Client Portal
Development That Brings
Clarity to Every Project
Accounting Client Portal Development for Clear WIP and Cleaner Billing
Client Portal
Development That Brings Clarity to Every Project
ScaleLabs builds custom client portals that replace email overload with one secure place for updates, files, approvals, and messages. Give clients the visibility they want, keep your team out of inbox chaos, and move projects forward without bottlenecks.
ScaleLabs builds client portals for accounting firms that move work out of email threads and into one secure place for requests, documents, status, and approvals. Give clients a clean view of what’s in progress while your team spends less time chasing files and fixing spreadsheets.
Email volume
Client visibility
WIP visibility
Approval time
Review time
Coordinator load
Billing accuracy
Client churn risk
Partner workload
Trusted by teams managing
high-volume client work
Trusted by teams managing
high-volume client work
Trusted by teams managing
high-volume client work
Built for service businesses that need a clean client portal for project status updates, document exchange, and approvals, without losing control of their workflow.
What “no portal” really costs you
What “no portal” really costs you
What “no portal” really costs you
Running client work through email threads and spreadsheets doesn’t just feel messy. It creates delays, trust issues, and hidden costs that get worse as your project volume
Deals slip when communication gets buried
Important details get lost across threads, and your team spends the day chasing, forwarding, and re-sending updates instead of moving projects forward.
Trust drops when clients lose visibility
Once clients approve a step, they expect clear progress updates. When they can’t see where things stand, the “what’s going on?” calls start, and churn risk rises.
Scaling becomes a coordinator problem
Without a backbone process, coordinators top out quickly, managing multiple accounts and dozens of active projects. Growth gets blocked by manual status updates and admin work.
Why businesses build a client portal?
Why businesses build a client portal?
A client portal isn’t a “nice-to-have” when email threads are killing speed and trust. A custom client portal gives clients one place to see project status, share files, and approve steps—while your team stops drowning in inbox follow-ups.
Email chaos slows everything down
When emails arrive nonstop and details get buried across threads, teams waste hours forwarding, chasing, and re-sending the same info. A client portal centralizes updates, files, and decisions so work keeps moving.
Clients lose visibility and trust drops
Clients don’t need every internal detail, but they do need confidence the job is progressing. A portal shows high-level status like In Design, In Production, Scheduled, Delivered so clients don’t have to call asking, “what’s going on?”
Coordinators become the bottleneck
As project volume grows, coordinators get tapped managing multiple accounts and dozens of projects at once. A portal reduces manual touchpoints by automating updates, approvals, and notifications.
Manual admin work burns real money
When staff spend all day transferring data into spreadsheets and compiling updates, you lose capacity that should go to client success and revenue work. A client portal frees that time with structured workflows and a single source of truth.
Core client portal features we build
Core client portal features we build
ScaleLabs builds client portals around the visibility clients want and the control your internal team needs. The goal is simple: fewer emails, faster approvals, and clear project progress without the nitty-gritty.
Real-Time Project Status (High-Level Stages)
Important details get lost across threads, and your team spends the day chasing, forwarding, and re-sending updates instead of moving projects forward.
Centralized Messages and Updates
Once clients approve a step, they expect clear progress updates. When they can’t see where things stand, the “what’s going on?” calls start, and churn risk rises.
File Sharing + Version Control
Clients upload and download documents, proofs, reports, and assets in one place with clean organization
Approvals and Sign-Offs
Collect approvals for designs, change requests, and milestones with timestamps and a clear audit trail.
Automated Notifications
Notify clients when a status changes, a file is ready, or an approval is needed, without coordinators chasing.
Secure Access + Permissions
Role-based access so stakeholders see what they need, while sensitive files and internal notes stay protected.
See Example Workflow
Proof from real client work
Proof from real accounting client work
Proof from real client work
Running client work through email threads and spreadsheets doesn’t just feel messy. It creates delays, trust issues, and hidden costs that get worse as your project volume
Running accounting work through email threads and spreadsheets doesn’t just feel messy. It creates delays, review bottlenecks, and hidden costs that get worse as your client list grows.
