1. Start with the agreement and the delivery handoff
Open a fresh workbook for the client and enter the agency owner for each task. Read the confirmed scope and carry the agreed deliverables, exclusions, revision allowance and timing into the intake sheet. If the delivery team cannot explain what is included, resolve that question before promising a kickoff outcome.
The Checklist includes a Done when column. Use it to distinguish a completed task from a message that has been sent. For example, requesting an asset folder is not the same as opening it and finding the agreed files. Keep the evidence or decision link beside the task, with a next action when the requirement is still unresolved.
Assign a single person to maintain the onboarding record. Other people can own individual tasks, but the account lead needs a clear view of which missing input could change the first delivery date.
2. Ask questions that change the first month’s work
Send the intake questions early enough for the client to prepare answers. Ask about the primary business objective, the audience’s need, channel priorities, brand voice, offer details, required sources, existing assets and constraints. Record the reporting baseline and where each agreed metric will come from. If the baseline is unknown, identify who will establish it rather than inventing a starting number.
The questionnaire also asks who gives final approval, who can provide account access and which local timezone and working hours govern review. These questions prevent the first campaign brief from depending on an unnamed stakeholder or an unexplained “end of day” deadline.
Treat the questionnaire as a conversation aid. If a response conflicts with the signed scope or needs more context, record the question and owner. Do not silently expand the work because a new request appears in an intake answer.
3. Check assets and account invitations without collecting passwords
Agree where approved logos, brand guidance, photography, existing campaign files and reusable copy will live. Check the files and their versions. Ask the client to identify any permissions, usage limits or expiry dates that affect the intended work; route unanswered questions to the client’s designated owner.
For account access, record the account or workspace name, its owner, the required role and whether a named invitation has been accepted. Use the platform’s normal invitation process. Keep passwords, recovery codes, API keys and access tokens out of the workbook and questionnaire.
Check that the invitation grants access to the correct client account before marking the task Complete. The toolkit only records your check; it does not inspect permissions or enforce a platform role. Avoid requesting wider access simply to make an onboarding checklist look finished.
4. Use the kickoff to settle decisions and dependencies
The example sheet supplies an agenda you can adapt: confirm the goal and scope, review the audience and brand materials, assign decision makers, agree deadlines, identify dependencies and close with next actions. Share the agenda before the call so the people who can make those decisions attend.
During the meeting, record decisions separately from open questions. Give each question an owner and a specific due date. Where timing spans several regions, use a full date and timezone, then enter its UTC equivalent in the Checklist. The spreadsheet does not convert local times.
End by reading back the first deliverable, final approver, review window and next checkpoint. Share the notes afterwards and confirm any disputed decision before production relies on it. A meeting taking place is not by itself proof that kickoff dependencies are resolved.
5. Build the first-month plan around confirmed inputs
The checklist reserves tasks for four weekly checkpoints. Use week one to confirm the handoff, assets and measurement baseline. Use week two to agree the first brief and content plan. Use week three to review the first production batch and resolve revisions. Use week four to review delivered work, remaining blockers and the next cycle with the client.
This is a suggested sequence, not a fixed delivery promise. Adapt it to the agreed scope, production lead time and client availability. If an input arrives late, show the dependency and proposed new date instead of keeping a plan that the team cannot meet.
Complete only tasks with their required evidence. Use Waiting for tasks blocked on another person, and record who owns the next action. When a task does not apply, record why before selecting Not applicable. Review the first month’s friction and update your blank master so the next onboarding starts with a better process.
Common questions
Is this checklist only for social media agencies?
The examples use a social content engagement, but the handoff, intake, assets, kickoff and owner fields also work for creative and consulting projects. Adapt the task wording and completion evidence to your agreed scope.
Where should I record login details?
Keep login details out of the workbook. Record the account name, invitation owner, required role and access-check evidence. Use the platform’s normal invitation and credential-management process.
What if onboarding takes longer than a month?
Adjust the checkpoint dates and add the tasks your scope requires. The first-month sequence is a planning example. It does not set a universal onboarding deadline.
Make a copy for your next client cycle
Keep the blank master, adapt the fields to your agreed scope and use the example as a reference.
Download the onboarding toolkit