Doing this more than once? Slashit keeps your onboarding checklist a shortcut away, so every new client gets the same start without you rewriting the list.
Use this in Slashit AppFree Client Onboarding Checklist
Generate a checklist of everything that needs to happen before work starts: signed agreement, deposit paid, files, access, the people to meet and how you'll work together. Most project delays start at onboarding, not at delivery.
Built by Slashit · Last updated 27 September 2026
What is the client onboarding checklist?
Client onboarding is everything that has to happen between a client saying yes and work actually starting: the agreement signed, the deposit paid, the files and access handed over, the right people met, and an agreement about how the two of you will communicate. Most project delays start here rather than at delivery. A project that begins without brand assets, or without knowing who approves the work, is already late. A checklist makes onboarding the same every time, which is what stops you discovering in week three that nobody ever sent the logo files.
How our free client onboarding checklist works
Name the client and project
The checklist is titled for them, so it can be shared directly.
Confirm the basics
Agreement, deposit, kick-off call, shared folder, main contact. These are generated for you.
List the files and access you need
Logos, brand guidelines, photography. Hosting, domain, analytics, social accounts.
Name the people to meet
Day-to-day contact, whoever signs off, technical contact. Three names save a lot of chasing.
Agree how you will work
Where you talk, how often, who approves, how quickly feedback comes back.
What can you use the client onboarding checklist for?
A new client you have never worked with
Send the checklist as the agenda for the kick-off call. It shows you have done this before.
A project starting next week
Work backwards. Anything on the list that has not happened yet is a reason the start date will move.
Handing a project to a colleague
A completed checklist is a handover document.
A client who is slow to respond
One list of everything you need beats five separate emails, and it is easier to chase.
Who uses our free client onboarding checklist?
Freelancers
Replace a half-remembered routine with the same reliable start every time.
Agencies
Hand a new account manager a checklist rather than expecting them to know what you know.
Consultants
Get access and stakeholders sorted before the clock starts on a fixed engagement.
Anyone who has started a project and then waited
The checklist is built from the things that usually go missing.
Why use the client onboarding checklist?
Covers access, not just files
Missing hosting or domain access stops a launch dead, and it always takes longer to obtain than people expect.
Asks who approves the work
The single most useful question in onboarding, and the one most often skipped.
Nothing is uploaded
Client names and project details stay in your browser.
Tips for getting the best results
Get the deposit before anything else
Everything on the list is easier to ask for once money has moved. A client who has not paid a deposit has not really started.
Agree a feedback turnaround in days
Three working days, in writing. Vague agreements about being responsive are worth nothing when a deadline is at risk.
Ask for access early, even if you do not need it yet
Hosting and domain access routinely take a fortnight to surface, usually because the person who set it up has left.
Meet the sign-off person once, at the start
Work approved by someone who was never in the conversation always comes back.
Frequently asked questions
What should client onboarding include?
A signed agreement, the deposit paid, a kick-off conversation, the files and access you need, the people you will be working with, and an agreement on how you will communicate and who approves work.
How long should onboarding take?
A few days if you ask for everything at once. Weeks if you ask for things as you discover you need them, which is why a checklist is worth having.
Why does onboarding matter so much?
Because a project cannot start without inputs you do not control. Most delays that look like delivery problems began as missing assets or unclear approvals.
Should I send the checklist to the client?
Yes. It shows a process, and it turns your requests into one clear list instead of a trickle of emails.
What is the most commonly missed item?
Who has final approval. Second is access to something the client's previous supplier set up and nobody has the login for.
Do I need this for a repeat client?
A shorter version. The agreement and the people are settled, but access and assets still need checking for each new project.
