a customer portal, a client dashboard or a client login
A client portal is a private online space where your clients log in to see progress, share files, submit requests or approve work, instead of chasing you by email.
A client portal is a private place online where your clients can see what's going on with their work. They log in and see progress, files, invoices or requests, without having to email you and wait.
Good portals usually do a few simple things well: show status, collect requests through a form, share documents and get approvals. The less clients have to chase, the better.
You don't always need a custom app. Many small businesses build one from tools they already have, like ClickUp guest access or a page built in Zapier Forms, which used to be called Zapier Interfaces.
I start by asking what the client's customers actually chase them for. Usually it's three things: where's my job up to, here's a request, and can you check this. The portal only needs to answer those.
For some clients that's a ClickUp Folder shared with each customer as a view only guest. For others it's a simple Zapier Forms page that sends requests into ClickUp and shows status from Zapier Tables. Either way, the client's team can run it without me.
No custom code, and the team can change it themselves.
Not usually. For most small businesses, ClickUp guest access or Zapier Forms with Tables does the job. A custom build only makes sense when you need something those tools can't do.
Not if it's set up properly. Each client should only get access to their own Folder, records or page. I test it by logging in as a client before it goes live.
Often a ClickUp Folder shared with view only guests, which are free on paid plans. Add a form for requests and you've got a basic portal.
I set these up and train your team, in your own ClickUp or Zapier account.
Book a callContact Jack - jack@withtoki.co.uk