From signed up to live, one owner per step

Onboarding

9 of 11 clients stuck for over a year never paid a cent, and 59 of 85 live clients have no owner recorded. Nothing below starts before payment, and every step has a name attached.

Owner: Pau · Checked Sep 8, 2026

The checklist

1

Payment confirmed

Setup fee cleared in Stripe. Nothing else on this list starts before this is checked.

Hanz
2

Client assigned an owner

One name recorded against the client record before any build work. This is the field that's empty on 59 of 85 live clients today.

Hanz
3

Site type & tier selected

Personal, Podcast, or Business (see Pricing), plus templated vs. custom theme.

Hanz
4

Content collected & site built

Initial articles, About/Home/Contact copy gathered, site built and shared back for the client's review.

Tori
6

Launch gate passed, Live Site email sent

GSC, Plausible, and Bing all confirmed working (see the gate below), then send the Live Site template.

Pau

Launch gate: don't call it live until:

  • Google Search Console is verified for the domain.Included in the $299 setup, see Pricing.
  • Plausible Analytics is installed and recording pageviews.Check the Plausible dashboard shows live traffic, not just "site added".
  • Bing Webmaster Tools + IndexNow are set up.18 of 85 live sites currently never got this. It depends on someone remembering, which is why it's a gate now, not a step to trust.

Copy → Paste → Send

Email Templates

Every client-facing template lives here, grouped by where it fires in the lifecycle. Hit Copy to grab the subject and body together.

Owner: Hanz · Checked Sep 8, 2026

Sending rule: generic, no-personal-touch client email (status updates, credentials, cancellation) goes out from Ash. Anything tied to a specific person's relationship with the client (a call follow-up, a domain question routed to Pau) sends from that person.

Site Launch

Live Site

Send once the domain is confirmed pointing to the new site: see Point to Nameservers below for how to get there.

SubjectYour site is live!

Hi [Name],

The domain now lives under the site we've built! You can view it here → [site URL]

Please disregard any email notification you might receive about a published article on your site while we finish polishing things up.

If there's anything you'd like changed or updated, let us know and we'll work on it.

Fires: after the launch gate passesFrom: AshThen: archive the onboarding checklist

Point to Nameservers

Always the default path. We pull the client's existing DNS into our system first, so nothing (especially email) breaks during the swap. See Domains & DNS for the Cloudflare backup.

SubjectPoint your domain to your new site

Hi [Name],

Now that we've finalized the site and it's ready to go live, we need your help pointing your domain to the site we built. Please update the nameservers on your registrar (I believe that's [registrar, e.g. GoDaddy]) to these two:

- nia.ns.cloudflare.com
- vasilii.ns.cloudflare.com

We've already pulled in your existing DNS records, so email and anything else pointed at the domain will keep working through the switch. If you need a hand, book a call with Pau here → https://cal.com/team-nick-pau/10min

Thank you!

Fires: once the site is built and ready for the domain switchFrom: PauThen: run the launch-gate checks in Onboarding

Cancellation

Client Ending Service

Client ending their PersonalWebsites.org service.

SubjectWe're sorry to see you go

Hi [Name],

Thank you so much for letting us know; it has been great working with you.

Are you planning to host the site on your end? If so, we're happy to keep hosting it for one more month for free so you have time to get set up and confirm the site is live on your end before switching nameservers/DNS. If not, we're happy to take the site down right away.

We've also attached the ZIP file containing all your posts, pages, and media. Please note that the themes are not included in the export.

If there's anything else you need help with, just let us know.

Fires: client confirms they're ending serviceFrom: AshThen: Mo produces the ZIP export

Open question: is the free extra month of hosting still policy, and does Mo still produce the ZIP export? Neither has been reconfirmed recently. Check with Pau/Mo before leaning on this template for an edge case.

Sales & Calls

Intro / New Sales

Blocked: Nick needs to confirm whether this is Hanz's or his to own before it gets written. See the open question on this page.

Blocked on Nick

Login Credentials

Never send a password in plain text over email. This template sends a reset link instead.

SubjectYour PersonalWebsites.org login

Hi [Name],

Here's how to get into your site's backend:

Login page: [admin URL]
Email: [client email]

We don't send passwords by email. Click "Forgot password" on the login page and it'll send you a reset link directly.

Let us know if you get stuck.

