Skip to content
TRDThe Research Desk, home

02 · Software

Client portals that cut down status-update emails

When clients can see progress, files and invoices themselves, your team answers fewer of the same questions. We build portals for clients, partners, staff and contractors, each seeing exactly their own work and nothing else.

Free first conversation · No obligation · You own the code

§ 01Is this you?

You're likely in the right place if…

  • 01A large share of your inbox is clients asking for updates.
  • 02Files are exchanged over email and WhatsApp and get lost.
  • 03Contractors or partners need access to some data but not all of it.

Sound familiar? Tell us which one on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab) and we'll suggest where to start.

§ 02Deliverables

What we build

  1. 01

    Project tracking

    Status, milestones and deadlines visible to the client in real time.

  2. 02

    Files and submissions

    Secure upload and download with versioning, tied to the right project.

  3. 03

    Invoices and payments

    Clients see what they owe and what they've paid, and never your internal costs.

  4. 04

    Messaging and notifications

    Project-scoped messages with email or WhatsApp notifications.

  5. 05

    Multi-portal systems

    Separate client, staff and contractor portals on one data model with strict visibility rules.

§ 03Approach

How we build it

  1. Visibility rules written first

    We define exactly which fields each audience can see, then enforce those rules in the database.

  2. We run our own

    TRD runs its own client and team portals. The patterns we sell are the ones we use every day.

Typical stack

  • Next.js
  • Supabase
  • PostgreSQL
  • Google Apps Script
  • Tailwind CSS
§ 04Proof

Related case studies

§ 05FAQ

Questions about client portals

01Can clients log in without a password?

Yes. Magic-link or one-time-code sign-in is often the best fit for clients who log in occasionally.

02What can clients do in a portal?

Typically: see project status and deadlines, upload and download files, view invoices and payment status, and send messages to your team. The exact features are agreed in the scope.

03Will clients see our internal information?

No. We define exactly which fields each audience can see (clients, staff, contractors) and enforce it in the database, so internal costs, notes and other clients' data stay private.

04Can the portal carry our branding?

Yes. Your logo, colours and domain (for example portal.yourcompany.com) can be used.

05Do you have experience running portals?

Yes. TRD's own operations run on client, team and admin portals we built ourselves, which is where most of our portal patterns come from.

06How is the price decided?

After a short study of your process we send a written scope with fixed deliverables, timeline and price. Nothing is charged before you approve it; payment is typically 50% to start and 50% on delivery.

07Who owns the work when it's finished?

You do. Code, accounts and documentation are handed over in your name once the project is paid.

Next step

Ready to talk about client portals?

Describe the system you need, or the spreadsheet you've outgrown. We'll ask the right questions and reply with a sensible first version.

Free first conversation · No obligation · NDA on request