You don't need a marketing background to find out whether your agency is earning its fee. This checklist breaks an audit into seven areas and 40 yes-or-no checks. Run it three or four months before your contract renews, write down the evidence for each answer, and you'll know whether to renew, renegotiate or start looking.
How to use this checklist
Answer first: work through it in order, mark each item yes, no or unsure, and keep a screenshot or document for every "no".
Set aside two or three hours. Gather your contract, the last six to twelve months of invoices and reports, and access to your ad accounts, analytics and website admin. Where you don't have access, that is itself a finding: note it and request access.
Score at the end by counting the "no" answers in each section. A single "no" in ownership matters more than several in reporting, because ownership problems are the hardest to fix later.
Section 1: Ownership and access (6 checks)
Answer first: everything your business pays for should be registered to your business, with the agency as a user.
- Is your domain registered in your business's name, with login details you control?
- Is website hosting in your name, or do you have a written right to the files?
- Are your ad accounts (search, social) owned by your business, with the agency added as a user?
- Are your analytics and search console properties owned by your business?
- Is your Google Business Profile or equivalent listing owned by you?
- Do you have a current list of every person with access to each account?
If any answer is no, fix it first. It protects you regardless of what the rest of the audit shows.
Section 2: Tracking (6 checks)
Answer first: if enquiries aren't counted accurately, every other number in the report is unreliable.
- Are phone calls from your website and ads tracked, with a minimum call length so wrong numbers aren't counted?
- Are text messages and emails from your website tracked?
- Does one enquiry count once, not twice?
- Can you match tracked enquiries to actual customers in your records?
- Does someone ask new customers how they found you, and record it?
- Has anyone tested the tracking recently by making a real call and checking it appears?
Check 12 is simple and revealing. Make a test call from a personal phone, then ask your agency whether it shows up in the data the next day.
Section 3: Paid advertising (7 checks)
Answer first: paid campaigns should spend on searches and audiences that can become customers, at a cost you can justify.
- Can you see the actual search terms your ads appeared for over the last 90 days?
- Are irrelevant searches (job seekers, do-it-yourself, unrelated services) excluded?
- Do ads show only in the areas you serve?
- Is ad spend billed directly to your card, or is it clear what you paid for media versus fees?
- Has the account been changed in the last 30 days? (Change history shows this.)
- Does each campaign have a target cost per enquiry or customer?
- Do ad messages match what you can honestly offer?
On check 19: Canada's Competition Act prohibits materially false or misleading claims in any marketing material, including online ads and social posts, and the Competition Bureau judges claims by the general impression they convey (as of October 2026). Your name is on the ads, so read them as your customers would.
Section 4: Search visibility and content (6 checks)
Answer first: search work should leave visible traces on your website and in search data, month by month.
- Can the agency list the specific pages created or improved in the last six months?
- Do those pages exist on your site and read well to a customer?
- Is search console data shared with you, showing impressions and clicks trending over time?
- Are the search terms that bring visitors relevant to what you sell?
- Do new pages make it easy to call, text or email?
- Is the volume of work in line with the hours or deliverables in your contract?
Section 5: Reporting (5 checks)
Answer first: a useful report answers business questions: how many enquiries, at what cost, from where, and what's changing next month.
- Does the monthly report show tracked enquiries, not only traffic and impressions?
- Does it show cost per enquiry, by channel?
- Does it compare results against agreed targets?
- Does it say what was done this month and what is planned next?
- Can you understand it without a call to explain it?
Section 6: Contract, invoices and email marketing (5 checks)
Answer first: what you are invoiced for should match what the contract promises, and nothing should renew without you knowing.
- Do invoices match the contract scope and price?
- Do you know the renewal date and notice period?
- Is it clear what you receive back if you leave?
- If the agency sends email or text campaigns for you, can it show proof of consent for the people on your lists?
- Do those messages identify your business and include a working unsubscribe option?
On checks 34 and 35: under Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation, commercial electronic messages need consent, sender identification and an easy unsubscribe mechanism, and ISED's guidance says senders must be able to prove consent; see ISED's CASL consent guidance (as of October 2026). We can point out gaps, but compliance questions belong with a lawyer.
Section 7: Value (5 checks)
Answer first: in the end, the question is whether the total cost per customer sits within what a customer is worth to you.
- Do you know your total monthly marketing cost, including fees, ad spend and software?
- Do you know how many new customers marketing produced last quarter?
- Is total cost per customer at or below your target?
- Is the trend over six months improving or stable?
- If you were choosing today, would you hire this agency again on this scope?
If you don't have a target cost per customer, our budget guide shows how to set one.
Reading your results
Answer first: count the "no" answers, weight ownership and tracking most heavily, and turn the list into questions for your agency.
- 0 to 5 "no" answers: your agency is probably doing solid work. Share the few gaps and agree on fixes.
- 6 to 12: a tighter scope and clearer reporting are needed. Ask for a written improvement plan with dates.
- 13 or more, or any "no" in Section 1: treat it as urgent. Secure ownership first, then decide whether the relationship can be repaired.
Share findings with evidence, calmly and in writing. Most agencies respond well to specific, documented questions, and many problems turn out to be oversights rather than bad faith.
When to bring in help
This checklist catches most problems, but some need a closer look: complex ad accounts, broken tracking or several overlapping vendors. That's where a professional vendor audit adds value, with evidence for every finding and a prioritised list of fixes. If the audit shows it's time for a change, our guide to choosing a marketing agency covers the next step, and our pricing page lists the fees.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I audit my marketing agency?
Once a year is a sensible minimum, ideally three to four months before the contract renews. Audit sooner if results drop suddenly, your account contact changes, or the agency proposes a significant price increase.
Can I run this checklist without technical knowledge?
Most of it, yes. The ownership, reporting, invoice and value sections need no technical skill. The ad account and tracking sections are easier with help, but even a partial pass reveals a lot.
What should I do if the checklist shows problems?
Write down each problem with evidence, share the list with your agency, and ask for a written plan with dates. Most issues are fixable. If the response is vague or defensive, that tells you something too.
Is asking for access to my own accounts going to offend my agency?
It shouldn't. The accounts should be yours. A good agency will grant access quickly and may welcome the chance to show its work.