Client Onboarding

1. The Problem

A poor onboarding experience is the fastest route to early churn. Studies consistently find that clients who experience a disorganised or slow onboarding are 3× more likely to cancel within 90 days. Yet onboarding is the task that gets consistently deprioritised when the team is busy — because it feels like admin rather than delivery. The irony is that the moment a client needs the most attention is precisely the moment you are most distracted by the work you just sold them.

2. Integration & Webhook Setup

Follow the exact steps below to configure and deploy this automation inside your OpenClaw workspace.

1. 1Create a new agent named `client-onboarding`. The trigger is a CRM deal stage change — configure your 'Closed Won' stage name in the `TRIGGER_EVENT` field to match your CRM exactly.
2. 2Build your onboarding pack template in the `WELCOME_PACK_TEMPLATE` section: this is the document the agent personalises for each new client, inserting their company name, the specific service purchased, their account manager's name, and relevant next-step links.
3. 3Configure your `ONBOARDING_SEQUENCE` timeline: the default is Day 0 (welcome + pack), Day 1 (kick-off scheduling link), Day 3 (access credentials chase if outstanding), Day 7 (check-in), Day 30 (review trigger). Adjust the timeline to fit your service delivery cycle.
4. 4Connect your scheduling tool (Calendly or Cal.com) for kick-off call booking. The agent includes a direct booking link in the Day 1 message — eliminating the scheduling back-and-forth entirely.
5. 5Set up your internal notification: when a new client is onboarded, the account manager receives a summary of all completed steps and any outstanding items via Slack or email — so they are never caught off-guard on a client call.

3. The Context Payload (context.json)

Save this file as: .openclaw/agents/client-onboarding/context.json

{
  "automation_id": "13",
  "title": "Client Onboarding",
  "level": 2,
  "tier": "Agency Foundation",
  "setup_time": "3–4 hours",
  "estimated_api_cost": "~$10–$25/mo",
  "client_price_range": "$500–$2,000",
  "agents": [
    {
      "role": "orchestrator",
      "model": "claude-3-5-sonnet",
      "temperature": 0.2,
      "max_tokens": 4096
    }
  ],
  "memory": "session",
  "output_format": "structured_json",
  "human_review_gate": true,
  "documentation_standard": "required"
}

4. Execution Commands

Run these commands from your openclaw-workshop/ directory to validate, test, and schedule this automation. Commands are taken directly from The OpenClaw Income Engine, Appendix F.

# ── STEP 1: Register inbound webhook ──
$ openclaw webhook create client-onboarding --trigger crm_deal_won
$ 
# ── STEP 2: Test with a simulated deal-won webhook payload ──
$ openclaw webhook test client-onboarding --payload ./test_deal_won.json
$ 
# ── STEP 3: Preview Day 0 welcome email and Slack notification ──
$ openclaw run client-onboarding --deal-id <test_deal_id> --dry-run
$ 
# ── STEP 4: Run live for a real new client ──
$ openclaw webhook activate client-onboarding
$ 
# ── STEP 5: View onboarding status for all active clients ──
$ openclaw run client-onboarding --dashboard
$ 
# ── Manually trigger onboarding for a specific deal ──
$ openclaw run client-onboarding --deal-id <crm_deal_id> --day 0
$ 
# ── Send a specific sequence email manually (e.g. Day 7 check-in) ──
$ openclaw run client-onboarding --deal-id <crm_deal_id> --day 7
$ 
# ── Override account manager for a specific deal ──
$ openclaw run client-onboarding --deal-id <id> --context.email_provider="gmail" --override-am="jane@agency.com"