Fires: client asks for backend accessFrom: AshThen: nothing, one and done unless they lock themselves out

Monthly Call

Cadence is set by the client's tier: see Pricing (Basic is quarterly, Pro/Premium/Legacy are monthly or weekly).

SubjectBooking our check-in call

Hi [Name],

Time for our regular check-in! Grab a slot that works for you here:

[booking link]

A few things to think about before we chat:
- Any updates, wins, or new content ideas since we last spoke
- Anything on the site you'd like changed

See you soon!

Fires: per the client's call cadenceFrom: Tori (content) or Hanz (account)Then: log notes on the client's card

Thanks for The Call Today!

Hi! Thanks for the call today. I enjoyed our chat.

Please send me the following just like we discussed on the phone:

I'll circle back once everything is completed.

Fires: right after any client callFrom: whoever took the callThen: wait on the client's reply

You Missed Our Call Today

Hi,

Just wanted to follow up as it looks like we missed each other on our scheduled call today.

I totally understand today might have gotten busy: it happens. At your earliest convenience, you can grab a new time that works best for you here:

[your booking link: see the Calendar Links in Resources]

Looking forward to chatting whenever it's convenient for you.

Fires: client no-shows a booked callFrom: whoever the call was withThen: wait for rebooking

Buying, adding, transferring

Domains & DNS

DNS came up 59 times in two months, the loudest thing in the company. It's always the nameserver path. The Cloudflare account is a backup, not a second option to pick between.

Owner: Pau · Checked Sep 8, 2026

The two nameservers

Send these with the Point to Nameservers template. Before you send it, pull the client's existing DNS into our system first. That's what keeps their email and anything else on the domain alive during the switch.

nia.ns.cloudflare.com
vasilii.ns.cloudflare.com
nia.ns.cloudflare.com vasilii.ns.cloudflare.com

After the client says it's done, check:

  • Both nameservers resolve on the domain (registrar lookup or dig NS <domain>).
  • Existing DNS records survived, especially MX/email. This is why we pull them in first, but confirm it actually held.
  • SSL certificate issued and the site loads on the client's own domain, not just the personalwebsites.org staging URL.
  • Launch gate passed: GSC, Plausible, Bing (see Onboarding) before sending the Live Site email.

Backup path · Cloudflare account access

Only when the nameserver swap stalls

Add Nick as admin on the client's Cloudflare account

We manage DNS directly on the client's behalf instead of waiting on them. This is a fallback, not a client-comfort judgment call. It isn't reached for by default.

Open setup guide →

2026: VS3 Monthly Packages

Pricing

Setup fees and monthly tiers by site type, pulled from the packages doc, plus where clients sign up.

Owner: Pau · Checked Sep 8, 2026

Open question: is the Custom Theme's "from $1,000" on top of the $299 setup fee, or the total? The page currently reads as $1,299 total; our records say $1,000 is the total. This needs Nick to settle before it's quoted again. Check with him before promising a number.

Personal Website

4 monthly tiers

One-time

Setup Fee $299
  • Plausible Analytics
  • Google Search Console
  • Payload CMS & Astro front-end, 10+ themes
  • 2–4 initial articles from your content
  • Home, About & Contact pages
  • robots.txt + sitemap.xml
  • Bing setup + IndexNow support
Custom Theme from $1,000
  • Full site redesign from your inspirations
  • Up to 3 revisions

Monthly plans

Basic $29/mo

Best for: staying visible with minimal effort

  • Hosting + all current & future themes
  • 30-min check-in call per quarter
  • 1–2 custom articles / quarter
  • 1× monthly curated short-form post
  • Basic SEO + light link building
  • Ongoing technical support
Pro $99/mo

Best for: original insights & growing SEO authority

  • Hosting + all current & future themes
  • Launch strategy call with our writer
  • 30-min check-in call / month
  • 2–3 custom articles / month
  • 2× bi-weekly curated short-form posts
  • Custom featured images per article
  • Premium SEO + basic link building
  • Custom landing pages
  • Ongoing technical support
Premium $199/mo
  • Hosting + all current & future themes
  • Launch strategy call with our writer
  • Weekly 30-min check-in call
  • 4 custom articles / month
  • 2× bi-weekly curated short-form posts
  • Custom featured images per article
  • Premium SEO + basic link building
  • Custom landing pages
  • Ongoing technical support
Legacy Premium Confirm still sellable $299/mo

