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. 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

To see the client's side, open the public demo. For illustrative walkthroughs with fictional firms, see:

• Agency walkthrough: opening a workspace for a design engagement
• Accounting walkthrough: preparing a workspace for document collection
• Law firm walkthrough: a matter-specific workspace and the documents it needs

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