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Setting up the Client Portal


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Setting up the Client Portal

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Setting up the Client Portal

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Jazmine
  • Updated

The Client Portal provides a secure method for communicating with your clients and their contacts.

 

In this guide, we'll cover:

Note: For resources that will help clients get started with using the Client Portal, see the SimplePractice Client Help Center.

After you set up your Client Portal, watch the video above to learn more about its features, such as:

  • Sending intake forms to new and existing clients
  • Sharing documents and forms with clients
  • Sending statements, superbills, or invoices
  • Allowing clients to make credit card payments through the portal (Online Payments account required)
  •  
  • Allowing clients to request appointments online (available on the Essential and Plus plans only)

Note: Email, voice, and text templates and reminders aren’t customizable for trial customers. To customize templates and reminders during your trial, add a credit card by navigating to Settings > Practice > Plan info. For more information, see Updating your credit card information.

Entering your practice information

Make sure the following information on your Settings > Practice > Practice details page is how you want it to appear when clients view your Client Portal:

  • Practice Name (displayed at the top of the Client Portal)
  • Time Zone
  • Practice Phone
  • Office and Telehealth locations

practicedetails.simplepractice.settings.png

Note: You can decide whether you want to hide or display your exact address from prospective clients. To learn more, see Hiding or displaying your address publicly.

Turning on the Client Portal

Once you’ve confirmed your practice information is correct, you can turn on the Client Portal. To do this: 

turnportalon.simplepractice.settings.png

Setting up your domain (Client Portal URL)

Your domain (Client Portal URL) is the link you and your clients can use to access your Client Portal.

Before you begin using the Client Portal, you'll want to set your Default domain. To do this:

  • Navigate to Settings > Scheduling > Client portal permissions
    • Under Default domain, you'll see your link
  • If you haven't locked your URL, you can personalize it by editing the text field
  • Click Save or the lock icon

savelock.simplepractice.domain.png

Important: Saving the domain without locking it allows you to go back and edit the domain at any time. Once you lock your domain, you won't be able to make changes to it directly. If needed, you can submit a help request and our Customer Success team can unlock it for you.

After your domain is locked, you can click on the URL and a new tab will open with your Client Portal homepage. For more information on what you'll see after you click the hyperlink, see What clients see when they login to the Client Portal below.

Note: In a group practice, your domain (Client Portal URL) is set practice-wide and will be shared between all clinicians. This domain can only be set by the Account Owner or a Practice manager. We recommend using your group practice name as the domain, rather than a clinician's name.

The Edit button will be grayed out after your domain is locked. You can reach out to our Customer Success if any changes need to be made.

Additionally, you can click the stacked paper icon to copy the URL. Then, you can paste it into an email, Secure Message, or add it to your practice website as needed.

copy.simplepractice.domain.png

Note: For help adding the web address to an external website, please contact your website administrator.

After changing your domain, the links that were previously provided to clients through SimplePractice emails will no longer work. The links found in those emails will direct clients to an error page. We recommend letting your clients know ahead of time what the new domain will be so they can bookmark it. We also recommend that you update any links to your Client Portal found elsewhere, such as on your website or in your email signature.

Your clients' login credentials for the Client Portal will remain the same, even if you change your domain.

Note: If you create a Professional Website through SimplePractice, your Client Portal URL will become the domain for your Professional Website. You can also choose to connect a custom domain to your Professional Website.

Updating the intake Welcome email

The Welcome email is the one clients receive with the invitation to your Client Portal. To customize the Welcome email:

  • Navigate to Settings > Client notifications > Email 
  • Find the Welcome email and click the pencil icon to edit

editwelcomeemail.simplepractice.clientportal.png

  • Edit the text of the subject line and the body of the email
  • Macros can be used to personalize automated messages for clients
    • To place macros in the body of the email:
      • Place the cursor where you want to add a macro
      • Use the dropdown menus to select a macro

welcomeemailmacros.simplepractice.clientportal.png

  • Click Save

For more information on macros, see What are macros and how do I use them?

Important: Do not delete the {practice_client_portal_login_link} macro, because this includes the unique link that clients will use to log into the portal. 

Here's an example of what the Welcome email looks like when clients receive it, using the template shown above:

welcome.simplepractice.email.png

Editing the Client Portal Greeting message

When clients enter the Client Portal to complete intake forms for the first time, they'll see a welcome screen with the Client Portal Greeting message.

This is the default Client Portal Greeting:

welcomemessage.simplepractice.clientportal.png

To edit the Client Portal Greeting:

editclientportalgreeting.simplepractice.clientportalsettings.png

  • Make changes to the message in the flyout
  • Click Save

Customizing and adding new practice documents

Now that your Welcome email is ready to go, the next step is to include your consent documents for client signatures.

