VA Onboarding Guide

How to generate a personalized setup guide for a virtual assistant joining one of your client minds.

Why This Exists#

When you add a VA to a client mind, they need context: what Coppermind is, what the client does, what the brand voice sounds like, what they can and cannot do, and how to search effectively. Explaining all of this manually every time is tedious and inconsistent.

Coppermind can generate a complete, personalized onboarding document you can hand directly to your VA. It pulls real data from the client mind -- brand voice, key facts, team setup -- so the guide is specific to that client, not a generic template.

Generating a Guide#

Switch to the client first, then just ask:

"Create an onboarding guide for Alex on the Acme account"

Coppermind asks for the VA's name (unless you already mentioned it), gathers client context, and produces a ready-to-share document.

What the Guide Covers#

The generated document includes five sections, all populated with real client data:

1. What Is Coppermind#

A plain-language explanation of what Coppermind does and how it works inside Claude. Written for someone who may not be technical.

2. Key Facts About the Client#

Three to five bullet points pulled from the client's stored memories -- company overview, industry, services, and notable details. If the client mind is brand new with no memories yet, the guide says so and explains that knowledge will build over time.

3. Brand Voice Summary#

The client's tone, personality, and key phrases from Brand DNA. If brand voice has not been configured yet, the guide notes that and tells the VA to check with you.

4. What the VA Can and Cannot Do#

A clear breakdown of VA-level access (the recommended role for a virtual assistant):

Can do:

• Search open-sensitivity memories (decisions, commitments, stakeholder notes, facts)
• Add new notes directly (tagged with their role so you can find them later)
• Run meeting prep
• Check brand voice

Cannot do:

• See sensitive or CMO-only memories (compensation, contracts, NDAs, etc. — auto-classified at write time)
• Override sensitivity on memories they write (the classifier always wins for VAs)
• Edit or delete existing memories
• Change brand voice or client settings
• Use memory, handoff, or handoff (owner-only)

The guide frames this positively -- the VA can explore and contribute freely. The sensitivity gate runs automatically, so even if they accidentally write something sensitive, it's tagged and hidden from them. You can review what they added with search_memory(created_by_role="va") whenever you want.

5. Tips for Getting Started#

Practical advice: search before you write, use natural language, add context when you find it, and a suggested first workflow to try.

What Happens If Data Is Missing#

The guide handles gaps gracefully:

After Generating#

Once the guide appears, you have two things to do:

1. Review and edit. Scan the guide for anything you want to adjust. Add context the VA should know that is not in the memories yet.
2. Share it. Copy the guide and send it to your VA however you normally communicate -- email, Slack, shared doc.

If the VA has not been added to the client mind's team yet, Coppermind will remind you:

"Alex hasn't been added to the Acme team yet. Say 'add Alex to Acme' to set up their access."

When to Use This#

Key Details#

• Requires an active client. If no client is selected, Coppermind asks you to switch first.
• Sensitive and internal CMO memories are never included. The guide uses open client context only -- safe to share directly.
• Guide stays under 800 words. Short enough for a VA to read in five minutes. Not a manual.
• Read-only. Generating the guide does not modify any data.

Related Guides#

• Team Sharing -- how to add team members to a client mind
• Client Handoff -- exporting a full client mind when an engagement ends
• Installation and Setup -- getting the VA set up with Coppermind itself