Getting Started
Your first client
The fastest path from an empty workspace to a working client file.
Introduction
This page is a walkthrough for adding your first client in DNA. If you have just signed up, start here. For a full reference on every option in the Add Client flow, see Adding a client under Working with Clients.
What you land on after signup
The first time you open DNA, you land on the clients page with nothing in it. The empty state reads No clients have been added yet and shows a single Add Client button. A short welcome tour offers to walk you through the first steps. Follow it or dismiss it with Maybe later. If you dismiss it, a small prompt in the bottom corner lets you pick the tour back up whenever you want.
You cannot break anything on Starter. You have room for up to 3 clients, and you can delete any of them to start fresh if you want to practice the flow.
Adding a client, start to finish
Click Add Client from the empty state. The flow is up to four phases: Details, Documents, Analyzing, and Review. The last two only appear if you upload something at the Documents step.
1
Fill in the first person's details
The form opens to a single-person view. Enter a first and last name. You can also fill in date of birth, sex, province, and annual income right there if you have them on hand. Leave whatever you do not know blank. You can add the missing pieces later from the client file.
2
Add more people if they belong on the same file
If this is a couple, a business partnership, or a parent-and-child household, click Switch to group to turn the form into a multi-member form. Pick the group type and add each person. DNA enforces the member rules for each type:
Married or common-law partners. Exactly 2 members.
Business partners. Up to 10 members.
Parents and children. 1 or 2 parents plus 1 to 10 children, with each person tagged by role.
3
Optionally upload supporting documents
Click Continue to create the client and move to the upload screen. On that screen, drag in files like statements, policies, or notes, or paste text in directly. If you upload anything, DNA reads what you shared and pre-fills the client file with whatever it finds. That covers profile details along with the assets, debts, beneficiaries, and coverage mentioned across the documents. If you prefer to start with just the basics, skip this step and the client gets created without extraction.
4
Review what was pulled out (if you uploaded documents)
After a short processing step, DNA shows you a side-by-side of what it found. Accept the items that look right, edit anything that needs adjusting, and dismiss whatever does not apply. Nothing lands on the client file until you confirm.
What you see when you are done
Once the client is created, you land on their overview page. You will see a profile card, a financial health score, a recent activity feed, and shortcuts into Helix and notes. The overview is the home base for everything you do with that client from here on out.
A note on Starter limits
Starter accounts can have up to 3 active clients. DNA does not warn you about this while you are under the limit. Once you reach 3, the Add Client button is disabled, and an upgrade prompt appears when you try to add a fourth. Upgrading to Pro or Team lifts the cap.