PNJ Engineering
Regional CAS Firm
Reduced scattered updates across long email threads
Reduced scattered PBC requests across long email threads
Centralized project info so teams stop forwarding and chasing
Reduced scattered PBC requests across long email threads
More time for client work instead of admin cleanup
More time for analysis and advisory work instead of admin cleanup
See case study
Enterprise Client Feedback
Year-end & tax team
High-level project stages instead of “what’s happening?” calls
High-level status for each return instead of manual WIP spreadsheets
Clear progress after design approval without extra follow-ups
Clear progress after clients upload documents, without extra follow-ups
Fewer check-in emails and stronger client confidence
Fewer “what do you still need from us?” emails from busy clients
See case study
Vinyl Labs
Audit & assurance group
Less manual scheduling and repetitive updates
Less manual tracking of open requests and missing support
Better handoffs when managing many projects at once
Better handoffs between staff, seniors, and partners on complex engagements
A single backbone process to support growth
A single backbone process that supports growth without overloading the team
See case study
Give clients the updates they keep asking for
See Work-in-Progress Before It Becomes a Billing Problem
Give clients the updates they keep asking for
Give clients the updates they keep asking for
Clients don’t want every internal detail. They want confidence that their project is moving. We build client portals that show simple, high-level progress like In Design, In Production, Scheduled, Delivered, with the right files and next steps attached, so clients stop asking “where are we at?” and your team stops living in email.
Accounting work doesn’t stall overnight—it stalls quietly inside inboxes and spreadsheets. With a well-designed client portal for accountants, each engagement moves through clear stages like Requested, In Preparation, In Review, Ready to Send, and Completed. Partners and managers can see which jobs are stuck, which clients are holding things up, and which engagements are ready to bill, without waiting for a manual report.
Connect the client portal to your CRM, eRP, and project tools
Connect the Portal to Your GL and Practice Stack
Connect the client portal to your CRM, eRP, and project tools
Connect the client portal to your CRM, eRP, and project tools
We build your client portal so it fits your existing stack. Pull key data from your CRM or ERP, push status updates back, and keep documents and approvals tied to the right project without duplicate entry.
We build accounting portal development to work with the systems you already rely on, so teams don’t double-enter data.
Where client portals pay off fast
Where accounting client portals pay off fast
Where client portals pay off fast
Where client portals pay off fast
Client portals work best when projects have many moving parts, approvals, and documents. We build portals that match your delivery stages so clients stay informed without flooding your team with emails.
Accounting client portals work best when engagements have many moving parts, documents, and deadlines. We build client portals for accounting firms that match your services so clients stay informed without flooding your team with emails.
Engineering Firms
CAS & outsourced accounting
Partners often spend hours reviewing billing line items with no single place to verify what changed and why. A portal centralizes reports, updates, and decisions so disputes are easier to resolve and billing stays cleaner.
Recurring weekly or monthly work means constant requests and uploads. An accounting client portal keeps PBC lists, documents, and comments in one place so both sides always know what’s pending and what’s done.
Manufacturing / Print Shops
Tax and year-end workflows
When you’re handling frequent orders across locations, clients want quick answers on where jobs stand. A portal gives clear stages and updates so clients don’t need to chase your sales team for progress.
During busy season, clients need a clear list of what you need and a simple way to track progress. A client portal for accountants gives them a checklist, due dates, and status so you spend less time chasing and more time preparing returns.
Retail Tenant Improvements
Audit, review, and assurance
Clients care about timing: when materials arrive, when installation starts, when the job finishes. A portal gives high-level status and key dates so everyone stays aligned without constant check-ins.
Samples, support, and responses move through one structured portal instead of email chains and spreadsheets. An accounting portal makes open items easier to track and gives clients a single place to respond and upload evidence.
Explore Custom Options
Client data protected at every step
Protecting Client Financial Data From Day One
Client data protected at every step
Client data protected at every step
Client portals often include sensitive files, approvals, and project communication. We build the access rules and visibility controls your team needs, while keeping the experience simple for clients.
