Using Dubsado to Prep Clients for Photography Sessions

By Ema Katiraee, Certified Dubsado Specialist

TL;DR: A pre-session workflow in Dubsado automates everything that needs to happen between booking and shoot day, including the welcome email, prep guide, questionnaire, and session reminders. Set it up once and it runs automatically for every client.

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Once a client books a photography session, there's a lot that needs to happen before shoot day. A pre-session workflow in Dubsado handles all of it for you automatically. Here's what to include and how to set it up.

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What to Include in Your Pre-Session Workflow

Here are the most common steps photographers use to prepare clients:

Step 1: Welcome Email

Right after the client books, send a welcome email that includes:

• Confirmation of their session date, time, and location

• A welcome or preparation guide to help them get ready

• A questionnaire to gather the information you need before the shoot

This first touchpoint builds trust and sets clear expectations.

Send a welcome email after booking

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Step 2: Send a Questionnaire Reminder

If the questionnaire is not completed, Dubsado can send an automatic reminder after a set number of days. This ensures you have all the details you need to plan the session.

Send a reminder to complete the questionnaire

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Step 3: Session Reminder

Send a reminder a few days before the session. Include:

• The confirmed date, time, and location

• The preparation guide link again in case they need to review it

This step helps prevent last-minute confusion.

Send a reminder before the session

Note: if you are using an appointment scheduler instead of adding the project date in Dubsado, these reminders need to be set up inside of the scheduler, not the workflow.

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Step 4: 24-Hour Reminder

Send one last reminder the day before the session. Restate the date, time, and location so it is fresh in their mind.

Send a final reminder 24 hours before the session

Note: same as the previous step - if you are using an appointment scheduler instead of adding the project date in Dubsado, these reminders need to be set up inside of the scheduler, not the workflow.

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Step 5: Start the next workflow

The final step is to trigger the next workflow after the session is complete, you can automatically start a post-session workflow. Check out my blog post on building a post session workflow in Dubsado.

Workflow action to trigger the post-session workflow

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How to Start a Pre-Session Workflow in Dubsado

You can start your workflow in two ways: automatically or manually.

Option 1: Start Automatically

Connect your pre-session workflow to your booking workflow using the Start a New Flow action.

For example, you can have it start when:

• The invoice installment is paid

• The invoice is paid in full

This option is best if you want the process to run without you needing to trigger it.

Option 2: Start Manually

If you want more control over timing or have different workflows for different session types, you can start it manually.

To do this:

1. Go to the client’s project → Flows → click Start a Flow

2. Select your pre-session workflow from the dropdown menu

3. Click Start flow

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Want to See the Full Picture?

For a full overview of how Dubsado works for photographers from inquiry to gallery delivery, read Dubsado for Photographers: The Complete Guide.

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Tutorial: Build your Pre Session Workflow in Dubsado

Want to see exactly how it is done? Watch my step-by-step video tutorial on building your pre-session workflow in Dubsado.

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Do You Need Dubsado Built Properly For Your Photography Business?

If you're still sending session prep emails one by one, this workflow is worth building. And if you'd rather have someone build it for you properly, I work with photographers to do exactly that. Book a discovery call and let's talk about what your setup needs.