an undisclosed material connection. Correction: disclose to the host and agree how it is disclosed to listeners.
- Do not send the same sheet without a tailored pitch. Consequence: it reads as a mass mailing. Correction: one pitch per show, sheet linked.
- Do not let it go stale. Consequence: wrong title or employer read on air. Correction: review the sheet whenever the guest's role changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a podcast guest one-sheet be?
One page. It is a reference document for a busy producer, so it should be readable in a minute or two. Longer material belongs in a press or media kit that you can link from the sheet.
Should I attach the one-sheet or link to it?
Linking is usually better: links survive forwarding, can be updated and avoid attachment limits. If you attach, keep the PDF small; Gmail personal accounts cap attachments at 25 MB and Exchange mailboxes default to 10 MB.
What is the difference between a one-sheet and a media kit?
A one-sheet is a single page aimed at booking one person on a show. A media kit is a larger set of materials, such as bios in several lengths, image sets, audience data or rate information. The one-sheet can link to the kit.
Do I need sample questions?
They are not required, but they help hosts prepare quickly and show what the guest can discuss well. Five to eight open questions, each tied to a topic, is a practical range.
Do I have to disclose that a guest appearance is paid?
The FTC says paid endorsers and experts on a company payroll appearing on talk shows should disclose that connection clearly. Tell the host up front if you are paying for the slot and agree how listeners will be told. Take legal advice for your situation.
Should a one-sheet include download numbers or audience size?
Only if the figure is sourced and dated. A guest one-sheet is about the guest, so audience numbers matter less than proof that the guest can hold a good conversation, such as links to past episodes.
Sources and Methodology
This guide is built from the official help pages, regulator guidance and technical standards listed below, read on October 10, 2026. We did not survey podcast hosts about what they prefer in a one-sheet, so the suggested lengths and counts (a 50 to 100 word bio, three to five topics, five to eight questions) are our editorial recommendations, not measured norms. We did not test email delivery of sample files. Nothing here is legal advice.
- official Google, Gmail Help: Attachment size limits. 25 MB sending limit for personal accounts; Drive link above it. Read October 10, 2026.
- official Microsoft Learn, Attachment size exceeds the allowable limit error. 20 MB default for internet accounts, 10 MB default for Exchange. Read October 10, 2026.
- regulator Federal Trade Commission, FTC's Endorsement Guides: What People Are Asking. Material connections, talk show appearances, clear and conspicuous disclosure. Read October 10, 2026.
- standards W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2, success criterion 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum). Read October 10, 2026.
- standards Podcast Index, Podcast namespace: person tag. Guest role, href and img attributes at episode level. Read October 10, 2026.
- guide Media Morpheus, How to write an executive bio for media, for bio lengths and fact checking.