Client Portal Setup

By creavio Team April 10, 2026 1 views

Client Portal Setup

Clients ask the same three questions: "Where are my photos?", "What do I owe?", and "When is my session?" The client portal gives them one link where they can find all of it without emailing you.

What Is the Client Portal?

The client portal is a private, branded page for each client. When they log in, they see:

  • Their galleries and collections — delivered images, proofing galleries, download links
  • Invoices — outstanding and paid, with online payment links
  • Contracts — any documents sent for signing, plus signed copies
  • Bookings — upcoming sessions with date, time, and location
  • Messages — communication thread between you and the client

Enabling the Client Portal

  1. Go to Settings > Client Portal
  2. Toggle Enable Client Portal to on
  3. Choose your portal URL style:
    • Subdomain: clients.yourdomain.com (requires a custom domain)
    • Path: yourdomain.com/portal (simpler setup)
  4. Click Save

How Clients Access the Portal

Clients do not need to create an account manually. When you send a gallery, invoice, or contract, the email includes a link. Clicking that link creates their portal access automatically with a magic link login — no password required.

They can also go directly to your portal URL and enter their email. creavio sends them a login link. No passwords to forget.

Customizing the Portal

Under Settings > Client Portal > Appearance, you can configure:

  • Welcome message — a greeting clients see when they log in (e.g., "Welcome! Everything for your session is right here.")
  • Visible sections — toggle which sections appear: Galleries, Invoices, Contracts, Bookings, Messages
  • Brand colors — the portal inherits your brand settings by default, but you can override accent colors here
  • Custom footer — add a note, your studio address, or social links

What Clients See vs. What You See

Clients only see items assigned to them. A wedding client cannot see another client's galleries or invoices. They also cannot see:

  • Your internal notes
  • Pipeline stage information
  • Other clients' data
  • Cost or expense information

From your side, each client's profile in the dashboard shows a "View as Client" button. Use this to preview exactly what they see in the portal.

Portal Notifications

When new content is added to a client's portal (a new gallery, an updated invoice, a contract to sign), they receive an email notification with a direct link. You can customize these notification emails in email templates.

Security

Portal access uses magic link authentication. Each login link expires after 15 minutes and is single-use. After login, the session lasts 30 days. Clients cannot share their access with others — the link is tied to their email address.

For extra security on sensitive galleries, combine the portal with PIN-protected downloads.

FAQ

Can clients upload files through the portal? Not currently. If you need clients to send you files, use a form with file upload.

Can I disable the portal for specific clients? Yes. In the client profile, toggle Portal Access off. They will no longer be able to log in, but any shared collection links will still work if those collections are set to public.