Meta Ads client onboarding checklist
Everything to collect and check in the first two weeks with a new client, in the order that avoids rework. Copy it or download it. Nothing is sent or saved.
META ADS CLIENT ONBOARDING: [Client name] Start date: [Date] Owner: [Team member] BEFORE KICK-OFF [ ] Signed agreement and scope agreed (spend, fee, what is included) [ ] Primary contact and a backup contact named [ ] Reporting day and format agreed: [weekly / monthly], [email / call] ACCESS [ ] Access to the ad account, with the permission level you need [ ] Access to the Facebook page and Instagram account used in ads [ ] Access to the business portfolio, if the client has one [ ] Payment method confirmed and a spending limit discussed [ ] Domain verification checked for the website TRACKING [ ] Meta pixel installed and firing on the right pages [ ] Conversions API in place if the client uses it [ ] Main conversion event chosen and tested: [event name] [ ] UTM parameters agreed so website analytics match [ ] A test purchase or test lead recorded end to end TARGETS [ ] Business goal in plain words: [for example, 40 sales a month] [ ] Margin or customer value known: [amount] [ ] Target cost per result agreed and written down: [amount], date [date] [ ] Monthly budget agreed: [amount] ACCOUNT AUDIT [ ] Existing campaigns reviewed and anything wasteful paused [ ] Naming convention applied [ ] Existing audiences and exclusions noted CREATIVE AND OFFER [ ] Brand guidelines, logos and past best-performing ads collected [ ] Current offer and any seasonal dates: [dates] [ ] Approval process agreed: who signs off creative, and how fast FIRST TWO WEEKS [ ] Day 1 to 3: audit complete, targets agreed, tracking verified [ ] Day 4 to 7: first campaigns live, daily checks started [ ] Day 8 to 14: first review call, share early findings, no big changes while learning KICK-OFF NOTES [What the client cares most about] [Past problems] [Things never to do]
Plain text, so it pastes into any document, email or project tool. Nothing you copy is sent or stored.
How to use it
- Work top to bottom. Access and tracking come before targets, because a wrong target on broken tracking is wasted work.
- Write the target cost per result and the date you agreed it. It settles disagreements later.
- Keep the kick-off notes. They are what a colleague needs if the person who runs the account changes.
Copy the checklist into your project tool for each new client and tick items as you go. Remove items that do not apply, such as Conversions API for a lead gen client without a site.
Common questions
How long should onboarding take?
Two weeks is a reasonable aim for a single account, mostly spent waiting on access and tracking fixes.
Which access level do I need?
Ask for the access your tasks require, and no more. Check Meta's current documentation for the roles available.
Why write down the target?
Without a written target, clients and agencies judge results differently and disputes follow.
Related
Stop losing 12 days a month to manual work
Where the 12 days go, for an agency running 4 Meta ad accounts
Scenario: 15 minutes of checking and 30 minutes of diagnosing per account per day over 22 working days, plus 2 reports per account at 3.5 hours each. Your numbers may differ.
Cofoundr is the operating system for performance marketing agencies. Connect your Meta ad accounts and get health scores, wasted spend detection, automation, white-label reports and AI in one workspace. 14-day free trial, no card required.