What You Need Before Starting
If you do not have a Pathalize account yet, sign up free — the free plan includes everything you need to get started. For context on why client portals matter, see our complete guide to client portals.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Your Portal
Create Your Account and Workspace
Head to pathalize.com/signup and create your account. Name your workspace (this is your internal label, not client-facing). Select your business type — agency, consultancy, MSP, or other. This takes about 90 seconds.
Upload Your Logo and Set Brand Colors
Go to Settings > Branding. Upload your logo in PNG or SVG format. Set your primary brand color (hex code) and secondary color. The portal automatically applies your colors to the login page, navigation, buttons, and accents. If you have a brand guidelines document, keep it handy — you want exact hex codes, not approximations.
Create Your First Client Project
Navigate to Projects and click Create Project. Add the client name, project title, and a brief description. Set up milestones or key deliverables — these become the anchors your client sees in their portal. You can always add more later.
Generate an AI Checklist
This is where Pathalize saves you the most time. Click "Generate Checklist" and describe your project in plain language — for example, "SEO audit and content strategy for a 30-person e-commerce company, 3-month engagement." AI generates a complete, customized checklist that you can edit, reorder, and assign to team members.
Invite Your Client
Click "Invite Client" and enter their email address. They receive a branded invitation with your logo and a link to their portal. On first login, they see a branded experience — your colors, your logo, their project status. No generic software branding.
Launch and Share
Do a final review: check that branding looks right, the project structure makes sense, and the checklist is accurate. Share the portal link with your client. You can also set up a custom domain so clients access the portal through your own URL (e.g., portal.youragency.com).
Customization Options Beyond the Basics
Custom Domains
Point portal.youragency.com to your Pathalize portal. Clients never see pathalize.com.
Notification Preferences
Control which updates trigger client notifications — task completions, new documents, milestone achievements.
Role Permissions
Set different access levels for clients, team members, and admins. Clients see only what you want them to see.
Email Templates
Customize the email invitations and notifications with your branding and messaging.
Client-Facing Branding Tips
Use your exact brand colors — close approximations look unprofessional
Keep the welcome message under 3 sentences — clients want to see their project, not read an essay
Test the mobile view before inviting clients — many will check from their phone first
Use clear, simple navigation labels — avoid jargon your clients would not understand
Do not overload the portal on first visit — start lean and add sections as the engagement progresses