Client Portal

Setting up and managing client portal access for transparency and self-service

The client portal is one of Agency OS's most powerful features. It transforms the client experience from email chaos to organized transparency, reducing status update requests by 80% while increasing client satisfaction.

What is the Client Portal?

The client portal is a client-facing view of Agency OS where clients can:

• View their projects and tasks in real-time

• Track progress without asking for updates

• See billing and invoices

• Communicate with your team via comments

• Access deliverables and files

The Magic: Everything updates automatically. When you move a task to "Done," your client sees it immediately. No more status update emails!

Client Portal Structure

When clients log into Agency OS, they see a simplified interface:

🌐 Portal (Homepage/welcome)
📁 Projects (Their projects only)
💰 Billing (Their invoices only)

That's it. All internal sections (CRM, Team, Expenses, admin dashboards) are completely hidden.

Portal (Client Homepage)

Purpose: Welcome page with quick actions and task overview

What Clients See

Welcome Message

• Personalized greeting with their name

• Brief description of the portal

• Your agency branding

Quick Action Cards Three main action cards:

1. View Projects

   • Description: "See the latest updates on the projects we're working with you"

   • Clicks through to Projects list

2. Book a Meeting

   • Description: "Book a meeting with one of our team. Simply choose the time that suits you best"

   • Links to calendar booking (if configured)

3. Pay Your Bills

   • Description: "View your past and upcoming invoices"

   • Links to Billing section

Ongoing Tasks Below the quick actions, clients see:

• Tasks your agency is currently working on for them

• Only tasks for their projects

• Task status, assignee, due date

• Priority indicators

• Can click to see task details and add comments

Customizing the Portal Page

In Build Mode, you can customize:

• Welcome message text

• Quick action cards (add, remove, or modify)

• Which tasks appear (e.g., only "In Progress" tasks)

• Additional widgets (upcoming meetings, recent files, etc.)

• Your agency logo and branding

Projects (Client View)

Purpose: Show clients their projects and track progress

What Clients See

Project List

• Only projects for their client account

• Project name and description

• Status (In Progress, Completed, etc.)

• Timeline (start and end dates)

• Progress indicator (optional)

Project Details When clicking into a project:

• Project overview and timeline

• All tasks for this project

• Current status of each task

• Who's assigned (your team members)

• Due dates

• Reply comments (client-visible)

• NOT Notes (internal comments are hidden)

Task Details Clients can click into tasks to see:

• Full task description

• Current status (To do, In Progress, Done)

• Who's working on it

• Due date and priority

• Reply comments from your team

• Can add their own Reply comments

What Clients Can Do

View Only:

• Project details

• Task progress

• Team member assignments

• Due dates

Comment:

• Add Reply comments to tasks

• Ask questions

• Provide feedback

• Approve deliverables

Cannot Do:

• Create or edit projects

• Change task status or assignments

• See internal Notes

• Access other clients' projects

• See team workload or capacity

Filtered Automatically: Clients only see their own projects. This filtering happens automatically based on the Client account linked to their user account.

Billing (Client View)

Purpose: View invoices and payment status

What Clients See

Payment List

• All invoices for their account

• Invoice number and date

• Amount

• Due date

• Status (Sent, Overdue, Paid)

Invoice Details When clicking an invoice:

• Full line item breakdown

• What they're being charged for

• Quantities and rates

• Subtotals and total

• Payment instructions

• Payment history

Payment Status

• Unpaid invoices highlighted

• Overdue notifications

• Paid invoice history

• Download invoices (if configured)

What Clients Can Do

• View all their invoices

• See detailed line items

• Check payment status

• Download/print invoices (if enabled)

• Pay online (if payment processor integrated)

Setting Up Client Portal Access

Here's the complete process to give a client portal access:

