Client onboarding automation for an accounting practice
We built this workflow for an accounting practice that runs its clients and recurring work in Financial Cents. New clients arrived through a form on the practice's website, and each one had to be set up by hand. The workflow now does that setup as soon as the form is submitted.
- Practice
- AI Automation
- Service
- Lead Generation & CRM
- Type
- Client automation
The work
How the automation works
1.The n8n workflow: intake webhook, payload mapping and config, then the Financial Cents client and onboarding project, a team email and an internal note. 
2.Close-up of the main chain from the website intake webhook to the onboarding project created from a template.
Project brief
Deliverables
- Webhook for the website intake form
- Field mapping from form data to a client record
- Client creation in Financial Cents through its API
- Onboarding project created from a template
- Internal note on the client record
- Team email with the next step
The challenge
Onboarding a new accounting client means creating the client record, starting the onboarding checklist and making sure someone follows up to request documents. When that depends on a person noticing a form submission and copying the details into practice management software, new clients wait, details get mistyped and follow-ups slip.
Our approach
The website form posts to an n8n webhook. A Function node maps the form's fields to a clean record with the client's name, email, phone, company and notes. A config step reads the Financial Cents API settings and onboarding template ID from environment variables instead of hard-coding them. The workflow then calls the Financial Cents API to create the client with its contact details and creates an onboarding project for that client from the practice's template. From there it splits in two: one branch adds an internal note to the client record saying the client came in through the website form, and the other sends the team a Gmail message with the client's details and project ID, asking them to contact the client within 24 hours with a welcome and a document request.
The outcome
Every form submission now becomes a client record and an onboarding project in Financial Cents, with a note explaining where the client came from. The team gets an email that spells out the next step, so new clients hear back quickly and onboarding starts the same way every time.
- Trigger
- Website intake form
- Stack
- n8n, Financial Cents API, Gmail
- Handles
- Client record, onboarding project, team alert
How we did it
Step 01
Review the intake form
We matched each form field to the client fields Financial Cents expects.
Step 02
Connect the API
We set up authenticated requests for clients, projects and notes, with the settings kept in environment variables.
Step 03
Add the team handoff
We wrote the internal note and the team email so the next step is clear: contact the client within 24 hours.
Step 04
Test end to end
We submitted test forms to confirm the client, project and note were created correctly and the email arrived.
Tools and platforms
- n8n
- Financial Cents
- Gmail
Why this project matters
The first days after a client signs up set the tone for the relationship. Automating the setup means no submission sits unnoticed and every client starts with the same checklist.
Questions about this project
Does it work with practice management tools other than Financial Cents?
Yes, as long as the tool has an API for creating clients and projects. We would replace the Financial Cents requests with that tool's API and keep the same form mapping and team email.
Can you build something similar for my business?
Yes. We shape the onboarding steps around your intake form and the software you already use. A short call is enough for us to give you a fixed quote.
Related services and articles
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