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Help Center›Account-Level Tools and Settings›
System Access and User Group Permissions

Setting Permissions and Granting Client Access to the Client Portal

The Client Portal is intended to provide your clients with limited functionality to select tools that streamline how they can perform common, client-centric tasks for only the events and items (like contracts, proposals and invoices) they have been assigned to.

The Client Portal is intended to be a simplified, paired-down version the main Planning Pod account, primarily because clients do not require all the functionality that full users do and prefer a more directed experience.

As such, the Client Portal features fewer tools and functions, a simplified tool-based navigation and home dashboard, and prompted alerts so that clients can intuitively move around the portal and take actions without need for instruction or assistance.

The tasks and functions clients can perform in the Client Portal include:

  • View and electronically sign proposals, contracts and banquet event orders (BEOs)
  • View and pay invoices
  • View food-and-beverage menus
  • View event itineraries
  • Download and upload/store event-related electronic files
  • Complete/modify online forms and questionnaires
  • Manage attendee lists and RSVPs
  • View or edit event floor plan designs (option to set permission for editing or view-only)
  • View assigned to-do's and mark them as complete
  • View vision boards and add images/comments

NOTE: If you are interested in providing full account access to Authorized Users (like staff, team members and contractors), see "Granting Authorized Users With Account Access" and "Setting the Permission Levels for Authorized User Groups".

To Grant Clients Access to the Client Portal:

There are two ways you can grant clients access to the Client Portal and the tools within it.

1. Granting Client Portal via the Contacts Area:

  1. Click on "Contacts" in the main navigation bar.
  2. Click on the Contact to whom you wish to grant Client Portal access.
  3. In the User Access area on the Contact Detail screen, click on pencil icon in the top right corner of that area.
  4. If the Contact has not been previously granted access, their status will be "No Access." To grant them access, select the "Client (Portal Only)" option.
  5. Click the "Save" button. An invitation email will be sent to the individual that contains a link for them to set up their login credentials for their Portal.

Note: Once you grant a Contact access to the Portal area, you must assign them to their Events as well as other items like proposals, contracts and invoices for those details to show up in their Portal. See Assigning Contacts to Events/Managing Event Access for more information.

2. Granting Account Access via an Event or Lead:
NOTE: This will simultaneously grant a Contact with Client Portal access and assign them to an Event or Lead so items from that Event/Lead will show up in their Portal.

  1. Click on "Events" or "Leads" in the main navigation bar
  2. Find the Event or Lead to which you want to assign the Contact and click on it to open the Event or Lead dashboard.
  3. Click on the "Contacts" tab in the right column and click on the pencil icon towards the top of the area.
  4. Click the "Add New Contact" button at the top left side of the page.
  5. Complete their contact information and then in the dropdown menu labeled "Optional: Provide Access to Account", select the "Client (Portal Only)" option.
  6. Click the "Save" button. An invitation email will be sent to the individual that contains a link for them to set up their login credentials.

To Adjust Permission Settings for the Client Portal:

You have the ability to turn on/off the tools that are available to clients in the Client Portal.

The tools and the functionality available for each tool within the Client Portal are described above in the introductory text.

Note that clients will only be able to access information for the Leads/Events they have been assigned to as well as other items they have been assigned to like contracts, proposals and invoices.

  1. Click on your name in the top left corner and select the "Settings" option.
  2. Under the "Administrative & Payments" heading, click on the "User Access & Permissions" link.
  3. Under the "Client Portal" column, you will find a checkbox for each tool that is available for client access. To activate a tool in the Portal for all clients, check the appropriate box. To deny access, uncheck the appropriate box.