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Client Input Checklist (Master)

What this is: A comprehensive, industry-agnostic list of every item we may need from you over the course of an engagement. Not every line will apply to every project — your account manager will mark which sections matter for your scope.

How to use it:

  • Skim the headings. Sections marked (Must-Have) block kickoff. Other sections become relevant as your engagement progresses.
  • Tick boxes as items are sent over. Use whatever channel we agreed on (shared Drive folder, secure password manager, email).
  • If you can't find an item, tell us. Most can be retrieved or reconstructed; don't get stuck.

For project-specific lists (e.g., a rebrand, a new website, a CRM migration), your account manager will give you a slimmer, tailored version of this checklist. This document is the superset.

1. Business identity & legal (Must-Have for kickoff)​

These pin down who the business is — required for any platform setup, contract paperwork, or compliance filing.

  • Legal business name (as it appears on registration documents)
  • DBA / "doing business as" (if different from the legal name)
  • Business entity type (LLC, S-Corp, sole proprietor, etc.)
  • EIN / tax ID (send as a copy of your IRS CP575 letter or any official IRS doc showing legal name + EIN + address — required for SMS/A2P registration)
  • Physical business address (street, city, state, zip)
  • Mailing address (if different)
  • Business phone number
  • Business email address
  • Business hours of operation
  • Service area (cities, regions, or "nationwide")
  • Authorized representative — full name, email, phone (the person legally allowed to sign on behalf of the business)
  • Primary day-to-day contact — name, email, phone (if different from the authorized rep)

2. Domain, email, and hosting access (Must-Have if we touch your website or send email on your behalf)​

We don't need passwords stored long-term — temporary access is fine, and you can rotate credentials after we're done.

  • Domain registrar — the company you bought your domain through (GoDaddy, Namecheap, Cloudflare, etc.)
  • Registrar login OR domain transfer auth code (whichever your registrar uses)
  • Current DNS provider (sometimes the registrar, sometimes separate)
  • Current email provider (Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, registrar-hosted, etc.)
  • Mailbox migration scope — which addresses, how much history, do calendars/contacts come too
  • Email forwarding preferences — what addresses should forward where
  • Existing website hosting access (or login to the CMS, e.g., WordPress admin)
  • SSL certificate info if you manage your own (most clients don't)

3. Brand assets (Must-Have for any creative work)​

The vector / source files are far more useful than screenshots — please send originals when you have them.

  • Primary logo — vector source (.ai, .svg, or .eps) plus PNG with transparent background
  • Secondary / alternate logos (icon-only, horizontal, dark-mode, etc.)
  • Brand color values — hex codes for primary, secondary, accent
  • Body / heading text colors
  • Font files or font names (with license info if commercial)
  • Brand guidelines document (if one exists)
  • Tagline / slogan
  • Approved photography — any branded shots already in use

4. Website content (Must-Have for site builds; optional otherwise)​

Most clients underestimate how much copy exists today. A "send me your current website link" pass usually surfaces 80% of it.

  • Home page narrative / hero copy
  • About us — story, founding date, milestones, team description
  • Services / products list — name, short description, pricing (or "starting at"), expected duration
  • Service-area or location pages (if you serve multiple)
  • FAQs
  • Testimonials — quote, author name, photo (with permission)
  • Team bios + headshots — name, role, short bio
  • Contact information to display
  • Legal pages — privacy policy, terms of service, cookie/CCPA notices
  • Blog / resources — articles, downloads, lead magnets
  • Calls-to-action — phone, form, booking link, chat — and which is primary

5. Imagery & media (Nice-to-have but heavily affects launch quality)​

  • Product / service photos
  • Storefront / location photos (interior and exterior)
  • Team in action photos
  • Video / B-roll (any duration helps — even phone footage)
  • Stock photo licenses for any third-party imagery you want reused
  • Photo / video release signed by anyone identifiable in shots intended for marketing

