Create & Onboard Contractors
Last updated: August 3, 2026
Overview
Once you’ve configured your contractor onboarding experience, you’re ready to add contractors and invite them to complete onboarding.
During onboarding, contractors securely submit the information required to receive payments, including personal information, tax forms, payment details, and any custom requirements you’ve configured.
As contractors complete onboarding, their information is automatically added to their contractor profile, reducing manual data entry and helping ensure contractor payments are accurate.
Before You Begin
Before adding contractors, make sure you’ve:
Determined which payment methods you’ll offer contractors
Step 1: Create a Contractor
Navigate to People.
Click Add Contractor.
Enter the contractor’s basic information.
Save the contractor profile.
You can also import multiple contractors using a CSV file.
Step 2: Send an Onboarding Invitation
After creating the contractor, generate an onboarding link.
You can:
Copy the onboarding link and send it manually.
Email the onboarding link directly from Zeal.
Contractors can complete onboarding using:
Desktop browser
Mobile browser
Your white-labeled mobile app (if enabled)
Step 3: Track Onboarding Progress
Monitor contractor onboarding from the People page.
From here, you can:
View contractors who haven’t started onboarding.
Track onboarding currently in progress.
Confirm when onboarding is complete.
Resend onboarding invitations.
Generate a new onboarding link if needed.
Step 4: Review Contractor Information
Before issuing a payment, review the contractor’s profile to ensure all required information has been submitted.
Depending on your onboarding configuration, review:
Personal information
Form W-9
Payment method
Custom paperwork
Custom attributes
Identity verification (if enabled)
If any information is missing or needs to be updated, you can request updates using a Shareable Link.
Screenshot: Contractor profile overview
Updating Contractor Information
If a contractor needs to update information after onboarding, you don’t need to send them through the entire onboarding flow again.
Instead, generate a Shareable Link to request updates to a specific section, such as:
Personal information
Form W-9
Payment method
Custom paperwork
Custom attributes
The contractor will be taken directly to the requested section, and their profile will automatically update after submission.
Troubleshooting
A contractor didn’t receive their onboarding invitation.
Generate a new onboarding link from the contractor’s profile or resend the invitation by email.
A contractor hasn’t completed onboarding.
Use the People page to check their onboarding status and resend the invitation if necessary.
A contractor needs to update their payment information.
Send a Shareable Link to the Payment Information section instead of restarting onboarding.
Do contractors complete Form I-9?
No. Contractors do not complete Form I-9 because they are not employees.
If required, contractors complete Form W-9 during onboarding.
What Happens Next?
Once the contractor has completed onboarding and you’ve reviewed their information, they’re ready to receive payments through Zeal.
Continue to:
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