Add a form directly to the client portal so your client can access it without receiving a separate email. This is especially useful when you have multiple forms for a project and want your client to find everything in one place.
How to add a form to a project
Before you can apply a form to the client portal, the form needs to exist in the project. If you already have a form in your project, skip ahead to the next section.
Open the project and click the Forms tab.
Click Add a Form at the top of the forms list.
In the Apply Form Template to Project dialog, select a form template from the list.
Click Apply Template.
The form appears in the project's forms list with its assigned status.
Apply a form to the portal
Once a form is in a project, you can apply it to the client portal from the form detail view.
In the project's Forms tab, select the form you want to apply to the portal.
Click Share to open the dropdown menu.
Click Apply to portal.
Once a form has been applied to the portal, the form's status sent in the forms list. Your client can now access the form through their client portal.
The Apply to portal option is only available for forms that have not been sent via email yet. Sending a form via email automatically applies to the form to the portal at the time of sending. Once a form is marked as sent, the option no longer appears in the Share dropdown.
Which form types can be applied to the portal
You can apply any form type to the client portal, but the process varies slightly depending on the form type.
Proposals, questionnaires, and sub-agreements use the Share ➔ Apply to portal path described above. Open the form from the project's Forms tab and select the option from the Share dropdown.
Contracts also support Apply to portal and follow the same path: open the project's Forms tab, select the contract, click Share, and choose Apply to portal.
Lead capture forms are a special case. These forms are completed by prospective clients before a project exists. Once a lead capture form is submitted and a project is created, the completed form is automatically visible in the client portal — you do not need to apply it manually.
Flows and portal delivery
If you use flows to automate your client onboarding, you can also have Dubsado apply forms to the portal as part of a flow. When configuring a send step in a flow, you can choose between two portal-related options: Send email and apply to portal (default) and Apply to portal. This automates the same action described in this article.
For more details on setting up flows, see Flows.
FAQ
Does my client receive an email when I apply a form to the portal?
No. Applying a form to the portal does not send any notification or email to your client. You need to share the client portal link with your client separately so they know to check for new documents.
How do I know the form was successfully added to the portal?
The form's status changes to a blue sent chip in the project's forms list. The Apply to portal option also disappears from the Share dropdown since the form has been sent.
You can also view the client's portal yourself to confirm the form appears there.
Do I have to use the client portal to share forms?
No. You can also use Share ➔ Send to email the form directly to your client, or use Share ➔ Copy link to get a shareable link. Password-protected forms are the exception — they can only be accessed through the client portal.
Can I apply a form to the portal from the global Forms page?
No. The Apply to portal option only appears when a form is in a project context. If you navigate to Forms in the sidebar to view all forms across your projects, you need to open the form from within its project to access the Share ➔ Apply to portal option.