# Client Onboarding Checklist **Client:** {{CLIENT_NAME}} **Project:** {{PROJECT_NAME}} **Start date:** {{START_DATE}} **Primary contact:** {{CLIENT_CONTACT}} **Approver:** {{APPROVER_NAME}} Work through this before delivery work starts. The first three sections block everything else: an unsigned agreement, an uncleared deposit and an unnamed approver are the three reasons a first week disappears. ## 1. Agreement - [ ] Proposal or estimate accepted in writing - [ ] Contract signed by both parties - [ ] Scope of work attached and agreed - [ ] Revision allowance confirmed - [ ] Start date and target completion date agreed ## 2. Payment - [ ] Deposit invoice sent - [ ] Deposit received and cleared - [ ] Billing entity and billing address confirmed - [ ] Billing contact and email for invoices confirmed - [ ] Client tax / VAT number obtained where required - [ ] Purchase order number obtained, if the client uses them - [ ] Payment terms and payment method confirmed ## 3. Contacts - [ ] Primary day-to-day contact confirmed - [ ] Named approver identified — the person who can sign things off - [ ] Other stakeholders identified, with what each one approves - [ ] Out-of-hours or emergency contact, if the work needs one - [ ] Time zones noted for everyone involved ## 4. Project information - [ ] Project goals confirmed in writing - [ ] Success criteria agreed - [ ] Known constraints and non-negotiables captured - [ ] Existing research, analytics or prior work received - [ ] Competitors or reference examples discussed ## 5. Access - [ ] Required accounts identified, with the permission level each one needs - [ ] Credentials received, or access granted to your own account - [ ] Access confirmed working — actually logged in, not just received - [ ] Shared drive or repository access granted - [ ] Staging or test environment available - [ ] Security requirements understood (MFA, VPN, device policy) ## 6. Assets - [ ] Brand guidelines received, or confirmed not to exist - [ ] Logo files received in usable formats - [ ] Fonts received, with licences that cover this use - [ ] Photography and imagery received - [ ] Existing copy or content received - [ ] Source files for anything being reworked received ## 7. Communication - [ ] Main channel agreed (email, Slack, Teams, portal) - [ ] Update frequency and format agreed - [ ] Feedback process agreed — consolidated, from the named approver - [ ] Feedback turnaround time agreed - [ ] Meeting cadence set, with invitations sent - [ ] Working hours and expected response times stated ## 8. Timeline - [ ] Milestones confirmed and dated - [ ] First deliverable date confirmed - [ ] Client-side deadlines and fixed dates captured - [ ] Known absences on both sides noted - [ ] Dependencies and who owns each one agreed ## 9. Technical setup - [ ] Tools and file formats agreed - [ ] File naming and version conventions agreed - [ ] Where deliverables will be handed over decided - [ ] Backup and source-file arrangement understood - [ ] Any required integrations or third-party services identified ## 10. Kickoff - [ ] Kickoff meeting booked, with the approver attending - [ ] Agenda sent in advance - [ ] Scope, milestones and responsibilities walked through - [ ] Questions and assumptions logged - [ ] Notes and agreed actions sent afterwards in writing ## 11. Internal setup (for you, not the client) - [ ] Project created in your own system, with the estimate attached - [ ] Time tracking set up against this project - [ ] Capacity checked — this project fits alongside your existing commitments - [ ] Recurring invoice or milestone invoice dates scheduled - [ ] Client folder created, with the contract and scope filed - [ ] Key dates in your calendar, including the client-side ones ## 12. Client confirmation - [ ] Scope and exclusions confirmed in writing - [ ] Approver and approval process confirmed in writing - [ ] Feedback turnaround confirmed in writing - [ ] Payment schedule confirmed in writing - [ ] What happens to out-of-scope requests explained and acknowledged ## By discipline Everything above applies to any freelance project. These are the additions worth having if the work is of a particular kind — delete the ones that are not yours. ### If you are a designer - [ ] Brand assets in vector formats, not screenshots - [ ] Font licences confirmed for web, print or app use as applicable - [ ] Design tool and handoff format agreed - [ ] Accessibility requirements confirmed (contrast, target sizes, standard) - [ ] Who implements the designs, and what they need from you ### If you are a developer - [ ] Repository access and branching convention agreed - [ ] Environments identified — local, staging, production - [ ] Deployment process and who is allowed to deploy confirmed - [ ] Browser and device support agreed - [ ] Existing tests, CI and code standards reviewed - [ ] Third-party API keys and rate limits obtained ### If you are a writer - [ ] Tone of voice or style guide received, or confirmed not to exist - [ ] Target audience and reading level agreed - [ ] Word counts or length targets per piece agreed - [ ] SEO requirements, keywords and internal linking rules confirmed - [ ] Subject-matter experts identified and interviews booked - [ ] Who fact-checks, and who has final editorial say ### If you are a consultant - [ ] Interview list agreed and introductions made - [ ] Data and documents required identified, with an owner for each - [ ] Confidentiality expectations confirmed, including what you may cite - [ ] Reporting format and audience agreed - [ ] Decision-making process understood — who acts on the recommendations ## Notes {{ONBOARDING_NOTES}} --- Freshlance Template · version 1.0 · Updated September 2026