The 12-point lead-intake leak checklist I run before automating anything

Before I automate any lead intake — mine or a client's — I score the existing funnel first. Twelve checks, 0 (broken/missing), 1 (partial/manual), 2 (automated + logged). Max 24. Anything I can't verify gets a 0; hopeful answers don't count.

Speed (0–6)

1. A new web-form lead reaches a human or queue in under 5 minutes, nights and weekends included.
2. Lead-ad leads flow automatically — no CSV download + import step.
3. You can name the slowest source and by how long it lags.

Assignment and routing (0–6)

1. Every lead gets an owner automatically (round-robin, territory, or intent rule). None sit unassigned.
2. Hot leads trigger an instant alert (Slack/SMS), not just a CRM row.
3. After-hours leads have a defined path, not "we'll see it Monday".

Data quality (0–6)

1. Duplicates impossible by construction (search-before-create on email) — not "we merge weekly".
2. Invalid emails rejected at intake with an error log — not silently dropped, not silently stored.
3. Every record carries source + timestamp + consent basis.

Follow-through (0–6)

1. An untouched-lead SLA exists (e.g. 2h) with escalation when breached.
2. No-reply sequences are templated + human-approved, never fully auto-sent.
3. One dashboard answers: received / contacted / qualified / lost — plus where each loss happened.

Reading your score

• 20–24: tight operation. An audit buys you the error-branch and scoring layer only.
• 12–19: the sweet spot — 1–2 recovered deals a month typically pays for a $998–$4,500 build.
• 0–11: fix assignment and SLA before buying any AI scoring. Scoring a leaking funnel wastes money — I'd rather tell you that on a call than sell you a build.

Try three test leads yourself

I put the same rules in a public in-browser demo (test data only, nothing leaves the page): a good lead gets created + scored, a bad email returns HTTP 400 with an error log, and a repeat submit merges instead of duplicating — https://ghostcoder6969.github.io/lead-intake-automation-demo/ — with the workflow file and a sample run log in the repo.

Full disclosure, same as my last post: no clients yet, which is why the demo, the files, and a fix-or-refund guarantee are public instead of testimonials. I do fixed-price intake builds and a $79 DIY starter pack. If any checklist item reads wrong to you, say so in the comments and I'll fix the post.