Accounting data is sensitive. We design portals with the access rules and visibility controls that make your compliance and IT teams comfortable.
Discuss Security Requirements
Role-Based Client Access
Granular Access by Entity and Role
Control what clients, stakeholders, and internal teams can view or edit, so the right people see the right projects, files, and updates.
Control which entities, years, and engagements each client user can see. Internally, restrict draft reports, notes, and internal-only files.
Audit Trail for Approvals and Changes
Track approvals, uploads, and status updates with timestamps, so there’s always a clear record when questions or disputes come up.
Control which entities, years, and engagements each client user can see. Internally, restrict draft reports, notes, and internal-only files.
Secure File Sharing and Storage
Audit Trail for Uploads and Decisions
Keep client documents, proofs, reports, and attachments protected with controlled access and consistent organization inside the portal.
Track who uploaded which document, who commented, and who approved a deliverable, with timestamps that support your review and dispute processes.
Account Controls and Permissions
Structured, Secure Document Handling
Manage users, restrict actions, and apply access rules by account or project, so the portal stays clean even as you scale clients and projects.
Keep financial documents inside the portal and connected storage, not scattered across shared links. This reduces the risk of lost or misrouted files.
How we build your client portal
How We Design and Deliver Your Accounting Portal
How we build your client portal
We keep the process clear and fast: define your client-facing stages, build the portal around your workflow, then launch and improve based on real usage.
We keep the build process focused on your engagements and the way your firm works.
step 1
Workflow + Status Mapping
Map Engagement Types and Client Journeys
We define the exact stages clients should see (example: In Design, In Production, Scheduled, Delivered) and what triggers updates.
We document how monthly accounting, tax, and other services currently flow, and what clients should see at each stage.
step 2
Portal Screens + Roles
Design the Portal Experience
We build the client portal pages, file areas, approvals, and permissions for clients, internal teams, and stakeholders.
We design the client portal for accounting firms: dashboards, entity views, request lists, document areas, and permissions for both sides.
step 3
Integrations + Automation
Connect the Right Systems
We connect CRM/ERP tools where needed and automate notifications, approvals, and handoffs to reduce manual follow-ups.
We integrate with your GL, document storage, and practice tools where it makes sense, and add automations so common updates don’t rely on manual emails.
step 4
Launch + Improve
Launch, Train, and Iterate
We go live, gather feedback, and refine the experience so it stays clean as you scale clients and projects.
We launch with a pilot group, collect feedback, and refine the portal so it feels natural for both clients and your team.
FAQ
FAQ
Automated invoice collection, real-time supplier updates, and a fully integrated system built to scale with your team
A client portal is a secure online space where clients can view project updates, share files, send messages, and approve steps in one place. It reduces manual emails and gives clients clear visibility without needing constant check-ins.
An accounting client portal is a secure online space where clients can see requests, upload documents, track engagement status, and approve deliverables. It replaces scattered email threads with one place to handle day-to-day work.
A client portal for accounting firms is built around engagements, PBC lists, recurring work, and tight deadlines. We design it so clients see the right entities, years, and statuses, and your team gets the structure needed for reviews and billing.
With the right accounting portal development, you can manage requests, documents, comments, approvals, and high-level WIP in one system. It becomes the shared view of what’s open, what’s in progress, and what’s ready to bill.
Yes. We design the client portal for accountants to sit on top of your current stack. Where it adds value, we connect systems so data and status don’t have to be copied by hand.
Yes. We use role-based access and controlled permissions so each user sees only the entities and engagements that apply to them. Uploads, approvals, and status changes are tracked to support your internal policies and client expectations.
Real-world success stories
Real-world success stories
Real-world success stories
“Working with scale labs is not the same as working with an Agency. You get technical oversight from someone who you can trust to make the right decision. And you can scale your team through with their pre-vetted & trained developers from Impostorschool.dev”
Mark Proudfoot
Wecasa Founder
“The Discovery Project gave me a roadmap of how I can move my business forward with technology. It covered not only solutions for the problems we were experiencing, but surprisingly it let me see dozens of different branches we can go with our company because technology enables it. Every time we look at the report, we keep getting new ideas of how we can be more efficient, provide new services, and strategically grow.”
