Client portal
Every plan except Free.
The client portal is one page where a client sees all their forms with your firm, not just the one they are filling in. The portal is read-only, and each portal link works for 90 days.
What clients see
The portal greets the client by name and has three tabs: Forms, Documents, and Signatures.
Forms
Forms are grouped under Active and Completed. Each card shows:
The template name.
A status: To do, Submitted, Changes requested, or Done. Active forms also show a percentage with a progress bar.
The due date, if one was set. It is marked Overdue once it passes.
Your contact, if the onboarding has an assigned team member.
The portal lists sent, in-progress, and completed onboardings. Drafts, cancelled, expired, and archived onboardings do not appear. An open onboarding whose link expiry date has passed is hidden too. The list shows 25 forms at a time, with Load more for the rest.
Clients click View to see a read-only summary of their answers. A completed form also offers Download PDF. A PIN-protected form shows Unlock form and asks for its PIN first.
To change answers, the client uses the form link from your latest email. If you requested changes, the summary says so and points the client to that email. If you rejected an answer, the summary says your team could not accept the marked items. If the onboarding has an assigned team member, it also names them as Your contact.
Uploaded documents
Files the client uploaded are listed by form, with the file name, size, and upload date. The list is for reference only. Clients cannot download files from the portal.
Signatures
Each signature shows who signed and when, any countersignature, and an excerpt of the agreement text. Download signature certificate saves the certificate as a PDF.
Sharing the portal link
The portal link is separate from onboarding form links. Portico issues a portal link in three ways:
When a client completes an onboarding, the completion email includes View your portal. The completion screen offers View your submissions.
When a client signs and has no active portal link, the signature confirmation email links to their signature record.
You send one yourself. On the Clients page, open the client's row menu and choose Send portal link. Or open the client's page and click Send portal link under Client portal. Then click Send link. The client's page also shows whether their current portal link is active and when it expires.
Each new portal link replaces the previous one, which stops working. A portal link belongs to the client record in your workspace. It shows only that client's onboardings with your team.
If your plan no longer includes the portal, existing portal links stop working.
Branding
The portal shows your firm name, logo, and brand color, matching the look of your onboarding forms. It shows no "Powered by Portico" footer, because every plan with the portal hides it. See Branding.
When to use the portal
The client portal is useful when:
A client has multiple onboardings and needs a single place to track them.
A client wants a PDF of a completed form or a signature certificate after the work is done.
A client wants to check which files they already sent you.
The portal is read-only for every onboarding. Clients change answers only through a form link. To email them one, use Request changes or Reopen onboarding. To share one yourself, click Copy client link on an open onboarding. Links you sent before keep working.
Frequently asked questions
Which plan includes the client portal?
The client portal is available on every plan except Free. That includes the Pro trial and every lifetime and AppSumo plan.
Do clients need a password to access the portal?
No. Clients open the portal through a private link that Portico emails to them. No password or account creation is required. A PIN-protected onboarding still asks for its PIN.
What can clients see in the portal?
Clients see their sent, in-progress, and completed forms, the files they uploaded, and their signatures. The portal is read-only and has no messaging.