How to create a client portal — without code.
Five steps from “documents everywhere” to a branded portal your clients actually use. Ten minutes, start to finish.
What a client portal has to do
Strip away the buzzwords and a client portal has four jobs:collect (documents and form answers),organise (everything tied to the right client and request), chase (reminders that run without you), and close (review and approval). If a tool does those four things under your brand, it qualifies. If it also needs your clients to create accounts and learn an interface — it will quietly fail, because clients won't use it.
Build vs. buy, honestly
- Custom build: £10k+, months, and you own the security burden forever.
- All-in-one suites: powerful, but weeks of setup and client-side passwords.
- Dedicated portal software: live today, focused on the four jobs above.
The five steps.
- 1
Pick where it lives
Skip custom development unless you have very unusual needs — dedicated portal software gets you live today. Sign up, name your workspace, done.
- 2
Put your brand on it
Logo, brand colour, sender name — and on paid plans your own domain. Clients should only ever see your firm, not your vendor.
- 3
Build your first request
Start with the pack you ask every new client for: ID, proof of address, engagement letter. Save it as a document set so next time it is one click.
- 4
Invite a real client
Send the request. Your client gets a branded email with one secure magic link — no account creation, no password. They upload; you see progress live.
- 5
Let the portal do the chasing
Turn on automatic reminders, connect Slack or Zapier if you like, and review submissions from one dashboard. Approve or request changes.
Questions people ask.
What is a client portal?
A client portal is a secure, private website where your clients exchange documents, complete forms and track requests — instead of scattering everything across email threads and attachments.
How much does it cost to create a client portal?
Custom development typically starts at £10,000+ and months of work. Dedicated client portal software ranges from free to £500+/month. ClientLoop is free for up to 5 clients, and £19/month flat for unlimited clients on Pro.
Do my clients need to create accounts?
Not with modern portals. ClientLoop uses secure magic links — clients click a link in their email and they are in. No passwords to create, forget or reset.
Can I put a client portal on my own domain?
Yes — a white-label portal runs under your brand and optionally your own domain (e.g. portal.yourfirm.com), so clients only ever see your name. In ClientLoop this is included in the Pro plan.
Is a client portal secure enough for sensitive documents?
A good portal is far safer than email: encrypted storage, access control, malware scanning of uploads, audit logs and GDPR-compliant deletion. Email attachments have none of that.