# How a client moves through CoreHue

> Follow one client through CoreHue, from inquiry and proposal to signed contract, paid deposit, confirmed booking and delivered gallery.

Source: https://help.corehue.co/docs/getting-started/how-corehue-fits-together/

CoreHue works best when its parts hand off to each other. Here's the path most photographers follow, from a stranger's first message to a client downloading their photos, and what CoreHue creates at each step.

## 1. They get in touch

A client finds your [booking page](/docs/online-booking/customizing-your-booking-page) and sends an inquiry through one of your inquiry services, or fills in a [contact form](/docs/contact-forms/creating-a-contact-form) on your website. CoreHue creates a contact for them as a **Lead**.

Nothing is held and nothing is charged. It's the start of a conversation, and it shows in **Bookings → Inquiries** or **Messages**.

## 2. You reply

Open the inquiry and write back. The client's original message stays on the inquiry page, and the conversation thread starts with your reply. See [Managing inquiries](/docs/managing-bookings/managing-inquiries).

## 3. You send a proposal

For bigger jobs, put together a [proposal](/docs/proposals/how-proposals-work): what's included, optional add-ons, packages to choose between, your contract and a payment schedule, all on one link. Sending it doesn't create anything else yet. It just waits with your client.

For a quick portrait session you might skip this and book them straight in. See [Turning an inquiry into a booking](/docs/managing-bookings/turning-an-inquiry-into-a-booking).

## 4. They accept, sign and pay

Your client picks their options and accepts. Their choices lock, and CoreHue creates the contract with those choices written in and, if you switched payment on, the invoice. A short list of next steps walks them through signing and paying on the same page.

They sign by drawing or typing their name. They pay by card if you've [connected Stripe](/docs/payments/accepting-card-payments), or follow your bank transfer instructions and tell you they've paid so you can confirm it.

Signing or paying also moves the contact from **Lead** to **Client** on its own. See [Leads vs clients](/docs/contacts/leads-and-clients).

## 5. The booking confirms

If the proposal was set to create a booking, it appears once they've signed and paid, already **Confirmed**, and lands on your calendar. With [Google Calendar](/docs/online-booking/google-calendar) connected, it shows there too. Your client gets their own booking page with the date, the details and their documents.

## 6. You gather the details

Send a [questionnaire](/docs/questionnaires/how-questionnaires-work) for timelines, addresses and shot lists. A booking service can send one automatically, a set number of days before the session. See [Sending a questionnaire automatically after booking](/docs/questionnaires/sending-after-a-booking).

## 7. You deliver the gallery

After the shoot, create a [gallery](/docs/galleries/how-galleries-work) and link it to the same contact. Share it by email with the password and download PIN included. Your client opens one link and sees your cover, your typeface and your photos, plus any videos on Plus and Pro.

## 8. They pick favorites

Your client stars photos into collections and sends them to you, which is handy for album picks or retouching. You can also send a selection request with a brief and a target number. See [Requesting client selections](/docs/gallery-favorites/requesting-client-selections).

## 9. They pay the balance

If the invoice had a payment schedule, the remaining payments are already on it with their own dates. With [automatic reminders](/docs/account/automatic-reminders) on, CoreHue nudges your client when one is due.

## The short version for simple jobs

Not every job needs all nine steps. With a [direct booking service](/docs/online-booking/direct-booking-services), a client picks a time, answers your questions, signs your contract and pays the deposit in one sitting. The booking confirms itself before they close the tab.

## What links to what

| Record | Connected to |
| --- | --- |
| Contact | Every inquiry, proposal, booking, invoice, contract, questionnaire, message and linked gallery for that person |
| Proposal | The contract and invoice it creates when accepted, and the booking once signed and paid |
| Booking | Its invoices, contract and questionnaires, and the service it came from |
| Gallery | Up to 10 linked contacts, shown on each contact's **Galleries** tab |

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I have to use proposals?

No. Proposals suit jobs that need options and a conversation first. Many photographers take bookings directly and only use proposals for weddings or commercial quotes.

### Can a questionnaire go inside a proposal?

No. Questionnaires are sent on their own or attached to a booking service, which can send them automatically around the booking.

### Will my client see one consistent brand throughout?

Yes. Booking pages, proposals, contracts, invoices, questionnaires and galleries all carry your logo and business name, and can run on your own domain on Plus and Pro.

### Does a gallery have to be linked to a contact?

No, but linking it puts the gallery on their contact page and offers them first when you share it. See [Linking a gallery to your contacts](/docs/galleries/linking-galleries-to-contacts).