Having a client onboarding checklist is a good start, but it’s not enough. A checklist still relies on you or your team to manually complete every task, leaving room for error and inconsistency. A true onboarding system, on the other hand, runs itself. It automates the repetitive work, ensures every client gets the same professional experience, and frees you to focus on building the relationship. This article will show you how to move beyond a simple to-do list and build an automated workflow. We’ll cover the essential client onboarding steps needed to create a system that handles everything from proposals to payments, turning a series of chores into a powerful, strategic asset.
Key takeaways
- Automate your workflow to save time: Standardize your onboarding with automation to eliminate repetitive tasks like creating proposals and chasing payments. This ensures a consistent process and frees up your team to focus on building client relationships.
- Set clear expectations from the start: Use a detailed digital agreement to define the scope of work, timelines, and payment schedule upfront. This creates a single source of truth that prevents scope creep and aligns both you and your client before work begins.
- Prioritize a smooth client experience: A clunky onboarding process creates friction and undermines trust. Make the first interaction seamless, especially for signing agreements and setting up payments, to show clients you are professional and easy to work with.
What is client onboarding (and why does it matter)?
Think of client onboarding as the first, most important chapter in your relationship with a new client. It’s the entire process of welcoming them into your firm, from the moment they say “yes” to the official kickoff of your work together. This isn’t just about sending a contract and a welcome email. A truly effective onboarding process is a structured system that seamlessly transitions someone from a prospect to a happy, long-term client. It covers everything from sending a clear, easy-to-sign proposal and collecting payment details upfront to introducing the team and scheduling the first meeting.
Getting this right sets the tone for everything that follows. A smooth, professional onboarding experience builds immediate trust and confidence. It shows clients you’re organized, you value their business, and you have a plan for their success. On the flip side, a clunky or confusing process can plant seeds of doubt and create friction before you’ve even started the real work. It can lead to endless back-and-forth emails, missed expectations, and a general feeling of chaos. A strong client onboarding system is your first and best opportunity to prove your firm’s value and lay the groundwork for a successful, profitable relationship.
The real cost of a poor onboarding experience
A bad first impression is tough to shake, and in the world of professional services, a poor onboarding experience is more than just an awkward start. It has real, tangible costs. When clients feel confused, ignored, or overwhelmed during their first few interactions with your firm, they’re more likely to churn. A welcoming process is a major factor in whether clients decide to stick around for the long haul.
The fallout from a bad onboarding experience goes beyond losing a single client. It creates frustrating, time-consuming work for your team, who have to clean up misunderstandings and chase down missing information. It also damages your firm’s reputation through negative word-of-mouth. When a client’s first impression is one of disorganization, it undermines their confidence in your ability to handle their complex financial needs. This can lead to a cycle of scope creep, payment disputes, and general friction that drains your team’s energy and your firm’s bottom line.
8 steps for a flawless client onboarding process
A great client onboarding process does more than just welcome a new client; it sets the foundation for a long-lasting, profitable relationship. When you get it right, you show clients from day one that your firm is organized, professional, and focused on their success. This isn't just about making a good first impression. It's about creating a repeatable system that saves you time, prevents scope creep, and ensures you get paid for all the work you do. A clunky, disorganized onboarding experience, on the other hand, can create doubt, lead to miscommunication, and start the relationship on a shaky footing.
Think of these eight steps as a blueprint for building that flawless experience. By following a structured path, you can turn a series of administrative tasks into a strategic advantage. Each step is designed to build trust, clarify expectations, and align both your team and your client on the path forward. This proactive approach minimizes friction, reduces the back-and-forth, and lets you focus on delivering the high-value advisory work your clients hired you for. It’s the difference between a relationship that feels like a constant struggle and one that feels like a true partnership.
Step 1: Send a personalized welcome package
Once the contract is signed, celebrate the new partnership and reinforce that they made the right choice. A thoughtful welcome package is a fantastic way to do this. It doesn’t have to be extravagant; the goal is to be memorable and helpful. A simple package could include a handwritten welcome note, a guide to getting started with your firm (including who to contact for what), and maybe some quality branded items like a notebook or coffee mug.
This small gesture goes a long way in building a personal connection beyond digital communication. It shows you see them as a partner, not just another entry in your CRM. It’s a simple, effective way to kick off the relationship with a human touch and make your new client feel genuinely valued from the very beginning.
