If you’re using Dubsado but still spending your evenings chasing invoices, rewriting the same email umpteen times, and wondering why your workflows aren’t actually… flowing, then something’s gone wrong.
Dubsado is so powerful with so many features that setting it up properly can feel like a bit of a faff. And if you’ve been DIY-ing it on and off between client calls, I get it. Things get messy. Fast.
But, you don’t need to scrap your setup and start again. You just need to actually use the features you’re already paying for.
This blog breaks down 8 genuinely easy ways to simplify your client experience using Dubsado, so you can automate the boring bits, and look like the organised professional you are (even if you’re still in your dressing gown at 2pm).
1. Use Dubsado’s lead capture form as an application form or contact form
If I had a pound for every client still using their default contact form instead of Dubsado’s lead capture, I’d be writing this blog from a villa in Tuscany.
I see this all the time… amazing service-based businesses with dreamy offers… and a clunky contact process that relies on manually replying to every enquiry like it’s some kind of part-time hobby.
The fix? Switch to the lead capture form in Dubsado. Immediately.
When you use Dubsado’s lead capture form (properly), you can:
- Create a new project automatically in Dubsado
- Tag the lead and track where they came from
- Send an automatic email reply with your pricing guide and scheduler
- Trigger your entire enquiry workflow (yep, with zero manual input from you)
And, you only need one form and one simple enquiry workflow for 99% of your clients. Honestly, the amount of mental load this removes is criminally underrated.
I set this up for one of my clients, Ramit Sethi (star of the “How to Get Rich” podcast), to streamline podcast guest enquiries, and it’s now saving his team over 10 hours a week in admin.
If you want to make your lead capture form actually match your branding (because yes, the default styling is grim), I’ve got a full blog post that shows you how to style it properly – with video tutorials and copy-paste code snippets: How to Style and Create a Lead Capture Form in Dubsado
2. Use the Dubsado scheduler to stop all the back-and-forth emails
You know the email chain.
“Are you free Tuesday at 10am?”
“Oh no, I’ve got a call then – what about Wednesday?”
“Wednesday doesn’t work, how’s Friday?”
And now it’s Saturday, and they’ve ghosted you.
If you’re still booking discovery calls or onboarding meetings manually, Dubsado’s scheduler is about to become your new favourite tool.
It lets your clients pick a time that works for them – without any email tennis. And because it’s built inside Dubsado, it connects directly to your workflows, emails, and forms.
Here’s what I set up for most clients:
- A 20- or 30-minute discovery call
- Linked to their Google or Outlook calendar (so no double bookings)
- Automatically sends confirmation and reminder emails
- Tied into their enquiry workflow
And if you want clients to have options, like choosing between meeting on Zoom or in person then Dubsado’s group scheduler makes it simple. You can also use it if you offer multiple sessions and want clients to book them all in one go, without endless back-and-forth emails.
Instead of juggling calendars, everything’s automated, branded, and neatly scheduled for you. What used to take hours now happens while you’re busy with the actual work (or out enjoying your day).
It’s one of those small tweaks that changes everything. Once you’ve set it up, you’ll wonder how you ever managed without it.
3. Use smart fields in your contract to stop rewriting everything manually
I can’t tell you how many client accounts I’ve opened to find 10 different versions of the same contract, all slightly tweaked for different clients or payment plans. It’s messy, confusing, and one small typo away from sending the wrong pricing to the wrong person.
Smart fields fix all of that.
You set up one master contract and pull in the unique client info automatically, like:
- Client name = Smart field: {{client.name}}
- Client email = Smart field: {{client.email}}
- Client address = smart field: {{client.address | address}}
- Project scope of work = smart field: {{package.items | packageItemNamesDesc}}
- Project Start date = smart field: {{job.start | mediumDate}}
- Payment plan details = smart field: {{paymentSchedule | paymentScheduleFilter}}
- Invoice total = smart field: {{job.invoice | total}}
- Proposal answers (via custom mapped fields)
When I’m setting up contracts for clients, I always build them to work with the proposal and invoice, so once a client fills out the proposal, all that info flows into the contract without you having to lift a finger.
4. Create workflows for each stage of your client journey
This is where Dubsado really earns its keep, but it’s also where most people get stuck.
A lot of clients come to me with “a workflow” set up… and by that, they mean one sad little automation that sends out the invoice and nothing else. No reminders, no emails, no next steps. Just a lonely invoice floating in the digital void – which is totally the wrong way to set up invoice reminders as well oooof.
To really simplify your client experience, you need to think in phases, not just tasks.
When I’m setting up Dubsado for clients, I break the process down into five key stages:
- Enquiry
- Booking
- Onboarding
- Project delivery | Preparation
- Offboarding
Each phase has its own mini workflow that handles:
- Automated emails
- Scheduler links
- Proposal + Contracts
- Questionnaires
- Check-in reminders
- Feedback and goodbye emails
It’s not about building one mega-workflow that does everything – it’s about creating clean, focused steps that hand clients off from one phase to the next without you having to constantly supervise.
