Client portal
Share a unique link — clients validate milestones and comment without an account.
Overview
Every project in Cliento has a client portal — a dedicated page your client accesses via a unique token URL. No account creation, no password, no friction. It's available on all plans.
The token link
Each project generates a URL in this format:
https://cliento.dev/portal/[uuid-token]
Find it by opening a project and clicking Share portal. The token is a UUID — practically unguessable — so there is no need for additional authentication.
Warning
The link never expires as long as the project exists. Set the project status to Completed if you want to signal that no more interaction is expected (the portal remains readable but no actions are available).
What the client sees
The portal is organized as a timeline of milestones, from top to bottom:
- Project name, description and status
- Your logo and brand color
- Each milestone with its status, due date and amount
- Comments thread per milestone
- File attachments Pro
The layout is fully responsive and works on mobile.
Milestone validation
For each milestone in Waiting validation state, the client sees action buttons:
- Validate — marks the milestone as validated
- Reject — marks the milestone as rejected and allows adding a comment
Once validated, the milestone is locked and cannot be un-validated.
Tip
You control when a milestone becomes "Waiting validation" from your dashboard. Clients can only act on milestones in this state — not pending ones.
Comments
Both you and your client can leave comments on any milestone. Comments are:
- Timestamped
- Attributed (you or "Client")
- Persistent — never deleted unless the project is deleted
You receive a notification when a client posts a comment Solo / Pro.
Contextual messages
Cliento automatically posts system messages in the milestone timeline when key events occur. These messages are distinct from comments — they appear with a notification badge and an amber background so your client can spot them at a glance.
Multi-project client portal All plans
Each client has a permanent portal link that aggregates all their active and completed projects in one place — no need to share a new link for each project.
Find it in Dashboard → Clients → [Client] → Client portal link.
How it works
The client portal link is generated automatically when a client is created. It gives your client a unified view of:
- All active and completed projects
- Milestones, validation buttons, comments and files per project
- Progress bar per project
- System messages in the timeline
Projects in draft status are never visible to the client.
Revoking access
If the link has been shared with the wrong person, click the regenerate icon next to the link button. The previous link becomes invalid immediately and a new one is generated.
Warning
Regenerating the link permanently invalidates the previous one. Anyone who bookmarked the old URL will no longer have access.
Portal inactivity reminder Solo / Pro
Cliento checks weekly whether clients with active projects have visited their portal in the last 30 days. If not, you receive an in-app notification so you can decide whether to follow up.
The reminder goes to you only — your client never receives automated emails from Cliento.
Tip
Share the client portal link once at the start of the relationship. It remains valid for all future projects with that client.
Trigger events
| Event | Message posted |
|---|---|
| Milestone created | A new milestone has been added to the project |
| Milestone validated | Confirmation that the milestone was accepted |
| Invoice sent | Notification that an invoice has been issued |
| Project completed | A closing message when the project is marked done |
System messages are posted automatically — no action required on your end.
Note
System messages appear in the same thread as comments but cannot be replied to. They are for informational purposes only.
File sharing Pro
Pro plan users can upload files to a milestone directly from the dashboard. The client can then:
- Download the file
- Validate or Reject it with a comment
Clients can also upload files back through the portal (for example, content, assets or signed documents). These appear in your dashboard under the relevant milestone.
Payments through the portal Solo / Pro
If a milestone has an amount and you have Stripe or PayPal configured, the client sees a payment button:
- Pay by card (Stripe) — opens Stripe Checkout
- Pay via PayPal — opens PayPal.me link
After successful payment, the milestone is automatically marked as Paid and Validated. You receive a confirmation notification.
If no payment link is configured, the client can still validate or reject the milestone manually from the portal. Payment tracking is then handled separately through invoices.
See Payments → for setup instructions.
Customizing the portal appearance
The portal inherits your brand settings automatically:
| Setting | Where to configure |
|---|---|
| Logo | Profile → Branding |
| Primary color | Profile → Branding |
| Public address subdomain | Profile → Public address Pro |
| Remove "Powered by Cliento" | Profile → Branding Pro |
Public address subdomain Pro
Pro users can serve the portal from a branded Cliento subdomain (e.g. john-doe.clients.cliento.dev) instead of cliento.dev. See Profile & branding → for configuration steps.
What the client cannot do
To keep things simple and secure, clients cannot:
- Edit milestone titles, amounts or due dates
- Create new milestones or tasks
- Access other projects or your dashboard
- See internal tasks
- See other clients' data