Onboarding is the work you do with a new client to prepare for delivery. Keep the record practical. A completed form is not enough if you still lack access or a person who can approve the work.
Copy the client onboarding checklist
Client onboarding for [client name]
Project: [project name]
Prepared by: [your name]
Before kickoff
[ ] Confirm the agreed scope in [agreement location].
[ ] Record included work and excluded work in [project record].
[ ] Confirm the payment terms and any required starting payment.
[ ] Name the main client contact: [name and contact details].
[ ] Name the person who approves work: [name and role].
[ ] Request the required files: [file list and secure location].
[ ] Arrange account access through [approved invitation method].
[ ] Send the questionnaire and kickoff details by [agreed date].
Kickoff call
[ ] Confirm the project goal: [client's intended result].
[ ] Agree on the first deliverable: [work and acceptance conditions].
[ ] Confirm deadlines and client review time: [dates and time zone].
[ ] Record decisions in [shared project record].
[ ] Assign each open question to [name] with [reply date].
[ ] Confirm the next action for [your team] and [client contact].
First week
[ ] Test access to [required accounts and folders].
[ ] Check that [required files] are complete and usable.
[ ] Confirm who reviews [first deliverable].
[ ] Record missing inputs, owners, and effects on planned work.
[ ] Begin [agreed task] once its starting conditions are met.
[ ] Send a written recap with [next action and owner].
Setting update rhythm
[ ] Choose the update frequency: [agreed interval].
[ ] Set the first update date: [date and time zone].
[ ] Confirm update recipients: [names and roles].
[ ] Agree where updates and replies belong: [shared location].
[ ] Name the update author: [name].
[ ] Agree how to request urgent decisions: [contact method].
[ ] Record when the client will reply to requests: [agreed timing].
Keep passwords, payment details, and private account information out of the checklist. Use account invitations or your agreed secure method for access. Record whether access works, not the credentials themselves.
How to use the checklist when onboarding new clients
Start with the signed agreement and remove tasks that do not apply. Add project requirements before sending the client a request. For each requirement, name the person responsible and the date you have agreed with them.
Separate your internal tasks from requests for the client. Your client needs to know which files to send and which decisions to make. They do not need a list of every task your team performs. Use the client onboarding email template to write the welcome note that introduces those requests.
Review the open items before the kickoff call. Ask about missing answers during the call, then record the decisions in writing. Send the recap to the people who attended and the person who approves the work. Ask them to correct any misunderstanding before you begin the affected task.
Check an item only after you confirm it is complete. A request for folder access is different from working folder access. An uploaded file is different from an approved file. Record the current state beside any item that remains open.
Copy a short client onboarding questionnaire
Send the questionnaire before kickoff so the client can consult colleagues. Ask only for information you need to start the agreed work. Do not ask the client to repeat answers already recorded in the agreement.
Client onboarding questionnaire for [project name]
Please reply by [agreed date].
What result do you want from this project?
[Your answer]
Who is the main contact, and who approves the work?
[Names and roles]
What must be ready by a fixed date, and why?
[Requirement, date, and reason]
Which files or account invitations do we need to begin?
[Files, access owner, and secure sharing method]
Are there review requirements or restrictions we need to follow?
[Requirements and person responsible]
Who should receive progress updates?
[Names and preferred update location]
Read the answers before the call and identify any conflict with the agreed scope. If the client requests additional work, discuss the change separately. Do not treat a questionnaire answer as approval to change the agreement.
Confirm responsibilities during kickoff
Name a person who can approve each deliverable. When several people review the work, ask the main contact to gather their comments. Confirm who resolves conflicting requests before you send the first draft.
Agree on what approval means for the first deliverable. For example, use [required content], [review owner], and [acceptance conditions] in the project record. Record a confirmed date only after the people responsible accept it.
Keep unresolved decisions visible in the recap. State the decision needed, its owner, and which task depends on the answer. If another task can proceed independently, name it rather than treating the entire project as blocked.
Set the client update rhythm
Agree on a regular update interval before the first week ends. Choose a schedule that fits the work and the client's review needs. Include progress, the next step, and any action the client needs to take.
Confirm where the client should reply so decisions remain in the shared project record. Keep urgent requests separate from the regular update when waiting would delay agreed work. The client update guide explains how to write a useful progress note. Use the questions before your first update to check the details before sending it.
Common questions
What should a client onboarding checklist include?
Include the agreed work, required inputs, access checks, approval responsibilities, and communication arrangements. Keep each item tied to an action you can confirm. Remove generic tasks that do not apply to the project.
When should I send a client onboarding questionnaire?
Send it after the client has agreed to the work and before the kickoff call. Give the client an agreed reply date. Leave time to read their answers and prepare questions about missing information.
How do I finish onboarding when an input is missing?
Record the missing input and the task it prevents. Confirm the owner and next action with the client. Start only the work that does not depend on the missing input, and revise affected dates together. Keep the open item in the project record until it is resolved.
Does a returning client need the full checklist?
Review the existing record and ask what has changed. Confirm the new scope, current contacts, access, and approval process. Reuse information that remains correct rather than asking the client to fill in the same form again.