How to build a client onboarding checklist A new client needs to know what happens next, what you need from them, and who can approve the work. Your client onboarding checklist should answer those questions before the first deliverable is due. Start with the handoff between a signed agreement and a project ready to begin. Keep each item specific enough that someone can tell when it is complete. Turn requirements into clear tasks List the information and materials your team needs: project goals, agreed scope, brand files, existing content, and access to relevant systems. Ask only for items the project requires, and use an approved secure process for sharing access credentials. Replace vague entries such as “collect assets” with named requests. For example, a hypothetical website project might need approved logo files, final service descriptions, and a list of pages to include. Give each request a completion condition, such as “client confirms these are the final files.” Assign owners and approval responsibilities Give every task one responsible owner and a due date. Separate the person supplying materials from the person authorized to approve them; they may be different people. Agree with the client who approves scope, content, and the first deliverable. Record where approval will be captured. Before kickoff, check that those people know what they are reviewing and when their response is needed. Review readiness before work begins Walk through the checklist with the client. Identify missing items, explain which tasks depend on them, and agree on the next action. If something is late, review the schedule together rather than assuming the original dates still work. Keep the checklist short enough to use. After onboarding, review which requests were unclear and revise the template for the next project. Put the checklist in a shared workspace TaskHarbor supports task owners, due dates, and file attachments. It costs USD49/month per workspace for up to 10 users. It does not provide automated reminders, so assign someone to follow up on outstanding items. Book a TaskHarbor demo. SEO title: How to Build a Client Onboarding Checklist Meta description: Build a client onboarding checklist with clear asset requests, task owners, approval responsibilities, and due dates. Explore TaskHarbor for your agency. Editor handoff: Ready for editorial review. Verified counts: article 334 words, including title, headings, and CTA; SEO title 42 characters; meta description 153 characters. Supplied sources only; no live research. S1 supports TaskHarbor’s features, price, user allowance, and reminder limitation. S2 informed the focus on missing assets and approval owners; its three interviews are not presented as representative evidence. Checklist steps are editorial advice; the website example is explicitly hypothetical. No disputed claims were supplied. No statistics or business outcomes claimed. Remaining check: confirm the checklist fits your agency’s approval and secure access procedures.