Client Portal Builder for monday.com helps you turn the work you already manage in monday.com into a secure, branded client portal. But before you start adding pages, sections, board items, files, comments, forms, and login methods, it is worth planning what your first portal should actually do. A good first client portal does not need to include every possible feature. It should give clients a clear place to find the information they ask for most often, while keeping your internal monday.com workspace protected.

In this guide, we will walk through how to plan your first monday.com client portal, what to include in the first version, which setup decisions matter most, and where to go when you are ready for the detailed configuration steps.

What should your first monday.com client portal include?

Your first client portal should be simple, useful, and easy to test. The goal is not to recreate your entire monday.com workspace for clients. The goal is to give each client a clean external experience that shows the information they need and hides everything they should not see. A useful first portal often includes:

• A welcome page with an explanation of what the client can do in the portal.
• A project, service, request, or work overview.
• A section that shows selected monday.com board items.
• A place for files, documents, reports, or deliverables.
• A clear next step for the client.

1. Client experience

Start with the client experience, not the app settings

Before opening the builder, think about the portal from the client’s point of view and ask yourself:

• What does the client need to check most often?
• What questions does the client currently ask by email?
• Which project or service information should be visible?
• Which internal notes, statuses, costs, or columns should stay hidden?
• Should the portal be read only at first?
• Should clients be able to comment, upload files, or edit selected fields?
• Should every client see the same pages, or should pages depend on the client type or status?

2. Portal structure

Choose your first portal structure

A simple portal structure is usually better than a large portal on day one. You can always add more pages later. Start with the sections that create immediate value for clients.

3. Clients Board

Understand the Clients Board before building the portal

The Clients Board is the foundation of your portal. Each item on this board represents one client. Client Portal Builder uses this board to understand who the client is, what data belongs to that client, and what information should be shown in the portal. A simple Clients Board might include columns such as:

• Client name → Item name
• Client status or type
• Account manager
• Plan or service level
• Onboarding status
• Internal notes

4. Required app views

Add the required views when you are ready to configure

Once your Clients Board is ready, the technical setup happens inside the required Client Portal Builder views. The two most important views are:

• Client Portal Builder board view, which is used to build pages and configure content.
• Client Settings item view, which is used to manage login methods and portal access.

This article focuses on planning the first portal. For the exact setup steps, use the official docs on Client Portal Builder app views and the general getting started documentation.

5. Connecting boards

Decide how client specific data should be displayed

One of the most important setup decisions is how each client should be connected to monday.com board data. There is no single correct structure. The best option depends on how your monday.com workspace is organized. The detailed configuration happens through board sources and content sections. For implementation details, please read the documentation on embedding boards, connecting boards, and board sources.

6. Feature usage

Decide which features should wait until later

Client Portal Builder includes many features, but not every feature needs to be part of the first launch. Start with the features that solve the client’s main problem, and add advanced interaction later.

Start with these features first

• Basic portal pages
• Selected board data
• Files or deliverables
• Portal branding
• Client login access
• Preview and testing

Add these later when needed

• Client comments
• Custom domain
• Item editing
• Action buttons
• WorkForm embeds
• Conditional visibility

This keeps the first setup manageable and reduces the risk of exposing the wrong data or confusing clients.

7. Portal branding

Apply branding before inviting clients

A portal is client facing, so it should feel like part of your service. Before inviting clients, review the portal branding:

• Portal name
• Portal logo
• Portal typography
• Company colors
• Custom domain Advanced

If branding is important to your client experience, please read the official documentation about how to adjust the portal theme settings and how to connect your domain.

8. Client access

Setting up client access

Client access should be tested before you invite real clients. Client Portal Builder uses separate portal login methods, which means clients do not need to become monday.com users just to access the portal. Before launch, decide:

• Who from the client organization should have access?
• Should each person have their own login?
• Which client item should each login method belong to?
• Should access be limited to one test client first?
• What should happen when a client is no longer active?

Read the documentation to learn more about how setting up login methods works. For the first launch, create a test login and confirm that the client sees the correct data before creating access for real clients.

9. Testing

Test the client experience before launch

Testing is the most important step before inviting clients. Do not only check the portal as an internal monday.com user, but test it from the client’s perspective. Use this checklist:

• The client can log in successfully
• The client sees the correct portal pages
• The client does not see other clients’ data
• Board sections show the right items
• Unnecessary columns are hidden
• Files and attachments open correctly
• Comments work only where intended
• Item editing works only where intended
• Forms or request sections work correctly
• Draft pages are not visible
• The portal language is clear for clients
• The client knows what to do next

Testing with one internal test client first is usually safer than inviting several real clients immediately.

10. Soft launch

Invite your first client

Once the portal has been tested, invite one real client first. Do not launch to every client at once unless the setup is already proven, a good first invitation should include:

• The link to the portal
• A short explanation of what the portal is for
• Login instructions along with their credentials
• What the client can find inside the portal
• Who to contact if they have trouble

After the first client has used the portal, review their feedback before rolling it out more widely. Look for questions like:

• Did they understand where to click?
• Did they find the right information?
• Did they ask for something that should be added to the portal?
• Did they see too much or too little information?
• Did the portal reduce email or manual updates?

Use this feedback to improve the portal before inviting more clients.

Common mistakes

Common mistakes when building your first client portal

A first portal does not need to be perfect, but some mistakes are worth avoiding.

Questions & Answers

Frequently asked questions about getting started with Client Portal Builder

Conclusion

Client Portal Builder helps you turn monday.com boards into secure, branded client portals without giving clients access to your internal workspace. The best way to get started is to keep the first version simple. Create a clear Clients Board, plan a small portal structure, decide what each client should see, connect only the most important board data, apply basic branding, test the client experience, and invite one client first. Once the first portal works, you can add more pages, comments, item editing, forms, custom domains, and advanced client specific workflows.