Step 1: Ensure Client Record Exists

1. Go to Clients

2. Find or create the client company record

3. Verify it's set to "Active" status

Step 2: Add Contact Person

1. In the client record, go to Contacts tab

2. Add the person who should have portal access

3. Include their email address (critical for login)

4. Mark them as primary contact (optional)

Step 3: Create User from Contact

1. From the Contact record, click action to "Create User" or "Invite to Portal"

2. OR go to Settings > User Management > Add User

3. Enter their email address

4. Send invitation

They'll receive an email with:

• Welcome message

• Login link

• Instructions for setting password

Step 4: Assign Client Role

1. Go to Settings > Users (or User Management)

2. Find the newly created user

3. Assign role: "Client"

4. The Client role has these characteristics:

   • Limited permissions

   • Can only view, not edit (except comments)

   • Automatically filtered to their data only

Step 5: Link User to Client Account

This is critical for data filtering:

1. On the User record, find field like "Account" or "Client"

2. Link to their Client company record

3. This connection ensures they only see their projects/billing

4. Save

Step 6: Test the Portal!

Before telling the client their portal is ready:

1. Click your profile icon (top-right)

2. Select "View as [Client Name]"

3. You're now seeing Agency OS as that client sees it

4. Check:

   • Only their projects visible?

   • Only their billing visible?

   • Internal Notes are hidden?

   • Everything looks professional?

5. Click profile icon again and "Stop viewing as" to return to your admin view

Step 7: Introduce Client to Portal

Send a welcome email:

Sample Email:

Hi [Client Name],

We've set up a portal where you can track all your projects with us in real-time!

Login here: [your-agency.noloco.app]
Your username: [their-email]

Once logged in, you'll be able to:
- See what we're working on right now
- Track progress on all tasks
- View and pay invoices
- Ask questions directly on tasks

Quick tips:
- Check the Portal page for a quick overview
- Add comments on any task to ask questions
- All updates happen in real-time—no need to email for status

Let me know if you have any questions!

[Your name]

Always Test First: Use "View as" to verify what clients will see before inviting them. This prevents accidentally exposing internal information!

Managing Multiple Client Users

One client company can have multiple portal users:

Common Scenarios

Client Team Access:

• Project manager: Full project visibility

• Finance person: Billing access only

• Stakeholders: Project view only

Creating Different Client Roles:

Option 1: Use Same "Client" Role

• All see the same things

• Simplest approach

• Works for most agencies

Option 2: Create Custom Client Roles Create in Settings > Roles:

• Client Admin: See everything for their account

• Client Finance: Billing only

• Client Viewer: Projects only, no commenting

Then assign appropriate role to each client user.

Learn more: User Roles & Permissions

Reply vs Note: Critical for Client Portal

This is the most important concept for using the client portal effectively:

Reply (Client Sees It) ✅

When to Use:

• Updating client on progress

• Asking client a question

• Requesting client approval

• Notifying deliverable is ready

• Answering client question

Examples:

• "The homepage design is ready for your review!"

• "Do you prefer option A or option B?"

• "We've completed this task ahead of schedule."

• "Could you provide feedback by Friday?"

Clients receive:

• Notification of new Reply

• Can see it in their portal

• Can respond with their own Reply

Note (Internal Only) 🔒

When to Use:

• Team coordination

• Technical discussions

• Budget concerns

• Potential problems

• Internal questions

Examples:

• "This is taking longer than estimated, might impact budget"

• "Waiting on design team to finish before I can start"

• "Client might request scope change here, heads up"

• "Let's discuss the technical approach on our standup"

Clients:

• Never see Notes

• No notification

• Completely hidden

Common Mistake: Accidentally using Reply for internal discussion. Always double-check before clicking! You can edit or delete comments if you make a mistake.

