Every agency and freelancer knows the bottleneck: the project's ready to start, but you're still waiting on the client's logo, brand colors, copy, photos, and login details. The kickoff call went great — then the assets trickle in over three weeks across email, Slack, and a shared Drive nobody can find, half of them named final_logo.png and final_logo2.png.
It doesn't have to work that way. Here's a repeatable process for collecting client files cleanly — what to ask for, how to make it effortless for the client, and how to track every item so onboarding doesn't stall before the work even begins.
Before you send a single request, decide your full list. Asking for everything once beats five follow-up emails. A typical client onboarding needs:
Pin down the exact specs up front (formats, dimensions, which version of the logo). Vague asks are the #1 cause of wrong files and back-and-forth.
List each item the client must submit and the exact requirement next to it ("Logo — vector SVG or EPS preferred, plus transparent PNG"). This becomes the single source of truth you'll track against. Group items by phase if needed — brand assets early (to start design) and copy/content later (as pages take shape).
Don't collect across email, Slack, and a shared Drive folder. The client should get a single private link where they submit everything in one place — so files arrive labeled and organized, not scattered as attachments named IMG_4471.jpg. Avoid tools that force the client to create an account; every extra login step costs you completion and makes you look harder to work with.
The painful part of onboarding isn't receiving files — it's knowing what's still outstanding. Use a view that shows each item as outstanding / submitted / approved, so you can chase only what's actually missing instead of sending the client another "just checking in" email.
When a file comes in wrong (low-res logo, raster instead of vector, the wrong copy doc), you need a clean way to say "can you resend this" without it getting lost in a thread. Approve good submissions, request a new version where needed, and mark the final version explicitly — so you don't end up working from copy_v3_realfinal.docx.
Once everything's in, export a single organized folder with files auto-named by client and item (acme_logo.svg, acme_brand-guide.pdf). That folder is what drops straight into your project workspace — no manual renaming, no "which logo was the final one?"
You can run all five steps manually with a spreadsheet plus a Drive or Dropbox folder — but you'll do the tracking, renaming, and chasing yourself. A purpose-built collection tool like Draftpile does steps 2–5 for you:
Draftpile is free for 3 rooms; Pro is $19/mo or $190/yr for custom branding and unlimited rooms. See the Draftpile for agencies page for the full walkthrough, or how it compares to a plain transfer tool in Draftpile vs WeTransfer.
Collect every client's logo, brand assets, and copy in one room.Give the client one private link, see what's still outstanding at a glance, and export a clean named folder straight into your project. Free for 3 rooms — no account required.
Send the client one request listing exactly what you need (logo formats, brand colors, copy, photos) with a clear deadline, and collect through a single private upload link instead of email attachments and shared folders. A purpose-built tool like Draftpile gives each client their own link, tracks which items are still outstanding, and exports a clean named folder — so you're not digging through inboxes or renaming files.
Most projects need logo files (vector plus transparent PNG), brand colors and fonts, photos and imagery, written copy and content, key documents like contracts and briefs, access details for domain/hosting/analytics, and any reference material. Specify exact formats and dimensions up front to avoid wrong files and re-dos.
Ask for everything in one upfront request, group items by phase (brand assets early so you can start, copy later as pages take shape), and use a tool that shows per-item status so you can send reminders only for what's actually missing — not another vague "checking in" email.
Yes — choose a tool that allows link-based uploads without sign-in. Draftpile, Dropbox File Requests, and Jotform let clients upload via a link with no account. Avoid Google Forms file uploads and shared Google Drive folders for this, since both require the client to have a Google account, which adds friction during onboarding.
Collect each client's items under one labeled link, mark the final version of each file, and export a single folder with files auto-named by client and item (e.g. acme_logo.svg). That gives you one clean handoff into your project workspace instead of a pile of IMG_xxxx attachments spread across email and Slack.
Project tools like Asana, Trello, or a full client portal manage tasks, timelines, and communication. This guide covers file and asset collection — gathering the logos, copy, and documents you need to actually do the work. Many agencies run projects in a PM tool and use a dedicated collection tool for the onboarding asset handoff, since portals rarely track per-file status or export a clean named folder.