Here is the client onboarding checklist for the first seven days after a yes, in order. Every line has an owner (you or the client) and a done-by time, and the lines that can run by themselves are marked. It's written for a small firm: a contractor, consultant, agency, bookkeeper or clinic with a handful of people, not an enterprise rollout. Print it, put your client's name on top, and tick the boxes.
The 12-line checklist
| Day | Step | Owner | Done by | Automate? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day 0 | Agreement signed, copy sent | You | Within 2 hours of yes | Yes, e-sign and auto-send |
| Day 0 | Deposit or first payment requested | You | Same day | Yes, invoice link |
| Day 0 | Welcome email and one-line text | You | Within 24 hours | Template, edit by hand |
| Day 1 | Intake form completed | Client | 5 p.m. next business day | Form yes, nudge by hand |
| Day 1 | Access and logins shared (securely) | Client | End of day 1 or 2 | Request yes, secure link |
| Day 2 | Intake reviewed, gaps listed | You | Noon, day 2 | No, a person reads it |
| Day 2 | Kickoff call booked | You | Day 2 | Yes, booking link |
| Day 3 | Kickoff call held, recap sent | Both | Recap within 2 hours | Call no, recap template |
| Day 3 | First deliverable date set in writing | You | End of call | No, say it aloud, then write it |
| Day 4 | Communication rules sent | You | Day 4 | Yes, saved message |
| Day 4 | Work starts | You | Day 4 | No |
| Day 7 | Check-in: what's done, what's next | You | Day 7 by noon | Reminder yes, message by hand |
The rest of the page explains why each line is there and what to do when a line slips. If you only have ten minutes, start with the first three lines and the Day 7 check-in; those four carry most of the weight. For each of the steps below, there are other pages on this site with the full wording, linked where they fit.
What onboarding is for
Onboarding has one job: make sure that the first week removes the questions a client would otherwise ask in week three. Who do I call? What do you need from me? When will I see something? How do I pay? What happens if I'm late with something? A client who gets those answers in writing stops worrying, and a client who does not starts to invent answers. Most "difficult client" stories start with a week one that had none of this; see how to handle a difficult client for what happens next if it didn't.
It also tells you if the client is a fit. A client who ignores the intake form for four days is telling you how the next three months will go. Better to know in week one, when you can still adjust the terms.
Day 0: agreement and deposit
The agreement must exist before any work, and it should match what you sold. If you have a proposal, the contract is the proposal plus terms; the sales proposal template and the scope of work template cover that. Send the e-sign link and the invoice together, so the client isn't asked twice. Ask for a deposit before starting: it's the clearest sign of commitment, and how to ask for a deposit gives the wording. Done-by times matter: if the agreement is not signed by the end of Day 1, call, don't email.
Then the welcome email within 24 hours. Use one of the three templates in welcome email to a new client, and send the one-line text right away if you have consent to text that number.
Day 1: intake and access
The client fills in the intake form and shares access. Keep the form short; the client intake form page has 15 fields in two versions and a rule for getting it to five minutes. For logins, never accept passwords by plain email. Ask for access through the tool's own "invite" function or a secure link, and give the client a way to remove your access later. Set the done-by at 5 p.m. the next business day. If it's late by noon on Day 2, send a reminder with the one thing that's missing, as described in email to a client requesting documents.
Day 2 to 3: kickoff and the first date
On Day 2, you read the intake and write down gaps. Someone must actually read it; this step should not be automated. Book the kickoff call with a booking link so the client doesn't need a long email chain. The call is 30 minutes. Agenda: confirm the goal in one sentence, walk through the timeline, confirm who approves what, and set the first deliverable date out loud. Then send the recap within two hours: what we decided, who does what, and the date. The first deliverable date is the most valuable thing in the whole first week, because it gives the client something to wait for. Pick one you can keep. The padding rule in project delay email templates applies before the fact too.
Rules for how you will communicate
Send one short message on Day 4 that states: how to reach you, how quickly you reply, the days and hours you work, who on the client's side decides, how many rounds of changes are included, and what happens when something is urgent. Example: "Email is best. I reply within one business day. For emergencies, text 555-0110, and I'll answer within two hours on weekdays." Sound plain, not stern. Clients are glad to know the rules, and you will point back to this message the first time someone sends a request at 10 p.m.
Day 7: the check-in
On Day 7, send a message with three parts: what's done, what's next, and the one thing you need from them. Something like: "The design draft is on track for Friday the 23rd. Next: your feedback by Tuesday. I need the product photos by Thursday." If the work is recurring, add the date of the next regular update. The check-in is the cheapest insurance against a client who feels left alone. Add a question: "Is there anything about the first week you'd change?" You'll learn what to fix in the checklist.
Which steps to automate
Automate the steps that are the same every time and have no judgment in them: sending the agreement, the invoice, the booking link, reminders, and the access request. Keep a person on the steps that need judgment: reading the intake, running the kickoff, setting the date, and writing the check-in. The bad pattern is the reverse, a fully automated welcome with no human step until the first complaint. Even a very small firm can keep this checklist in a shared document and copy it for each new client.
Onboarding is only needed when new clients keep arriving. Rocketship finds the buyers, emails them from your own Gmail, follows up, and books the meeting on its own. Plans that get you customers start at $24.99 a month (Launch), and both Launch and Frontier start with a 7-day free trial, card required. If a call-heavy intake is eating your first week, see say goodbye to onboarding calls. When a relationship ends, how to fire a client politely covers the exit.