ClickUp client portal: 3 ways to build one, and the limits

ClickUp doesn't have a client portal. There's no button for it. Agencies build one from 3 parts ClickUp already has: guest access, public views and shared Dashboards. Which one you use depends on what the client needs to do, look or act.

Here's why it's worth the hour. A project lead at a design agency said it on a call: "there has to be a way to pull a report that we could just give the client, without having to recreate it." Her team rebuilt that report by hand every month. A client who can see status asks fewer questions, and nobody rebuilds anything. That's the job of the portal.

Show clients 3 things

Start here, before the setup. A client needs to see 3 things.

1. Work in progress, with a due date.

2. Anything waiting on them, like an approval or a file.

3. Finished deliverables, with a link.

Everything else is noise to them, and some of it is risky. Before you share anything, decide what stays internal.

• Hours and time tracked. A client on a retainer who sees 14 hours logged on a 2-hour task will ask about it.

• Internal comments. "Client changed their mind again" should never be one click away from the client.

• Other clients' work. One wrong share setting on a Space shows a client your whole roster.

• Your status names. A status that says the client is holding you up reads differently when the client reads it.

Option 1: invite the client as a guest

A guest is an outside person you invite to specific Folders, Lists or tasks. They log in to ClickUp and see only what you shared.

On paid plans there are 2 kinds of guest. A view-only guest costs nothing and doesn't count toward your limit, per ClickUp's guest overview. A guest with permissions can comment or edit, and counts toward your guest limit. Past that limit, each new one is a paid seat. Our ClickUp pricing guide has the plan numbers.

Use a guest when the client needs to act, like approving a deliverable or commenting on a draft.

To keep it safe, give each client one shared List and keep their Folder private. Put the client's name in the List name, so nobody shares the wrong one. Only tasks that belong in front of the client go there. Internal subtasks and notes stay in the main delivery List.

The catch. Your client now has a ClickUp login. Some clients love that. Many won't log in to one more tool, and they'll email you anyway.

Option 2: share a public view

Any List, Board or Table view can be shared by public link. No login. The client opens a web page and sees the tasks.

Use it when the client only needs to look. A Board grouped by status is often all a client wants. It shows what's in progress, what's waiting on them and what's done.

Build the view for them. Filter it to the tasks they should see. Hide the columns they shouldn't, like time tracked and internal fields. Then share that one view.

The catch. Anyone with the link can open it. Don't put anything in a public view you wouldn't put in an email that might get forwarded.

Option 3: share a Dashboard

A Dashboard can be shared with guests or by link. It's the best fit for the monthly report.

It's a real pain. Another lead on the same team said they had to "go in manually into every hour" to see how much time a project took, then build the report, send it, and start again next month. A shared Dashboard is that report, live. It shows tasks done this month, deliverables waiting on approval and the next milestones. Build it once per client from a Dashboard template, then share it.

The catch. Dashboards show whatever data sits under them. If your team doesn't update statuses, the client sees a stale report with your logo on it. Fix the statuses first. ClickUp adoption: 7 reasons teams stop using it covers why that happens.

Pick by what the client has to do

Most agencies end up with 2 of these: a public view or Dashboard for status, and a Form for requests. A ClickUp Form gives the client a way to send work in that creates a task on your side, with no login. That one change moves client requests out of the inbox. ClickUp Forms shows how.

A separate portal tool is for branded delivery

Tools like Content Snare, CoordinateHQ and LaunchBay sell a branded client portal on top of ClickUp. They're worth it when clients need branded file delivery, e-signature on deliverables, or a portal with your domain and no ClickUp logo.

They're not worth it if the real problem is that clients don't know what's happening. That's a status problem inside ClickUp, and a second tool only shows the same stale data with a nicer header.

FAQ

Does ClickUp have a client portal?

No. ClickUp has no dedicated client portal feature. Agencies build one from guest access, public view links and shared Dashboards.

Are ClickUp guests free?

View-only guests are free on paid plans and don't count toward your guest limit. Guests who can comment or edit do count, and past the limit each one adds a paid seat.

Can a client see my internal comments?

A guest sees comments on any task you share with them. Keep internal discussion on tasks or subtasks that stay in a List the client can't open.

Can I white-label ClickUp for clients?

Only on Enterprise, which lists white labeling. On Business and below, guests and public views show ClickUp's interface. If your logo and domain matter and you're not on Enterprise, that's when a separate portal tool earns its subscription.

How do clients send new requests?

A ClickUp Form. A submission becomes a task in your intake List, with the fields you need already filled. No login, and nothing lost in an inbox.

Next

If your clients keep asking for updates you already have, the leak is usually in how work moves through the workspace, not in the portal. The Agency Blueprint finds it in 2 weeks and hands you the fix list. Or see how we set up ClickUp for agencies.