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Client Onboarding Procedures

Single Source of Truth for Client Onboarding

This directory contains the authoritative procedures for onboarding new clients to the Symphony Core platform.

Architecture (2026-05-06): The onboarding flow is being moved from manual SOP-driven to automation-driven via Symphony Flow. The destination is a self-serve checkout funnel at go.symphonycore.com/checkout that fires a payment.confirmed event, triggering automated sub-account creation, snapshot apply, folder/profile scaffolding, SPD e-sign send, welcome email, and intake form distribution. Three phases (L1, L2, L3) ship in sequence; each level is independently shippable.

Read in this order: (1) client-onboarding-procedure-sop.md §0 for the architecture overview, (2) payment-confirmed-trigger-sop.md for the trigger spec, (3) the validation SOPs for what the SC team does after automation runs.

Quick Start​

Primary Document (manual reference): client-onboarding-procedure-sop.md

  • Comprehensive 13-step onboarding guide (KB-004)
  • §0 Automation Architecture — the L1/L2/L3 target state
  • §1-§7 — manual procedure (active until automation ships, then becomes the validation backstop)

Trigger SOP (target state): payment-confirmed-trigger-sop.md

  • The canonical "money cleared → fan-out fires" automation spec
  • 11-step Symphony Flow workflow described step-by-step
  • Failure modes + replay procedure

Validation SOPs (post-automation):

  • l2-validation-checklist.md — 5-15 min SC pass after L1+L2 fan-out completes
  • intake-form-validation-sop.md — 10-20 min SC pass after L3 intake form submission

SEO Setup (Professional/Enterprise tiers):

  • seo-one-time-setup.md — SearchAtlas project + OTTO installation + GSC connection (2-3 hrs)
  • brand-vault-population-sop.md — populates SearchAtlas Brand Vault (BI/LOC/CON/KG/SG) + WP Schema Markup from the client profile (30-45 min)
  • ../searchatlas-indexation-control-setup-sop.md — Indexation Control toggles + Google Instant Indexing + Bing IndexNow setup (15-30 min)
  • ../auctollo-sitemap-setup-sop.md — install + configure Auctollo XML Sitemap Generator (canonical sitemap mechanism on the SC stack; bypasses SearchAtlas's unreliable sitemap module) (10-15 min)
  • ../searchatlas-sitemap-troubleshooting-sop.md — diagnostic for the underlying MetaSync sitemap failure mode (kept for diagnostic value; permanent fix is the Auctollo SOP above)

Kickoff Call Agenda: ../../templates/kickoff-call-agenda-template.md

  • Pre-L3: full 30-45 min agenda; required setup gate
  • Post-L3: shortened 15-20 min optional consultation

Client-Facing Version: ../../templates/client-getting-started-checklist.md

  • Pre-L3: simplified checklist for client self-service
  • Post-L3: narrows to items the intake form can't capture (CP575, logo, domain access, Google access)

Templates Powering the Automation:

  • ../../templates/msa-summary-block.md — clickwrap consent surface on checkout funnel
  • ../../templates/spd-template.md — boilerplate SPD with merge tokens
  • ../../templates/clickwrap-consent-record-spec.md — consent fields captured at checkout

Terminology​

These terms are used consistently throughout onboarding documentation:

TermDefinition
Client OnboardingThe complete client journey from signed contract to go-live (~14 business days). Umbrella term for the entire process.
ImplementationTechnical setup and configuration work within onboarding (configuring GHL sub-account, workflows, automations).
SetupInitial one-time configurations (DNS, email domain, payment gateway) that must complete before other work.
Go-LiveMilestone when the client's GHL sub-account becomes operational and client begins active use.
SnapshotPre-configured GHL sub-account template with standardized workflows, automations, and custom values.
Sub-AccountIndividual client workspace within GoHighLevel, created by applying a snapshot.

Role-Based Usage​

For Implementation Team​

→ Start with client-onboarding-procedure-sop.md - this is your complete guide

For Account Managers​

→ Use both documents:

  • client-onboarding-procedure-sop.md for implementation details
  • ../../templates/client-getting-started-checklist.md to share with clients
  • ../../templates/kickoff-call-agenda-template.md for structuring kickoff calls
  • ../../templates/kickoff-booking-email-template.md to schedule kickoff calls
  • ../../templates/pre-kickoff-checklist-template.md to share with clients before kickoff

For Clients​

→ Share ../../templates/client-getting-started-checklist.md only (simplified version)

Prerequisites​

Before starting client onboarding, review:

  • Platform Architecture: 05-platform/client-onboarding/ghl-systems-integration.md
  • GHL Naming Standard: 08-reference/standards/sc-ghl-naming-standard.md
  • System Diagrams: 06-team-training/platform-training/kb-009-agency-subaccount-architecture.md (snapshot pipeline diagram, selection guide, lineage)
  • Platform Configuration: 05-platform/client-onboarding/
  • Team Training Materials: 06-team-training/platform-training/ (KB series)
  • Post-Onboarding: 05-platform/client-reporting/ (reporting & analytics setup)

Timeline​

Total Onboarding Duration: ~14 business days (varies by client complexity)

Post-Onboarding:

  • Client success metrics: See 08-reference/standards/frameworks/client-success-system/
  • Reporting dashboard setup: See 05-platform/client-reporting/ (starts ~2-4 weeks after onboarding)

Questions?​

For questions about:

  • Procedures: Contact Implementation Team Lead
  • Technical Issues: See troubleshooting section in main procedure or 05-platform/client-onboarding/troubleshooting/
  • Platform Architecture: Contact Technical Team Lead

Access Level: internal-team