A client onboarding checklist is the fixed list of steps an agency runs between a signed contract and the first real work: welcome the client, collect what you need, get access to their accounts, hold the kickoff and set the reporting rhythm. This version is for marketing, web and growth agencies, and it marks which steps a configured agency CRM can run by itself.
What is a client onboarding checklist?
A client onboarding checklist is a repeatable sequence that turns “they signed” into “we are working”, with an owner and a due date for every step. It protects the client relationship in the weeks when doubt is highest.
A good one is specific enough that a new hire could run it. “Get access” is not a step yet. “Request the Manager role on their Google Business Profile” is.
The agency client onboarding checklist at a glance
Here are the 10 steps in order, with the ones a CRM can run marked.
| # | Step | Who owns it | Can a CRM run it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Countersign the contract and confirm scope | Account lead | Partly: e-signature and the stage change |
| 2 | Take the first payment or set up billing | Finance | Partly: invoice and payment link |
| 3 | Send the welcome message | CRM | Yes |
| 4 | Send the intake form | CRM | Yes, plus reminders |
| 5 | Request access to every account | CRM, then account lead | Yes for the request, a person checks it |
| 6 | Book the kickoff call | CRM | Yes, with a booking link |
| 7 | Run the kickoff call | Account lead | No |
| 8 | Hand off to the delivery team | Account lead | Partly: tasks and assignments |
| 9 | Ship a first visible deliverable | Delivery team | No |
| 10 | Set the reporting and check-in rhythm | Account lead | Partly: recurring reminders |
Steps 1 to 3: contract, payment and the welcome
Onboarding starts when the contract is countersigned, not at the kickoff. Confirm the scope in one paragraph the client can read in a minute: what you will deliver, what you will not, and the first milestone date. Then take the first payment or set up billing before work starts, so week three has no awkward conversation.
Send the welcome within minutes. It follows the same logic as speed to lead: a new client is most engaged right after signing. Name their main contact at your agency, say what happens in the next seven days, and link the intake form.
Step 4: the intake form, and what to ask
The intake form collects everything you would otherwise chase in scattered emails, so ask once and ask properly. Send it as a form, not a document, so the answers land on the client’s record.
A good agency intake form asks for:
- The main contact, the decision maker and who approves invoices.
- The 90 day business goal, in their words, and how they will judge success.
- Their best customers and where those customers come from.
- Competitors they watch.
- Logo files, colours, fonts and any style guide.
- Past agency work, and what did not work.
- Every account you will need access to.
- Blackout dates, approval times and preferred contact method.
Ask only what you will use in the first month. A shorter form is more likely to come back complete.
Step 5: access requests, platform by platform
Never ask a client for passwords. Every major platform lets the owner invite your agency under its own login with a role, which is safer for them and easy to remove later.
| Platform | What to ask for | Where the client grants it |
|---|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Editor or Marketer role on the property | Admin, Property access management, +, Add users |
| Google Search Console | Full user | Settings, Users and permissions |
| Google Business Profile | Manager | Business Profile settings, People and access |
| Meta (Facebook and Instagram) | Partner access to the Page and ad account | Meta Business Suite, Settings, Partners |
| Google Ads | Link to your manager account | Admin, Access and security, Managers: accept your request |
| Website and hosting | A named user account, not the owner login | Their CMS or host’s user settings |
A few details trip agencies up. Google Analytics has five roles, and only an Administrator can add users (Google Analytics Help, 2026). A Search Console property can have at most 100 users who are not owners, and only an owner can add them (Search Console Help, 2026). A new Google Business Profile manager waits 7 days before some actions, such as removing other users, become available (Google Business Profile Help, 2026). On Meta, the client needs your business portfolio ID before they can share assets with you (Meta Business Help Center, 2026).
Tick an item off only after you have logged in and confirmed the role works.
Steps 6 and 7: book and run the kickoff call
Send a booking link once the intake form is in, so the call starts from the client’s answers.
Keep it to 45 minutes: who does what, the 90 day goal agreed in one sentence, gaps in the intake and access, and the first deliverable’s date. End by putting the next date in the calendar. A kickoff that ends with “we’ll be in touch” has not finished.
Steps 8 to 10: handoff, first deliverable and reporting rhythm
Hand the delivery team the intake answers, kickoff notes and access status in one place. Then ship something visible early: an audit summary, a first campaign draft, a fixed tracking setup. The client should see work before the first invoice cycle ends.
Set the rhythm last: a weekly or fortnightly check-in, a monthly report, and a 30 day review that asks what has felt slow or unclear. In our experience, that is where small problems surface before they become a cancellation email.
Which steps can a CRM run by itself?
A configured CRM can run steps 3 to 6 completely and parts of steps 1, 2, 8 and 10, all from one trigger: the deal moving to “won”. The kickoff conversation and the first real work stay with people, which is where your team’s time should go.
The deal moves to won, and the client gets a welcome email and text with the intake form link. No form after two days sends a reminder, then another, and the account lead is alerted after the second. When the form arrives, the access checklist and kickoff booking link go out. When the call is booked, the delivery team gets its tasks.
Two cautions. Texts need the client’s consent and an opt-out, so collect it on the intake form. And every reminder sequence needs a stop rule: once the form is in or the call is booked, the reminders end.
Build it yourself or have it set up for you
You can build this flow in most modern CRMs, including GoHighLevel, if someone has a few days to connect and test every path. The usual failure is not the software. The build gets postponed for client work, and the checklist goes back into a document.
OmniFlow takes the other route. OmniFlow is built on GoHighLevel, and instead of handing you software to configure, the OmniFlow team sets up the pipeline, forms, calendar and core follow-up automations for your agency as part of the plan. A longer onboarding flow like the one above is scoped with you on the walkthrough call. The plan is $99 per month or $999 per year with setup included. Texts, calls, email delivery and AI usage are billed separately by consumption, and AI agents or complex automations are quoted after a scoping call. See what the plan includes and what is billed by usage.
Results depend on your agency and your clients, and no automation rescues a weak kickoff. What a configured system does is make sure the welcome, form, reminders and booking link never depend on someone remembering. See how the agency setup works at OmniFlow for agencies, or book a free 15-minute walkthrough.
Client onboarding checklist FAQ
How long should client onboarding take for an agency?
For most agency retainers, aim to finish the welcome, intake form, access and kickoff within the first one to two weeks after signing. Accounts with many platforms or approvals take longer. Access is usually the slowest step, so send the access checklist on day one.
How do you create a client onboarding checklist?
List every step from signature to first deliverable, give each one an owner and a due date, and mark the steps a system can send for you. Run it on your next client and fix whatever stalled.
Should an agency ask clients for their passwords?
No. Ask the client to invite your agency with a named user and a role on each platform. Google Analytics, Search Console, Google Business Profile, Meta and Google Ads all support this. Removing access at the end of the contract is then quick.
Which tool is used for client onboarding?
Agencies use a CRM with forms, a booking calendar and automations. The brand matters less than this: the welcome, intake form, reminders and kickoff booking should all fire from one trigger and stop when the client responds.
References
- Google Analytics Help (2026). Roles, and Add, edit, and delete Analytics users and user groups. https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9356045 and https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/9305788
- Search Console Help (2026). Managing owners, users, and permissions. https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7687615
- Google Business Profile Help (2026). Manage your Business Profile owners and managers. https://support.google.com/business/answer/3403100
- Meta Business Help Center (2026). Give a partner access to business assets in your business portfolio. https://www.facebook.com/business/help/1717412048538897
- Google Ads Help (2026). Link accounts to your manager accounts. https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/7459601
