How to Onboard a New Client in Publlish

Every new client you bring on means a new set of social channels to connect, a new team to configure, and a new content workflow to establish. Getting this right from day one saves you hours of back-and-forth and prevents the kind of access and permission issues that derail content calendars.

This guide walks through the full client onboarding process in Publlish — from initial setup to your first scheduled post — in the order that makes the most sense operationally.

The Full Onboarding Checklist

Before diving into each step, here's the complete checklist at a glance:

• [ ] Confirm your plan supports the channels and seats you need
• [ ] Create a channel group for the new client
• [ ] Connect all client social channels
• [ ] Create a posting goal for each channel
• [ ] Invite team members who'll work on this client
• [ ] Invite the client themselves (if they'll have access)
• [ ] Set up the approval workflow
• [ ] Create and schedule the first batch of content
• [ ] Brief the client on how to review and approve

Step 1 — Confirm Your Plan Has Room

Before you start connecting channels, check that your current plan has enough channel slots and team seats for the new client.

A typical client might need:

• 1 Instagram account
• 1 Facebook Page
• 1 LinkedIn Page
• 1 TikTok account
• 1 X account

That's 5 channels per client. If you're managing 6 clients, you need 30 channel slots. Make sure your plan covers this before you start — nothing is more disruptive than hitting a channel limit mid-onboarding.

See plans and channel limits →

If you need to upgrade, do it before this step so the onboarding flows without interruption.

Step 2 — Create a Channel Group for the Client

Before connecting any channels, create a dedicated channel group for this client. This keeps their accounts organised and separate from your other clients from day one.

1. Go to Channels in your Publlish dashboard
2. Click Create Group
3. Name it clearly — use the client's brand name (e.g. "Acme Co — Social")
4. Save the group

You'll assign channels to this group as you connect them in the next step. Full guide to channel groups →

Step 3 — Connect the Client's Social Channels

This is usually the most time-consuming step — and the one most dependent on getting the right access from the client upfront.

What you need from the client before this step:

• Admin access to their Facebook Page (you need to be added as an Admin, not just an Editor)
• Login credentials or admin access for their Instagram Business/Creator account (linked to a Facebook Page)
• Access to their TikTok Business or Creator account
• Their YouTube channel login (Google account with channel ownership)
• Their X account login
• Admin access to their LinkedIn Page (Super Admin or Content Admin role)

The cleaner way to handle this is to send clients a simple checklist before your onboarding call — tell them exactly what access you need on each platform and have them set it up in advance. This avoids the all-too-common situation where you're on a screen share waiting for a client to find their Facebook password.

Connecting each channel:

1. Go to Channels → Connect a Channel
2. Select the platform
3. Log in with the appropriate credentials and grant Publlish permissions
4. Assign the channel to the client's channel group you created in Step 2

Repeat for each platform. Full channel connection guide →

Platform-specific notes:

• Instagram requires a Business or Creator account linked to a Facebook Page. If the client's Instagram is a personal account, they need to switch it first. Instagram connection guide →
• Facebook Pages and Groups connect separately. Facebook Page connection guide →
• LinkedIn requires Super Admin or Content Admin role on the Page.

Step 4 — Set Posting Goals for Each Channel

Once channels are connected, set a weekly posting goal for each one. This gives your team a clear target and creates the accountability structure that keeps content consistent throughout the engagement.

Discuss posting frequency with the client before setting goals — align on what you've agreed to deliver.

Common starting points for agency clients:

• Instagram feed + Reels: 5 posts per week
• Facebook: 3–4 posts per week
• LinkedIn: 3 posts per week
• TikTok: 5–7 posts per week
• X: 5 posts per week
• YouTube Shorts: 3 posts per week

How to set posting goals →

Step 5 — Invite Your Team Members

Add the team members who'll be working on this client's content. Assign them access to the client's channel group only — they don't need to see your other clients' accounts.

1. Go to Settings → Team
2. Click Invite a Member
3. Enter their email and set their role
4. Restrict their access to the client's channel group

Recommended roles for agency teams:

Full team permissions guide →

Step 6 — Invite the Client (If They'll Have Access)

Many agencies give clients read-only or approval access to their own channel group in Publlish. This removes the need for weekly "what's going out this week" emails — the client can see everything in the calendar themselves.

Options for client access:

Viewer access — client can see the content calendar and analytics but can't edit anything. Good for clients who want visibility without involvement.

Approver access — client can review drafts and approve or reject them before they go live. Good for clients who want sign-off on every post.

