Client onboarding checklist
Start clients off right.
A client onboarding checklist helps you turn a signed agreement into a clear first month of work. Download the spreadsheet, CSV or Word version below, then adapt the owners, dates and steps to your engagement. Use it to welcome the client, prepare the kickoff and confirm what happens next.
Download the Excel checklist ? Download the CSV checklist ? Download the Word checklist
What the checklist covers
The client onboarding checklist template follows the first 30 days, from the signed agreement through the first progress check. It keeps the essentials in one place: who is involved, what the client wants to accomplish, what access or material you need, and when you will next communicate. The spreadsheet is useful for tracking owners and status; the Word file is easy to print or edit; and you can import the CSV into a spreadsheet app such as Excel or Sheets.
Keep the list proportionate to the work. A short advisory project may need only a few contacts, a kickoff and a first deliverable. A bookkeeping engagement may need a secure document collection process, accounting system access and a recurring close calendar. Ask only for information that is relevant, and use the client's agreed method for sharing sensitive documents.
| Field | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Client and engagement | Organization, project name and start date | Cedar Street Studio ? monthly bookkeeping ? April 1 |
| Main contact | Name, role, email and preferred channel | Maya Chen, owner, email |
| Desired outcome | The result the client wants and how you will review it | Close books by the 10th; review at month end |
| Scope and boundaries | Included work, exclusions and approval point | Reconcile accounts; tax filing is out of scope |
| Client inputs | Documents, access or decisions needed, with due dates | Prior month statements by April 5 |
| Your owner | Person responsible for each onboarding task | Alex: configure chart of accounts |
| Kickoff details | Date, attendees, agenda and meeting link or location | April 2; Maya and Alex; goals, workflow, questions |
| Communication plan | Channel, cadence and expected response window | Email; weekly update each Friday |
| First 30-day milestones | Action, owner, due date and status | First reconciliation; Alex; April 12; in progress |
| Risks and open questions | Anything to resolve, owner and next check | Confirm who approves adjustments; Maya; April 3 |
| Follow-up schedule | Date and purpose for each planned touchpoint | April 9: confirm access; April 30: first-month review |
Filled-in example
Cedar Street Studio signs a monthly bookkeeping agreement on April 1. The owner, Maya, wants reconciled accounts and a monthly close by the tenth. Alex is the bookkeeper and primary contact. Before work begins, Maya will share the prior month bank statements through the agreed secure folder and confirm who can approve adjustments. The engagement excludes tax filing, so that boundary is written into the scope field.
Alex sends a welcome email the same day, thanks Maya for choosing the firm, confirms the start date and explains the next steps. The message asks for the statements by April 5 and proposes a 30-minute kickoff on April 2. At kickoff, they confirm the chart of accounts, approval process, preferred email cadence and what counts as a completed monthly close. Alex sends a recap that afternoon with the agreed actions, owners and dates.
By April 9, Alex checks that access is working and asks about any missing documents. The first reconciliation is due April 12. On April 30, they review the first month, resolve open questions and confirm the date of the next close. This example is a starting point; use the language and deadlines that match your agreement.
A new client welcome email can be short. For example: "Hi Maya, welcome to Cedar Street Bookkeeping. We're glad to get started on April 1. Please add the prior month bank statements to our agreed folder by April 5. Could we meet for a 30-minute kickoff on April 2 to confirm the monthly close and approval steps? I'll send a recap with owners and dates afterward." Review every detail before sending. A welcome email to new client sample should sound like you and reflect the promises you actually made.
How to use the template
- Fill in the agreement basics. Record the client, start date, scope, main outcome and primary contact. Copy deadlines from the signed agreement or confirm them with the client.
- Send a welcome note. Thank the client, confirm the immediate next step and list only the information you need now. You can use the sample above as a frame for new client welcome email examples, then make it specific to this engagement.
- Prepare the kickoff. Share a short agenda in advance. Cover goals, roles, scope, communication, open questions and the first milestone. Leave time for the client to add topics.
- Capture decisions and actions. During or just after the meeting, write each action with one owner and a due date. The meeting action items template can help keep the recap clear.
- Send the recap and schedule the next touchpoint. A kickoff meeting follow up email can thank attendees, restate decisions and list actions. If the meeting produced several commitments, use a simple follow-up routine to send each person the right next step.
- Check progress during the first month. Mark items complete, note blockers and ask for missing inputs before they hold up work. At the 30-day review, confirm what is working and update the cadence if needed.
Variations by role or industry
A client onboarding checklist for accountants or bookkeepers may include entity details, reporting periods, authorized contacts, accounting access, prior statements, payroll responsibilities and close deadlines. Keep credentials out of the checklist itself; use the client's approved access process. A client onboarding checklist bookkeeping workflow should also explain who reviews adjustments and how urgent questions are handled.
Consultants can add discovery findings, stakeholder interviews, decision makers, baseline measures and the first deliverable review. The consulting follow-through guide covers client updates and keeping work clear between meetings. For agencies, add brand assets, approval rounds and launch dependencies. Coaches may want goals, session cadence, cancellation terms and a check-in date. A small business may use one compact worksheet; a larger engagement can assign separate owners for delivery, billing and approvals.
If someone asks for a client onboarding checklist PDF, export the Word or spreadsheet file to PDF after you have tailored it. Keep a working copy so dates and owners can change. The Excel version is a client onboarding checklist template Excel users can sort and update, while the CSV gives you a plain table to import into another compatible tool.
Let the conversation start the draft
Or skip the typing: in early access, Teriara drafts a follow-up from the conversation for you to review, edit and send. Nothing is sent without you. You can still use this checklist to verify the scope, owners and due dates before anything goes to a client.
Frequently asked questions
How to run a kickoff meeting?
Send a brief agenda in advance, then confirm the client's goals, scope, roles, communication plan and immediate next steps. End by checking that each action has an owner and a date. Send a recap soon after the meeting while decisions are fresh.
How to conduct a kickoff meeting?
Start with introductions and the outcome the client wants, then work through boundaries, process, dependencies and open questions. Make space for the client to explain concerns or constraints. Close by summarizing decisions and agreeing on the next check-in.
How to kickoff a meeting?
If you mean how to open the meeting, welcome everyone and explain what you hope to decide or clarify together. Ask the client whether the agenda matches what they need. Then move through the topics in order and leave time to confirm actions.
Try the checklist and see how Teriara fits your follow-through in early access.