Coachful onboarding checklist for new coaches

Get your coaching business live in one day

You just signed up for Coachful — now what? Most new coaches spend their first week clicking around, unsure which settings actually matter and which ones can wait. This Coachful onboarding checklist cuts through the noise. Follow these steps in order and you'll have a fully functional coaching workspace, your first offer published, and your calendar open for bookings before the day is out.

TL;DR — Your onboarding in a nutshell

• Set up your profile and custom subdomain (or bring your own domain).
• Connect Stripe so you can get paid from day one.
• Build your first program or create a simple offer.
• Open your booking availability and sync your calendar.
• Publish your coaching website or landing page.
• Invite your first client (or list yourself in the Coachful Marketplace).

Step 1 — Complete your coach profile

Your profile is the first thing clients and potential collaborators see. A complete profile also unlocks full access to Coachful's feature set, so don't skip this step.

1. Go to Settings → Profile in your coach dashboard.
2. Upload a professional headshot (at least 400×400 px for crisp display on retina screens).
3. Write a short bio — aim for 100–150 words that speak directly to the transformation you deliver, not just your credentials.
4. Add your coaching niche, certifications, and timezone. Timezone is critical for accurate booking availability.
5. Set your slug (e.g., janesmith.coachful.co). This becomes your public URL. Choose something clean and memorable — you can't change it easily later.

If you have your own domain, head to Settings → Custom Domain and point your DNS records to Coachful. Auto-SSL is provisioned automatically within minutes, so your site will be secure with zero extra effort.

Step 2 — Connect Stripe and configure billing

You cannot charge clients until Stripe is connected. Coachful uses Stripe Connect, which means every payment goes directly to your Stripe account — Coachful never holds your money.

1. Navigate to Settings → Billing → Connect Stripe.
2. Follow the Stripe OAuth flow. If you don't have a Stripe account yet, you can create one during this step — it takes about five minutes. See Stripe's Connect onboarding guide for details on what information Stripe requires.
3. Once connected, return to Coachful and set your default currency.
4. Optionally, create a coupon code under Billing → Coupons for your launch promotion or early-bird clients.

Coachful supports one-time payments, recurring subscriptions, multi-tier offers, and payment plans out of the box. You can mix and match these on a per-offer basis — for example, a $2,000 one-time payment or six monthly instalments of $350 for the same 6-month program.

Pro tip: Set up at least one test offer in Stripe's test mode before going live. This lets you experience the exact checkout flow your clients will go through and catch any friction before real money is involved.

Step 3 — Build your first coaching program

Programs are the heart of Coachful. A program is a structured coaching curriculum — think weeks, days, tasks, goals, and habits — that clients work through after they enroll. Even if your coaching style is highly 1:1, packaging your methodology into a program makes your offer tangible and easier to sell.

1. Go to Coach → Programs → Create new program.
2. Give your program a name, description, and cover image.
3. Add weeks and days. A typical starting point is a 12-week program with 3 tasks per week — specific enough to feel structured, flexible enough for different client paces.
4. Inside each day, add tasks (video lessons, worksheets, reflections, resource links), goals, and habit trackers.
5. Set the program's price and payment structure under Program → Offer settings.
6. When you're ready, toggle the program to Published.

When a client enrolls in a program, Coachful automatically creates a cohort squad for that enrollment group — a private chat channel so you and your clients can communicate in context without switching to a separate messaging app.

Not ready to build a full curriculum? You can start with a simple offer (a discovery call bundle or a monthly retainer) and add program content later. Revenue first, curriculum second is a perfectly valid launch strategy.

Step 4 — Set up your booking availability

Clients can't book with you if your calendar isn't open. Coachful's built-in scheduling handles 1:1 sessions, group calls, and intake calls — no third-party booking tool required.

1. Go to Bookings → Availability and set your weekly working hours. Be honest with yourself here — block off deep-work time and don't over-schedule.
2. Connect your external calendar under Bookings → Calendar Sync. Coachful syncs with Google Calendar and other major providers, so existing personal events automatically block off your coaching availability. See the Google Calendar help center for instructions on sharing your calendar link.
3. Create at least one session type — for example, a "60-minute 1:1 coaching call" — and set its buffer time, location (video call, phone, or in-person), and price.
4. For instant calls (unscheduled drop-ins), enable the Instant Call toggle. Your clients can ping you and jump straight into an HD video session powered by Stream.

Once availability is set, a booking link is automatically generated and embedded on your Coachful website. You can also copy the raw link and drop it in your email signature or social bio.

Need help managing group sessions? Check out our guide on setting up group calls in Coachful for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Coaches using Coachful report saving 3–5 hours per week just by eliminating back-and-forth scheduling emails. Your availability page does the negotiating for you.

