How does Uku's Client Portal work?
TL;DR: The client portal is a secure space where accountants and clients communicate, share documents, manage tasks, and send reminders -- replacing endless email chains with a centralized workflow.
Who can do this
Uku account Owners or Admins can activate and configure the client portal
Any Uku user with client management permissions can invite clients
Clients need a valid email address to receive portal invitations
Activate the client portal
Select Settings from the main menu.
Open the Client Portal app.
Select Activate to confirm your choice.
Configure the client portal
You must set up your portal's visual identity before clients can use it.
Open the Settings tab within the Client Portal app.
Enter a domain name for your portal (for example, your firm's business name). This is required to create the portal.
Add optional branding elements such as colours, description, icon, and logo.
Press Save to create the portal or update existing settings.
Use Client portal preview to verify what the portal homepage looks like for your clients.
Important: The domain name you choose is publicly searchable and visible to all internet users. It defines the web address of your client portal.
What clients see on first login
When a client enters the portal for the first time, they see a 30-second welcome video (shown only once). Uku also creates a sample introductory task as the first item on their dashboard. You can create, modify, or delete sample tasks in the Templates tab of the Client Portal app.
Invite clients to the portal
Bulk invitation from the client list
Select Clients in the main menu.
Select one or more clients from the list.
Choose Client portal from the available actions.
In the dialog that opens, decide whether client contacts should receive an email invitation. If you choose to activate without invitations, clients will only receive emails from Uku when you assign them a portal task (they will not get the initial welcome email or sample task).
Press Activate to confirm.
The system opens the portal for all selected clients that have a valid email address in Uku. If you chose to send invitations, they are delivered within 5 minutes.
Important: Login links in invitation emails are valid for 24 hours. A sample task is automatically created for each invited client if a template exists under the Templates tab.
Individual invitation from a client card
To invite specific contacts for a single client:
Open the client's profile.
In the client edit view, enable Client portal for that client.
For each contact, enable Client portal access.
Open the client card sidebar, which shows whether and when an invitation was sent.
Select Send invitation (or resend if needed).
Clients with multiple companies
If a client contact is associated with several companies that all have the portal enabled, they can switch between companies. To do this, the client selects the user icon in the portal and chooses a different company.
Silent opening (no welcome email)
If you prefer not to send a welcome email, you can open the portal silently. The client only learns about the portal when you assign them a task.
Open the client's profile and select Edit.
Enable Customer portal open.
Save the profile.
With silent opening, the client will not receive an invitation email, and no sample task will appear on their dashboard.
You can also set portal access for individual contacts when adding them. They likewise will not receive an invitation or sample task.
Troubleshooting
Client did not receive the invitation email: Verify the client has a valid email address in Uku. Check your spam/junk folder. You can resend the invitation from the client card sidebar.
Login link has expired: Invitation links are valid for 24 hours. Resend the invitation from the client card sidebar to generate a new link.
Portal domain name cannot be saved: Ensure the domain name you chose is not already in use by another Uku account. Try a different variation of your firm's name.
Client cannot switch between companies: Confirm that the client portal is activated for each company the contact is associated with. All companies must have the portal enabled independently.
