Every new client triggers the same set of emails. Welcome. Intake form. Workspace link. Kickoff confirmation. Timeline reminder. First deliverable notice. You’ve written versions of all of them dozens of times, slightly differently each time, squeezing them between the actual work you’re supposed to be doing.
An automated onboarding sequence writes these emails once, sends them correctly every time, and requires nothing from you but a tag applied when the client signs. The client experience is more consistent than your manual process. The timing is more reliable. And you’ve recovered 2-3 hours per new client to put toward work that actually pays.
Below is the complete five-email sequence, production-ready with [CUSTOMIZE] slots marked. This is the actual copy. Adapt the tone to yours, but the structure is proven.
Email 1, Day 0: Welcome + Intake Form
Trigger: Send immediately when client tag is applied (on contract signature or payment receipt)
Subject line: Welcome, one quick step before we start [CLIENT FIRST NAME]
Hi [FIRST NAME],
Welcome aboard. I’m glad we’re doing this.
Before we officially kick off, I need about 10 minutes of your time. The intake form below collects the context I need to make our first session as useful as possible.
[INTAKE FORM LINK]
A few things the form covers:
- Your primary goal for this engagement
- The one outcome you’d point to in 90 days to say this worked
- Any constraints or deadlines I should know about
- How you prefer to communicate
Once you’ve submitted it, I’ll send over your workspace and schedule confirmation.
If anything’s unclear on the form, reply here.
[YOUR NAME]
Customization notes:
- Replace [INTAKE FORM LINK] with your Typeform or Google Form URL
- Keep this email under 150 words, shorter is better for Day 0
- Do not include attachments or other links, one CTA only
Email 2, Day 1: Workspace Access + Welcome Video
Trigger: Send 1 day after Email 1 (or trigger when intake form is submitted, if using automation)
Subject line: Your workspace is ready + a quick video walkthrough
Hi [FIRST NAME],
Your workspace is set up and ready. Here’s the link:
[WORKSPACE LINK, NOTION / CLICKUP / ASANA / ETC.]
I recorded a short video (5 min) walking you through how everything is organized:
[LOOM LINK]
The video covers:
- Where you’ll find all deliverables as they’re completed
- Where to leave feedback and questions
- How the project timeline is structured
- How to reach me and what to expect on response times
Your kickoff call is confirmed for [DATE + TIME + TIME ZONE]. The calendar invite has the video link.
Before then, it would help if you could [SPECIFIC PREP REQUEST, e.g., “upload your existing brand guidelines to the Asset Library folder in the workspace” / “add any relevant Google Analytics access in the workspace doc labeled ‘Access Credentials’”].
See you on [DATE].
[YOUR NAME]
Customization notes:
- Personalize the Loom: record the base video once, re-record the first 60 seconds per client
- [SPECIFIC PREP REQUEST] is the most important customization slot, make it specific to their engagement
- Include the calendar invite link again as a fallback
Email 3, Day 2: Timeline and What Happens When
Trigger: Send 2 days after Email 1
Subject line: Here’s the plan for the next [NUMBER] weeks
Hi [FIRST NAME],
Quick timeline overview so you know exactly what to expect:
[DATE RANGE, e.g., Week 1: May 5-9] [DESCRIPTION OF PHASE 1 ACTIVITY, e.g., Discovery and audit. I’ll be reviewing your existing content and running the technical analysis. No action needed from you during this phase.]
[DATE RANGE, e.g., Week 2-3: May 12-23] [DESCRIPTION OF PHASE 2 ACTIVITY, e.g., Strategy development and draft creation. I’ll deliver the first draft of [DELIVERABLE] to your workspace by [DATE]. You’ll have 3 business days to leave feedback.]
[DATE RANGE, e.g., Week 4: May 26-30] [DESCRIPTION OF PHASE 3 ACTIVITY, e.g., Revisions and final delivery. Incorporating your feedback and delivering the final version by [DATE].]
For the timeline to hold, I’ll need:
- [SPECIFIC ITEM FROM CLIENT, e.g., Access to your Google Analytics by May 8]
- [SECOND ITEM IF APPLICABLE]
If any of this doesn’t look right or your timeline has shifted, reply to this email and we’ll adjust.
Talk on [KICKOFF DATE].
[YOUR NAME]
Customization notes:
- Fill in actual dates, don’t use placeholders for dates (the client should see their real dates)
- Keep “what I need from you” to 1-2 items maximum, longer lists get ignored
- This email sets expectations on deliverable timing, be accurate, not optimistic
Day 2’s email is the one most clients reference during the engagement when they ask “when does X happen?” Make it specific with real dates. A vague timeline email (“you’ll get drafts in the coming weeks”) creates more follow-up questions than it prevents. Dates and milestones, confirmed in writing at Day 2, reduce mid-project check-ins by 40-50%.
