A simple seven-block system to clarify scope, approvals, inputs, timelines, and payment before the work gets messy.
Winning the project feels like the hard part. Then kickoff lands - and the real work begins: permissions, missing assets, unclear decision-makers, and a Slack thread that turns into a second job.
A client onboarding template is not paperwork theater. It's a short system that answers three questions before you bill serious hours:
- What exactly are we delivering?
- Who decides, and how fast?
- What do you need from them - and by when?
If those stay fuzzy, your "rate" doesn't matter. Scope leak will eat the margin you calculated carefully last week.
What good onboarding looks like (and what it isn't)
Good onboarding is boring on purpose:
- One intake form or doc
- One kickoff call with an agenda
- One shared home for files and decisions
- One written confirmation of scope, timeline, and payment
It is not:
- A 30-page brand questionnaire nobody finishes
- A Notion wiki you maintain for free
- "We'll figure it out as we go" with a deposit already spent
The goal is clarity and speed - not impressing the client with process cosplay.
The 7-block client onboarding template
Copy these blocks into a Doc, Notion page, or form. Keep each one short.
1. Project snapshot
- Working title
- One-sentence outcome (what "done" means in plain language)
- Primary deliverables (bulleted, countable)
- Explicit non-goals (what's out of scope)
If they can't agree on the outcome sentence, pause sales energy and clarify before kickoff.
2. People and access
- Client lead (single point of contact)
- Approver (who can say yes/no on budget and creative)
- Day-to-day collaborator(s)
- Tools: email, Slack/Teams, project board, file drive
- Access checklist: brand assets, analytics, CMS, ad accounts, repos - whatever you need
Rule: one approver. Committees without a named decision-maker create infinite revision loops.
3. Timeline and rhythms
- Start date and target ship date
- Milestone dates (draft / review / final)
- Review window (e.g., 3 business days) - missed reviews slide the calendar
- Meeting cadence (or "async-first, call only when blocked")
Put the review window in writing. Silent clients create unpaid waiting that still costs you opportunity.
4. Inputs you need from them
List assets and answers with due dates:
- Brand kit / examples of likes and hates
- Prior work, competitors, constraints
- Copy, data, credentials (use a secure share method)
- Legal or compliance notes if relevant
No inputs by the due date -> timeline moves. Say that once, calmly, in the onboarding doc.
5. Communication rules
- Where requests live (not random DMs at midnight)
- Response expectations during work hours
- What counts as a change request vs. a clarification
- How urgent issues get flagged
You're not being difficult. You're preventing context loss.
6. Money and change control
- Deposit / payment schedule (link to invoice or payment page)
- What's included in the fee
- Revision rounds included
- How out-of-scope work is quoted (small change order vs. new package)
Onboarding without payment terms is fan fiction. Align this with your agreement.
7. Kickoff checklist (day-of)
- [ ] Deposit cleared
- [ ] Agreement signed
- [ ] Access granted (or scheduled)
- [ ] Snapshot + non-goals confirmed aloud
- [ ] First milestone and review owner confirmed
- [ ] Shared folder / board live
- [ ] Next action assigned to both sides with dates
If deposit isn't cleared, kickoff is a conversation - not a production start.
Kickoff call agenda (30-45 minutes)
- Outcome sentence + deliverables (5 min)
- Non-goals and constraints (5 min)
- Timeline + review rules (5 min)
- Access and inputs due dates (10 min)
- Comms + change control (5 min)
- Open questions + first week's tasks (5-10 min)
End with a short recap email or message that restates decisions. Memory is not a contract.
Common onboarding failure modes
The "friendly start" - Skipping docs because you like them. Friendly clients still forget decisions. Write it down.
The asset black hole - Starting design or build before logos, copy, or logins arrive. You'll redo work.
The dual approver problem - Two people with veto power and no tie-breaker. Demand one owner.
Scope via chat - New requests in Slack without a change note. Reply: "Happy to add - I'll send a quick change quote."
Over-templating - A 50-field form for a one-week project. Match template weight to project size.
Light vs. heavy: match the template to the job
| Job type | Onboarding weight |
|---|---|
| Small fixed package (<1-2 weeks) | Snapshot + payment + 1 kickoff message |
| Standard project | Full 7 blocks + kickoff call |
| Retainer | Add monthly rhythm, priority rules, rollover policy |
| Ambiguous discovery | Paid discovery phase first; full onboard after |
Don't use your enterprise template on a $500 logo tweak. Don't use a DM handshake on a three-month build.
How onboarding protects your rate
Every unclear kickoff turns into unpaid clarification hours. Those hours were already priced into your walk-away rate - or they weren't, and now you're below floor.
Onboarding is rate defense:
- Non-goals reduce free extras
- Review windows reduce calendar drag
- Change control keeps packages profitable
- Single approver reduces revision churn
If you sell packages, onboarding is part of the product. If you sell hourly, onboarding still cuts waste you can't always bill cleanly.
Soft CTA
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- Iggy | AI Systems / @iggyhacks
