Setup client login/preview client portal [in-depth guide]
System setup | Setup client login | Preview client portal | Client portal settings | Resources
This guide will show you how to set up your system for your client logins and control what they can see and do within the client portal.
For best results, be sure to add your contacts (client login users) to the team of the project for their client. And if desired, assign them to tasks.
NOTE: Client logins (free users) cannot enter time. You can set your contacts as full users temporarily, but you will be charged for their full user status while active and they will see the full user experience like a regular employee login would.
System setup
Transaction preferences
Menu > Admin/Manager > System Setup > Account Information > Transaction Preferences > Client Portal > Default Security Group
In order to allow initial access for your client logins, you will want to check Transaction preferences to see if the Client Portal > Default Security Group is populated. By default, this should show the clients security group.
NOTE: You can assign a different security group to your contacts, which will override this default setting.
Security settings
Menu > Admin/Manager > System Setup > Account Information > Security Settings
Most settings are done via the preview client portal in a later section. However, there are a few key points here that do apply to client logins specifically.
NOTE: There may be more settings visible here than actually apply to free users.
All options
While the preview client portal overall controls if the user's group can view a section, these rights actually control if they can create or edit a record, such as project requests and spec sheets.
We recommend you turn them all on and then turn them off as needed.
File system rights
This can be useful if you want to control their ability to upload files to projects, and not delete the files.
Additionally, you can set the rights for files and folders on your project templates.
Setup client login
Security controls
From the client's contact record, click on More > Contact Settings.
This will open the Security Controls for this contact.
To allow a contact to log in as a free user contact, you will need to populate the User ID, Password, and Security Group.
NOTE: Do NOT uncheck Free Login as this will convert them to a paid user in your system and give them wider access.
From here YOU are responsible for providing your client with the user ID, password, and server URL.
Preview client portal
From any contact record, click on More > Preview Client Portal.
You will then be presented with a live view of what this client login would see.
You can click around and interact to see what they see on open projects and even start a project request as that user. But most other actions will take you out of the portal and use your login.
Client portal settings
To adjust what the client logins can see and access, click on Settings from the top of the Preview page.
NOTE: When the client logs in, they will NOT see the settings.
Dashboard settings
Date range - Determines the range in which assigned tasks will appear for your client logins. This is similar to the setup within Today creatives, you can choose from;
- Due on or before today
- Due on or before a week from today
- Due on or before 2 weeks from today
- Start on or before today
- Start on or before a week from today
- Start on or before 2 weeks from today
- All
Sort assigned tasks by due date - This determines how the assigned tasks will sort for your client logins. The default is by project number.
Project details
View the project schedule - This will allow the user to see a basic version of the project schedule when they click open a project.
Show spec sheets - This allows the user to see and open spec sheets on the project.
Show deliverables - This allows the user to see and open all the deliverables on the project.
Show files - This allows the user to access the files section on the project.
Show next steps - This shows the Next Steps text field appearing on the project.
Show conversations - This allows the user to see conversations on the project. NOTE: Only posts (and their replies) that are flagged as visible to client will appear on client logins.
Start new conversations - This allows the user to create new conversations on the Project. NOTE: They will be able to see all replies to conversations they start.
Allow clients to complete assigned tasks - If you assign a user to a task, then you can also let them complete the task assignment from the client portal.
Show project team - Makes the team of users visible to the client login.
Show project to-dos - Makes the project to-dos (not task to-dos) visible from the open project.
Show project status - Makes the current project status visible on the project card.
Show project views - This will make the project report views appear in the client portal. NOTE: You will still need to ensure the report views are visible to your client's logins security group.
Show due comments - If the client login is assigned to a task, then the due comments of that task will be visible on the task card.
Task dates to show - If you assign client logins to tasks then you can choose what date you want to be reflected in the client portal.
- Start dates
- Due date
- Both
Budget
Show the total budget - This shows the basic details of the budget. In this case, the total budget amount.
Show the total actual and remaining - Shows the gross total amount of actuals and remaining amounts compared to the total budget amount.
Show actual hours to date - Shows the total actual hours entered on the project to date.
Show billed to date - Shows the total amount billed on client invoices.
Campaign details
Show projects and segments - This allows the client login to see all the segments and projects from an open campaign.
Show spec sheets - This allows the client login to see all spec sheets on an open campaign.
Show deliverables - This allows the client login to see all deliverables on an open campaign.
Show files - This allows the client login to see the files section of an open campaign.
Show conversations - This allows the user to see conversations on the campaign. NOTE: Only posts (and their replies) that are flagged as visible to clients will appear on client logins.
Start new conversations - This allows the user to create new conversations on the campaign. NOTE: They will be able to see all replies to conversations they start.
Show campaign views - This will make the campaign report views appear in the client portal. NOTE: You will still need to ensure the report views are visible to your clients' logins security group.
Project request details
Show project request views - This will make the project request report views appear in the client portal. NOTE: You will still need to ensure the report views are visible to your clients' logins security group.
Invoice details
Show current invoices - Show all open invoices based on the settings below.
Show closed invoices - Show all zero open balance invoices based on the settings below.
Show invoice for assigned projects - Only show invoices for projects where the contact is on the project team (and client, parent client, or child client based on the settings below).
Show invoices for company - This allows the contact to see invoices for the client they are linked to.
Show invoices for parent company - This allows the contact to see invoices for the parent client of the child client they are linked to.
Show invoices for child company - This allows the contact to see invoices for the child client of the parent client they are linked to.