How to Use the Client Portal in Uku
TL;DR: The client portal gives your clients a secure, branded space to view tasks, share files, and communicate with your team. Activate it from Settings & Apps, customize your branding, and invite clients via magic link — no passwords required.
Who can do this
Admins can activate and configure the client portal
Any team member can assign tasks to the portal and communicate with clients
The client portal is available on all Uku plans
Custom menu links require the Elite plan
Step 1: Activate the Client Portal
Go to Settings & Apps from the main menu.
Find and select Client Portal.
Select Activate to enable the portal.
The portal is now activated for your account, but no clients have access yet.
Step 2: Set up your branded portal
Before inviting clients, customize the portal to match your firm's brand.
In the Client Portal app, go to the Settings tab.
Define your domain name (e.g., "smithaccounting").
This creates your portal URL: smithaccounting.getuku.com
This name is publicly searchable
Add your company logo and icon.
Choose your brand colors.
Write a brief description of your services.
Upload a welcome video (optional, 30 seconds max).
Select Save to finalize settings.
Preview your portal
Select Client portal preview to see exactly what clients will see when they log in. The preview creates a sample task to show the full client experience.
Step 3: Configure portal settings
Fine-tune how the portal works for your firm.
Email signatures
Go to Settings > Signature to choose which email signature appears on client portal notifications:
Company default signature
Fixed signature for all portal emails
Dynamic signature with placeholders
Language settings
Set a default language for your portal. Uku supports English and Estonian, with more languages coming soon.
Step 4: Invite clients to the portal
There are three ways to grant clients access.
Bulk invitation (recommended for initial setup)
Go to Clients from the main menu.
Select multiple clients using checkboxes.
Select Client portal from the actions menu.
Choose the invitation method:
With invitation email: Clients receive a welcome email with a magic link, see the welcome video, and get a sample task.
Silent activation: Portal opens without notification; clients first learn about it when you assign a task.
Select Activate.
Invitations are sent within 5 minutes. The magic login link is valid for 24 hours.
Individual client invitation
Open the client card.
Select Edit (pencil icon).
Enable Customer portal open.
Save changes.
In the client details panel, select Send invitation.
The client details panel shows when invitations were sent and allows you to resend if needed.
Silent opening
Enable portal access without any notification:
Open the client profile.
Set Customer portal open to active.
In the client contact, set the Client Portal access as enabled.
Do not send an invitation.
Clients discover the portal when you assign them their first task. This approach works well for clients who need minimal onboarding.
Step 5: Assign tasks to the portal
Once clients have access, you can assign them tasks.
Creating portal tasks
Create or open a task.
In the task settings, assign it to Client Portal or to a specific client contact.
Set a due date and add clear instructions.
Attach any relevant documents.
Save the task.
Clients receive an email notification with a magic link to access the task directly.
Task features for clients
Multiple checklists: Divide checklists by member — accountant items vs. client items — for shared portal tasks.
Dependencies: Tasks dependent on other tasks will not appear until dependencies are complete, keeping client dashboards clean.
Comments and communication: Both you and clients can add comments to tasks, creating a complete conversation history.
Step 6: Share documents through the portal
Document management integration
Connect your document storage to automatically sync uploaded files:
Go to Settings & Apps > Documents.
Connect Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, or Dropbox.
Configure folder structure preferences.
When clients upload documents through the portal, they automatically save to your document management system.
Direct document sharing
On the client card, add a document management link.
This creates a Documents section in the client's portal.
Clients select Documents to access the shared folder directly.
Step 7: Use custom menu links (Elite plan)
Elite plan users can create custom menu items in the client portal.
Company-wide menu links
Go to Client Portal > Menu Links.
Select Add menu item.
Define:
Menu item name
Icon selection
URL or link destination
Whether it opens in the portal or a new tab
Arrange menu order by dragging items.
Save changes.
These links appear for all clients.
Client-specific menu links
Open the individual client card.
Go to the Client Portal tab.
Add client-specific menu items.
Customize links that only this client sees.
Common menu link examples
Financial reports (Google Sheets, BI reports)
Invoice folder (Google Drive link)
Service agreements (PDF documents)
Feedback surveys (Google Forms)
Onboarding questionnaires
Price lists and service descriptions
Step 8: Monitor client activity
Stay informed about client engagement.
Catch Up view
The Catch Up view on your dashboard shows all recent client portal activity:
Client replies and comments
Completed tasks
Uploaded documents
Questions or requests
Open tasks remain under Seen until you mark them complete.
Client communication history
All portal communications appear under:
Task communication: Comments and updates on specific tasks
Client communication: All emails and notifications sent to the client
Step 9: Manage multiple companies
Clients working with multiple companies can switch between them:
The client selects their profile icon in the portal.
The client selects the company they want to view.
The portal displays tasks and information for that company.
Each company maintains separate portal access and settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do clients need to create accounts or remember passwords? No. Clients access the portal through magic links sent to their email — no usernames or passwords required.
How long are magic links valid? Login links are valid for 24 hours.
Can I have different portal setups for different clients? The portal branding is company-wide, but Elite users can create client-specific menu links and customize what each client sees.
What happens if a client does not have an email address? Clients need a valid email address to receive portal invitations and notifications. Add contact information before activating portal access.
Can I deactivate portal access for specific clients? Yes. Edit the client profile and change Customer portal open to inactive. The client will no longer be able to access the portal.
Do portal tasks show on my team's dashboard? Portal tasks can be assigned to both clients and team members. Team members see them on their dashboard just like regular tasks.
Can clients see other clients' information? No. Each client only sees their own tasks, documents, and communications. The portal is completely isolated per client.
Can clients upload files without a task? Only if you have shared a document management link in their portal. Otherwise, clients upload files through assigned tasks.
How do I know if a client has seen their task? Check the task status and comments. The Catch Up view shows recent client activity including viewed tasks.
Can I customize which notifications clients receive? Clients automatically receive emails when tasks are assigned or updated.
Can I see what my portal looks like to clients? Yes. Use the Client portal preview feature to see exactly what clients see, including a sample task.
What are custom menu links? An Elite package feature that lets you add custom links (to reports, forms, documents) in the client portal menu, creating a complete resource hub for clients.
Troubleshooting
Client says they never received the invitation: Check the client's email address is correct on their profile. Resend the invitation from the client details panel. Invitations can take up to 5 minutes to arrive, and clients should check their spam folder.
Magic link has expired: Magic links are valid for 24 hours. Resend the invitation from the client card to generate a new link.
Client cannot see assigned tasks in the portal: Verify that Customer portal open is set to active on the client profile and that the task is assigned to Client Portal or to the specific client contact.
Documents uploaded by clients are not appearing: Check that your document management integration is connected in Settings & Apps > Documents and that the Document management link is set on the client card.