To invite a client:

1. Go to Settings → Team → Invite a Member
2. Enter the client's email
3. Set their role to Viewer or Approver
4. Restrict their access to their own channel group — they should not be able to see other clients' accounts

Brief the client on how to use Publlish before sending the invite — a 10-minute walkthrough or a short Loom video saves a lot of back-and-forth.

Step 7 — Set Up the Approval Workflow

If you've given the client or a senior manager approval access, configure the approval workflow so posts don't go live without the right sign-off.

In Publlish, the approval workflow works like this:

• Content creators draft posts and submit them for review
• Approvers (senior manager, client) review drafts in the dashboard
• Approved posts move to the scheduled queue; rejected posts go back to the creator with feedback via Notes
• Only approved posts publish at their scheduled time

To set this up:

1. Make sure your content creators are set to a role that requires approval before publishing
2. Make sure approvers have the correct role to review and approve
3. Brief the team on the workflow — who drafts, who reviews, what the turnaround time is

Managing and approving draft posts → Collaborating with Notes →

Step 8 — Create and Schedule the First Content Batch

With everything set up, it's time to load the first batch of content. Most agencies work 2–4 weeks ahead, so aim to have at least two weeks of content scheduled before going live with a new client.

Recommended first-batch workflow:

1. Create all posts as drafts in Publlish
2. Send for internal review (senior manager or account lead)
3. Send for client approval (if applicable)
4. Once approved, schedule posts across the calendar
5. Use the calendar view to check spacing and make sure there are no gaps or overlaps

Bulk upload tip: If you're loading a large batch of content from a spreadsheet or content plan, use Publlish's bulk upload feature to import multiple posts at once rather than creating them one by one. Bulk upload guide →

Step 9 — Brief the Client

Even if the client won't actively use Publlish, brief them on:

• What platforms you're managing and at what frequency
• How the approval process works (if they have an approval role)
• How to read their analytics in Publlish (if they have viewer access)
• Who to contact if they want to change something or have a last-minute post request

A short document or email covering these points sets expectations cleanly and reduces reactive requests throughout the engagement.

Common Agency Onboarding Mistakes to Avoid

Connecting channels with your own login instead of the client's Always connect using the client's credentials or an account that has been explicitly granted access. If you connect using your personal Facebook account and later offboard the client, you'll have a messy disconnection to manage.

Not setting posting goals upfront Posting frequency should be agreed in the contract and reflected in Publlish goals before content creation starts. Retrofitting goals mid-engagement causes confusion.

Giving clients too much access Clients with Editor or Admin access can accidentally delete posts, change settings, or disconnect channels. Viewer or Approver roles are almost always the right choice.

Not testing the approval workflow before going live Create a test draft post and run it through the full approval flow — create → submit → approve → schedule — before the first real piece of content goes through. This catches configuration issues before they delay a live post.

Skipping the client brief Clients who don't understand how Publlish works will email or Slack you with questions that the calendar view would answer in 10 seconds. A 10-minute brief saves hours.

Offboarding a Client

When a client engagement ends, reverse the onboarding:

1. Disconnect all client social channels from Publlish — this frees up channel slots for new clients
2. Remove client team members and any client-access accounts
3. Export analytics data for the client's records before disconnecting
4. Archive or delete the channel group

Disconnecting a channel →

Frequently Asked Questions

How many clients can I manage in Publlish? As many as your plan's channel and seat limits allow. The Agency plan is designed for managing multiple clients at scale. See plans →

Can clients see other clients' accounts? No — as long as you restrict each client's access to their own channel group. Never give a client Admin or full organisation access. Channel groups guide →

Can I white-label Publlish for clients? Contact Publlish support for the latest information on white-labelling options for agency accounts.

What if a client wants to take over managing their own Publlish account? The cleanest handover is to create a new Publlish organisation for the client, transfer their channels there, and give them full ownership. Contact support for help with this process.

How do I handle a client who keeps changing their social media passwords? Remind clients that changing social media passwords breaks their Publlish connections. Set up a clear communication protocol — whenever they change a password, they notify you immediately so you can refresh the connection. Refreshing a channel →

Can multiple team members work on the same client's content simultaneously? Yes. Multiple team members can create, edit, and review drafts for the same client's channels at the same time. The approval workflow ensures only one version of each post goes live.

Related Guides

• Using Publlish as an agency →
• Adding users and setting permissions →
• Managing and approving drafts →
• Using channel groups →
• Setting posting goals →
• Connecting channels →
• Plans and pricing →