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Client onboarding form for coaches

Before a first session, a coach needs four things from a new client: their answers, their agreement to your terms, their signature and the deposit. Here’s one form that collects all four, in that order, and three ways to send it.

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Client onboarding form

Part 1: About you

1. What would you like me to call you? 2. What’s the best email address and phone number for you? 3. Which time zone are you in?

Part 2: Your goals

4. What made you decide to work with a coach now? 5. By the end of our work together, what would you like to be different? 6. How will you know you’re making progress? 7. What usually gets in the way when you try to change something?

Part 3: How we’ll work

8. Would you rather meet by video, by phone or in person? 9. Do you prefer to be challenged directly or encouraged gently? 10. When would you like to start?

Read all 6 parts
On this page

The form

Ten questions, a summary of your terms, a signature and the deposit. Swap in your own questions from the coaching intake form template, and link your full coaching agreement from Part 4 if you use one.

Download the PDF

Client onboarding form

[Your business name] · [package name]

Part 1: About you

1. What would you like me to call you?

2. What’s the best email address and phone number for you?

3. Which time zone are you in?

Part 2: Your goals

4. What made you decide to work with a coach now?

5. By the end of our work together, what would you like to be different?

6. How will you know you’re making progress?

7. What usually gets in the way when you try to change something?

Part 3: How we’ll work

8. Would you rather meet by video, by phone or in person?

9. Do you prefer to be challenged directly or encouraged gently?

10. When would you like to start?

Part 4: The terms

Program: [number] sessions of [length] minutes, [weekly / every two weeks]. Price: [total price], with a deposit of [deposit] today that counts toward it.

Moving or cancelling: free with at least [24] hours’ notice. Later changes and missed sessions count as used. Refunds: sessions not yet held are refunded [minus the deposit].

Confidentiality: what you share stays between us, unless the law requires otherwise or someone is at serious risk of harm. Coaching isn’t therapy, medical care, or financial or legal advice.

Part 5: Your signature

By typing your full name below, you sign these terms electronically, just as you would on paper.

Full name: ______________________________ Date: ______________

Part 6: Your deposit

Deposit due today: [deposit], paid by card. It holds your place and counts toward [package name].

Why it goes in this order

  1. Step 1: Questions first

    Answering about their goals reminds the client why they said yes on the call, before money comes up.

  2. Step 2: Terms before the signature

    The client reads exactly what they’re agreeing to, in full, on the same page as the signature box.

  3. Step 3: Signature before payment

    A client who signs first has agreed to your cancellation and refund terms before they pay, which is the order that counts if a payment is ever disputed.

  4. Step 4: Deposit last

    Payment closes the onboarding. Once it’s in, the place is held and you can book the first session.

Three ways to send it

A form, a contract and a payment linkWhat it takesA form builder for the questions, a PDF or e‑signature tool for the terms, and a payment linkWhat to watchThree links to send and chase. A client can pay without having signed, and nothing ties the three together
An all-in-one coaching platformWhat it takesScheduling, packages, contracts, payments and a client portal in one subscriptionWhat to watchMore to set up and pay for, if you only need onboarding and already have a calendar
IntakePayWhat it takesOne private link per client: your questions, your terms, a typed signature and the deposit, in that orderWhat to watchNo scheduling or invoicing of its own: clients book on your Calendly or Cal.com after paying

Sending it with IntakePay

  1. Step 1: Set it up once

    Your intake questions and your terms, saved in your account. Every link you make uses them.

  2. Step 2: Make a link after the call

    Enter the client’s name and the deposit you agreed, and copy their private link into WhatsApp, a text or an email.

  3. Step 3: The client does the rest

    They answer, read your terms, type their name to sign and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, straight into your Stripe account.

  4. Step 4: You see Paid

    Their answers and the signed terms sit next to the payment, and they book a time on your own calendar.

See what your client sees: the demo is the real page, with a fictional coach, and nothing is charged.

Questions

What should a coaching client onboarding form include?

Enough questions to prepare the first session, your terms (sessions, price, cancellations and refunds, confidentiality), the client’s signature, and the deposit. Contact details, goals and how they like to work cover the questions. Leave anything else for the first session.

Should clients sign before or after they pay?

Before. A client who signs first has agreed to your cancellation and refund terms before any money moves, so there is no question later about whether they saw them.

Is an onboarding form the same as an intake form?

An intake form is the questions. An onboarding form is the questions plus everything else a new client needs to do before you start: agree to your terms, sign and pay the deposit.

Keep reading

All guides and templates

Onboard every client with one link

Your questions, your terms, their signature and the deposit, in that order, with nothing to chase afterwards.

Start freeSee what your client sees

Free until your first client pays you, then $19/month · no card to start