If you’re looking for a smart way to use Dubsado for vendors, you’re in the right place. While Dubsado doesn’t offer built-in vendor management features yet, this detailed guide will help you create a seamless vendor workflow using custom fields, automation, and internal lead captures. Whether you’re planning weddings, managing events, or coordinating subcontractors, you can absolutely use Dubsado for vendors to streamline your process.

Dubsado Doesn’t Fully Support Vendor Management (Yet)

If you caught the Dubsado 3.0 Preview Webinar, you already know it’s looking gorgeous. The upcoming updates are all about improving the user experience, speeding up the platform, and laying a foundation for the future. One of the most interesting hints? They’re working toward multi-contact support – which might someday let you email separate points of contact per client (like sending invoices to a bookkeeper, not just the main client contact).

But make no mistake: that’s not the same as full vendor management.

They didn’t promise the ability to truly manage multiple vendors per project, or assign separate workflows, communication threads, and forms to non-client participants. And with no confirmed timeline, we need a solid workaround that’s built to scale with your business now – not “someday.”

Luckily, I’ve got one for you. And it works beautifully.

Who Should Use Dubsado for Vendors

This setup is a game-changer for businesses that have a main client and multiple external contributors that help fulfill the project.

Industries that will benefit:

• Wedding planners
• Event coordinators
• Photographers & videographers
• Interior designers
• Creative agencies
• Consultants
• Construction project managers
• Floral designers
• Corporate event planners
• Brand or marketing strategists working with subcontractors
• …or anyone managing deliverables across a team of vendors

If you’ve ever found yourself copying/pasting emails to send vendor contracts, manually tracking who received what, or chasing vendors for responses – you’re about to breathe a sigh of relief.

Step 1: Map the “Vendor Experience” Before You Automate

Before building workflows, take a beat to understand what your vendor journey looks like. Think of it like your client experience – but tailored for collaborators.

Ask yourself:

• What do I need each vendor to do?
• What forms or documents do I send them?
• Do we meet before a project kicks off?
• Do I need photos, feedback, or other deliverables post-project?

Then, break that experience into the same lifecycle phases as a client:

1. Onboarding (agreements, info gathering, scheduling)
2. Fulfillment (ongoing communication or meetings)
3. Offboarding (thank-yous, testimonial requests, follow-ups)

📌 Pro Tip: If you frequently work with the same vendors across projects, consider giving them access to the Client Portal – you can call it a Vendor Portal in your emails. It’s a polished, professional way to share all their relevant links and forms in one spot, especially if you’re collaborating on multiple jobs.

By planning this process in advance, you’re not only making your life easier – you’re creating space to add thoughtful touches you usually don’t have capacity for, like thank-you notes or follow-up requests for reviews.

Step 2: Create the Right Custom Mapped Fields

Dubsado already has default fields like:

• Project Date
• Project Location
• Client Contact Info

You can use smart fields for these without needing to create custom ones.

What you do need to create:

• A custom project-level field for Event Name or Project Name This allows you to insert the name into forms and emails as a smart field – automatically dynamically updating.
• A Role field to identify the vendor’s part in the project Think: DJ, Florist, Copywriter, Subcontractor, etc.

These smart fields will personalize your communications at scale – without making it feel automated.

🔗 New to smart fields? Check out this walkthrough

(And don’t worry, I’ll tell you exactly how to easily & quickly get this information filled in later.)

Step 3: Add a Project Status and Tag for Vendors

To keep your vendor projects separate from client projects, create:

• A Project Status called “Vendor”
• A Tag called “Vendor”

Using both gives you a clean dashboard view and makes it easier to filter, report, or archive later.

Step 4: Build Out the Forms Your Vendors Need

This step is all about creating a smooth, consistent experience – for you and your vendors.

👉 If you need them to sign an agreement:

• Use a Sub-Agreement instead of a Contract (Why? Because we can workflow sending reminders for signing your Sub-Agreements, but not your contracts..)

Every form you build should:

• Use your Event Name smart field in the header for clarity. You can also add in the Vendor Role one if it makes sense!
• Include your branding for professionalism – especially if you’re known in your field or want your communications to reflect your high standards
• Feel like an extension of your brand experience

Even if a vendor is only working with you on one project, clearly labeling the event or project name helps avoid confusion and adds a polished touch.

