Automations
Automatic email reminders, notifications and cron configuration.
Note
All automations are available on Solo and Pro plans only. In-app notifications are available on all plans.
Overview
Cliento automates the repetitive parts of client communication so you don't have to chase people manually. Automations run silently in the background via a daily cron job.
Email reminders
Cliento sends automatic reminder emails to clients in these situations:
| Trigger | Delay | Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| Milestone in "Waiting validation" state | 3 days | Client |
| Invoice sent but not paid | 3 days | Client |
| Quote sent but not accepted or declined | 3 days | Client |
Reminder emails use your configured email template and include your signature.
Tip
Reminders stop automatically once the client takes action — no risk of over-emailing after they've already validated or paid.
Monthly business report Solo / Pro
On the 1st of each month at 08:00, Cliento emails you an automatic summary of the previous month's activity. The report covers:
| Section | Content |
|---|---|
| Revenue | Total invoiced and total paid for the month |
| Projects | Number of active, completed and new projects |
| Validation rate | Percentage of milestones validated |
| Top clients | Highest-revenue clients for the period |
The email uses a dedicated HTML template with inline CSS charts — no external images, high inbox compatibility.
Note
The report is only sent to accounts with activity during the month. Inactive accounts are skipped automatically.
Tip
Use the monthly report as a quick pulse check before your accountant meeting or when planning your pipeline for the next month.
Notification emails
Beyond reminders, Cliento sends you and your client transactional notifications when key events happen:
Notifications sent to you (the freelance)
| Event | When |
|---|---|
| Quote accepted | Client clicks "Accept" |
| Quote declined | Client clicks "Decline" |
| Milestone validated | Client validates a milestone |
| Changes requested | Client requests revisions |
| Invoice paid | Stripe confirms payment |
| File validated / rejected | Client acts on a shared file |
| Client comment | Client posts a comment |
Notifications sent to your client
| Event | When |
|---|---|
| Quote sent | You click "Send" on a quote |
| Milestone in "Waiting validation" | You mark a milestone as ready for validation |
| Invoice sent | You click "Send" on an invoice |
| File shared | You upload a file to the portal |
Tip
The milestone "Waiting validation" notification automatically includes the next milestone in the sequence — giving your client a heads-up on what comes after, without any extra work on your part.
Email templates
Solo / ProAll automated emails use one of three built-in visual templates, configurable in Profile → Email templates:
| Template | Style |
|---|---|
| Minimal | Clean plain-text look, high deliverability |
| Professional | Structured layout with your logo and brand color |
| Modern | Card-based design with visual hierarchy |
All templates include:
- Your logo (if uploaded)
- Your brand color as accent
- Your email signature
- An unsubscribe mechanism for compliance
Tip
The Minimal template has the highest inbox deliverability rate. Use Professional or Modern when visual branding is important.
Notification bell
The notification bell (top right of your dashboard) aggregates recent events in real time. Click it to open the notification panel.
Activity vs. What's new
The panel is split into two tabs:
| Tab | Content |
|---|---|
| Activity | Client actions on your projects — validations, comments, payments, file events |
| What's new | Cliento product updates — new features, improvements and announcements |
This separation keeps your client activity feed clean and distinct from product news.
Marking notifications as read
- Click any Activity notification to jump to the relevant project or invoice. It is marked as read automatically.
- In the What's new tab, click the checkmark on an individual notification to mark it as read, or use Mark all as read to clear the entire tab at once.
The bell icon shows an unread count badge combining both tabs. It disappears once all notifications are read.
Tip
Check the What's new tab regularly — it's the fastest way to stay up to date with new Cliento features without leaving your dashboard.
Cron job configuration
Cliento's automations run via a scheduled cron endpoint:
GET /api/cron
Authorization: Bearer [CRON_SECRET]
On Vercel, configure a cron job in vercel.json:
{
"crons": [
{
"path": "/api/cron",
"schedule": "0 8 * * *"
}
]
}
This runs every day at 08:00 UTC. Adjust the schedule to match your timezone if needed.
The CRON_SECRET environment variable must match the one set in your Vercel project settings.
Warning
Without a cron job configured, reminder emails and the monthly report will not be sent. Verify the cron is active in your Vercel dashboard under Settings → Cron Jobs.