Client Communication Best Practices

Setting Expectations

When introducing the portal, tell clients:

What to Expect:

• Real-time updates on all projects

• Transparent view of what's being worked on

• Easy way to ask questions

• Self-service for invoices

How Often to Check:

• Weekly for project updates

• When they receive email notifications

• Before meetings to prepare

How to Communicate:

• Use Reply on tasks for specific questions

• Email for urgent matters

• Scheduled calls for strategic discussions

Training Clients

Short Walkthrough (10 minutes):

1. Show Portal homepage

2. Navigate to Projects

3. Click into a project and task

4. Demonstrate adding a Reply comment

5. Show Billing section

6. Answer questions

Follow-Up Support:

• Send quick reference guide

• Reply to their first portal comment quickly

• Be patient as they learn

• Celebrate when they use it

Response Time Commitments

Set clear expectations:

• Reply comments: Respond within 24 business hours

• Urgent issues: Email or call for same-day

• Billing questions: 2 business days

Then stick to these commitments.

Portal Benefits

For Your Agency

Time Savings:

• 80% reduction in "what's the status?" emails

• Clients find answers themselves

• Automated updates (no manual reports)

• Clear communication history

Professional Image:

• Modern, branded experience

• Transparency builds trust

• Differentiation from competitors

• Shows you're organized

Better Projects:

• Faster client feedback

• Clearer communication

• Fewer misunderstandings

• Documented decisions

For Your Clients

Visibility:

• See progress anytime

• No waiting for updates

• Understand what's happening

• Feels more in control

Convenience:

• One place for everything

• Self-service for invoices

• Easy to ask questions

• Access from anywhere

Trust:

• Transparency builds confidence

• See your team is working

• Clear deliverable tracking

• Professional experience

Troubleshooting

Client Can't Log In

Check:

1. User account created?

2. Invitation email sent and not expired?

3. They're using correct email address?

4. Password reset if needed

5. Account is active (not deactivated)?

Client Sees Wrong Data

Check:

1. User has "Client" role assigned?

2. User is linked to correct Client account?

3. Projects are linked to correct Client?

4. Permissions are set correctly?

Use "View as" to see exactly what they see.

Client Can't Comment

Check:

1. They're using Reply (not Note—which they can't see)?

2. Permissions allow commenting?

3. They're on the correct record?

Client Sees Internal Notes

This is serious! Check:

1. Comments are actually Notes, not Replies?

2. Field visibility permissions are correct?

3. Test with "View as" to verify

If confirmed, immediately:

1. Delete or edit the exposed Notes

2. Check all other tasks for same issue

3. Review and fix permissions

Advanced Portal Configuration

Custom Branding

Add Your Branding:

• Upload your agency logo

• Set brand colors

• Customize welcome message

• Add custom domain (your-portal.youragency.com)

Learn more: Custom Logos and Custom Domain

Additional Portal Features

Consider Adding:

• File downloads section

• Meeting scheduler integration

• Knowledge base or FAQ

• Feedback forms

• Project request forms (for new work)

Portal Automations

Useful Workflows:

• Email client when task status changes to "Done"

• Notify when new invoice is available

• Remind about overdue feedback

• Weekly project summary email

Learn more: Workflows

Client Portal Metrics

Track portal effectiveness:

• Login frequency per client

• Time from invite to first login

• Comment response time

• Portal usage vs email questions

• Client satisfaction scores

Tips for Success

For Account Managers

Pre-Portal:

• Set up portal for new clients immediately

• Test thoroughly before inviting

• Prepare welcome email

• Schedule brief walkthrough

Ongoing:

• Monitor client portal usage

• Encourage adoption ("Let me add that to your portal")

• Respond quickly to portal comments

• Celebrate when clients use it

For Project Managers

Daily:

• Check for client Reply comments

• Update task statuses (clients see it real-time)

• Add Reply updates at milestones

Best Practices:

• Use Reply generously for updates

• Default to Note for internal discussion

• Update portal before client meetings

• Reference portal in conversations

Related Guides

• Managing Clients - Client relationship context

• Projects & Delivery - What clients see in projects

• Billing & Expenses - What clients see in billing

• User Roles & Permissions - Setting up access

Portal = Client Delight: A well-run client portal transforms your client relationships. Transparency, self-service, and real-time updates make you stand out from every other agency.