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Goal:

Automate the client onboarding workflow end-to-end, reducing manual operations and centralizing documentation using AI and automation tools.

Problem:

The team was spending 30–45 minutes manually onboarding each new client, which included:

• Reviewing PDFs manually
• Creating folders and ClickUp tasks
• Writing emails
• Updating Slack and Notion manually

This resulted in delays, inconsistencies, and wasted operational time.

Solution:

I created a fully automated onboarding flow using n8n, AI, and integrated tools. It now takes < 2 minutes with 100% consistency and documentation across all platforms.

🔹 Step 1:

Trigger — Form submission by the client (e.g., via Typeform)

🔹 Step 2:

Extract PDF info (e.g., onboarding form responses or agreements)

🔹 Step 3:

Once the file is extracted, we rename the document using dynamic data from the onboarding form.

I extract a key field from the JSON — such as the client name, project info, or custom identifier — and map it to the file name.

How it works:

• Mode: Manual Mapping

• Field: projectInformation

• Value: {{ $json.text }}

  This uses data parsed from the PDF to label and organize client files with meaningful names for future retrieval and clarity.

Why it matters:

No more generic or messy filenames like Form1234.pdf — now every document is client-tagged and automation-ready

🔹 Step 4:

Create a main folder in Google Drive for the client

🔹 Step 5:

Rename the folder ID to a readable name

🔹 Step 6:

Create a folder in ClickUp.

Why ClickUp?

ClickUp serves as our centralized project management system, allowing us to track onboarding progress, assign tasks, set due dates, and collaborate efficiently across teams. Integrating it into our automation ensures no manual setup is needed — the entire task environment is pre-generated the moment a form is submitted.

How it works:

• The automation uses the client/project name to dynamically generate a new folder inside a specific Space in ClickUp (e.g., "Clients 2025").
• This folder will contain all client-specific lists, tasks, files, and communications.

Key benefits:

• Ensures consistent structure across all client setups.
• Eliminates human error or delay in manual project creation.
• Links each client’s operational backend with their documents, tasks, and communication in one place.

This is where process meets productivity — building ClickUp folders automatically helps the team hit the ground running with every new client.

🔹 Step 7:

Create a list in ClickUp inside the new folder

🔹 Step 8:

Use OpenAI to segment the onboarding PDF into specific tasks

🔹 Step 9:

We use the Structured Output Parser node to define the schema from the OpenAI response. Then we loop over each task using the "Loop Over Items" node, so each one can be processed individually.

Example parsed format:

json
CopyEdit
{
  "title": "Call Scheduling",
  "description": "Schedule and confirm call with the client and internal team.",
  "due_date": "11/20/2025"
}

🔹 Step 10:

Split the tasks for looping

🔹 Step 11:

Loop over each task and create a task in ClickUp

🔹 Step 12:

Send a welcome email to the client

🔹 Step 13:

Post a Slack message to notify internal team

🔹 Step 14:

Create a Notion page with all client onboarding info. Workflow ends — fully onboarded and documented

Tools Used:

• n8n
• OpenAI Chat Model (GPT)
• ClickUp
• Google Drive
• Gmail API
• Slack API
• Notion API

Impact:

• Reduced manual onboarding time from 30–45 minutes to under 2 minutes
• Centralized documentation
• Real-time Slack alerts
• No human error
• Clients receive instant confirmation and a personalized welcome experience

🧠Learnings:

• How to design modular workflows with OpenAI inside n8n
• Best practices for looping and error handling
• Integrated Slack & Notion with conditional logic
• Used AI not only for chat—but as a structured task parser for productivity workflows </aside>

📂 Download & Explore the Workflow

View GitHub Repository :

ai-client-onboarding-automation-n8n/AI Client Onboarding Automation_JSON_.json at main · AlvLeoAI/ai-client-onboarding-automation-n8n