Managing new clients while keeping your team aligned can quickly become chaotic without the right systems in place. That’s why building a client onboarding portal with a built-in project tracker can make all the difference. 

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to create a self-serve onboarding experience that keeps your clients informed and your team efficient using Formaloo’s no-code platform.

Whether you're new to Formaloo or already a power user, this tutorial is designed to help you get started with a functional, customizable portal from scratch.

What is a client onboarding portal?

A client onboarding portal is a centralized workspace where your clients can submit project requests, track progress, provide feedback, and access completed files - all in one place.

In Formaloo, a portal is made up of customizable pages, secure access controls, and connected forms and dashboards. It is a branded hub for collaboration between your team and your clients, with role-based visibility and interaction.

What will you build?

By the end of this tutorial, you’ll have a portal that includes:

• A welcome page with onboarding instructions and resources
  
• A project request form that clients can fill out
  
• A project tracker that shows submission status
  
• A feedback form for review cycles
  
• A dashboard for your internal team to manage assignments
  
• Automated email notifications based on project updates
  

You’ll also learn how to control who sees what and ensure clients can only access their own data.

Structure of portal members

Since you need your clients and team members to have access to the portal, you can add portal users who will be clients and have your team members part of your workspace. You can either import, manually add or let clients sign themselves up in your portal - as for your team members they need to be added to your workspace and then you will be able to share access to them.

Step 1: Create a new dashboard

Start by creating a new dashboard in your Formaloo workspace:

1. Go to your dashboard and click New Project → Dashboard.
   
2. Name it something clear like “Client Portal”.
   
3. Once created, enable Edit Mode to start building.

Dashboards in Formaloo are like whiteboards where you can embed forms, data tables, charts, and even external tools. Just like Legos, you can build your dashboard with data blocks, which are display options such as Kanban boards, Galleries, Charts, Forms, and more. 

You can add your branding to the portal:

Step 2: Design the portal structure

Add pages to your dashboard to organize the client experience:

• Welcome Page: Add a text block explaining how to use the portal.
• Submit Project: Embed the project request form here.
• Track Project Status: Use a Kanban board to visualize progress.
• Give Feedback: Embed a follow-up form for client comments.
• Completed Projects: Display delivered work.
• Team Dashboard: For internal use, to assign and manage tasks.
  

To create a page, enable edit mode, then head to the right side of the screen and click on the three dots on one of the pages. Then you get to decide if you’d like to add a page, a group, or embed a page.

Step 3: Build the project eequest form

Now, create the form your clients will use to submit new projects.

1. Either add a form block in the dashboard, or type “/” and choose the form. Then you can create a new form.
2. Ask for information like:
   
   • Project title (text field)
   • Project description (long text field)
   • Deadline (date field)
   • File upload (for brand guidelines, assets, etc.)
   • Goals and objectives (long text)
     
3. Add a Single Choice field for “Project Status” with options like:
   
   • Submitted
   • In Review
   • Needs Feedback
   • Delivered
     

Check the tutorial on the example

This field should be marked Admin Only so that only your team sees and updates it.

You can also create another admin-only field for your internal “Task Status” (e.g., New Task, Assigned, In Progress, Completed).

Step 4: Enable the portal

Turn your dashboard into a full portal:

1. In Edit Mode, go to Settings → Client Portal.
2. Enable the portal and set up user roles like Client and Account Manager.
3. Choose whether clients must sign up, log in, or be added manually.
4. Define your User Field - this links each form submission to the specific user.

When enabled, this ensures clients only see and edit their own submissions, while team members have access to all data.

Step 5: Add a project tracker

Use a Kanban board to visualize project status:

1. On the “Track Project Status” page, insert a Kanban block.
2. Connect it to your submission form.
3. Group by the “Project Status” field.
4. Set the default value to “Submitted” so new entries are categorized automatically.

Clients will be able to log in and view the live progress of their requests.

Step 6: Set Up Internal Team View

Create a similar Kanban board for your internal team:

1. Add a new page like “Operations Dashboard”.
   
2. Insert a Kanban board grouped by “Task Status”.
   
3. Team members can use filters to view only their assigned tasks (e.g., based on a “Responsible Person” field).
   

You can also use tables and charts to show task load, progress over time, or other performance metrics.

Step 7: Assign projects to team members

To link submissions to team members:

1. Create another form called “Team Members” with fields like name, email, and specialty.
   
2. Use a Linked Rows field in the project form to assign a team member.
   
3. Make it admin-only so only your team can assign.
   

You can then filter views to show each team member only the projects assigned to them.

Step 8: Automate email notifications

Use logic to notify clients when their project status changes:

1. Open the submission form and go to Logic → On Update.
   
2. Add a rule:
   
   • If Project Status is “Project is Ready” → Send Email
     
3. Create a custom email template with placeholders like "Hi [client_name]".
   
4. Set the email recipient to the user (no need to ask for email again).

You can set up multiple triggers, for example, when feedback is needed or a task is assigned to a specialist.

Step 9: Manage access permissions

Control who sees what:

1. Open the access settings for each page.
   
2. Set visibility for roles like Client, Account Manager, or internal team access levels (Owner, Admin, Member, Guest).
   
3. Ensure private pages (like team dashboards) are hidden from clients.
   
4. For public pages (like FAQ), set them as visible to everyone.

This ensures each user has a tailored experience and data is protected.

Step 10: Share and launch

Once complete:

• Test the portal using a test client account.
  
• Publish your dashboard and share the portal link.
  
• Embed it in your website or share it privately via email.
  

Formaloo also allows you to use your custom domain, apply CSS styling, and match the portal to your brand identity.

Client onboarding doesn’t have to be scattered across emails, spreadsheets, and chat tools. With Formaloo, you can build a unified, professional portal that supports your workflow, from request to delivery.

Start with our free template or follow this guide to create your own version from scratch. You’ll save time, reduce back-and-forth, and give clients a better experience from day one.

Ready to build your portal?

If you're ready to streamline your onboarding and project tracking process, start by grabbing our free client portal template below.

Try client portal for free now

We've already creared it for you. Click here to start using it for your business

It includes everything you need to get started - forms, dashboards, and pre-set logic rules - so you can simply plug in your content and go live in minutes.

Need help? Book a live demo or get matched with a certified partner who can build it for you, tailored to your team.

Happy formalooing! 🚀