Step 2: Collect and organize client information
Before you can dive into the work, you need to gather all the necessary information, from contact details to historical financial data. The key is to make this process as painless as possible for your client. Instead of a long, confusing email chain, use a secure online questionnaire or a dedicated client portal. This keeps everything organized in one place and ensures you get all the details you need upfront.
This step is your opportunity to demonstrate your firm’s efficiency. A streamlined data collection process shows clients you respect their time. It also helps you tailor your services to their specific needs and pain points, which you can reference back to throughout the engagement. Getting this right from the start prevents delays and frustrating back-and-forth communication down the road.
Step 3: Finalize and sign the contract
No work should ever begin without a signed agreement. This document protects both you and your client by clearly outlining the scope of work, deliverables, timelines, and payment terms. But the traditional process of emailing PDFs back and forth for printing and signing is slow and outdated. It’s a major source of friction that can delay the start of an engagement by weeks.
This is where a modern solution like Anchor transforms the experience. Anchor’s interactive proposals create a seamless, e-commerce-like checkout for your services. Clients can review the terms, sign digitally from any device, and connect their payment method all in one simple step. This not only speeds up approvals but also guarantees you get paid on time by putting payments on autopilot from the moment the agreement is signed.
Step 4: Assign the right team members
Once the client is officially on board, they need to know who they’ll be working with. Internally, your team needs to be fully briefed on the new client’s goals and the agreed-upon scope of work. Assigning a single point of contact for the client is one of the most important things you can do to ensure clear communication. This prevents the client from feeling bounced around between different people at your firm.
Make sure the designated contact person is introduced to the client early on, ideally during the kickoff meeting. This person will be the face of your firm for the client, so choose someone with strong communication skills who understands the client’s needs. A clear internal handoff ensures your team is aligned and ready to deliver a consistent, high-quality experience.
Step 5: Hold a kickoff meeting
The kickoff meeting is your chance to officially launch the engagement and align everyone involved. This meeting should include the client and the key members of your team who will be working on their account. The goal is to move from a signed contract to a shared action plan. Use this time to introduce the team, review the client’s goals, and walk through the scope of work one more time to ensure everyone is on the same page.
This is also the perfect opportunity to set expectations for communication, including how often you’ll meet and what your firm’s response times are. Leave plenty of time for the client to ask questions. A successful kickoff meeting builds momentum and gives the client confidence that they are in capable hands. It formalizes the start of the working relationship and ensures a smooth transition into the actual work.
Step 6: Set clear goals, scope, and expectations
While you’ve touched on goals and scope in the proposal and kickoff meeting, this step is about documenting them with absolute clarity. What does "success" look like from your client's perspective? What are the specific, measurable outcomes they expect? Answering these questions upfront and getting them in writing is crucial for demonstrating your value later on. This is also where you formalize the project timeline and key deliverables.
This process helps prevent scope creep before it starts. When the scope is clearly defined and agreed upon, it’s much easier to manage requests for additional work. With a tool like Anchor, the initial scope is locked into the digital agreement. If changes are needed, you can use one-click amendments to update the terms and billing instantly, keeping everything transparent and avoiding awkward conversations about out-of-scope work.
Step 7: Schedule regular check-ins
The first 30 to 90 days of any new client relationship are critical. Don't wait for the client to reach out with a problem. Be proactive by scheduling regular check-in calls to review progress, answer questions, and make sure the engagement is on track. The first check-in is particularly important; consider scheduling it for about 30 days after the kickoff meeting.
These meetings show that you are invested in the client’s success and are actively managing the relationship. They provide a dedicated forum to address any small issues before they become big problems. This consistent communication builds trust and reinforces the value you’re providing. It keeps the relationship strong and ensures the client feels supported long after the initial onboarding phase is complete.
Step 8: Collect feedback and refine your process
Your onboarding process should be a living system that you continuously improve. The best way to do that is to ask your new clients for feedback. Once the initial onboarding period is over (for example, after 90 days), send a short, simple survey. Ask them what went well, what could have been clearer, and if they have any suggestions for improvement.
This feedback is invaluable. It gives you direct insight into the client experience and highlights areas where your process might have friction. Use these insights to make concrete adjustments to your onboarding workflow. By consistently refining your process based on real client feedback, you can ensure that your firm’s first impression is always a great one, setting the stage for client loyalty and long-term growth.