Once this is in place, your process becomes repeatable. Clients get a consistent, five-star experience, and you stop forgetting who’s signed, who’s paid, and who’s waiting for next steps.
Already have workflows set up, but not sure if they’re actually doing what they should? I offer a Dubsado Workflow Audit where I go into your account, review your entire setup, and tell you what’s working, what’s broken, and what needs fixing.
5. Use payment plans in Dubsado to stop chasing invoices
If you’re still manually sending invoices for every stage of a project (or worse, relying on clients to remember when the next one is due), you’re doing extra admin for no reason.
Dubsado’s payment plans allow you to break down your invoices, automate when they go out, and send reminders at exactly the right time.
Here’s how I set it up for clients:
- A clear breakdown (e.g. 50% after contract signed, 50% before project start date or x month after contract signed)
- Automatic invoice triggers on specific dates or project milestones
- Reminder emails sent before, on, and after the due date
- Contract clauses pulled into reminder emails (because boundaries)
It’s one of the simplest automations with the biggest impact. You don’t have to keep track of who owes what, and your clients don’t have to guess when their next payment is due. Win-win.
If you offer different services or packages, and need to give clients multiple payment plan options inside the same proposal, I’ve written a blog that walks you through exactly how to set that up: How to Add Multiple Payment Plans in Dubsado Proposals
6. Use questionnaires to collect key client info
How many times have you had to chase a client for basic info?
“Can you confirm your brand colours?”
“Do you have your copy ready yet?”
It’s painful. And it’s avoidable.
Dubsado questionnaires let you collect everything you need upfront – without the dreaded “just checking in…” follow-ups.
Here’s what I usually set up for clients:
- A branded onboarding questionnaire (goals, timelines, project scope, all the good stuff)
- Optional follow-up forms for things like branding, copy, or web content
- Connected to their onboarding workflow so it’s sent automatically, at exactly the right point in the process
You can even map their answers to smart fields, so the info flows into contracts, proposals, and canned emails.
Want help setting yours up? I’ve broken it all down in this blog: How to Create a Dubsado Questionnaire
Or if you’d rather skip the setup entirely, we’ve got ready-to-go Dubsado questionnaire templates inside the CX Toolbox – just plug them in and go.
7. Use the client portal to keep everything in one place
If your clients are constantly asking, “Where do I find the invoice again?” or “Can you resend the contract?”, you’ve got a process problem – not a client problem.
Dubsado’s client portal is one of the simplest ways to tidy things up and make your client experience feel slick. When it’s turned on, your client can log in anytime and access:
- Contracts
- Invoices
- Questionnaires
- Appointment details
- Forms and files
- Any emails you’ve sent through the system
When I’m setting this up for clients, I always make sure the portal actually looks like part of their brand – not just a grey login page with a random button. If you’re not sure how to do that (or don’t want to spend hours trying to design a banner), I’ve created 20 free Dubsado client portal banners you can use straight away.
I’ve also broken down the full setup process here, including how to customise the layout and upload your banner: How to Customise Your Dubsado Client Portal
8. Create canned emails so you’re not writing from scratch every time
If you find yourself typing the same sentence for the third time this week… “Just checking if you had a chance to review the contract…” then it’s time to embrace canned emails.
Canned emails in Dubsado are pre-written messages you can drop into your workflows or send manually, without rewriting them every single time. And yes, they can still feel personal. You just don’t have to start from a blank screen every time someone books a call or misses a payment.
I usually like to create 15–20 canned emails to cover the full journey:
- Initial enquiry responses
- Proposal sent + follow-up
- Contract and invoice instructions
- Payment reminders
- Call confirmations and reminders
- Onboarding info
- Offboarding and feedback requests
You can add smart fields like the client’s name, invoice total, or project title – so it still sounds tailored, without you needing to dig through their form or copy-paste anything.
You’re not removing the personal touch, you’re just not reinventing the wheel every time someone books a service you offer every day.
I’ve written a full break down on how to create and setup Dusbado canned email templates so you never have to write another email again.
Final Thoughts
Dubsado has a lot of features. And yes, it can feel overwhelming when you’re staring at an empty workflow builder thinking “I’ll just do this later.”
But if you’ve already got the platform, you might as well make it work for you – not create more admin on top of the admin you were trying to get rid of in the first place.
Start small. Set up one thing properly. Then build from there.
Because once it’s all connected (the lead capture form, scheduler, contract, payment plan, onboarding emails) that’s when things start to flow. Your clients feel looked after. You feel on top of things. And your business finally starts running without you having to babysit every step.
And, if you need help getting there, I’ve got options:
- Done-for-you Dubsado Setup if you want it built properly from scratch
- A Dubsado Workflow Audit if you’ve already started but aren’t sure what’s working
- Plenty of free resources and tutorials if you’re DIYing it
- And a Dubsado template shop full of plug-and-play proposals, questionnaires, and canned emails
If you’re not sure where to start, let’s talk it through. Book a free discovery call, and we’ll figure out the best way to get your Dubsado setup working like it actually should.