“The work Scale Labs did saved us 80% of the time it takes to onboard new agents. They’re a true partner. If you want to understand the ins and outs of how the product you’re paying for works, and you want someone who truly cares about how it works for your team to get the ultimate outcome, I’d recommend Scale Labs all day.”
Ryan Smith
VP Business Development
“Working with scale labs is not the same as working with an Agency. You get technical oversight from someone who you can trust to make the right decision. And you can scale your team through with their pre-vetted & trained developers from Impostorschool.dev”
Mark Proudfoot
Wecasa Founder
“The Discovery Project gave me a roadmap of how I can move my business forward with technology. It covered not only solutions for the problems we were experiencing, but surprisingly it let me see dozens of different branches we can go with our company because technology enables it. Every time we look at the report, we keep getting new ideas of how we can be more efficient, provide new services, and strategically grow.”
“The work Scale Labs did saved us 80% of the time it takes to onboard new agents. They’re a true partner. If you want to understand the ins and outs of how the product you’re paying for works, and you want someone who truly cares about how it works for your team to get the ultimate outcome, I’d recommend Scale Labs all day.”
Ryan Smith
VP Business Development
“Working with scale labs is not the same as working with an Agency. You get technical oversight from someone who you can trust to make the right decision. And you can scale your team through with their pre-vetted & trained developers from Impostorschool.dev”
Mark Proudfoot
Wecasa Founder
“The Discovery Project gave me a roadmap of how I can move my business forward with technology. It covered not only solutions for the problems we were experiencing, but surprisingly it let me see dozens of different branches we can go with our company because technology enables it. Every time we look at the report, we keep getting new ideas of how we can be more efficient, provide new services, and strategically grow.”
“The work Scale Labs did saved us 80% of the time it takes to onboard new agents. They’re a true partner. If you want to understand the ins and outs of how the product you’re paying for works, and you want someone who truly cares about how it works for your team to get the ultimate outcome, I’d recommend Scale Labs all day.”
Ryan Smith
VP Business Development
“Working with scale labs is not the same as working with an Agency. You get technical oversight from someone who you can trust to make the right decision. And you can scale your team through with their pre-vetted & trained developers from Impostorschool.dev”
Mark Proudfoot
Wecasa Founder
“The Discovery Project gave me a roadmap of how I can move my business forward with technology. It covered not only solutions for the problems we were experiencing, but surprisingly it let me see dozens of different branches we can go with our company because technology enables it. Every time we look at the report, we keep getting new ideas of how we can be more efficient, provide new services, and strategically grow.”
“The work Scale Labs did saved us 80% of the time it takes to onboard new agents. They’re a true partner. If you want to understand the ins and outs of how the product you’re paying for works, and you want someone who truly cares about how it works for your team to get the ultimate outcome, I’d recommend Scale Labs all day.”
Ryan Smith
VP Business Development
“Working with scale labs is not the same as working with an Agency. You get technical oversight from someone who you can trust to make the right decision. And you can scale your team through with their pre-vetted & trained developers from Impostorschool.dev”
Mark Proudfoot
Wecasa Founder
“The Discovery Project gave me a roadmap of how I can move my business forward with technology. It covered not only solutions for the problems we were experiencing, but surprisingly it let me see dozens of different branches we can go with our company because technology enables it. Every time we look at the report, we keep getting new ideas of how we can be more efficient, provide new services, and strategically grow.”
“The work Scale Labs did saved us 80% of the time it takes to onboard new agents. They’re a true partner. If you want to understand the ins and outs of how the product you’re paying for works, and you want someone who truly cares about how it works for your team to get the ultimate outcome, I’d recommend Scale Labs all day.”
Ryan Smith
VP Business Development
Impact that matters
Impact that matters
Impact that matters
Say goodbye to running essential workflows in email chains. With Scalelabs, every process is faster, clearer, and smarter.