Common client onboarding challenges (and how to fix them)
Even with a perfect plan, you’re bound to hit a few snags in your client onboarding. The good news is that most of these challenges are predictable and solvable. When you know what to look for, you can build a process that addresses issues before they even start, creating a smooth ride for you and your new clients. From missed emails to manual data entry errors, small frustrations can quickly add up, leading to a poor first impression.
The most common hurdles firms face are communication gaps, low client engagement, clunky manual processes, and compliance bottlenecks. Each one can slow you down and chip away at a client’s confidence. But what if your process itself was the solution? By building your onboarding around a tool like Anchor, you can automate the tedious parts and create a clear, professional experience. This lets you focus on building the relationship, not chasing paperwork. Instead of reacting to problems, you can create a system where they rarely happen in the first place.
What to do about communication gaps
We’ve all been there. You send an important email, and it gets lost in a crowded inbox. Your client has a question, but they’re not sure who to ask. These communication gaps can lead to serious frustration and make your firm seem disorganized. When clients encounter misunderstandings during onboarding, it can start the relationship off on the wrong foot. An overreliance on email for customer communication is often the root cause of the problem.
The fix is to create a single source of truth. Instead of a long chain of emails and attachments, use a system that keeps everything in one place. Anchor’s interactive proposals do just that. Clients get a clear, easy-to-understand digital agreement that outlines the scope, terms, and payment schedule. There’s no room for misinterpretation, and both you and your client can always refer back to it.
How to handle low client engagement
A great onboarding experience makes clients feel welcomed and confident in their decision to work with you. In fact, statistics show that a welcoming onboarding experience makes customers 76 percent more likely to stick around. If your process involves asking clients to print, sign, scan, and email documents, you’re creating friction and killing their enthusiasm. Low engagement is often a symptom of a clunky, outdated process.
To get clients excited, give them a modern, streamlined experience. Anchor replaces old-school PDF contracts with a simple, e-commerce-like checkout. Clients can review the proposal, connect their payment method, and sign from any device in minutes. This simple, professional first step shows clients that you value their time and are easy to work with, setting a positive tone for the entire relationship.
Why manual processes are slowing you down
Manually creating proposals, chasing signatures, and generating invoices is a huge time sink. It’s also a recipe for errors. Every minute you spend on administrative busywork is a minute you’re not spending on high-value client work. These inefficiencies don't just affect your firm’s productivity; they also create a slow and frustrating experience for your clients, who are left waiting for you to get the paperwork in order.
You can eliminate these inefficiencies by adopting a digital workflow solution. With Anchor, you can build proposals from pre-set templates and services in minutes. Once a client signs, the system takes over. Invoices are generated and sent automatically based on the agreed-upon schedule, and payments are collected without you having to lift a finger. This automation frees up your time and ensures a seamless, professional experience for your clients.
Getting through compliance bottlenecks
Collecting sensitive information like payment details and ensuring agreements are legally sound can be a major source of anxiety. You need to protect client data and make sure all your bases are covered, but dealing with compliance can feel like a bottleneck. When clients are unclear about what they’re signing or how their information is being handled, it creates uncertainty and slows down the entire process.
Automating your onboarding can help you overcome customer onboarding challenges related to compliance and security. Anchor is designed to handle these issues from the start. It captures payment methods upfront in a secure environment, so you don’t have to chase down credit card numbers or bank details later. The digital agreement serves as a clear, time-stamped record of the terms your client accepted, giving you and your client peace of mind and a solid foundation for your work together.
Client onboarding best practices for accounting firms
A great onboarding process does more than just get the paperwork out of the way; it lays the foundation for a strong, long-lasting client relationship. It’s your first real chance to show clients what it’s like to work with you. By focusing on a few key practices, you can create an experience that not only impresses new clients but also sets your firm up for success. These strategies help you balance a personal touch with the efficiency your firm needs to grow.
Personalize the experience without losing efficiency
Effective onboarding makes clients happier, keeps them longer, and sets up strong partnerships. No client wants to feel like just another number, so a personal touch goes a long way. But personalization doesn't have to mean reinventing the wheel for every new client. The key is to build flexibility into a structured process. For example, instead of creating proposals from scratch, you can use a tool that allows for easy customization. Anchor’s interactive proposals let you create templates with pre-set services, which you can then tailor with specific packages or add-ons for each client. This approach makes the client feel heard and valued while saving your team a ton of time.
