How to build a client portal for your architecture practice in Notion

What should a design client portal show?

• Project status and stage, in one line at the top.
• Next milestones and dates: meetings, submissions, deliveries, site visits.
• Decisions needed from the client, with deadline and options.
• Approved scheme: drawings and selections already agreed.
• A short weekly update written for the client.
• Key documents: brief, scope, issued drawings (as links).

How do you build it?

1. 1

   Create a portal template

   Make a page with sections for status, milestones, decisions, approved items and updates.

2. 2

   Add filtered linked views

   Insert linked views of your Approvals and Selections databases filtered to this project and to client-safe statuses, showing only client-safe properties.

3. 3

   Duplicate per project

   Create the portal from the template for each new project and link it from the project page.

4. 4

   Share as a guest

   Click Share, invite the client by email and choose Can view or Can comment.

5. 5

   Test access

   Open the page in a guest test account to confirm only intended content is visible.

How do Notion permissions work for clients?

Guests can be invited to specific pages without joining your workspace. Permission levels include Full access, Can edit, Can comment and Can view. Sub-pages inherit their parent's access unless changed, and Notion respects the broadest access a person has been given anywhere. Guest limits depend on your Notion plan.

What should never go in a client portal?

• Trade prices, discounts and margins.
• Fee calculations, invoices to other clients and internal cost reports.
• Internal notes about the client, consultants or contractors.
• Other projects' data, including in linked database views.

How do you keep a portal current without extra work?

Write the weekly client update as the first entry in an Updates section every Friday, three to five lines: what happened, what is next, what we need from you. Because decisions and approved items are linked views, they update themselves as the internal databases change.

When is a Notion portal not the right tool?

If you need client logins with e-signatures, online payments or formal document transmittals with audit trails, a dedicated client-portal or project platform may be better. For keeping clients informed and collecting decisions, a Notion page is often enough.

Frequently asked questions

Can I make a client portal in Notion?

Yes. Create a dedicated page per project with client-safe content and share it with the client as a guest.

Do clients need a Notion account?

To be invited as a guest, the client signs in with the email you invite; a public web link is possible but less private.

How many guests can I invite in Notion?

It depends on your plan; check Notion's pricing page for current guest limits.

Can clients edit my Notion pages?

Only if you grant Can edit or Full access. For most clients, Can view or Can comment is right.

Is a Notion client portal secure?

It is as secure as your sharing settings. Share only dedicated pages, choose the lowest permission and test with a guest account.