How to Use ClickUp for Client Onboarding

ClickUp gives agencies, consultancies, and service teams a single workspace to organize every step of client onboarding, from intake to handoff. This how-to guide walks you through building a simple, repeatable onboarding system so every new client starts with a clear, professional experience.

Why Use ClickUp for Client Onboarding?

Manual onboarding in spreadsheets, scattered emails, and chat threads makes it easy to miss details and hard to scale. With ClickUp, you can organize tasks, documents, automations, and communication in one place, so your team and your clients always know what happens next.

Using one centralized platform for onboarding helps you:

• Standardize your intake and kickoff steps
• Assign, schedule, and track tasks in real time
• Collect client information quickly and consistently
• Share timelines and updates without long email chains
• Automate recurring tasks to reduce busywork

Step 1: Plan Your ClickUp Onboarding Workflow

Before building anything in ClickUp, outline your ideal onboarding process. Map the journey from the moment a client signs to the moment they transition into ongoing delivery.

Define Your Core Onboarding Stages in ClickUp

Typical stages you might capture inside ClickUp include:

• Signed / Won
• Intake & data collection
• Kickoff prep
• Client kickoff meeting
• Implementation or setup
• Review & approval
• Handoff to account team or success team

Keep the number of stages focused. Fewer, clearly named stages make your ClickUp views easier to navigate and report on.

List the Tasks Inside Each Stage

For each stage, write down the specific action items your team completes for almost every client. For example:

• Send welcome email
• Share onboarding questionnaire
• Collect brand assets or credentials
• Configure account or workspace
• Schedule and run kickoff call
• Present onboarding plan and timeline

These tasks will form the backbone of your reusable template inside ClickUp.

Step 2: Create a Client Onboarding Space in ClickUp

With your process defined, you can structure ClickUp to match it. Use the hierarchy to keep client work organized and easy to scale.

Set Up the Hierarchy in ClickUp

1. Create a Space: Add a Space dedicated to clients or onboarding.
2. Add a Folder: Within that Space, create a Folder called something like “Client Onboarding”.
3. Build a List Template: Inside the Folder, create a List that represents a standard onboarding project and save it as a template.

This layout makes it simple to spin up a new onboarding project for each client in ClickUp without rebuilding the structure every time.

Customize Custom Fields for Clients

Within your onboarding List, add Custom Fields in ClickUp to capture essential client data, such as:

• Client industry
• Package or service tier
• Contract value
• Start date and go-live date
• Account owner or manager

These fields help you filter, sort, and report on onboarding progress across all clients.

Step 3: Build a Reusable ClickUp Onboarding Template

Once the structure is in place, convert your standard tasks into a reusable template so your team follows the same playbook every time.

Add Standard Tasks to Your ClickUp List

Populate your onboarding List with all the steps you identified earlier. For each task in ClickUp, consider including:

• Clear titles: Start with a verb such as “Send,” “Prepare,” or “Review”.
• Owners: Assign tasks to the correct role (sales, operations, account manager, etc.).
• Due dates: Use relative dates like “1 day after start” once you turn it into a template.
• Checklists: Break complex tasks into smaller action items.
• Task descriptions: Add short instructions or links to internal SOPs.

Save Your List as a ClickUp Template

1. Open your onboarding List in ClickUp.
2. Ensure all standard tasks, Custom Fields, and views are configured.
3. Save the List as a template so your team can reuse it for each new client.

From now on, starting a new onboarding project becomes as simple as applying the template.

Step 4: Use ClickUp Forms to Collect Client Data

Accurate client information is critical for onboarding. Instead of chasing emails, let ClickUp Forms collect data and automatically create tasks.

Design a Client Intake Form in ClickUp

In your onboarding List, create a Form that asks for all details you need from new clients, such as:

• Primary contact details
• Business information
• Goals and success metrics
• Access credentials or required assets
• Preferred communication channels

Set the Form so each submission creates a task in ClickUp with all answers stored in Custom Fields. This keeps the intake data linked directly to onboarding work.

Automate What Happens After Form Submission

Use automation rules in ClickUp to trigger follow-up actions, for example:

• Move the task to the “Intake Completed” stage
• Assign it to the onboarding specialist
• Notify the account owner in a comment
• Apply a specific Onboarding tag or priority

Automations reduce handoff delays and ensure every new client moves forward without manual intervention.

Step 5: Track Progress With ClickUp Views

Different team members need different perspectives on onboarding. Multiple views in ClickUp give everyone the context they need.

Recommended Views for Onboarding in ClickUp

• Board View: Visualize each stage as a column and drag tasks as clients advance.
• List View: Review tasks, assignees, and due dates in a structured list.
• Calendar View: See key onboarding milestones over time.
• Dashboard: Create a high-level overview of all client onboarding progress.

By combining these views in ClickUp, leaders can monitor bottlenecks while frontline team members focus on their daily tasks.

Step 6: Collaborate With Clients in ClickUp

For a transparent experience, you can invite clients into ClickUp with limited access or share specific views.

Share Timelines and Updates

Use guest permissions and shared links in ClickUp to let clients see:

• Onboarding milestones and due dates
• Which tasks are completed, in progress, or blocked
• Notes and decisions from meetings

Centralized communication helps reduce confusion and gives clients more confidence in your process.

Step 7: Improve Your ClickUp Onboarding System Over Time

After a few client cycles, review how your ClickUp setup is performing. Look for patterns like recurring delays or frequent client questions.

Refine Templates and Automations in ClickUp

Make ongoing improvements by:

• Updating task descriptions based on real questions
• Adding or removing checklist items that affect timelines
• Adjusting due dates to match realistic expectations
• Creating new automation rules to remove manual steps

Every small optimization compounds, making onboarding faster and more consistent.

Helpful Resources for Scaling ClickUp Onboarding

To go deeper into client onboarding best practices and how to structure your workspace, review the detailed guidance in the original resource at this ClickUp client onboarding article. For additional help implementing or auditing your workspace configuration, you can also work with specialized consultants such as Consultevo.

By documenting your process, building a reusable template, and leveraging forms, automations, and views, ClickUp becomes a powerful engine for predictable, scalable client onboarding.

Need Help With ClickUp?

If you want expert help building, automating, or scaling your ClickUp workspace, work with ConsultEvo — trusted ClickUp Solution Partners.

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