Standardize your onboarding workflow
Consistency is your best friend when it comes to delivering a high-quality client experience. A standardized workflow ensures that no steps are missed and every client receives the same level of care and attention. Think of it as your firm’s recipe for success. A checklist helps make sure every step is followed, ensuring consistency and efficiency in the onboarding process. When you standardize your workflow, you create a predictable, professional experience that builds client confidence from day one. Anchor helps by standardizing the engagement and payment process, ensuring every client interaction starts with a clear, professional, and uniform agreement process that protects your revenue and clarifies expectations.
Automate wherever you can
Automating repetitive tasks is one of the smartest moves you can make for your firm. It’s not about replacing human interaction; it’s about freeing up your team to focus on it. Automating tasks like contract signing and data collection with tools can save time and reduce errors. This allows your team to spend less time on administrative work and more time building relationships with clients. Anchor automates your entire billing and collections workflow. Once a client signs their digital agreement, invoices are sent and payments are collected automatically based on the agreed-upon terms. This eliminates manual entry, reduces errors, and saves you from having to make those awkward "just following up on this invoice" calls.
Keep the client experience front and center
Every part of your onboarding process should be designed with your client in mind. A complicated or confusing process can create friction and doubt before you’ve even started the real work. Good onboarding helps customers feel supported, keeps them engaged, and makes them want to stick around. Focus on making every step as simple and transparent as possible. Anchor’s client-friendly proposals are designed to feel more like an e-commerce checkout than a stuffy contract. Clients can easily review terms, sign digitally, and connect their payment method upfront. This transparency around billing turns a potential point of stress into a smooth, positive client experience that builds trust from the start.
Setting and managing client expectations: What does good look like?
Setting clear expectations is the foundation of any healthy client relationship. When both you and your client are on the same page about what work will be done, when it will be completed, and how much it will cost, you avoid a world of future frustration. Misunderstandings about scope and deliverables are a primary source of friction, leading to awkward conversations, payment disputes, and a damaged reputation. It's a headache nobody wants, and it chips away at the trust you work so hard to build with every client.
The key is to establish clarity from the very beginning and have a system for managing changes as they happen. A great onboarding process doesn't just welcome a client; it creates a shared understanding of the partnership. It’s about building a framework of trust and transparency that will carry you through the entire engagement. This isn't about adding more administrative work to your plate. It's about putting a process in place that makes these interactions smooth and professional, so you can focus on the actual work. Let’s look at how you can make that happen without the extra hassle.
Define scope, timelines, and deliverables upfront
A successful engagement starts with a crystal-clear agreement. Your onboarding process should leave no room for doubt about what services you will and won't provide. This helps prevent the classic disconnect where a client’s expectations, set during the sales conversation, don’t match the reality of the engagement. Instead of relying on static PDFs that get lost in email, you can use a tool that solidifies your terms from the first interaction.
Anchor’s interactive proposals are designed to do just this. You can build proposals with pre-standardized services, so clients know exactly what they’re signing up for. Because the proposal is a living digital document, it becomes the single source of truth for the scope of work, timelines, and deliverables, ensuring everyone is aligned before the work even begins.
How to handle scope changes without friction
Even with the best-laid plans, scope creep happens. A client asks for an extra report, a one-off project expands, or new needs arise. The problem isn't the change itself, but how you handle it. You need a process that is transparent and easy for your client to understand, allowing you to adjust the scope without creating friction or making your client feel nickel-and-dimed. Awkward emails and confusing new contracts just slow everyone down.
This is where having a flexible system is a game-changer. Instead of starting from scratch, Anchor lets you make one-click amendments to your existing agreements. You can add a new service or adjust the terms in real-time, and your client can approve the change instantly. This transforms a potentially difficult conversation into a simple, professional update, keeping the project moving and the relationship strong.
The best tools to streamline your client onboarding
A great onboarding process needs more than just a good checklist; it needs the right technology. Relying on spreadsheets and manual email follow-ups is a recipe for mistakes and a clunky client experience. The right tools can automate repetitive tasks, keep your team and client aligned, and make your firm look incredibly professional from the very first touchpoint. Think of your tech stack in two main categories: tools to manage the work and tools to manage the money. Getting both right is the key to an onboarding process that feels effortless for your client and is profitable for your firm.
