# Portico — Full Product Reference

> Portico is a structured client onboarding platform for service businesses. Collect documents, get e-signatures, take payments, and automate reminders — all from one link.

## What is Portico?

Portico is a structured client onboarding platform for service businesses. It replaces the patchwork of Google Forms, DocuSign, Stripe, and email follow-up with a single onboarding link that handles the full intake-to-kickoff workflow.

A service provider creates a template with intake fields, document upload slots, e-signature blocks, and payment steps. They send a magic link to their client. The client completes everything in one branded flow — no account creation, no app download. The provider tracks progress, reviews submissions, approves or requests changes per field, and hands off to delivery.

## Key facts

- **Founded:** 2026
- **Type:** SaaS, web application
- **Website:** https://portico.run
- **App:** https://app.portico.run
- **Pricing:** Free ($0, 3 onboardings/month), Starter ($39/mo), Pro ($79/mo), Business ($149/mo). Annual billing saves 20-25%.
- **All plans include:** Unlimited team members, e-signatures, automated reminders
- **Languages:** English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, and locale-adaptive date/currency formatting
- **Countries:** 46 countries via Paddle (merchant of record). Supports USD, EUR, GBP, and 20+ currencies.
- **Stack:** Next.js, TypeScript, Supabase (PostgreSQL), Paddle, Stripe, Vercel
- **Target market:** Agencies, accounting firms, bookkeepers, law firms, consultants, coaches, freelancers, financial advisors

## Features

### Intake forms
- 18+ field types: text, email, phone, dropdown, multi-select, checkbox, date, file upload, rich text, address, URL, number, currency, rating, signature, payment, consent, info block
- Conditional logic: show/hide fields, sections, or entire steps based on prior answers. AND/OR conditions. Conditions based on any field type.
- Multi-step forms with progress bars and step labels
- Field-level validation and required/optional controls
- Merge tags for personalized content (client name, company, etc.)

### Document collection
- Per-field file upload with type restrictions (PDF, image, etc.)
- Multiple files per upload field
- Automated reminders for missing documents
- Encrypted storage (AES-256 at rest)

### E-signatures
- Draw or type signature inline within onboarding flow
- Legally binding under ESIGN Act (US) and eIDAS (EU)
- Signature certificate with timestamp, IP, and browser fingerprint
- Multiple signature fields per onboarding
- Countersignatures for provider team
- Available on all plans including Free

### Payment collection
- Inline payment step within onboarding flow
- Stripe integration for credit/debit cards
- Paddle integration for international payments with tax handling
- Fixed or variable amounts
- Payment confirmation before proceeding to next step

### Automated reminders
- Configurable reminder schedule (e.g., day 3, day 7, day 14)
- Email and SMS reminders (SMS on Pro+)
- Reminders stop automatically when onboarding is completed
- Custom reminder message content

### Client portal
- Magic-link access — no account creation required
- PIN protection option for sensitive onboardings
- Persistent portal that stays active after onboarding completion
- In-portal messaging between client and provider
- Document access and status updates visible to client
- Branded with provider's logo, colors, and custom domain (Business plan)

### Review and approval
- Per-field approve/reject workflow
- Request changes on individual fields with inline comments
- Field-level comment threads
- Submission status tracking (draft, submitted, in review, approved, changes requested)
- Keyboard shortcuts for review mode (A approve, R reject, S skip)

### Branding and white-label
- Custom logo and brand colors on Starter+
- Branded emails with provider's name and logo
- Custom CSS injection on Business plan
- Custom domain (e.g., onboard.youragency.com) on Business plan
- White-label: remove all Portico branding on Business plan

### Compliance and security
- AES-256 encryption at rest, TLS 1.3 in transit
- Tamper-proof audit trail with hash-chained event logging
- GDPR consent collection fields
- Data export (right to portability)
- Data retention policies with automatic deletion
- Row-level security on all database tables

### Integrations
- REST API (Pro+): Full CRUD for onboardings, templates, clients, files. Token auth, rate limiting (200/min Pro, 1000/min Business).
- Webhooks (Starter+): Real-time POST notifications for onboarding.completed, onboarding.sent, response.submitted, signature.signed, payment.succeeded. HMAC-SHA256 signed.
- Zapier (Pro+): 5 triggers, 3 actions, 2 searches. Connect to 6,000+ apps.
- Make (Pro+): Visual automation workflows.
- Via Zapier/Make: QuickBooks, Xero, HubSpot, Slack, Google Sheets, Notion, Pipedrive, Airtable, and 6,000+ more.

