Quick start
Create an account, build your first template with the drag-and-drop editor, and send a branded onboarding to a client in under 10 minutes with no code.
Create your account
Sign up at app.portico.run. You get a 14-day Pro trial with no credit card required. When it ends, your account moves to the Free plan automatically.
During signup you set your business name, country, and timezone. These appear on client-facing forms and you can change them later in Settings.
Build a template
Templates are reusable onboarding forms. One template can power hundreds of onboardings.
- Go to Templates and click New template.
- You see a three-panel editor: steps on the left, fields in the center, configuration on the right.
- Your template starts with one step. Rename it to something your client will understand (for example, "Business details").
- Click Add field and choose a type. A short text field for "Company name" and an email field are enough to test the flow.
- Mark fields as Required if you need them before the onboarding can be completed.
- Add more steps with the + button in the left panel. Each step becomes a separate page in the client form.
Changes save automatically. You will see a "Saved" indicator in the header.
You do not need to build from scratch. Open the Template gallery and choose from over 40 pre-built templates for agencies, accounting firms, legal practices, and more. Clone one and customize it.
Send your first onboarding
- Go to Onboardings and click New onboarding.
- Select the template you just built.
- Enter your client's name and email, or pick an existing client from your directory.
- Set a due date (optional but recommended — it enables automatic reminders).
- Click Send.
Portico validates the template, creates a unique link, and emails it to your client. They click and start filling in — no account creation, no password.
Your dashboard
After sending, the Dashboard shows your onboarding activity at a glance:
- Stats — active onboardings, completed this month, and items awaiting action.
- Attention list — onboardings flagged as overdue, at risk (due soon with low progress), or stale (no activity for 5 or more days).
- Activity feed — a timeline of recent events across all onboardings.
Track progress
In Onboardings, your sent onboarding moves from "Sent" to "In progress" once the client opens it. You can see:
- Progress percentage — how many required fields are filled.
- Last activity — when the client last saved a response.
- Status badges — draft, sent, in progress, completed, or overdue.
Click any onboarding to view field-by-field responses, leave comments on specific fields, or message the client directly.
Switch to Kanban view to manage onboardings by dragging them between status columns.
Review and approve
When the client submits, review their responses in the Responses tab:
- Approve fields that look good.
- Reject fields that need changes — add a note explaining what is wrong. The client gets notified and resubmits just the rejected fields.
- Once everything is approved, mark the onboarding as Completed.
What to do next
- How it works — the full onboarding lifecycle
- Dashboard — stats, attention flags, and activity feed
- Template gallery — over 40 pre-built industry templates
- Template builder — all 18 field types and conditional logic
- Client experience — what your clients see when filling in forms
- Client portal — your client's persistent document hub
- Managing clients — directory, CSV import, and custom fields
- Billing and plans — feature comparison across tiers
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need a credit card to start?
- No. You get a 14-day Pro trial with no credit card required. When it ends, your account moves to the Free plan automatically.
- How long does it take to send my first onboarding?
- Under 10 minutes. Create an account, build or clone a template, add your client's name and email, and click Send.
- Do my clients need to create an account?
- No. Clients receive a unique link by email and start filling in immediately — no login, no password, no app download.