Practice management and workflow tools
Practice management software is your firm’s command center. These platforms are designed to organize all the moving parts of your client work, from tasks and deadlines to documents and communication. During onboarding, they ensure nothing gets missed. You can create templates for your onboarding workflow, assign tasks to team members, and track progress for each new client in one place. Tools like Karbon, Keeper, Client Hub, and Financial Cents help you design end-to-end client onboarding workflows based on your firm’s specific needs. This keeps your team aligned and demonstrates a high level of organization to your new client, building their confidence in your ability to deliver.
Billing and payment automation
While practice management tools handle the work, billing automation handles the money, and getting this right during onboarding is critical. This is where the process often breaks down, leading to awkward conversations and delayed payments later. A platform like Anchor completely changes the game. Instead of sending a static PDF proposal and hoping for a signature, you can send interactive proposals that clients review and sign digitally. As part of the signing process, they securely connect a payment method (ACH or credit card). This simple step sets up the entire billing relationship for success. Invoices are sent and payments are collected automatically based on the terms you agreed on, eliminating manual work and ensuring you get paid on time, every time.
How can feedback improve your client onboarding process?
Think of feedback not as criticism, but as a roadmap for improvement. Asking your clients about their onboarding experience is one of the most powerful things you can do to build stronger, longer-lasting relationships. When clients feel heard, they feel valued. A smooth, positive onboarding sets the stage for the entire engagement, making clients more confident in your services and more likely to stick with you for the long haul.
The goal is to make your process better over time. By giving clients a chance to share their thoughts, you can identify friction points you might not even see. Maybe a form is confusing, a step feels redundant, or the time between signing a contract and starting the work feels too long. Addressing these issues shows you’re responsive and committed to providing a great experience. An effective onboarding also helps clients understand the value of your services more quickly. In fact, one study found that 68 percent of customers use products more effectively after a solid onboarding experience. By actively listening and adapting, you turn a standard procedure into a powerful tool for client retention and satisfaction.
How to collect meaningful feedback
Collecting feedback doesn't have to be complicated. The key is to make it easy for your clients to respond while the experience is still fresh in their minds. You can use simple forms or questionnaires sent right after the onboarding is complete. Ask a few targeted questions about what went well and what could have been better. A short survey is much more likely to get a response than a long, complicated one.
You can also gather feedback more informally. Pay attention during your kickoff call or initial check-ins. If multiple clients ask the same clarifying question about your process, that’s a clear sign that a particular step needs more explanation. The goal is to gather details about your client's experience, including their pain points and what they enjoyed. This allows you to stay adaptable and responsive to their needs from the very beginning.
Use feedback to refine your process
Collecting feedback is only half the battle; the real magic happens when you use it to make changes. Look for patterns in the responses. If one client mentions an issue, it might be an outlier. But if three or four clients point out the same problem, you’ve found a clear opportunity for improvement. For example, do clients consistently say your contract process is slow and clunky? That’s a major source of friction that can sour the start of a new relationship.
This is where you can turn a pain point into a strategic advantage. Instead of patching a broken process, you can completely overhaul it. If feedback points to confusing agreements or payment schedules, it’s a sign to streamline your agreements with a tool like Anchor. Our interactive proposals and automated billing eliminate the back-and-forth and confusion, directly addressing the issues that frustrate clients most. By using feedback to refine your systems, you not only fix problems but also create a more professional and efficient experience for everyone.
Your client onboarding checklist
Feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to do for a new client? A checklist can be your best friend. It breaks the process down into manageable steps, ensuring you create a great first impression every single time. We’ve organized this checklist into three phases: before, during, and after the official start date. Use this as your guide to build a smooth, repeatable, and impressive onboarding experience that sets the foundation for a long and happy client relationship.
Pre-onboarding
The most important rule of pre-onboarding is to get the contract signed before any work begins. This protects you and the client and sets clear expectations from day one. Instead of chasing signatures on static PDFs, you can use a tool like Anchor to send interactive proposals that clients can review and sign instantly from any device. Once the agreement is signed, use a simple questionnaire or form to gather all the necessary details about their business, current challenges, and goals. This information is gold, helping you tailor your services and show them you’re already invested in their success.
