The first two weeks with a new client set the tone for everything that follows. Agencies that run structured onboarding retain clients longer and have fewer communication problems mid-project. This template gives you a 41-item, seven-phase onboarding checklist that covers every step from before the kickoff call through to final stakeholder setup.

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What the checklist covers

The template is organised across seven phases. Each phase has its own section with checkboxes, an owner initials column, and a completion status column, so you can track progress across the team without a separate spreadsheet.

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Phase 1: Pre-kickoff

Everything that needs to happen before the first call with the client: contract signed, deposit received, project folder created, and internal briefing completed. Agencies that complete this phase arrive at kickoff with enough context to run a productive conversation rather than spending the first call gathering basic information.

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Phase 2: Admin and legal

NDAs, data processing agreements, invoicing setup, and billing contact confirmation. This phase is easy to skip under deadline pressure and expensive to retrofit later. Getting it done in the first few days creates a clean administrative foundation for the engagement.

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Phase 3: Access and tools

Platform access, tool invitations, and permission levels. This section includes a tracking table for each platform, the access level granted, the date granted, and who provided it. Agencies that track access from day one avoid the common problem of access disputes when a client offboards.

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Phase 4: Brand assets

Logo files, brand guidelines, photography, video, and any existing collateral. Collecting assets in the first week rather than hunting for them mid-project saves time and prevents delays when a designer is blocked waiting for the right file format.

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Phase 5: Kickoff preparation

Agenda prepared, attendees confirmed, goals defined, and success metrics agreed. The quality of a kickoff call is almost entirely determined by the preparation that happens before it.

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Phase 6: Stakeholder setup

Contact directory created, communication preferences documented, reporting frequency agreed, and escalation path defined. This phase prevents the situation where the agency has been communicating with one contact for six weeks and discovers there are three other stakeholders who have opinions about the work.

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Phase 7: Sign-off

Confirmation that all checklist items are complete, with an owner signature and a completion date. This creates a record that onboarding was completed systematically rather than informally.

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Who this template is for

This template is for account managers, operations leads, and digital and creative agencies that onboard new clients on a regular basis. If you currently onboard clients from memory, rely on a team member who knows the process, or have had clients complain that the start of an engagement felt disorganised, this checklist gives you a repeatable process you can hand to any account manager on the team.