Best for: full personal-brand content support

  • Hosting + all current & future themes
  • Launch strategy call with our writer
  • Weekly content call
  • 1 long-form + 2 short-form articles / week
  • Ongoing curated short-form publishing
  • LinkedIn + newsletter content support
  • Premium SEO, optimized for AI/LLM visibility
  • Fast, priority support

Podcast Website

1 monthly tier

One-time

Setup Fee $299
  • Plausible Analytics
  • Google Search Console
  • Payload CMS & Astro front-end, 10+ themes
  • 3 initial show-notes pages from recent episodes
  • Home, About & Contact pages
Custom Theme from $1,000
  • Full site redesign from your inspirations
  • Up to 3 revisions

Monthly plans

Basic $49/mo

Best for: staying visible with minimal effort

  • Hosting + all current & future themes
  • 30-min check-in call per quarter
  • 2 show-notes pages / month (1 new + 1 backdated until caught up)
  • Basic SEO + light link building
  • Ongoing technical support

Business Website

1 monthly tier

One-time

Setup Fee $299
  • Plausible Analytics
  • Google Search Console
  • Payload CMS & Astro front-end, 10+ themes
  • 3 initial articles from your content
  • Home, About & Contact pages
  • Integration with basic CRMs or chat bots
Custom Theme from $1,000
  • Full site redesign from your inspirations
  • Up to 3 revisions

Monthly plans

Pro Biz $199/mo
  • Hosting + all current & future themes
  • Launch strategy call with our writer
  • 30-min check-in call / month
  • 1–2 custom articles / month
  • 2× bi-weekly curated short-form posts
  • Custom featured images per article
  • Premium SEO + basic link building
  • Ongoing technical support

Active Discount Codes

CodeDiscountNotes
FRIENDS200OFF $200 off One-time, setup fee
VIP200 $200 off One-time, setup fee
FRIENDS300OFF $300 off One-time, setup fee
FRIENDS100OFF $100 off One-time, setup fee
CHERYLANN50 $50 off One-time, setup fee
TOMGRUNDY50 $50 off One-time, setup fee

Pulled from Stripe coupon screenshots in the doc: all fixed amounts off, applied once, against the one-time setup fee. Stripe's internal promo_… API IDs and live redemption counts are left off this page; check Stripe directly before relying on redemption limits.

Design library

Themes

12 themes in the catalog today, named below so this answers something on a client call. Custom builds are tracked in the CMS, not on this page.

Owner: Pau · Checked Sep 8, 2026

Custom builds: a hand-kept list of custom-theme sites used to live here. It went stale twice after a bulk theme refresh wiped it. The real source of truth is the tenant's CMS record (siteType: custom plus excludeFromBulkRefresh), not a list on this page. Check the CMS, or run an audit, before quoting or touching a site as "custom."

Everything else

Resources

Backend access, calendar links, content rules, content topics, what's already automated, and the affiliate program.

Owner: Pau · Checked Sep 8, 2026

Client-Facing Guides

How to login / use backend

Not written yet

Content Rules

Every piece of client-facing or published content follows three rules:
1. Facts only: no invented stats, quotes, or claims.
2. Fact-check before publishing: verify against the source, don't assume.
3. No em dashes: use a period or colon instead.

Already Automated

These already run through Claude, so ask for them instead of redoing them by hand.

Ask forWhat happens
setup and audit <tenant>Fills positioning fields, sets theme/nav/hero, then runs the full onboarding QA and fixes mechanical issues
add a custom domainConnects, verifies, or removes a domain via Cloudflare, either nameserver or dns-records mode
audit <tenant>Finds broken links/images, missing alt/OG/meta, migration junk, stale WP URLs
publish this article for <client>Ingests a Google Doc, writes SEO metadata, uploads the hero image, publishes, verifies live
customize <tenant>'s hero/homepageHand-edits the tenant's Astro repo without breaking future theme refreshes
seo audit / seo checkFull-site or single-page SEO analysis with a prioritized fix list
blog audit / rewrite blogScores existing posts, replaces fabricated stats, fixes formatting and schema
fix hero photo on mobileReframes a cropped hero portrait per-tenant, survives theme refreshes

Not the full list. There are 47 of these skills. Ask "what can you automate for X" if what you need isn't above.