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Getting started with HoneyBook

Set yourself up for success by setting up your account to get started using HoneyBook's platform to manage your business.

Welcome to HoneyBook!

To ensure a smooth transition, here's the 9 essential steps to set up your account for success. Try to find an afternoon to complete these steps, so you can confidently communicate with and book clients afterward. Let's get started!

Configure your account's settings

  1. Upload your logo and brand imagery

    1. This will allow your branding to be front and center when you communicate with clients.

  2. Customize your project types

    1. These are the categories of your work and what services you offer

    2. Creating custom project types allows you to organize your clients and jobs in HoneyBook, and supercharge your automations

  3. Connect your bank account

    1. Make sure we know where to send your funds when you get paid through HoneyBook

Create and customize file templates

  1. Customize your templates

    1. Templates are the pre-saved versions of your files—they’re one of the greatest efficiencies HoneyBook has to offer

    2. Whenever you need to share a file with a client, you can start with a template, make any project-specific edits, then quickly send it out

To access your templates, select Templates > select File templates from the navigation menu

  • You’ll notice a handful of sample templates to get you started. Feel free to build off of these and customize to your liking (if you’ve used the complimentary file transformation service, those will be here too)

  • Check out the Template Gallery for ideas or quick places to start

  • Start a template from scratch by select Create New at the top of the My Templates screen

Add your existing client info

  1. Create and customize a lead form in HoneyBook

    1. Lead forms are customizable inquiry and booking experiences you can share by public link or embed on your company website, allowing you to gather information from potential clients—name, contact info, what they're interested in booking you for, and more. Start from a template, like new inquiry or instant booking, or build one from scratch

    2. Don't forget to include the linked project type question with all of the new categories you created earlier, so the answer feeds straight into your project details

  2. Publish and install your lead form

    1. Embed your lead form on your website to pull leads straight into HoneyBook as projects, so you don't have to manually add every single job

    2. If you don't have a website, share your lead form's direct link via SMS, social media, or anywhere else you get inquiries from instead

  3. Connect your lead form to an automation

    1. Trigger an automation whenever a lead submits your form, so follow-ups and next steps start on their own

  4. Add your existing contacts

    1. Quickly sync your existing list of clients and their information via a CSV import or Google

Finish setup and start a project

  1. Create a project

    1. The first step to communicating with a client is adding a project

    2. Projects contain all of the files, communication, and other details related to a job

  2. Send a test file

    1. To make sure you’re confident in the client experience, send yourself a test smart file before you debut it to a client

    2. Consider sending a test bookable smart file, so you’re familiar with how clients sign and pay.

Now, you can confidently send invoices, collect e-signatures and payments, and even operate your business on-the-go using the mobile app. Out of all of the tools discussed above, the most-loved feature is the “cha-ching” notification when payments roll in!

More help

  • Hire expert help: HoneyBook Pros are trusted professionals that can provide personalized help with setup, template design, and more

  • Connect with the Community: Join conversations, provide expertise, and get help from your fellow members on HoneyBook's Community

  • Smart files: Learn about all of the time-saving, client-wowing features you can use with HoneyBook’s version of online business files

  • Integrations: More about what other programs you can connect to your HoneyBook account to make life easier

  • Project pipeline: Learn where all your projects live, how to customize stages in your process, how we automatically track stages, and more

  • Automations: Set up automations to automate tasks, share emails, and send files (even contracts and invoices) in your projects' lifecycles

  • Scheduling: Create sessions and allow your leads and clients to book time with you

  • Team members: Invite members of your team to have their own logins to your HoneyBook account

Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message by clicking the Question Mark icon on any HoneyBook page. Our team is always happy to help!

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