Step 5: Add Schedulers (Yes, Even for Ad-Hoc Meetings)

If you ever meet with vendors – virtually or otherwise – use Dubsado schedulers to streamline the process.

Even if the meetings aren’t tied to a specific project timeline, schedulers are helpful for:

• Letting vendors book you for a quick check-in
• Setting up pre-event planning calls
• Handling last-minute changes without an email back-and-forth

🌟 Set up a general-purpose scheduler, like “1-Hour Virtual Vendor Meeting” and keep it accessible.

Don’t forget to add your standard confirmation and reminder emails to the scheduler settings! If you don’t already have standard emails for this, you should. Here’s a blog about why!

This gives vendors a flexible, professional way to connect with you – without needing to email back and forth every time.

Step 6: Write Your Vendor Emails

Every form or scheduler you send requires its own email template – unless you’re sending vendors into the portal, in which case a single “go-to-the-portal” email will suffice.

Tips:

• Always use your Event Name smart field in the subject or body (e.g., “Here’s your agreement for the [Event Name] project”)
• Reference the Role field, if used (e.g., “Thanks for being the [florist] for…”)
• Keep the language professional, clear, and friendly – no need for “beautifully branded” layouts here

You don’t need 20 emails – just a clean, intentional set for the steps in your workflow.

Step 7: Build Your Vendor Workflow

Now for the magic ✨

Here’s what a typical vendor workflow includes:

1. Set Project Status to “Vendor”
2. Apply Vendor Tag
3. Optional: To-Do to rename the project title so vendors see the right project name in the portal
4. Send Sub-Agreement
5. Include reminders (as many as you want using your general form reminder emails). This is how you’ll set up the step: “Send Form > X days > After form is not completed”
6. Once they sign, introduce them to the Vendor Portal, if you’re using it. Include your Client Portal Guide! (you can simply rename it Portal Guide if you want!). Make sure you tell them if they need to get into the portal to complete any action items right now. This would be another “Send Form” (Portal Guide) “x hours after form is completed” (sub-agreement).
7. Send Questionnaire or Form, if needed. If you’re not using the portal, you can set this up to send as soon as the sub-agreement is completed, or you can set it up to go “x time before project start date” – whatever makes sense for you!
8. Send Scheduler Link for booking a call, if needed.
9. Offboarding Email
   • Trigger after project start date (instead of end date) –
     • Side bar- this is typically better because if the project has a start time (like 10:00 AM), your offboarding email will go out at that time on the right day instead of midnight or late evening when the project ends. This makes it more likely the email will land during working hours.
   • Ask for a testimonial or request project photos if relevant
10. Archive Project so it doesn’t clutter your dashboard forever

🔗 Need help with form reminders? Check out this blog post on automatic reminders

Step 8: Trigger Workflows with a Vendor Internal Lead Capture

This is how you kick it all off – without needing the vendor to submit anything themselves.

Create a simple Lead Capture Form that you’ll fill out internally each time you bring a vendor onto a project.

Fields to include:

• First Name mapped to Client First Name
• Last Name mapped to Client Last Name
• Email mapped to Client Email
• Phone (if you have it) mapped to Client Phone
• Event Name (mapped to your custom project-level field)
• Role (mapped to your custom project-level field, if you created this field)
• Project Date (mapped to native Dubsado Project Date field)

Go into the form settings and attach your new Vendor Workflow as the Default Workflow. Bookmark the form URL and fill it out anytime you need to get a vendor onboarded – done in less than 60 seconds.

Why Using Dubsado for Vendors Works

Managing vendors doesn’t have to be messy.

This system:

• Centralizes communication
• Automates agreements and reminders
• Keeps you organized and polished
• Removes the need for follow-up emails and chasing responses
• Helps your brand show up with poise at every touchpoint

Until Dubsado rolls out full multi-contact support (which may only scratch the surface of what you really need for vendor management), this is the cleanest, most efficient way to manage vendor experiences.

You’re not just saving time – you’re creating an elevated, professional backend that scales with your growth.

Final Thoughts on Dubsado for Vendors

At Forms & Flows, we believe that systems should be as refined as your brand. And that includes the way you manage vendor relationships.

With a little intention, a few smart fields, and an elegant workflow, you can create a vendor experience that reflects your values, saves you time, and sets you apart.

🔗 Want help building a system that works beautifully behind the scenes? Explore our templates or contact us for custom Dubsado support.