6. Social, reviews, and directory access (Required if we manage these)​

  • Social handles for each platform you're on (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X/Twitter, TikTok, YouTube)
  • Social media login OR manager access for the platforms we'll publish on
  • Google Business Profile access (grant Manager access to setup@symphonycore.com)
  • Google Analytics (GA4) access (grant Editor access to setup@symphonycore.com)
  • Google Search Console access (grant Full User access to setup@symphonycore.com)
  • Yelp / industry-specific directory logins (if applicable)
  • Review-link permissions — confirm we can request reviews on your behalf

7. CRM, payments, and platform integrations (Required if we migrate or integrate)​

  • Current CRM data export — contacts, leads, opportunities, notes (CSV is fine)
  • Email-list opt-in records — proof of subscriber consent (date, source, IP if you have it)
  • Calendar / booking tool access (Calendly, Acuity, etc.)
  • Payment processor — Stripe, Square, etc. — account access or merchant-ID confirmation
  • Analytics & pixel IDs — Google Tag Manager, Meta Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, etc.
  • Live chat / messaging tool access (if you have one today)
  • Any other integrations — accounting (QuickBooks), invoicing, project mgmt, e-sign, etc.

8. SMS, email, and messaging compliance (Required if we send messages on your behalf)​

US carriers and email providers require explicit business and consent documentation. Skipping this stalls launch.

  • Brand information for A2P 10DLC registration — legal name, EIN, address, website, contact
  • Sample messages — 3–5 examples of the text you'd send (transactional and promotional)
  • Opt-in source description — where and how subscribers say "yes" (form on website, text-to-join, in-store signup)
  • Opt-in screenshot or form copy showing the consent language used today
  • List source description for any contact list you want imported
  • Email sender domain authentication — willingness to add SPF/DKIM/DMARC records when we provide them

9. Operational details (Helps us configure automations correctly)​

  • Appointment / booking policy — lead time, cancellation rules, deposit requirements
  • Intake forms you use today (PDF, paper, online — any of it)
  • Response-time expectations for inbound leads (immediate? same day? within 24h?)
  • Escalation contacts — who to alert for urgent issues, and how
  • Holiday / seasonal closures to bake into automated messaging
  • Handoff process — how leads/customers move between you and your team
  • Reporting cadence — weekly, monthly, ad-hoc — and what KPIs matter most

10. Approvals, sign-offs, and decision-making (Required for any project with milestones)​

  • Designated approver — name, email, role (the person whose "yes" closes a milestone)
  • Backup approver if the primary is unavailable
  • Sign-off cadence — per milestone, weekly batch, or final-only
  • Feedback turnaround commitment — how quickly you'll review and respond (3 business days is standard)
  • Preferred review tool — Loom, Google Docs comments, email, in-app chat
  • Final launch sign-off authority — who gives the green light to go live

What we usually research ourselves​

You don't need to send these — we look them up and ask you to confirm:

  • Social profile URLs (we find them, you verify they're the official ones)
  • Competitor identification (we propose, you correct)
  • Industry classification codes (NAICS / GICS)
  • Existing review / directory listings

Quick reference: blocking vs. non-blocking​

SectionRequired to kick offRequired for launchNice-to-have
1. Business identity & legal✅✅
2. Domain & email access✅ (if we manage)✅
3. Brand assets✅ (if creative work)✅
4. Website content✅ (if site build)
5. Imagery & media✅
6. Social / directory access✅ (if we manage)
7. CRM, payments, integrations✅ (if migrating)
8. SMS / email compliance✅ (if messaging)
9. Operational details✅
10. Approvals & sign-offs✅✅

Stuck on something?​

If any item is unfamiliar or you can't locate it, tell your account manager early. Most missing items have a workaround. Silence is what stalls projects, not honest "I don't know where this is."

Contact:

Symphony Core LLC | Master Client Input Checklist v1.0