# Client onboarding Coordinate the path from signed scope through kickoff and the first useful client milestone. > This public artifact is plaintext. After import, readable project content is encrypted on your device; operational metadata such as identifiers, relationships, priority, state, timing, and counts remains visible to the service. > This template is general operational guidance, not legal, medical, tax, security, employment, compliance, or other professional advice. It does not establish compliance, and its publication is not evidence of outside professional review or approval. Review and adapt it with the responsible organizational owners, and obtain appropriate professional advice before regulated use. **Template ID:** client-onboarding-checklist **Template version:** 1 **Source:** https://sealtask.com/templates/client-onboarding-checklist/ **Reuse license:** https://sealtask.com/terms/#public-templates **Planning anchor:** Kickoff date — The agreed client kickoff date; preparation is scheduled before it and activation work follows it. ## Plan Confirm the engagement boundary, outcome, and accountable people. - [ ] **Confirm the signed scope and source-of-record link** — High priority · Due 7 days before the planning anchor Verify that the approved scope is accessible in the contract repository and record only a neutral reference here. - [ ] Approved scope is available to the delivery owner - [ ] Neutral source-of-record reference is recorded - [ ] **Define a neutral client code and first success outcome** — High priority · Due 6 days before the planning anchor Choose a recognizable internal label and write one observable outcome that demonstrates useful early progress. - [ ] Neutral client code is agreed - [ ] First useful outcome is measurable - [ ] **Identify the decision maker and day-to-day owner** — Medium priority · Due 6 days before the planning anchor Confirm who can make scope decisions and who will coordinate normal inputs, questions, and scheduling. - [ ] Decision maker is confirmed - [ ] Day-to-day client owner is confirmed ## Set up Prepare the minimum channels, access, and operating agreements. - [ ] **Create the approved communication and project channels** — Medium priority · Due 5 days before the planning anchor Set up only the channels needed for delivery and state where urgent, routine, and authoritative messages belong. - [ ] Primary delivery channel is ready - [ ] Channel purpose and response expectations are stated - [ ] **Request the minimum necessary access** — High priority · Due 5 days before the planning anchor List only access required for the first milestone, with an approving owner and an expiry or review date. - [ ] Every request has an approving owner - [ ] Temporary access has an expiry or review date - [ ] Credentials will be exchanged through an approved secrets manager - [ ] **Confirm communication cadence and escalation path** — Medium priority · Due 4 days before the planning anchor Agree on normal update timing, response expectations, and the named path for blockers or urgent decisions. - [ ] Routine update cadence is scheduled - [ ] Escalation route and response expectation are clear ## Kickoff Align participants, decisions, actions, and unresolved questions. - [ ] **Prepare and circulate the kickoff agenda** — Medium priority · Due 2 days before the planning anchor Send a short agenda focused on outcomes, roles, known constraints, immediate decisions, and next actions. - [ ] Agenda and required pre-reading are sent - [ ] Decisions needed during kickoff are named - [ ] **Run the client kickoff** — High priority · Due on the planning anchor Use the agenda to confirm the desired outcome, working boundary, responsibilities, constraints, and first milestone. - [ ] Outcome, scope, and non-goals are confirmed - [ ] Owners and decision rights are confirmed - [ ] Known risks and missing inputs are surfaced - [ ] **Publish kickoff decisions and actions** — High priority · Due 1 day after the planning anchor Write a concise recap with each decision, action owner, due date, and unresolved question while context is fresh. - [ ] Decisions and open questions are recorded - [ ] Every action has an owner and due date ## First value Close missing inputs and deliver the first useful client outcome. - [ ] **Schedule the first discovery or working session** — Medium priority · Due 2 days after the planning anchor Book the next focused session with the people and source material needed to produce the first useful result. - [ ] Required participants can attend - [ ] Required source inputs are listed in their systems of record - [ ] **Close or escalate outstanding client inputs** — Medium priority · Due 4 days after the planning anchor Track each missing input by owner and impact, then escalate only the items that block the first milestone. - [ ] Blocking and non-blocking inputs are separated - [ ] Owners have a clear request and due date - [ ] **Deliver the first useful milestone** — High priority · Due 7 days after the planning anchor Complete the smallest agreed client-visible outcome and place the authoritative deliverable in its approved repository. - [ ] Deliverable meets the agreed acceptance signal - [ ] Client owner knows where to review it - [ ] **Confirm the next milestone, owners, and risks** — Medium priority · Due 8 days after the planning anchor Close onboarding by agreeing on the next outcome, current risks, decision points, owners, and working cadence. - [ ] Next milestone and acceptance signal are clear - [ ] Current risks and decision owners are visible ## Done Completed onboarding work moves here after its outcome is verified. _Move completed work here._ --- Source: https://sealtask.com/templates/client-onboarding-checklist/ License: https://sealtask.com/terms/#public-templates Privacy notice: This public artifact is plaintext. After import, readable project content is encrypted on your device; operational metadata such as identifiers, relationships, priority, state, timing, and counts remains visible to the service. Usage notice: This template is general operational guidance, not legal, medical, tax, security, employment, compliance, or other professional advice. It does not establish compliance, and its publication is not evidence of outside professional review or approval. Review and adapt it with the responsible organizational owners, and obtain appropriate professional advice before regulated use. Template version: 1