2x
faster client onboarding
80%
fewer email chains
95%
workflow completion
Ready to See a Client Portal or Vendor Portal in Action?
See how ScaleLabs delivers client portal software, vendor portal software, and customer portal software—with secure document workflows and AI implementation built in.
Scalelabs
© 2025 Scalelabs
Ready to See a Client Portal or Vendor Portal in Action?
See how ScaleLabs delivers client portal software, vendor portal software, and customer portal software—with secure document workflows and AI implementation built in.
Scalelabs
© 2025 Scalelabs
Ready to See a Client Portal or Vendor Portal in Action?
See how ScaleLabs delivers client portal software, vendor portal software, and customer portal software—with secure document workflows and AI implementation built in.
Scalelabs
© 2025 Scalelabs
Ready to See a Client Portal or Vendor Portal in Action?
See how ScaleLabs delivers client portal software, vendor portal software, and customer portal software—with secure document workflows and AI implementation built in.
Scalelabs
© 2025 Scalelabs
When Your Inbox Becomes the Client Portal
Running engagements through email threads, ad-hoc folders, and spreadsheets feels normal, until it starts hurting the firm.
Work gets buried in long mail threads
Requests, answers, and file links spread across replies. Staff and partners waste hours rebuilding context before they can move a return, close, or set of accounts forward.
Clients lose track of what you actually need
Clients get multiple “please send X” emails and lose the latest list. They reply out of order, attach files in pieces, and then ask for a summary of what’s still missing.
Billing and WIP reports take too long
When status lives in email, “what’s done, what’s in review, what’s waiting on the client” becomes a manual exercise. That slows billing, delays follow-ups, and hides which work is stuck.
Why Accounting Firms Move to a Dedicated Client Portal
A good client portal for accountants gives each client one place to see what’s open, what’s in progress, and what’s done, while your teams work from a structured workflow instead of scattered channels.
Bring requests, documents, and status together
Each engagement has one clear space for PBC requests, uploads, comments, and approvals. Everyone sees the same list instead of hunting across email and shared drives.
Give clients simple, high-level status
Clients don’t need to see your full practice management system. They want to know: requested, in prep, in review, sent, or filed. An accounting client portal shows this without exposing internal complexity.
Make deadlines feel manageable again
With clear status and missing-item tracking, tax deadlines, monthly closes, and reporting cycles stop feeling like a scramble. Teams can see what’s truly blocked and act early.
Turn the inbox into a support channel, not the workflow
Once the portal holds the actual work, email becomes a pointer, not the system of record. That’s where firms start gaining real capacity.
What We Build Into an Accounting Client Portal
We design client portals for accounting firms to fit your engagement model, monthly accounting, tax, audit, CAS, or advisory—so clients get clarity and your team gets structure.
Client & Entity Dashboard
Give clients a dashboard that shows each entity and engagement at a glance: what’s active, what’s waiting on them, and what’s recently completed.
PBC / Request Lists That Stay Updated
Instead of scattered “please send” emails, clients see an organized list of items, due dates, and statuses (not started, in progress, completed, under review).
Document Vault With History
Store bank statements, ledgers, trial balances, receipts, contracts, and reports in one place. Files stay tied to the engagement with a clear history of uploads.
Approvals, Sign-Offs, and E-Sign Hooks
Let clients approve drafts, management reports, or deliverables in the portal. If needed, we can link out to your existing e-sign tools for signed letters or agreements.
Comment Threads on Each Item or Engagement
Keep questions and clarifications next to the specific document or request so staff don’t have to search email to understand context.
Role-Based Views for Client Contacts
Let owners, finance leads, and other stakeholders see only the entities and engagements that apply to them while keeping internal notes private.
See Example Workflow
Built for Modern Accounting
and Advisory Teams
Accounting firms run on tight deadlines, detailed workpapers, and constant back-and-forth with clients. Our accounting portal development focuses on that reality: recurring work, shared folders full of requests, and partners who need clear visibility without living in their inbox.