Marketing agency · Operations
Freelancer onboarding
Bring every freelancer onto a client project the same way, with the paperwork signed before they see any client work. The freelancer completes their own steps through a shared link, every access you grant is recorded, and the first invoice waits for an approved first delivery.
- Duration: 1 to 3 weeks
- How often: For every freelancer booking
- Steps: 9 steps
- AI agents: 1 AI agent
- Approvals: 2 approvals
Free plan, no credit card needed.
What changes with this template
Without it
Freelancers get client access before the NDA is signed.
Nobody knows which folders and tools a freelancer can still open.
Each project manager briefs freelancers differently.
Invoices arrive with days and rates nobody can check.
With it
Access stays locked until the signed paperwork is checked.
Every access granted is recorded on the run, ready to remove.
An AI agent drafts every brief in the same format, and the project manager checks it.
Finance checks each invoice against the rate and days agreed at booking.
The template, step by step
Each step says who does it: someone on your team, an AI agent, or the client through a shared link. An approval keeps every later step locked until it is given.
- Done by your team
- Done by an AI agent
- Done by the client, through a shared link
Starts when
The agency books a freelancer for a client project. The resource manager starts a run with the freelancer's name, the deliverables and the day rate.
- 1
Book the freelancer and share the onboarding link
Day 1Resource manager · Team
Record the booking and send the freelancer the shared run link together with the agreements to sign.
Checklist
- Day rate and number of days agreed
- Start date confirmed
- Shared link and agreements sent
Fields to fill in
- Freelancer name (required)
- Freelancer email (required)
- Deliverables and deadlines (required)
- Day rate (required)
- 2
Sign the agreements and share business details
Days 1 to 3Freelancer · Shared link
Through the shared link, the freelancer confirms the confidentiality and freelance agreements are signed, fills in their invoicing details and shares a link to their portfolio.
Checklist
- Confidentiality agreement signed
- Freelance agreement signed
- Invoicing details complete
Fields to fill in
- Business name (required)
- Tax or VAT number (required)
- Phone number (required)
- Link to the portfolio
- 3
Check the paperwork
Day 3Resource manager · Team
Check that both agreements are signed and the invoicing details are complete. If something is missing, mark the run blocked and note what is missing.
Checklist
- Signed confidentiality agreement filed
- Signed freelance agreement filed
- Tax details valid
Fields to fill in
- Missing items
Approval: No client access is granted until the resource manager approves the paperwork.
- 4
Grant access
Day 4Project manager · Team
Give the freelancer access to only the client folders, tools and channels this project needs, and record what you granted so it can be removed later.
Checklist
- Project folder shared
- Tool accounts created
- Added to the project channel
Fields to fill in
- Access granted (required)
- 5
Draft the freelancer brief
Day 4Brief writer · AI agent
The brief writer drafts the freelancer brief from the booking: deliverables, deadlines, who to ask, and how to name and hand in files.
Fields to fill in
- Draft brief (required)
Checked by: The project manager checks the brief against the project plan in step 6.
- 6
Check the brief and walk the freelancer through it
Day 5Project manager · Team
Check the draft against the project plan and correct it, then email the brief to the freelancer and walk them through it on a short call.
Checklist
- Brief checked against the project plan
- Brief emailed and walked through with the freelancer
- Contact person named
Fields to fill in
- First delivery date (required)
- 7
Freelancer confirms the brief
Day 5Freelancer · Shared link
The freelancer reads the brief the project manager emailed and, through the shared link, confirms they have read it and the hand-in rules and notes any questions.
Checklist
- Brief read
- Hand-in rules understood
Fields to fill in
- Questions about the brief
- 8
Approve the first delivery
Hidden from the shared linkFirst delivery dateCreative director · Team
Review the first delivery against the brief and rate its quality before any invoice is approved.
Checklist
- Meets the brief
- Files named and stored as agreed
Fields to fill in
- Link to the first delivery (required)
- Quality rating (required)
Approval: The first invoice is not approved until the creative director approves the first delivery.
- 9
Approve the first invoice
Hidden from the shared linkAfter the first deliveryFinance manager · Team
Check the freelancer's invoice against the day rate and the days agreed at booking, and approve it for payment.
Checklist
- Days match the booking
- Rate matches the booking
- Tax details on the invoice
Fields to fill in
- Invoice number (required)
- Invoice amount (required)
Done when
The freelancer has signed the agreements, has the access and the brief they need, and their first delivery and first invoice are approved.
Make it yours. Rename steps, change owners and add checklist items, fields or approvals. The template is a starting point for the way your team works.
The AI agents in this template
An agent only works on its own steps, and a person on your team checks what it did. Anything an agent writes to a connected app waits for approval unless you allow it.
Brief writer
Turns the booking details into a first brief for the freelancer.
What it does
- Reads the deliverables, deadlines and rate recorded in step 1
- Follows the brief format and ways of working in its step instructions
- Writes the draft brief into its step
- Completes its step, so the project manager can check it
Checked by: The project manager checks the brief against the project plan in step 6.
Questions this template answers
Use the same steps for every freelancer: agreements, access, brief and a check of the first delivery. This template runs them in that order, and the freelancer completes their own part through a shared link in steps 2 and 7.
Make access depend on signed paperwork, not on the start date. Step 3 is the resource manager's approval gate, and granting access in step 4 stays locked until the paperwork is approved.
Record every folder, tool and channel you open for them at the moment you open it. Step 4 records the access granted, so all of it can be removed when the project ends.
Deliverables, deadlines, who to ask, how to name and hand in files, and the agreed rate. In step 5 the brief writer drafts it from the booking, and in step 6 the project manager checks it and walks the freelancer through it.
Review the first delivery against the brief before anything is approved for payment. Step 8 is the creative director's approval gate with a quality rating, and the invoice in step 9 waits for it.
Agree the day rate and the days at booking, and check every invoice against them. Step 1 records the day rate, and the checklist in step 9 compares the invoice with the agreed days and rate.
Run this workflow in OKiDO
Set up the steps, owners and approvals once, then start a run for every new case.