How to onboard a client

This is the per-client onboarding flow once the workspace is configured. Repeat it each time you add a client.

1. Create the client (1 minute)

/app/clients → + Add client. Two required fields:

• Client name: the business name, not the contact person's name. (Use "Acme Industries" not "Andrea Russo.") The business name shows in your activity feed and in the portal header.
• Primary email: the contact who'll be invited. This is the person who receives the magic link.

Optional fields:

• Internal note: free-text note visible only to your team. Useful for "intro through Sara, mentioned brand work for sister company" or "billing goes to AP separately."
• Tags: free-text labels. Common patterns: retainer, one-off, priority, Q1-2027.

Click Create client. The client appears in your list. No invite has been sent yet.

2. Set up the portal scaffold (3-5 minutes)

The portal scaffold is generated automatically using the configurator answers from your workspace setup. For most clients you don't need to customise it, but you can:

• Rename folders if this client has a different deliverable set. "Branding" might become "Logo and identity" for a logo-only engagement.
• Edit the welcome message to address the client by name. The default uses your generic welcome message; a personalised version reads better.
• Add a kickoff approval. If the engagement starts with a signed letter, create an approval request now so it's waiting when the client opens the portal.

3. Add the kickoff approval (2 minutes)

Most engagements start with a signed engagement letter or scope confirmation. Create that as the first approval:

1. Click into the client → Approvals → + New approval.
2. Subject: "Engagement letter, [matter name]" (or "Scope confirmation, [project name]").
3. Body: a short note explaining what's attached and what clicking approve commits the client to.
4. Attached file: the engagement letter PDF.
5. Due date: 5-7 business days from now.
6. Mode: "any reviewer" (default; the named client contact approves).

Save. The approval sits in the portal, waiting.

4. Send the magic-link invite (30 seconds)

Click into the client → Invite contact (or use the "Send magic-link now" toggle if you didn't tick it on creation).

The invite email goes out immediately via Resend (or your configured email service). The client sees:

Subject: Your private portal at [Your Firm Name]

Hello [Client name],

[Your welcome message]

Open your portal: [Button]

The link is one-time use, 24-hour TTL. If they don't click within 24 hours, you reissue from their client detail page.

5. Optional: send a Loom or quick note (5 minutes)

For first-time portal users, a 60-second screen recording explaining what they're about to see makes adoption smoother. Patterns that work:

• Record a short Loom showing the portal landing screen, the Files section, and the Approvals section.
• In your portal welcome message, paste the Loom link with one line: "Two-minute walkthrough of your portal: [link]."

Most clients don't need this past the first one or two. Once they're inside, the portal is self-explanatory. The walkthrough is for the moment between opening the email and finding their way to the first action.

6. Wait for the first portal-opened event (varies)

In your /app activity feed, watch for "Client opened portal." This usually happens within 4 hours for active clients, 24-48 hours for clients who only check email a few times a day.

If you don't see it within 72 hours:

• Check the audit log to confirm the email was sent (sometimes spam filters intercept).
• Check the client's email is correct (typos happen; one wrong character means the link goes nowhere).
• Send a polite reminder by email or phone. Don't reissue the link unless they say they can't find the first one.

7. After the first portal open

The client receives a welcome confirmation. Your activity feed shows "Client opened portal." From here, the workflow is normal:

• They see the kickoff approval and act on it
• You upload files as they're ready
• Messages happen in the portal thread
• Invoices land in the Invoices section

If you also configured webhooks (Settings → Webhooks), portal.opened fires to your Slack channel so your team knows the engagement is active.

Common mistakes

• Sending the invite before the portal is configured. The client opens the portal and sees blank folders. Always configure the scaffold first.
• Inviting the wrong email. Confirm the primary email with the client before sending. Some clients want their assistant invited instead of themselves.
• Skipping the kickoff approval. Without it, the first portal visit has nothing for the client to do. They wonder why they were invited.
• Over-customising on day one. Resist the urge to edit every template. The defaults work; refine them after you've seen them in use.

What this looks like end to end

For a worked example of the full client lifecycle inside a portal, see:

• Agency walkthrough, design-engagement onboarding
• Accounting walkthrough, bulk SA-client onboarding
• Law firm walkthrough, matter-based onboarding with KYC

Each has real screenshots showing the agency side and the client side of every step.