Virtual assistant client onboarding checklist
A new VA client can feel wonderfully straightforward until three channels contain conflicting instructions and nobody knows which task comes first. A repeatable onboarding process turns “we should get started” into a shared, manageable plan. Use this checklist after a client says yes and adapt it to the work you actually provide.
Before the kickoff
Confirm the client’s business name, main contact, preferred contact method and a backup route for urgent issues. Ask what they hired you to handle and what is explicitly outside scope. Write down the expected hours or capacity, working days, response windows and how new work is prioritised. Confirm the first review date. These details protect both sides from the assumption that availability means unlimited availability. Send a short agenda in advance: goals, current tools, recurring tasks, approvals and first-week priorities. Ask the client to bring examples of a finished task, existing instructions and any recurring deadlines. If no material exists, make that a planning point rather than quietly trying to infer the whole business.
The onboarding checklist
1. Confirm the service scope and boundaries in writing. 2. Record contacts, time zone and preferred communication channel. 3. Agree how tasks arrive and how priority is labelled. 4. List recurring deadlines and dependencies. 5. Identify the person who approves work. 6. Inventory tools and access needed. 7. Request access through the client’s chosen secure process. 8. Agree file naming and storage locations. 9. Capture brand voice and examples. 10. Define what “done” means for common tasks. 11. Set the first-week task list. 12. Book a short review. Mark each item complete, waiting on client, or not applicable, with an owner and next date. That last detail turns a checklist into a working handover rather than a page of boxes.
Tools and access
List each tool needed, why it is needed, who grants access and whether it has been tested. Ask for an individual user account where possible rather than sharing a password. Do not collect credentials in an ordinary email or spreadsheet. Test access with a low-risk task before a deadline depends on it. Note what information you can see and what should not be downloaded or forwarded. Agree what happens to access when the engagement ends. If a requested tool is unavailable, record the blocker and its owner. Resist the temptation to gather access “just in case”; request only what the agreed work requires. A simple access register can say tool, purpose, granted by, test date, and follow-up without storing secrets.
Turn conversations into instructions
Clients often explain work verbally, using context they have carried for years. Translate each recurring task into a brief procedure. Capture the trigger, inputs, steps, approval point and finish line. For example, a newsletter task could start when the draft arrives, require the approved copy and images, include a proof sent to the named approver, and finish when the scheduled date is recorded. Ask the client to review your summary. This catches hidden preferences such as naming conventions or who must approve. Use examples: “Use last month’s layout” is ambiguous until you know which file and what should change. Keep the client’s source material linked rather than copying multiple versions into separate folders.
The first week
Choose one small, representative task to test the workflow, followed by a priority task with a clear deadline. Confirm the request in writing, estimate the next update point, and report a blocker early. At the end of the first week, ask what felt smooth, what required clarification and whether priorities changed. Do not add a large batch of new recurring work before the basic handoff works. A first-week plan might be: Monday, access checks and task inventory; Tuesday, complete one test task; Wednesday, confirm recurring deadlines; Thursday, document one repeated process; Friday, review and agree next week’s top three. Adjust it to the actual scope and capacity. The plan is a conversation aid, not a promise to work outside agreed hours.
A copyable kickoff note
Client: [name] Main contact and channel: [details] Scope: [included work] Not included: [boundaries] Working pattern and response window: [details] Task requests go here: [location] Priority labels: [meaning] Approval by: [person and method] Recurring deadlines: [list] First three tasks: [task, owner, due date] Access outstanding: [tool, owner, next date] Review meeting: [date] Send this back as a concise recap after the kickoff. Invite corrections, especially on scope, deadlines and approval authority. A client should not have to remember a decision that only exists in your notes. Keep confidential information in the agreed workspace, and use the recap to link to it rather than reproducing sensitive details.
A calmer ongoing relationship
Onboarding does not end when the checklist is ticked. Update task instructions when the client changes a process, and mark outdated notes clearly. Keep a short decision log for changes to priority, deadlines or scope. At a regular review, look at work completed, open questions and upcoming capacity. When a request sits outside the agreed service, respond helpfully: restate the current scope, ask whether they want to discuss an adjustment, and avoid silently absorbing extra work. Good boundaries are easier when described during onboarding. If the client is unsure what they need, propose a small trial task with a clear outcome and review date. That gives both of you evidence for deciding what a useful ongoing arrangement looks like.
Make it part of your routine
Keep this process somewhere easy to reach and use it the next time the task comes up. The first version is a prompt, not a rule that must survive unchanged. Notice where you hesitate, what information you had to search for, and which step someone else might misunderstand. Update the note while the experience is fresh. A practical process is short enough to use on a busy day and specific enough to reduce avoidable decisions. It should support your judgement, not replace it. If a client’s circumstances differ, confirm the details rather than applying a generic template blindly.
Make ownership and the next action visible. A note that says “waiting” is hard to act on; add who you are waiting for and when you will check again. A checklist should distinguish a completed step from an assumption. If you use a digital tracker, keep only the fields that help you make a decision or remember a commitment. Review the process after a change in your tools, service or client expectations. Small edits keep a practical guide aligned with the work you actually do, rather than the business you imagined when you first wrote it.
Where to go from here
Choose one part of your current process and try the checklist on your next real job. Afterward, note one point that worked and one point that needs clarification. If you would rather start with ready-to-adapt materials, the Client Onboarding Tracker offers a practical starting point, and the free five-SOP sampler lets you try a few templates first. Adapt any template to your own service and circumstances; these materials are not professional advice.