What is a client portal?

A client portal is a secure, login-protected workspace where your clients interact with your agency. Instead of chasing email threads, a client logs in to see what is in progress, download deliverables, approve or comment on work, submit new requests and view or pay invoices. The agency controls what each client can see. Client portal software is the category of tools that provides this workspace. The difference from giving clients guest access to your project management tool is control: a portal shows clients only their own work, files and invoices, and hides internal tasks, team discussions and costs. What clients typically do in a portal: • Check the status of projects and requests • Download files and review versions of deliverables • Approve work or leave comments on it • Submit new requests or buy additional services • Message the agency team in one thread per project • View and pay invoices Example: a client who emails "where are we on the homepage?" twice a week can instead see the request moved to "In review" with the latest version attached. If 10 clients each send two status emails a week and each reply takes 10 minutes, that is more than 3 hours a week of account management time. What to evaluate when choosing a portal: • Permissions: can you control what each client user sees? • Files and approvals: does it handle versions and formal sign-off? • Communication: are messages tied to a project or request rather than one long chat? • Billing: can clients see and pay invoices in the same place? • Branding: logo and colors, custom domain, branded email and removal of the vendor's name (see white-label portal) • Fit with your workflow: a portal is not automatically a replacement for project management or accounting software, so check what it connects to Common mistakes: launching a portal without showing clients how to use it, keeping some communication in email so clients check both, and giving clients access to internal discussions they were never meant to see. Product example: in AgencyPro, the client portal, file sharing, messaging, invoicing, client onboarding, portal branding and a custom domain are included on every plan from Basic ($39/month). Versioned proofing and approvals and design annotation are on Pro; branded email and removing the "Powered by" mark are on Plus.