Competitive Intelligence Report Template
An ungated competitive intelligence report template that turns sourced market evidence into implications, decisions, owners, and next steps.
Last reviewed August 4, 2026A useful competitive intelligence report is a decision document, not a collection of competitor facts. Use this template to state the question, summarize material changes, preserve sources, explain implications, recommend actions, and assign owners.
Use this template when
- Weekly or monthly leadership updates
- A material competitor launch or pricing change
- Quarterly planning
- Cross-functional market reviews
Competitive Intelligence Report
Decision and audience
What decision must this report support, and who will use it?
Executive answer
In three sentences: what changed, why it matters, and what should happen next?
Material evidence
For each signal, record source URL, capture date, before/after evidence, and confidence.
Implications
Which segment, deal, roadmap, position, or channel is exposed?
Recommended actions
Choose respond, monitor, validate, reframe, preempt, or do nothing. Name an owner and date.
Unknowns
What remains unverified, and what research would change the decision?
Worked example
A rival moved an integration into its entry package; pricing page captured before and after.
Our 'only affordable integrated option' claim is now weaker for small accounts.
Replace the broad claim with implementation proof; validate exposure in five active deals by Friday.
How to use it
- 1
Define the decision before collecting evidence.
- 2
Include only material, current, attributable signals.
- 3
Write the implication against your own strategy—not the competitor in isolation.
- 4
Assign an owner and review the outcome at the next reporting cycle.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a CI report be?
As short as the decision allows. A weekly brief may be one page; a quarterly landscape review can be longer. Put the answer and action first.
What makes a source credible?
It is attributable, current, close to the original evidence, and clear about uncertainty. Preserve the URL, timestamp, and relevant excerpt or change.
Keep the evidence and action current.
SoWhatHQ monitors the move, explains why it matters, and carries the decision into messaging and battlecards.
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