During onboarding
With the paperwork out of the way, it’s time for the official kickoff meeting. This is your chance to introduce your team, walk the client through the project plan, and confirm the goals you’ll be working toward. Make sure you clearly define what success looks like for them. Setting measurable goals isn't just a formality; it’s how you’ll demonstrate your value down the line. If your client needs to use specific software or understand your firm’s processes, this is the perfect time to provide some initial training or share helpful resources. It positions you as a supportive partner right from the start.
Post-onboarding
The first 30 days are critical for setting the tone of the relationship. Schedule a check-in call to see how things are going, answer any new questions, and address small issues before they become big problems. This simple step shows you’re proactive and committed to their satisfaction. Finally, always be looking for ways to make your process better. Once the client is settled, ask for their thoughts on the onboarding experience. You can use a simple survey to collect meaningful feedback on what went well and what could be improved. Use these insights to refine your workflow for the next new client.
Simplify your client onboarding with Anchor
A great client relationship starts with a great first impression. But when your onboarding process involves juggling separate tools for proposals, contracts, and payments, it can feel clunky and disjointed. This initial friction can set the wrong tone and slow down your momentum before you’ve even started the real work. Instead of patching together different systems, you can use a single platform to create a smooth, professional experience from the very first touchpoint.
Anchor transforms the most critical parts of client onboarding into one seamless, automated process. It all begins with an interactive proposal that’s more like a modern checkout experience than a stuffy document. Your clients can review the scope, sign the agreement, and connect their payment method all in one simple step. This gets rid of the awkward back-and-forth and secures your engagement and payment terms right from the start.
Once a client signs, Anchor’s automation takes over. The platform automatically generates invoices and collects payments based on the agreed-upon schedule, whether it’s a one-time project fee or a recurring monthly retainer. This completely removes manual billing from your plate and ensures you get paid on time without ever having to send a follow-up email. Because Anchor integrates with your practice management software, all your client and payment data stays perfectly in sync.
By simplifying the administrative side of onboarding, you can get new clients set up in an afternoon, not weeks. This efficiency creates a fantastic first impression and gives you the confidence that your cash flow is secure. You’re free to focus on building the relationship and delivering amazing service, knowing the billing will run itself.
Frequently asked questions
This sounds like a lot to set up. How long does it really take to implement a better onboarding system? It can feel like a big project, but you don't have to build everything from scratch. The key is to focus on the most critical parts first, like your agreements and billing. While creating a full workflow in a practice management tool might take some time, you can completely overhaul your proposal and payment process in a single afternoon using a platform like Anchor. This gives you the biggest win in the shortest amount of time by solving the most common onboarding headaches right away.
What’s the most common mistake you see firms make with client onboarding? The single biggest mistake is treating onboarding as a series of disconnected administrative tasks instead of a single, cohesive experience. This often leads to a clunky and confusing process for the client, especially when it comes to signing the contract and setting up payments. When a client has to print, sign, scan, and email a PDF, it creates immediate friction and makes your firm seem outdated, starting the relationship on a shaky foundation.
How does this process actually help prevent scope creep? This process prevents scope creep by establishing crystal-clear boundaries from the very beginning. When you use a digital agreement that details the exact services, deliverables, and timelines, there is no room for misinterpretation. More importantly, when a client asks for extra work, you have a simple way to handle it. Instead of an awkward conversation, a tool like Anchor lets you amend the agreement with a click, adding the new service and adjusting the billing instantly for client approval.
My clients are used to traditional contracts. Will they be comfortable with a fully digital process? This is a common concern, but you might be surprised by how much clients appreciate a modern process. A digital experience is faster, more convenient, and shows that you respect their time. Instead of dealing with printers and scanners, they can review and sign an agreement from their phone in minutes. Framing it as an easy, e-commerce-like checkout makes the transition feel natural and positions your firm as efficient and easy to work with.
What happens if a client's payment fails with an automated system? An automated system is designed to give you more control, not less. While payments are collected automatically based on the agreed-upon schedule, a good platform will provide you with notifications and a clear dashboard. If a payment fails for any reason, you'll know about it right away. This allows you to proactively reach out to the client to resolve the issue, rather than discovering a missed payment weeks or months later during a manual review.