Email 4, Day 4: First Milestone Reminder + Action Required
Trigger: Send 4 days after Email 1 (typically 1 day after kickoff call)
Subject line: First milestone update + something I need from you
Hi [FIRST NAME],
Good talking yesterday. Following up on two things:
Where we are: [1-2 sentences describing what’s been done or started since the kickoff, e.g., “I’ve started the content audit and am about halfway through the technical review. Initial findings are looking interesting, I’ll have the full audit in your workspace by [DATE].”]
What I need from you: By [DATE, specific date, not “end of week”], please [SPECIFIC ACTION, e.g., “add your Google Analytics login to the Access Credentials doc in the workspace” / “confirm the list of competitors we discussed, there’s a doc in the workspace labeled ‘Competitor List’ where you can drop them”].
This is on the critical path, if I don’t have it by [DATE], the delivery timeline shifts.
Any questions, reply here.
[YOUR NAME]
Customization notes:
- “[SPECIFIC ACTION] is required” language is intentional, it signals that this is not optional
- Include the exact date, not “end of week” or “soon”
- This email is short by design, it’s an action email, not a relationship email
- If no client action is required at this stage, skip this email
Email 5, Day 7: Friction Check-In
Trigger: Send 7 days after Email 1
Subject line: One week in, anything to adjust?
Hi [FIRST NAME],
One week in. I wanted to check in briefly.
Is everything working for you on the communication and workspace side? Anything that’s confusing or not functioning the way you expected?
Also: we’re on track for [FIRST DELIVERABLE] by [DATE]. You’ll see it in your workspace and I’ll email you when it’s there.
Two things worth flagging now:
-
[PROACTIVE FLAG, e.g., “The keyword data I’m seeing suggests we may want to revisit one of the content pillars we discussed. I’ll flag it more formally in the audit, but wanted you to have early warning.”]
-
[SECOND FLAG IF APPLICABLE, or remove this item]
If you have any concerns or questions that have come up this week, this is a good time to raise them.
[YOUR NAME]
Customization notes:
- The “proactive flag” is the most important element, it signals you’re paying attention, not just executing
- Keep flags to 1-2 maximum; more than 2 creates anxiety
- If no flags exist, simplify this email: “We’re on track for [DELIVERABLE] by [DATE]. Any questions or concerns this week?”
- Do not hard-sell anything in this email, it’s a trust-building check-in, not a sales touchpoint
Setup in ConvertKit (2-Hour Process)
Step 1 (20 min): Create the sequence
- In ConvertKit: Sequences → Create Sequence
- Name it “New Client Onboarding”
- Create 5 emails with the following delay settings:
- Email 1: Send immediately
- Email 2: Send 1 day after Email 1
- Email 3: Send 2 days after Email 1
- Email 4: Send 4 days after Email 1
- Email 5: Send 7 days after Email 1
Step 2 (60 min): Write and configure each email
- Paste the templates above
- Fill in the static [CUSTOMIZE] slots (your name, your workspace URL, your general Loom URL)
- Leave the client-specific slots as [PLACEHOLDERS], you’ll fill these in per client using ConvertKit’s subscriber custom fields, or by editing before tagging
Step 3 (20 min): Set up the trigger
- Create a tag: “new-client-onboarding”
- In the sequence settings, set the trigger to “When tag new-client-onboarding is applied”
- Test with a test subscriber
Step 4 (20 min): Set up the automation (optional)
- If using Stripe: Use Zapier (Stripe → ConvertKit) to apply the tag automatically on payment
- If using a contract tool: Set up trigger on contract signature via Zapier or webhook
- If manually triggering: Apply the tag yourself when the client signs, takes 30 seconds
Total initial setup: 2 hours
After setup, onboarding a new client requires you to:
- Apply the tag (30 seconds)
- Fill in the client-specific [PLACEHOLDERS] in Email 3 and Email 4 via ConvertKit’s per-subscriber field settings or by editing the sequence for that subscriber (5-10 minutes)
That’s it. Every other element runs automatically.
Setup in Mailchimp (Same 2-Hour Process)
In Mailchimp: use Customer Journeys (Automation) with a “Tag added” trigger. Structure: Entry Point (tag applied) → Email 1 (immediate) → Wait 1 day → Email 2 → Wait 1 day → Email 3 → Wait 2 days → Email 4 → Wait 3 days → Email 5.
Mailchimp requires merge tags for customization fields (FNAME, custom merge tags for workspace URL, etc.). Set up the merge tags before building the journey. The customization is less flexible than ConvertKit but functional.
The automated sequence works because it treats onboarding like a product, consistent, reliable, and independent of how busy or distracted you are the week a new client starts. The clients who feel most satisfied at the end of an engagement are almost always the ones who started with clear communication. The automated sequence gives every client that clear start, every time.
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