HoneyBook Hacks Every Web Designer Should Be Using (But Most Don’t)
If you’re a web designer who’s tired of rewriting the same emails, chasing clients for overdue homework, or trying to remember whether you sent that invoice… take a breath. You’re not scattered. You’re not behind. You’re simply doing too much manually.
And the truth is something nobody really tells you:
Most designers are wildly underusing HoneyBook.
Not because they’re lazy or inexperienced, but because they were never shown how to set it up in a way that supports the life they actually want. A life with slower mornings. Real weekends. A business that feels like a business, not a never-ending task list.
You don’t need more willpower or more hours in the day.
You just need better systems.
Let’s walk through the HoneyBook features that quietly save designers 5–10 hours every week. The ones that help you set clearer boundaries, guide clients through your process, and take the admin load off your plate so you can get back to the creative work you do best.
The real reason HoneyBook feels “fine” but not life-changing
Most designers treat HoneyBook like an online folder. They upload a contract, send invoices, and peek at the project pipeline every now and then. But HoneyBook becomes powerful when you let it run a few steps ahead of you.
Think of it as your assistant. One who never sleeps, never forgets to send a reminder, and never accidentally misplaces a client questionnaire. This is done through the power of Honeybook Automations.
When designers finally use HoneyBook well, they say things like:
“I had no idea all that was possible.”
So let’s make it possible for you too.
The little-known automation that cleans up your inquiry process
Picture this. A new inquiry comes in. Before you even see it, your lead receives a warm confirmation message, a helpful next-step email, and an overview of what to expect during their scheduled call with you. Everything is clear, professional, and aligned with your boundaries.
And you didn’t touch a thing.
This single automation does far more than save time. It reduces ghosting, sets expectations from the start, and filters out low-quality leads before you ever hop on a call.
A good inquiry flow includes:
An automatic “I got your message” email
A link to book a call or review your services
A simple task created for you to personally review the inquiry
You’re still involved, but you’re no longer responsible for the first 90% of the communication. That alone softens your workload dramatically.
A better way to onboard clients without scrambling
If you’ve ever booked a new project and instantly felt stressed about gathering everything you need… you’re not doing anything wrong. You just don’t have an onboarding flow that supports you.
HoneyBook can handle almost all of the early steps for you. Instead of drafting emails, pulling together links, and hoping the client reads everything, you can create a simple, warm automation that delivers things like:
A welcome note
The contract
The first invoice
The prep work you need from them
Your office hours and communication guidelines
Their client portal link
Clients feel supported. You feel organized. Nobody digs through email chains trying to find the brand questionnaire.
Clear processes create confident clients. Confident clients stay on track.
The client portal your future self will thank you for
Now to be honest, this is one step I prefer to house in Notion. But, I use Honeybook to invite the client to their Notion portal and provide support on how to navigate the portal and tackle onboarding tasks before their start date.
I love housing the portal in Notionbecyase it’s a catch all for me everything. Files. Questions. Prep work. Deadlines. Deliverables. All in one spot.
One designer in the OWWD beta said that even this single change (using my Notion portal template) would completely transform the way she works. She loved how everything stayed in one place and how much smoother the experience felt.
If you’ve ever lost a file or searched your inbox for the tenth time trying to find a link you swore you already sent, this alone is worth setting up.
But let’s dive back into Honeybook!
A pre-project prep flow that keeps clients from slowing you down
We all know it… Designers don’t struggle because of the design work. They struggle because of the delays. They wait for clients to send copy, website access, and photos. They take on the extra mental load and time commitment of a teacher checking in on the clients “missing homework” only to push back the start date or struggle to wrap up a project that should have been done weeks ago.
A simple automation sent a week before your start date solves this.
It might include:
A reminder about any missing items
A short checklist to get them ready
A calendar event for your kickoff
A brief overview of what next week looks like
What happens if they don’t complete the homework on time.
This little system protects your time and keeps your timeline from drifting, especially if you’re delivering One Week Website projects.
A smoother offboarding experience that brings in more referrals
Most designers rush through offboarding because they’re exhausted by the end of a project. But offboarding is one of the easiest places to shine.
Your workflow can automatically send:
A launch message
Their final files
A short video or guide explaining how to use their site
A testimonial request
A gentle invitation to future services
A referral prompt
This doesn’t just close the project neatly. It builds long-term relationships and sets you apart from other designers whose processes end abruptly.
One reviewer of OWWD said the workflow lessons were so actionable they felt like copy-and-paste recommendations. That’s exactly how offboarding should feel. Clear. Warm. Repeatable.
A few small tweaks can set you apart from most designers.
You don’t need a full overhaul to feel relief. Even the smallest adjustments matter.
Try setting up:
Email templates for every repeating message
A calendar link that sends itself
A follow-up sequence that continues for several months, not just one week
A smart file that bundles proposal, contract, and invoice in one
These tiny decisions compound into hours of saved time. Hours you can spend on your business or your life instead of stressed out by daunting admin work.
You deserve a business that feels lighter
The goal isn’t to automate your humanity out of your business. It’s to protect your energy, create consistency, and build a process that feels calm instead of chaotic.
HoneyBook automations are simply tools. Tools that allow you to:
Set clearer boundaries
Deliver a smoother client experience
Work fewer hours without compromising quality
Show up like the confident, grounded designer you already are beneath the overwhelm
You’re not behind. You’re not scattered. You just need systems that honor the way you work best.
If you want to learn how to take this even further, I created a free training that shows you the exact framework I used to work half the hours while increasing my income in a meaningful way. It's the same process I teach inside One Week Web Designer, built around clarity, boundaries, and a streamlined offer that’s designed to support your life.
