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In short
A client onboarding questionnaire is a short form a new client fills in after signing, before work starts. It should cover contact and billing details, the project goal in the client’s words, scope and deadlines, brand and existing materials, access to tools and accounts, how decisions and approvals work, and how the client prefers to communicate. Keep it to 15–30 questions and only ask what you will use.
Contact, billing and decision makers
Start with the details you need to send invoices and reach the right person:
- Who is the main contact, and what is the best email and phone number?
- Who has the final say on the work, if that is someone else?
- Who receives invoices, and what billing name, address and tax details should appear on them?
- Do you need a purchase order number on invoices?
- Which time zone are you in, and when are you usually available?
- What is your website, and which social profiles should we know about?
Goals and success
Ask for the goal in the client’s own words. Their answers become the brief and, later, the case study:
- What is the main goal of this project?
- Why is it important now?
- How will you know the project was a success?
- Who is the audience or customer this work is for?
- Which competitors or examples do you like, and why?
- Is there anything you have tried before that did not work?
Scope, timing and budget
Confirm the boundaries that were agreed in the proposal so nothing is assumed:
- Which deliverables do you expect, and in what format?
- Are there fixed dates, launches or events we need to work around?
- Is there anything you consider out of scope for this project?
- Who else (staff, other freelancers, agencies) is involved, and how should we work with them?
Brand, content and existing materials
Collect files now instead of asking for them one at a time:
- Please share your logo files, brand colours, fonts and brand guidelines
- Please share existing copy, photos, videos or documents we should use
- Are there words, styles or topics we should avoid?
- Who will supply new content, and by when?
Access to tools and accounts
Ask for access through invitations or shared roles rather than passwords sent by email:
- Which tools and accounts will we need (website, hosting, domain, analytics, social media, ads, email platform)?
- Who can invite us or grant access to each one?
- Are there security or compliance rules we must follow?
- Who should we contact if access stops working or something breaks?
Communication and approvals
Agree how you will work together before the first deadline:
- How do you prefer to communicate: email, client portal, calls or messages?
- How often would you like updates?
- Who else should be copied on project updates?
- How many people review each draft, and how long do you need to give feedback?
- How should we handle requests for changes outside the agreed scope?
- Is there anything else we should know before we start?
Send it once and keep the answers on the client record
Send the questionnaire straight after the contract is signed and the deposit is paid, while the client is most engaged, and ask for it back within a few days. In Workspace369, intake form answers are saved to the client’s record and files can be shared in the client portal, so the project, the client portal and later invoices all start from the same information instead of an email thread.
Common questions
What is the difference between a client intake form and an onboarding questionnaire?
An intake form usually comes before the proposal and collects just enough to scope and price the work. An onboarding questionnaire comes after the client signs and collects what you need to start: files, access, contacts and approval rules. Many freelancers use a short intake form first and a fuller questionnaire later.
How many questions should a client onboarding questionnaire have?
Usually 15 to 30. Ask only what you will use. A long form filled in carelessly is worse than a short one answered well, so remove any question whose answer would not change how you do the work.
When should I send the onboarding questionnaire?
Right after the contract is signed and any deposit is paid, with a clear date to return it. Tie your start date to receiving the answers so the timeline stays realistic.
Should clients send passwords in the questionnaire?
No. Ask clients to invite you as a user or give you a role in each tool instead. That is safer for them, and access can be removed when the project ends.
