Add clients to Firm Verify, keep their details up to date, and check what their statuses mean. Firm Verify supports every client type your firm can onboard: Individual, Sole Trader, Company, Trust, SMSF, Partnership, Association (Unincorporated) and Government Body. To capture onboarding information once a client is added, see Client Onboarding.
The fields shown are based on AUSTRAC's onboarding forms, current as at 29 January 2026. AML/CTF requirements are evolving, so confirm current obligations and seek legal or compliance advice if you're unsure what applies to your firm.
Contents
Navigation
| From the Main Toolbar, select Clients. | |
| Select Start. |
Add a client
| Step | What you'll see |
|---|---|
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1
On the Clients screen, select Start, then select Adding a client or group of clients. |
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2
On the Add Client screen, select the client type, then select Next. |
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3
On the Details screen, enter the client's details. These include the name, address, and ABN/ACN or date of birth, depending on the client type. |
Client Group |
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4
On the Assignment screen, turn on the toggles that apply (pre-commencement client, or active service engagement). You can also add the client to an existing group, add labels and choose the assigned user. You can only select users who have been invited to Firm Verify. |
Client Group |
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5
Once you've entered all the details, select Save. |
Import clients from the Interim Verification tool
If you recorded clients in the Interim Verification tool, Account Owner and Admin users can import those spreadsheets instead of adding each client again. On the Clients screen, select Start, then Importing clients from a spreadsheet.
For the steps, see Import Clients from the Interim Verification Tool.
Update client information
To change a client's details, open the client and select Edit on the section you want to update. Find your client type's column to see what each section holds.
| Section | Individuals and sole traders | Companies and other entities | Groups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal or entity details |
Name: title, full name, any other name the client goes by, trading name, and a link showing how many times the name has changed on record. Identity: date of birth (shown masked, e.g. XX/XX/1950), occupation, nationality, place of birth, and nature of business. Tax & legal: tax file number (masked for everyone except authorised roles) and ABN (for sole traders). |
Name: the registered company name and any other trading names or acronyms. Registration: ACN, ABN, and any other identifiers you've added (for example TFN, NZBN, or a foreign company number). You can add or remove identifier rows as needed. Governance & Authority: whether the entity is registered with ASIC or another body, regulated (and by whom), controlled by a government body, or a strata or community association. |
Details: the group name, colour and description. Assigned Staff: the staff member from your firm assigned to the group. |
| Contact details |
Address: residential address, and a business address if applicable. Contact: email and mobile number (Australian or international, including country code). |
Address: business address and registered office address. Leave Same as Business Address ticked to keep them the same, or untick it to enter a different registered office address. Contact: email and phone number (Australian or international, including country code). |
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| Group and assignment |
Client group: the group the client belongs to, shown as a link to the group record. Assigned staff: the staff member primarily responsible for the client, flagged with a "Primary" badge. Review schedule: when the client's next review is due (shown in amber within 30 days, red with a warning icon if overdue) and when it was last reviewed. Internal notes: notes for your team only. They're never shown to the client. Labels: custom tags you add with + Add label. |
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| Services to provide | The Client status card (see Client status card below) and the Designated service provider field. | ||
| Risk and compliance | You can fill these cards in yourself, and they're filled in automatically when you import a client from the Interim Verification tool. None of the fields are mandatory. Risk: includes Source of Funds and Source of Wealth for all client types, and ASIC disqualified for individuals and sole traders. Pre-screen Risk Assessment: blocking questions (such as a sanctions hit or suspected criminal activity) and initial risk indicators (such as a PEP or a FATF high-risk jurisdiction). Enhanced CDD Triggers: factors that call for enhanced CDD, such as a complex or offshore ownership structure. Import Sign Off: who prepared and reviewed the client's Interim Verification tool record, with their positions and dates. Group Scope Interview (groups only): scope questions about the group, such as whether any entities are trustees or hold assets offshore. |
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| Relationships | – | – |
Add Entity: add a new entity, or one already in Firm Verify, to the group. Relationship: the type of relationship the entity has with the group or other entities. Linked entities: select an entity name to open that client, or right-click it to open it in a new tab or window. |
Changing a legal name
Changing a legal name doesn't update the record straight away. It creates a change request that needs a reason, a supporting document and approval before the name updates. You'll see a "Change request submitted" message, and the name shown on the record won't change until the request is approved.
Client status card
The Client status card shows two indicators. To change them, select Edit on the card. Until the client is Active, the client status updates to match. Once the client is Active, changing these indicators doesn't change the client status. See Client status in What the Clients Screen Shows.
| Status row | What it means |
|---|---|
| Pre-commencement | Shows Pre-commencement once onboarding is saved but not started, Complete once onboarding is finished, or Not set if it hasn't been recorded. |
| Service engagement | Shows Engaged once services are live, Not engaged if the client is still in pre-commencement or has no active services, or Not set if it wasn't recorded when the client was added. |
Why can't I toggle a service?
While a client is in pre-commencement, the individual service toggles in the Services selected card are locked, with a note explaining that they'll unlock once onboarding is approved. Once the client is active, you manage engagement per service using those toggles.
What the statuses mean
Each client has a client status, which tracks onboarding, a CDD status, which tracks customer due diligence, and a risk rating. All three show as columns on the Clients screen. For what each one means and what sets it, see What the Clients Screen Shows.
Frequently asked questions
Select a question to see the answer.
Do I need to upload documents before I can finish onboarding?
No. Documents are optional at every stage and won't stop you from generating the record.
Can I change the client's type partway through onboarding?
No. The client type is locked once onboarding starts. To change it, update it from the client's record before you start onboarding again.
Why can't I select a service on the last step?
The services list comes from your firm's risk assessment. If no services are set up there, the list stays empty until you add at least one.
Can I open a client in a new tab?
Yes. On the Clients screen, right-click a client to open it in a new tab or window, or to copy its link.
Why do I have the same client twice?
Importing from the Interim Verification tool always creates new records, even if the client is already in Firm Verify. Archive the record you don't need.
How do I delete a client?
On the Clients screen, select the actions button for the client, then select Archive. Select Yes, Archive to confirm. The client is removed from the client list. You can't view or restore archived clients in Firm Verify yet, so check you've selected the right client before you archive.
Related articles
To onboard a client you've added, see Client Onboarding. To filter your client list, see Clients Screen Filters. For what the statuses and risk ratings on the Clients screen mean, see What the Clients Screen Shows.
Last checked against the 5 November 2026 release.