Step 5 — Publish your coaching website or landing page

Coachful includes a drag-and-drop website builder so you don't need a separate tool like Squarespace or Webflow. At minimum, publish a single landing page before you start inviting clients — it builds trust and gives people a place to learn about you before they book.

1. Go to Website → Builder and choose a template or start from scratch.
2. Add sections: hero headline, about you, your program or offer, testimonials (even if they're from beta clients), and a clear call-to-action button that links to your booking page or checkout.
3. Connect your blog under Website → Blog if you plan to publish content — this is one of the fastest ways to drive organic traffic from Google to your coaching practice.
4. For lead magnets (free guides, mini-courses, email opt-ins), build a dedicated lead-magnet page under Website → Lead Magnets.
5. Hit Publish. Your site goes live on your Coachful subdomain (or custom domain if you set one up in Step 1).

If you primarily acquire clients through Instagram or TikTok, also set up your link-in-bio page under Website → Link in Bio. It consolidates your booking link, free resource, and latest offer into one mobile-friendly page.

Step 6 — Invite your first client

Everything above has been setup. This is where you start generating revenue.

1. Go to Clients → Invite client and enter their email address.
2. Assign them to a program or a standalone offer. They'll receive an email invitation with a direct link to enroll and pay.
3. Alternatively, share your public program checkout URL and let clients self-enroll — great for launches and social media promotions.
4. Once a client is active, you can message them directly via the integrated Stream Chat, track their program progress, and schedule sessions — all from one dashboard.

For coaches who are still building their audience, list yourself in the Coachful Marketplace (Settings → Marketplace → Enable listing). Prospective clients searching for coaches in your niche will find your profile there.

Step 7 — Meet Michelle, your AI co-pilot

Once you're set up, get familiar with Michelle, Coachful's built-in AI assistant. Michelle lives in your coach dashboard and can answer platform questions, help you draft program content, suggest session frameworks, and even execute actions across the platform on your behalf.

Try asking Michelle things like: "Create a 4-week habit challenge program for busy professionals" or "Show me clients who haven't logged in this week." She's particularly useful when you're onboarding your first batch of clients and haven't memorized where every setting lives yet.

Learn more in our complete guide to Michelle, your AI coaching assistant.

Common mistakes new coaches make during onboarding

Skipping Stripe setup and trying to build programs first

Programs and offers require a connected payment method to go live. Connect Stripe first (Step 2) so you're never blocked when you're ready to publish. You can draft programs without Stripe, but you can't share a working checkout link.

Choosing a slug you'll regret

Your slug becomes your public URL and is referenced in client emails, invoices, and bookmarks. Pick something that matches your brand name, not something generic like coach1. If you later connect a custom domain, the slug is less visible — but it still shows up in system-generated links.

Setting availability without syncing your external calendar

If you set Coachful availability but forget to sync your Google Calendar, you'll end up with double-booked slots. Always connect your calendar in Bookings → Calendar Sync before sharing your booking link publicly.

Publishing a program before testing the client experience

Enroll yourself (or a trusted beta client) as a test user before your public launch. Walk through the enrollment flow, make a test payment, and consume the first week of content. You'll almost always find something to tweak.

Ignoring the mobile app setup

Both coaches and clients can use Coachful on iOS and Android via the native app (available at app.coachful.co/mobile). Encourage your clients to download it at enrollment — mobile users tend to have higher program completion rates because notifications keep them accountable.

Waiting until everything is perfect to invite the first client

A 4-week program and an open calendar is enough to start. Perfectionism is the #1 reason new coaches delay generating revenue. Launch lean, gather feedback, and iterate. Your second cohort will be better than your first — that's guaranteed.

Onboarding checklist at a glance

• ☐ Profile photo, bio, niche, and timezone set
• ☐ Subdomain or custom domain configured
• ☐ Stripe Connected and currency set
• ☐ At least one program or offer created and published
• ☐ Booking availability set and calendar synced
• ☐ At least one session type created
• ☐ Website or landing page published
• ☐ First client invited or Marketplace listing enabled
• ☐ Michelle AI assistant explored
• ☐ Mobile app downloaded and tested

Ready to launch your coaching business?

That's the full onboarding checklist. Work through these ten items and you'll have a professional, fully operational coaching business on Coachful — complete with a website, automated scheduling, structured programs, and direct payment processing. No patchwork of third-party tools. No months-long setup. Just a clean system that lets you focus on actually coaching.

If you haven't started your free trial yet, head to coachful.co/get-started and you'll be up and running in minutes. Already have an account? Sign in to your Coachful workspace and work through the checklist right now. Need more guidance? Browse all help articles for deep-dives on every feature covered here.