Free Client Onboarding Checklist Template
Start every client relationship right. A ready-to-use, 25-step onboarding checklist across four phases — so nothing slips between the signed contract and a client who loves working with you.
- 25 tasks, done for you — across Before kickoff, Kickoff week, First 30 days and Handover.
- Live progress tracking — tick a task and the % complete and progress bar update themselves.
- Owner, due date & status on every task — everyone knows who does what, by when.
- Colour-coded rows — done turns green, in-progress turns amber, at a glance.
| Done | Task | Owner | Due | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHASE 1 · BEFORE KICKOFF — set the foundation | ||||
| ✓ | Countersign the contract / SOW and file it | Account Manager | Day 0 | Done |
| ✓ | Raise the first invoice / collect the deposit | Finance | Day 0 | Done |
| ✓ | Send the welcome email + “what happens next” | Account Manager | Day 0 | Done |
| ✓ | Request brand assets, logins & tool access | Project Lead | Day 1 | Done |
| PHASE 2 · KICKOFF WEEK — align on goals & scope | ||||
| ✓ | Schedule the kickoff call with all stakeholders | Account Manager | Day 2 | Done |
| Run the kickoff meeting (goals, scope, timeline) | Project Lead | Day 5 | In progress | |
| Confirm goals & success metrics (KPIs) | Project Lead | Day 5 | In progress | |
| Agree communication channels & cadence | Account Manager | Day 5 | Not started | |
| PHASE 3 · FIRST 30 DAYS — deliver & build trust | ||||
| Give client portal access + a quick walkthrough | Project Lead | Day 8 | Not started | |
| Ship the first quick win / early deliverable | Project Lead | Day 14 | Not started | |
| 30-day review — are we on track to the goals? | Account Manager | Day 30 | Not started | |
| PHASE 4 · HANDOVER & ONGOING | ||||
| Schedule the first quarterly business review (QBR) | Account Manager | Day 60 | Not started | |
Preview of the actual template — tick a task and the % complete, progress bar and row colours update themselves.
Everything you need to onboard a client well
Not a blank spreadsheet — a genuinely useful checklist built by people who run client teams. Open it and start ticking.
25 tasks, four phases
Before kickoff, kickoff week, first 30 days and handover — the full arc of a great start, already mapped out for you.
Live progress tracking
A % complete figure and a progress bar update themselves as you tick tasks off. Always know how far along an onboarding is.
Clear ownership
Every task has an Owner, a due date and a status. No “I thought you were handling that” a week into a new relationship.
Colour-coded status
Done rows shade green, in-progress rows shade amber, automatically. Spot what is stuck in a single glance.
Up and running in two minutes
No setup, no login, no learning curve.
Download & open
Grab the .xlsx and open it in Excel (or Google Sheets / Numbers). The 25 tasks are already there.
Make it yours
Set the owner and due date on each task, tweak the list to match how your team works, and save it as your template.
Onboard & track
Copy it for each new client, then tick tasks off — rows colour up and the progress bar fills as you go.
Free client onboarding checklist — questions
Yes — completely free. Fill in the short form above and the Excel file downloads straight away. No payment, no trial.
25 ready-made tasks across four phases — Before kickoff, Kickoff week, First 30 days, and Handover & ongoing — each with an owner, a relative due date (like “Day 1”), a status and a notes column.
Yes. It’s a standard .xlsx file, so it opens in Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers. The colours, drop-downs and progress total carry across.
Any team or business that takes on clients — agencies, consultancies, professional services, freelancers and in-house teams. Edit the tasks to fit your own onboarding process.
For a handful of clients, absolutely — that’s what this is for. When onboarding, projects, documents and client comms start to sprawl, that’s where Landing takes over (below).
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Meet Landing — onboard, manage & delight every client in one place
A checklist is a great start. Landing is where growing teams go next: a built-in CRM, a branded client portal, projects and tasks, documents and e-signatures, and 40+ connected tools — so every client is onboarded, tracked and looked after without duct-taping apps together.
See Landing in action →