Client portal requirements checklist
By Tom Hunt · Updated October 2026
Before you buy or build a client portal, write down what it must do. This checklist covers what clients see, what your team needs behind it, access and security, and who keeps it running - so the portal gives your people hours back instead of becoming one more app to update.
Who and why
- Write the one job the portal must do first (e.g. collect documents, show status, approve work)
- List who logs in: clients, your team, freelancers
- Write how many hours a week that job takes your team today
What clients see
- Status of their work, in plain words
- Files and documents - upload and download
- Approvals and sign-offs, with a record of who approved what
- Invoices and payment status, if wanted
- Your branding - logo, colours, your domain
What your team needs
- Where the data comes from - which of your apps the portal reads from (no double typing)
- Who on your team updates what, and whether any of it can update itself
- Alerts when a client uploads, approves or comments
Access and security
- How clients log in (email link, password, single sign-on)
- Each client sees only their own data
- Where the data lives - ideally on your own accounts, so you own it
- Any rules your profession sets for client data and confidentiality
Running it
- Who fixes it when one of your apps changes
- How you will know clients use it (usage data)
- How clients give feedback on it
pick a version, copy it, or download as .docx or .pdf - then make it yours.
How to fill it in
One job first
Portals that try to do everything on day one rarely get used. Pick the job that costs the most hours.
No double typing
If your team has to copy updates into the portal by hand, you've moved the work, not removed it.
Own the data
Prefer a portal that runs on your own accounts, so nothing has to move if you change supplier.
Common mistakes
- Choosing a portal by feature list before writing down the job it must do.
- Forgetting the team side - who updates it, and from where.
- Launching without a way to see whether clients actually use it.
Not sure which job the portal should do first?
An ops audit finds where your team loses the most hours with clients and scopes the portal around that. $2,500 / £2,000, credited to your first month.
Frequently asked questions
What should a client portal include?
Start with the one job that costs your team the most time - usually document collection, status updates or approvals - then add files, invoices and branding. A portal that does one job well gets used.
Should we buy a client portal or have one built?
Off-the-shelf portals work if your process fits them. If your team would have to bend the way it works, or type data in twice, a portal built on your own apps is often the better fit.
Who looks after a custom client portal?
Someone has to watch it and fix it when your other apps change. On a Forge monthly plan, that is us - it runs on your own accounts, so you own it.