Client Onboarding Portal

Get client details without the back-and-forth.

Send a secure onboarding link to your client. They fill out site details, goals, keywords, and competitors at their own pace—progress saves automatically. When they're done, the intake flows directly into their client setup so you can start reporting and audits faster.

What you get

Send a single onboarding link to your client (no login required)
Progress saves as they go so they can leave and return
Intake feeds directly into client setup: site, goals, keywords, competitors, and access needs

Send My Onboarding Link See what clients fill out

10-20

Minutes to Complete

Logins Required

Auto-Save

Progress Preserved

“Onboarding used to be weeks of back-and-forth emails. Now clients fill out one form and we're ready to start. It's the simplest change that saved us the most time.”

— Amanda R., SEO Agency Director

What the Client Onboarding Portal Does

Client onboarding usually means scattered emails, half-filled spreadsheets, and chasing people for access credentials. The onboarding portal replaces that with a single link.

You send the link. The client fills out the intake form. Their answers flow into the client record in SearchSignal. Setup is ready when you are.

Why Agencies Use It

Removes spreadsheet-email chaos

No more "can you resend that keyword list?" or "which domain was it again?" Everything lives in one place.

Standardizes what you collect

Every client goes through the same intake structure. No variation based on who handled onboarding.

Creates a single source of truth

The intake data becomes the foundation for reports, audits, and tracking setup. No manual re-entry.

Built for multi-client agency workflows. Generate a unique onboarding link per client. Each client's data stays isolated and feeds into their specific setup.

Secure Onboarding Links That Clients Can Use Immediately

The onboarding link is token-based. It's not a public form anyone can stumble onto—it's scoped to a specific client.

How It Works

When you create an onboarding link for a client, the system generates a unique token. That token maps to the client record and controls access to the form. The client opens the link in their browser, fills out the intake, and their answers save to the right place.

No Login Required

Clients don't need a SearchSignal account. They click the link, see the form, and start filling it out. This removes friction and speeds up completion.

Link Management

If a link needs to be replaced (sent to the wrong person, shared too broadly), you can regenerate it. The old token becomes invalid and a new one takes its place.

Save Progress and Come Back Later

Clients don't have to complete onboarding in one sitting. As they answer questions, their progress saves automatically.

How Progressive Saving Works

Each field saves as the client fills it out. If they close the browser, switch tabs, or step away for a day, their progress is still there when they return.

Why This Matters

Onboarding forms that require a single session lead to drop-off. Clients start, realize they need to grab credentials or check with a colleague, and abandon the form. With progressive saving, they can leave and return without losing work.

Common Scenario

A client opens the onboarding link, fills in company basics, then realizes they need to confirm their target keywords with their marketing manager. They close the browser. Two days later, they return, and the form picks up where they left off. They add keywords, competitors, and submit.

What Clients Fill Out

The onboarding form collects the information you need to set up reporting, audits, and tracking. Here's what's included.

Company Basics

Maps to the client record in SearchSignal

Company name: How the client should be identified
Website URL: The primary domain for reporting and audits
Industry/category: Helps contextualize reporting and benchmarks
Primary contact details: Name, email, and phone (as applicable)

Goals and Scope

Drives reporting setup and prioritization

Primary goals: What the client cares about—leads, calls, sales, visibility
Priority services/products: Which offerings matter most for content and tracking
Target locations/service area: Geographic focus if relevant
Success metrics: What they want to see in reports

Target Keywords

Stored as client-scoped keyword records

Keyword list: The terms they want to track and optimize for
Priority level: High, medium, or low importance per keyword

Competitors

Stored as client-scoped competitor records

Competitor domains: The sites they consider competition
Competitor names: Optional—helps with labeling and context

Access and Connections

Preparation for GA4 and Search Console setup

Who will connect accounts: The person with access to GA4/GSC (role and email)
Which properties apply: Clarifies which accounts to connect later

How Onboarding Data Becomes Client Setup

Onboarding isn't a dead-end form. The data flows into the client setup and powers what comes next.

The Workflow

Agency creates a client in SearchSignal. The client record is established.

Agency sends the onboarding link. The client receives a direct link to the intake form.

Client completes intake. They fill out company basics, goals, keywords, and competitors. Progress saves as they go.

SearchSignal populates client setup. The intake data fills in:

Client profile basics (name, domain, industry, contact)
Target keywords and competitors (ready for tracking and gap analysis)
Report setup readiness (what you should build first)

What Happens Next

Once onboarding is complete, the client is ready for:

Generate Brand Overview

Extract positioning, voice, and content themes from their site

Connect GA4/GSC

Link analytics and search performance data

Create first report

Build the initial SEO dashboard report

Run audit modules

Start with a technical and content audit

Onboarding is the starting point. Everything else builds on it.

Permissions and Security

The onboarding link is designed to reduce friction while keeping access controlled.

Token-Based Access

Each onboarding link is tied to a unique token. The token maps to a specific client. Only that client's onboarding form is accessible—nothing else in the system.

No Account Required

Clients don't need to create a login or remember credentials. They open the link and see the form. This keeps the process simple.

Operational Best Practices

Send to a single owner at the client. The person responsible for providing business details and coordinating access.
Use one internal point of contact. Keep communication clear between your team and theirs.
Regenerate the link if needed. If it was forwarded to the wrong person or shared too broadly, replace the token. The old link becomes invalid.

Troubleshooting Onboarding Links

When something goes wrong, here's how to diagnose and fix it.

Link Shows an Error or Blank State

Likely cause: Invalid token, token expired, or token was replaced.

Fix: The client should request a new onboarding link from the agency. Regenerate the link in SearchSignal and send the updated URL.

Client Says Their Answers Are Not Saving

Likely cause: Browser privacy settings, extensions blocking storage, or network interruptions.

Fix: Have the client try a different browser (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) or disable extensions temporarily. Retry filling out the form.

Client Cannot Finish the Form

Likely cause: Missing inputs they don't have yet (keywords, competitor domains, access details).

Fix: They can skip incomplete sections and return later. Progress is saved, so they won't lose what they've already entered.

Client Submitted But Data Isn't Showing

Likely cause: Form wasn't fully submitted, or there's a sync delay.

Fix: Confirm the client clicked the final submit action. Check the client record in SearchSignal after a few minutes. If data still doesn't appear, have them re-open the link and verify submission.