A client portal for web developers who are done with scope creep by email

Most website projects don’t run late because of the code. They run late because the scope lived in an email thread, the “small tweak” turned into a new feature, and nobody signed off on anything. CloveDesk gives every client a private workspace for the paperwork around the build: quote, agreement, approvals, files and invoice. Your client opens a link. No account, no new tool to learn.

No credit card required

Here is how a typical build runs.

1. Quote. Send a quote for the build, broken into what is included: design, development, CMS setup, launch support.
2. Agreement. Your terms are added automatically, so revision limits, what counts as a change request, and the payment schedule are in writing every time.
3. Signature. The client signs from the link on their phone. You both get a signed PDF and an audit trail.
4. Build. Move the project through your stages, such as discovery, design, build, review and launch.
5. Sign-offs. Get written approval at each milestone, before you move to the next one.
6. Launch. The client signs a short launch acceptance, then you invoice from the original quote.

“Can you just add a booking form?” is a quote, not a favor. Put your change request process into your default terms once, and it appears on every quote you send. When a request comes in, write it up as a short document with the extra cost, send it for signature, and only then start. The client’s “yes” is in writing, with a date.

Design feedback still happens the way it does now, by email, call or message. What CloveDesk adds is the record. When the client is happy with the design, upload a one-page sign-off, such as “Homepage and inner page designs approved”, and send it for signature. When they come back three weeks later asking to redo the layout, you have a signed approval to point to.

Running three or four sites at once? Each client gets their own workspace, and each build is a project inside it. Set the stage of each project, and you can see at a glance which sites are waiting on content, which are in review and which are ready to launch.

Upload staging notes, exports, design files and handover documents to the client’s workspace. Use labels to keep them sorted on your side. Nothing reaches the client until you share it, so half-finished work doesn’t land in their inbox by accident.

When the project is accepted, convert the original quote into an invoice. Every line carries over, so there is nothing to retype. If the client goes quiet after launch, which is the most common time to chase, send a manual reminder or let CloveDesk chase the late invoice automatically.

Premium plugins, theme licenses, stock photos, domains, a freelancer you brought in for the design. Record each one against the project, in whatever currency you paid in. Your expense report converts everything into your reporting currency, so you can see the real margin on a project, not just the invoice total.

It is not a project management tool, a time tracker or a place to host or deploy your code. Clients can view, download and sign what you share, but they can’t comment on designs or approve files inside the portal. Invoices are marked paid by you, and clients can’t pay inside CloveDesk. Keep your existing tools for tasks, time and deployments. CloveDesk handles the client-facing paperwork around them.

• If your current system is a shared inbox, a spreadsheet of projects and a folder of PDFs, you can switch in an afternoon. Create a workspace for each active client, upload their current quote and signed agreement, and start using it from the next milestone. You don’t need to move your history.

How do I handle a client who keeps adding features?
Put your change request terms in your default terms. For each new request, write it up as a short document with the cost, send it for signature, and quote the extra work separately from the original project.

Can the client sign the agreement without creating an account?
Yes. They open a secure link sent to their email and sign by drawing or typing their signature.

Can I send my own development contract or SOW?
Yes. Upload any PDF and send it for signature, or use your quote and default terms.

Can I get sign-off on a design before I start building?
Yes. Upload a one-page approval for the design and send it for signature. Feedback on the design itself still happens outside the portal.

Can the client pay the invoice through CloveDesk?
Not currently. You send the invoice, and you mark it paid when the money arrives.

Can I share staging links or credentials?
Put them in a document you share with the client, if you are comfortable doing so. Many developers send credentials through a password manager and use CloveDesk for the agreement and sign-off instead.

Does it replace Trello, Asana or Jira?
No. It covers the client-facing side: quotes, agreements, approvals, files and invoices.

Can I track expenses like plugin licenses and hosting?
Yes. Record them against the project in any currency.