What happens after you send the form?
A typical agency intake asks for project details, files and access. Once it is sent, somebody still needs to check what arrived, work out what is missing, follow up with the client and prepare the information for the team doing the work.
You can build that workflow around a form yourself. Clientovo is another option: a portal supported by a team handling collection, follow-ups, review and handover. It is not just a different question editor.
Compare responsibility, not just the form
| Task | A form your agency manages | Clientovo |
|---|---|---|
| Decide what to ask | Your agency designs the questions. | Your agency creates its templates in the portal. |
| Send the intake | Your team sends the form or sets up automation. | Submit the client through the agency portal; Clientovo handles the invitation. |
| Chase missing items | Your team handles follow-ups or maintains its own reminder workflow. | Clientovo tracks outstanding items and follows up with the client. |
| Review the responses | Your team checks answers and files. | Clientovo reviews them before handover and requests corrections where needed. |
| See progress | Your team tracks progress using the tools and process it sets up. | Your agency sees completion and onboarding status in its portal. |
| Prepare handover | Your team organises the answers and files for delivery. | Clientovo approves the handover and emails your agency a link to the pack in its portal. |
This is a comparison of workflows, not a claim that form tools cannot be extended with integrations. What matters is who owns the ongoing work and whether your agency wants to manage it.
When a form may be all you need
If your intake is short, clients tend to respond fully and somebody already has time to check and organise submissions, a form can be a good fit. There is no need to add a managed service simply because your current form looks basic.
A self-managed approach can also suit agencies that want complete control over reminders and handover and are happy to maintain their own process. Consider the team time involved, not only the price of the form tool.
When managed onboarding is worth trying
Consider a managed service when the same problems keep recurring: missing brand files, unclear answers, information spread across messages or an account manager who repeatedly has to chase before delivery can start.
Before buying, walk through a recent intake. Note who sent reminders, who checked the responses and who organised the files. That gives you a realistic baseline to compare with a trial. There is no universal time-saving figure: it depends on your clients, template and existing workflow.
What Clientovo does—and does not do
Your agency creates its own questions, submits client details and tracks progress. Clients receive a private onboarding link and provide answers and files. Clientovo handles follow-ups and reviews the collected information before handover.
Once approved, the agency is notified by email and signs in to view or download its pack. A client completing the required fields does not automatically publish it. The agency remains responsible for its client relationship, agreed scope, platform permissions and specialist project decisions. We do not promise a client will respond by a fixed date.
See the complete Clientovo process or use our marketing agency onboarding checklist to work out what your next intake needs.
Questions before trying it
Do we need to replace our project-management software?
No. Clientovo collects and organises the onboarding inputs. Your agency can continue using its existing tools to deliver the work.
Will Clientovo decide our questions for us?
Your agency creates reusable templates for the questions and files it needs. The service handles collection and review around those requirements.
What happens after the free onboarding?
Your first credit covers one real client. There is no automatic subscription.
Try Clientovo with one real client
Create an agency account, confirm your email, make a template and submit your client. Your first onboarding credit is free: no card details, no commitment and no automatic paid subscription.