When a contact can't get into their portal, they usually hit one of two errors: Client not found or A password has not been created yet. Each has a simple cause and fix on your end.
Your contact sees these errors on their side, but both are quick to resolve from yours. Here's what causes each one:
Client not found: the contact's email doesn't match their contact record, or their portal isn't activated yet.
A password has not been created yet: the contact is using your workspace's public portal link, which requires a password you haven't set for them.
Client not found
This error shows up when the email your contact enters at login doesn't match what Dubsado has on file for them, or when their portal hasn't been turned on. Check both possibilities to find the fix.
The email doesn't match
The email your contact enters at login has to match the email address saved on their contact record exactly. If they're using a different address than the one you have on file, they'll see "Client not found."
To check or correct the email:
Open the contact from the Contacts page, or open their Project and go to the Overview tab.
On the Contact card, click the pencil icon (Edit contact).
In the Edit Contact dialog, confirm the address in the Email address field matches what your contact is entering, and update it if needed.
The email your contact enters at login must match the email on their contact record exactly. If they're using a different address than the one you have saved, they'll see "Client not found."
The portal isn't activated
If the email checks out, the contact's portal is probably still turned off. From the project or contact's Overview tab, find the Portal card and turn on the toggle at the top of the card to activate their portal. The status line under the toggle updates to read "[Contact name]'s portal is online" once it's active.
A password has not been created yet
The full message reads, "A password has not been created yet. Please contact [your brand name] for further assistance." It means your contact is using your workspace's public portal link instead of a link sent directly to them. The public link works for any contact, but only if a password has been set for them first.
Set a password for the contact
From the project or contact's Overview tab, open the Portal card. Make sure you activate their portal first, then type a password into the Password field (it shows the placeholder text "Enter a password") and save it. A checkmark confirms the password was saved.
If you set a password, your contact uses that password along with their email to log in. If you leave the password blank and send them their portal link instead, they can access the portal with just their email address.
Send the contact their unique portal link instead
If you'd rather skip passwords altogether, send them their portal link instead of using the public one. From the Portal card, click Share and choose Send link to open a pre-filled email draft with their unique link, or Copy link to grab the URL yourself. A contact using their unique link only needs their email address to sign in, no password required.
Don't hand out a contact's unique portal link as your general public link. Each unique link is specific to one contact. Use the Sharing link in Settings ➔ Client portal for general sharing instead.
FAQ
My contact says the portal link isn't working. Where do I even find their portal?
Open the contact, or their project, and go to the Details tab or sidebar. The Portal card there lets you activate the portal, set a password, and share the link, all in one place.
What's the difference between the public portal link and a contact's unique link?
The public Sharing link (Settings ➔ Client portal) is one link for your whole workspace, and it requires each contact to have a password set. A unique link, sent from the Portal card's Share menu, is specific to one contact and lets them log in with just their email, no password needed.
Do I have to set a password for every contact?
Only if you're sharing the public Sharing link. If you send each contact their own unique link instead, no password is required.