Onboarding

Objective

Move a signed client from intake to ready for media planning — ad platform accounts and tracking assets provisioned via API where possible, client consents captured, implementation guides delivered.

Client portal UX (what they see, provide, and what remains): Onboarding client portal.

Phase 1 scope (current)

GA4 remains long-term source of truth (ga4-source-of-truth.md). ADR 0002 (accepted): v1 uses soft gate — client invites Kobi as GA4 Admin on an existing property or skips; we only link Ads↔GA4 when Admin is granted. OAuth auto-provision is Phase 3+ consideration only.

Inputs

• Client contract / SKU (vertical, budget tier, channels)
• Business type (onboarding intake — drives Special Ad Category eligibility; default campaign flag remains NONE per ADR 0004)
• Brand assets (logo, URLs, social pages)
• Website URL (for pixel + domain verification instructions)
• Ecommerce: product feed URL (client pastes in portal — Shopify, CMS, static URL)
• CRM tenant ID
• Billing terms — monthly invoicing to client; no client payment method on ad platforms
• ToS and data-sharing consent
• Optional: client grants Kobi GA4 Admin on their property (portal invite or Google account link)

Not required Phase 1: GTM container access.

Outputs

• onboarding_record with platform account ID map
• Pixels (Meta, TikTok if SKU) + CAPI relay
• Merchant Center sub-account + data source (ecommerce) — if feed URL provided
• Ads ↔ GA4 link — if client granted GA4 Admin
• tracking_implementation_guide (manual + GTM templates)
• Event: client.onboarding.completed

Process steps (Phase 1)

Programmatic account creation — yes, via API

Client never: payment details, manual ad account creation in Google/Meta/TikTok UIs.

GA4 Admin → link Google Ads via API

If the client grants Kobi Administrator on their GA4 property (invite Kobi service account or automation user):

We do not need to create GA4 or Search Console to link Ads — only Admin on existing property + API calls both sides.

If client declines GA4 Admin: skip link; onboarding still completes; reporting uses platform data + CRM until GA4 connected later.

Merchant Center — fully automated (client feed URL only)

There is no fundamental blocker to API-creating Merchant Center for ecommerce. Client pastes feed URL; connector does the rest.

What does not block account creation:

• Client feed URL — that is the input we want
• Client payment — never asked; MCA uses Kobi agency billing

What can delay shopping launch (not account create):

• Google product policy review after first fetch (async hours/days)
• Website claim on Merchant Center (store URL) — may need meta-tag/DNS; include in implementation guide
• Disapproved products — QC + human fix feed

So: onboarding creates MCA + feed + Ads link in one API flow; launch approval waits on Google policy crawl, same as any agency.

Tracking — pixels yes, GTM publish later

Business verification (Kobi entity — not client)

Platform business verification uses the Kobi legal entity on MCC / Business Portfolio / Business Center — not client incorporation documents. New shell accounts inherit the verified agency master.

If submit is UI-only, MCC bulk is the acceptable default for Google. Connectors never ask clients for tax IDs or business licenses for platform verification.

Domain verification (client website — separate)

Proves client website ownership to Meta/Google/TikTok (DNS TXT or meta tag) — not GA4, not Search Console, not Kobi entity docs. Phase 1: steps in implementation guide; optional DNS delegate.

TikTok

One-time Kobi developer app approval before TikTok SKU. After that, API provisioning like other platforms — not a per-client issue.

Platform order (Phase 1)

1. Google Ads
2. Merchant Center (ecommerce + feed URL from client)
3. GA4 ↔ Ads link (if client granted Admin)
4. Meta (+ Connect Page/IG)
5. TikTok (if SKU)
6. CRM webhook + implementation guide

Onboarding automation matrix (Phase 1)

Three buckets: what the agent runs via API, what needs client portal approval / OAuth / paste, and what cannot be fully automated (ops pre-launch, human, or platform async).

✅ Fully automated (Onboarding Agent / connector)

No client action during the run — assumes contract signed, plan_id set, PRE agency masters exist.

Client never automates: platform billing, business verification with client entity docs, raw ad account creation in Google/Meta/TikTok UIs.

👤 Client approval, OAuth, or portal input

Client acts in Kobi portal or platform OAuth UI — agent waits, then continues.

Partial automate: Meta partner invite — API sends; client must accept if OAuth Connect fails (HITL A4).

❌ Cannot fully automate (per tenant)

Minimum client checklist (Phase 1 happy path)

1. Sign contract + accept ToS + data sharing in portal
2. Meta: Connect Page + IG (OAuth) — required for social SKU
3. Ecommerce: paste feed URL
4. Optional: grant GA4 Admin
5. After onboarding: install tracking from guide (not a blocker for onboarding.completed if policy allows incomplete tracking)

Everything else — ad accounts, pixels, CAPI, billing inherit, plan caps, catalogs — agent.

Agent vs human (Phase 1)

Related documents

• Onboarding client portal — screens, deliverables, post-onboarding leftovers
• Onboarding provisioning spec
• Onboarding API cross-check
• 03-platforms/
• Media planning