### Templates
- 13 industry templates: agency, bookkeeper, consultant, freelancer, accounting, legal, coaching, real estate, financial advisor, nonprofit, client intake, welcome packet, IT services
- Template builder with drag-and-drop field ordering
- Duplicate and customize templates
- Import/export templates

## Pricing details

- Free: 3 onboardings/month, unlimited team members — $0/month
- Starter: 25 onboardings/month, e-signatures, payments, branding — $39/month
- Pro: 100 onboardings/month, API, Zapier, client portal, automations — $79/month
- Business: Unlimited onboardings, white-label, priority support — $149/month
- Annual billing: Starter $29/mo, Pro $59/mo, Business $119/mo (save 20-25%)
- All plans: unlimited team members, e-signatures, automated reminders
- No per-user fees, no per-signature fees, no platform transaction fees

## How Portico compares

| Feature | Portico | HoneyBook | Dubsado | Content Snare | Clustdoc | Copilot |
|---------|---------|-----------|---------|---------------|----------|---------|
| Conditional forms | Yes | $59/mo+ | No | No | No | No |
| E-signatures | All plans | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Payment collection | $39/mo+ | Yes (+3% fee) | Yes | No | No | No |
| File/document collection | Yes | Basic | Basic | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Client portal | Yes | No | No | No | Basic | Yes |
| Per-field approval | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Audit trail | Hash-chained | No | No | No | No | No |
| Multilingual (i18n) | 9 languages | No | No | No | No | No |
| REST API | $79/mo+ | No | Basic | No | No | Yes |
| White-label | $149/mo | No | No | No | No | $149/mo |
| Unlimited team members | All plans | No ($36/seat) | No | No | No | No |
| Starting price | $0/mo | $36/mo | $20/mo | $29/mo | $57/mo | $29/mo |

## Industry solutions

### Agencies
Onboard agency clients with one branded link. Intake forms, asset collection, e-signatures, and payments in a single flow. Setup in 10 minutes. Free tier available.
Page: https://portico.run/for/agencies

### Accountants
Onboard accounting clients securely. Collect tax documents, engagement letter signatures, and retainer payments in one encrypted flow. GDPR-ready. Free tier available.
Page: https://portico.run/for/accountants

### Bookkeepers
Onboard bookkeeping clients with one professional link. Collect credentials, bank statements, engagement letters, and monthly fees in a single flow. Free tier available.
Page: https://portico.run/for/bookkeepers

### Law Firms
Simplify legal client intake with secure forms, document collection, engagement letter e-signatures, and retainer payments in one encrypted flow. GDPR-ready. Free tier available.
Page: https://portico.run/for/legal

### Consultants
Onboard consulting clients professionally. Collect project briefs, sign SOWs, take deposits, and share kickoff materials in one branded flow. Free tier available.
Page: https://portico.run/for/consultants

### Coaches
Onboard coaching clients professionally. Collect intake questionnaires, sign coaching agreements, take package payments, and share welcome materials in one branded flow. Free tier available.
Page: https://portico.run/for/coaches

## Use cases

### Document Collection
Stop chasing clients for files over email. Portico lets you request specific documents, set type restrictions, send automated reminders, and store everything encrypted.
Page: https://portico.run/use-cases/document-collection

### Client Portal
Give clients a branded portal to track onboarding progress, access documents, and see what's needed next. Magic-link access, no passwords, your brand.
Page: https://portico.run/use-cases/client-portal

### Client Intake Forms
Build multi-step intake forms with conditional logic, file uploads, e-signatures, and payments. Auto-save, progress tracking, and branded experience included.
Page: https://portico.run/use-cases/client-intake

### E-Signatures
Legally binding e-signatures embedded in your onboarding flow. Clients sign engagement letters, contracts, and agreements as a step in the form — no separate tool needed.
Page: https://portico.run/use-cases/esignatures

## Feature deep-dives

- [E-Signatures Built Into Client Onboarding](https://portico.run/features/e-signatures): Collect legally binding e-signatures inline during client onboarding. No app switching, no separate tools. Signed documents stored with tamper-proof audit trails.
- [Conditional Logic for Client Onboarding Forms](https://portico.run/features/conditional-logic): Show different fields based on client answers. Skip entire steps when they do not apply. One template handles every client type without overwhelming anyone.
- [Automated Reminders for Client Onboarding](https://portico.run/features/automated-reminders): Item-specific reminders that name exactly what is missing. Reminders stop automatically when items are completed. No more chasing clients manually.
- [Collect Payments During Client Onboarding](https://portico.run/features/payment-collection): Collect deposits, retainers, and project fees inline during onboarding through Stripe. Direct payout to your account with no platform markup on top of card processing.

## Alternatives and migration guides

- [HoneyBook Alternative](https://portico.run/alternative/honeybook)
- [Dubsado Alternative](https://portico.run/alternative/dubsado)
- [Content Snare Alternative](https://portico.run/alternative/content-snare)
- [Copilot (Assembly) Alternative](https://portico.run/alternative/copilot)
- [Clustdoc Alternative](https://portico.run/alternative/clustdoc)
- [Moxo Alternative](https://portico.run/alternative/moxo)
- [SuiteDash Alternative](https://portico.run/alternative/suitedash)
- [LaunchBay Alternative](https://portico.run/alternative/launchbay)
- [OnboardMap Alternative](https://portico.run/alternative/onboardmap)
- [Migrate from HoneyBook](https://portico.run/migrate/honeybook)
- [Migrate from Dubsado](https://portico.run/migrate/dubsado)
- [Migrate from Content Snare](https://portico.run/migrate/content-snare)

## Templates

- [Agency Client Onboarding](https://portico.run/templates/agency-client-onboarding): Collect brand assets, project briefs, logins, and signed agreements. Built for creative, marketing, and web agencies. (4 steps, 19 fields)
- [Bookkeeper Client Intake](https://portico.run/templates/bookkeeper-client-intake): Gather tax documents, bank access, entity details, and engagement letters. Designed for bookkeepers and accountants. (4 steps, 17 fields)
- [Consulting Engagement Kickoff](https://portico.run/templates/consulting-engagement-kickoff): Scope of work sign-off, stakeholder contacts, NDA collection, and deposit payment in one flow. (4 steps, 16 fields)
- [Freelancer Project Start](https://portico.run/templates/freelancer-project-start): Contract signing, project brief, deposit invoice, and asset collection. One link, no back-and-forth. (3 steps, 12 fields)
- [Accounting Year-End Engagement](https://portico.run/templates/accounting-year-end): Collect financial records, tax documents, and engagement terms for year-end close and tax preparation. (4 steps, 18 fields)
- [Legal Matter Intake](https://portico.run/templates/legal-matter-intake): Conflict check, retainer agreement, document uploads, and client identification. Built for solo and small law firms. (4 steps, 17 fields)
- [Coaching Client Welcome](https://portico.run/templates/coaching-client-welcome): Intake questionnaire, coaching agreement, payment collection, and scheduling link. Ready for life, business, or health coaches. (3 steps, 11 fields)
- [Real Estate Buyer Onboarding](https://portico.run/templates/real-estate-buyer-onboarding): Buyer questionnaire, pre-approval docs, agency agreement, and earnest money collection. (3 steps, 12 fields)
- [Financial Advisor KYC Intake](https://portico.run/templates/financial-advisor-kyc): Know-your-customer identity verification, risk assessment, and advisory agreements for financial advisors and wealth managers. (4 steps, 18 fields)
- [Nonprofit Volunteer Onboarding](https://portico.run/templates/nonprofit-volunteer-onboarding): Volunteer application, background check consent, policy acknowledgments, and orientation scheduling for nonprofits. (3 steps, 12 fields)
- [Client Intake Form](https://portico.run/templates/client-intake-form): A ready-to-use client intake form with contact details, project scope, document uploads, and e-signature. Replace your paper forms and PDFs with a single link. (4 steps, 17 fields)
- [Client Welcome Packet](https://portico.run/templates/client-welcome-packet): A complete welcome packet template with team introductions, process overview, document requests, and e-signature. Send new clients everything they need in one link. (4 steps, 15 fields)
- [IT Services Client Setup](https://portico.run/templates/it-services-client-setup): Network audit form, SLA agreement, credential handoff, and monthly retainer payment in one onboarding flow. (4 steps, 15 fields)

## Documentation

- [Quick Start](https://portico.run/docs/quick-start): Send your first client onboarding in under 10 minutes.
- [How It Works](https://portico.run/docs/how-it-works): The full onboarding lifecycle from template to completion.
- [Template Builder](https://portico.run/docs/template-builder): Field types, conditional logic, and everything you can configure in the template editor.
- [Client Experience](https://portico.run/docs/client-experience): What your clients see when they receive and complete an onboarding.
- [Settings & Integrations](https://portico.run/docs/settings-and-integrations): Connect Stripe, Twilio, and Zapier. Configure branding, team, compliance, and automations.
- [API Reference](https://portico.run/docs/api-reference): REST API endpoints for clients, onboardings, templates, responses, and events.
- [Webhooks](https://portico.run/docs/webhooks): Receive real-time notifications when onboarding events happen.

## Articles

- [Client Onboarding Templates: Copy-Ready by Industry](https://portico.run/blog/post/client-onboarding-template): Copy-ready onboarding templates for agencies, bookkeepers, consultants, and coaches — welcome emails, document request lists, kickoff agendas, and handoff checklists you can use today. [Templates]
- [Client Portal for Accountants: What to Look For](https://portico.run/blog/post/client-portal-for-accountants): A guide to choosing a client portal for accountants — six features that matter, two comparison tables (practice management versus standalone tools), and a worked cost example for a 6-person bookkeeping firm. [Industries]
- [Clustdoc Review: Features, Pricing, and Limitations](https://portico.run/blog/post/clustdoc-review): An honest review of Clustdoc's onboarding features, pricing, and limitations — written by a competing vendor with full disclosure.
- [Content Snare Review: What It Does Well and Where It Falls Short](https://portico.run/blog/post/content-snare-review): An honest review of Content Snare's document collection features, pricing, and limitations — written by a competing vendor with full disclosure.
- [Content Snare vs Clustdoc: which client onboarding tool fits?](https://portico.run/blog/post/content-snare-vs-clustdoc): Content Snare wins on price and setup for document collection. Clustdoc wins on compliance for regulated industries. A head-to-head comparison of features, pricing, and tradeoffs. [Reviews & Comparisons]
- [Client Intake Form: Templates and Examples by Industry](https://portico.run/blog/post/client-intake-form-guide): A client intake form collects contact details, service needs, budget, timeline, and assets from new clients in one submission. Five ready-to-use templates for agencies, bookkeepers, consultants, legal firms, and coaches. [Templates]
- [Client Onboarding Automation: What to Automate and What to Keep Human](https://portico.run/blog/post/client-onboarding-automation): Automate reminders, document requests, payment collection, and status updates. Keep kickoff calls, scope discussions, and exception handling human. Includes a decision matrix and step-by-step workflows for service businesses. [Guides & How-To]
- [The Complete Guide to Client Onboarding](https://portico.run/blog/post/client-onboarding-guide): Client onboarding is the structured process of moving a new client from signed agreement to active engagement. This guide covers all five phases — with specific workflows for agencies, bookkeepers, and consultants. [Guides & How-To]
- [Client Onboarding for Agencies: A Process That Scales](https://portico.run/blog/post/client-onboarding-process-agencies): Agency onboarding follows six steps — internal handoff, welcome email, brand asset collection, kickoff meeting, scope confirmation, and first milestone — completed in 5-10 business days. [Industries]
- [Client Welcome Packet: What to Include and How to Send It](https://portico.run/blog/post/client-welcome-packet): A client welcome packet is a document or digital experience sent to new clients after they sign on. Here's what to include, when to send it, and whether to use a PDF or portal. [Templates]
- [Intake Forms: What They Are and How to Build One](https://portico.run/blog/post/intake-forms-guide): An intake form collects contact details, project scope, budget, and assets from new clients in one submission. Here's the 5-section framework with templates by industry. [Guides & How-To]
- [How to Stop Chasing Clients for Documents and Information](https://portico.run/blog/post/stop-chasing-clients): Clients ignore document requests because the request was unclear, buried, or missing a deadline — not because they're negligent. Five structural changes to how you ask cut follow-up time by 70%. [Guides & How-To]
- [Best Client Portal Software for Service Businesses (2026)](https://portico.run/blog/post/best-client-portal-software): A practical framework for evaluating client portal software — the 6 features that matter, 4 mistakes to avoid, and a 5-step process for testing tools with your real workflow. [Guides & How-To]
- [The Complete Client Onboarding Checklist for Service Businesses (2026)](https://portico.run/blog/post/client-onboarding-checklist): A 7-phase client onboarding checklist with action items for agencies, bookkeepers, consultants, and coaches — from contracts and intake through document collection, payments, and 30-day follow-up. [Guides & How-To]
- [10 Client Onboarding Mistakes That Cost You Time and Money](https://portico.run/blog/post/client-onboarding-mistakes): The 10 most common client onboarding mistakes service businesses make — from drip-feeding document requests to skipping payment collection — with specific fixes for each one. [Guides & How-To]
- [How to Collect Documents From Clients Without the Chaos](https://portico.run/blog/post/collect-documents-from-clients): A structured document request with per-item uploads, tiered deadlines, and automated reminders cuts collection time by 71%. Here's exactly how to set it up. [Guides & How-To]
- [When You Don't Need Client Onboarding Software](https://portico.run/blog/post/when-you-dont-need-onboarding-software): Client onboarding software makes sense above 8-10 clients per month. Below that, a well-structured manual process is cheaper, faster to set up, and usually better for the client relationship. [Guides & How-To]