Note: A consent document is any text document that you want your clients to electronically sign. Consent documents aren’t currently fillable forms, but clients are able to electronically sign these documents.

To access your consent documents:

Note: You can also add Spanish versions of consent documents. To learn more, see Spanish consent forms.

To modify and add your practice information to one of our document templates: 

  • Navigate to Settings > Documentation > Intake documents
  • Select Edit
  • Make changes to the text in the flyout
  • Click Save

editconsentdocuments.simplepractice.clientportal.png

To add a new consent document:

  • Navigate to Settings > Documentation > Intake documents
  • Click + New consent form
  • Enter a title and text by typing or pasting into the document
  • Click Save

On the Intake documents page, you can choose default forms to be included in your intake packet. Selecting Yes in the Default column will pre-select this document to be included in your intake packet for new clients.

selectdefaulintake.simplepractice.clientportal.png

Checkboxes for signature are automatically included at the end of each text for consent documents in the Client Portal. 

The electronic signatures you collect from clients are legally binding under the U.S. Federal ESIGN Act. There's no need to keep a physical copy of these documents or get further authorization from the client.

All signed documents are stored with, and visibly show, the client's IP address along with the timestamp of when they signed the document. This unique signature along with our secure internal audit trail authenticates the client's identity and satisfies the requirements for legally binding electronic signatures.

If you open one of the consent documents, you'll see the client's signature, along with the date and time the document was signed and the IP address of the computer used when signing the document.

clientsignature.simplepractice.clientportal.jpg

If your client is a minor, the signature will be the contact who's listed in the client's information:

minorsignature.simplepractice.consentdocument.jpg

If you have PDFs or Word documents for your clients to download, such as homework, articles, or documents, you can add them by clicking + Downloadable File in the Uploaded files section.

uploadafile.simplepractice.clientportal.png

Note: Files (read-only) have a maximum file size of 50 MB.

Adjusting existing intake forms or progress notes

Before you send your intake packet to clients, you can customize your intake forms and questionnaires. To do this:

  • Navigate to Settings > Documentation > Intake documents
  • Under Intake Forms and Questionnaires, click Manage Forms

You can also:

  • Navigate to Settings > Documentation > Template library
  • Select the name of Intake documents or Progress notes / Session notes to edit

editforms.simplepractice.templatelibrary.png

Tip: For more information on customizing notes and forms, see Creating customized templates in My Notes and Forms.

Viewing your practice's Client Portal

To preview your practice's Client Portal:

previewclientportal.simplepractice.portalpermissions.png

What clients see when they log into the Client Portal

Note: Clients can access the Client Portal on a web browser or through the mobile app. For an overview of the SimplePractice Client Portal app, see The SimplePractice Client Portal mobile app.

Existing clients will receive the link to your Client Portal when you invite them or if you provide them with the practice link elsewhere. New clients will receive the link when you invite them to the Client Portal. Once they sign in, they'll see your Welcome message.

welcomemessage.simplepractice.clientportal.png

Note: When clients first log into the Client Portal, they'll be prompted to accept an End User License Agreement (EULA). You can view a copy of the agreement here: Client Portal End User License Agreement.

In their Client Portal, clients can:

  • View and sign documents you've shared

documents.simplepractice.clientportal.png

Note: If your client hasn't viewed their documents yet, they'll see a New icon next to each document. You can use Jamie Appleseed or create another test client with your contact information to preview shared documents and the intake forms you plan to send.

  • See their invoices, statements, and superbills, if you’ve given them permission to view billing documents

billingandpayments.simplepractice.clientportal.png

Note: Your client will see a New icon next to any unpaid invoices they haven't viewed yet, as well as a Past due icon if the invoice is considered past due. To learn more about changing your Invoices Past Due settings, see When are different email templates sent to clients?

appointments.simplepractice.clientportal.png

paynow.simplepractice.clientportal.png

  • Add their credit card information and choose a default card under Payment Methods

paymentmethods.simplepractice.clientportal.png

Important: State laws may vary. We recommend confirming the laws in your state before giving a parent/guardian access to a minor's Client Portal.

Inviting clients to the Client Portal

New clients

When your Client Portal is turned on, you can invite new clients to the portal when creating their files.

To create a new client and invite them to the Client Portal:

  • Click the + icon from any page and select Create client 
  • Enter the client's email address

newclientemail.simplepractice.portalinvite.png

  • Click Continue to customize and send their intake packet

Once the intake packet is sent, clients will receive the Client Portal Welcome email. To customize this message, see Updating the intake Welcome email.

Existing clients

You can invite existing clients to the Client Portal if they haven’t yet been granted access. To do this: 

  • Navigate to the client’s Overview page
  • Click Edit > Client Portal
  • If the client has an email address on file and hasn’t accessed the Client Portal yet, click Send email to manually send an invitation email

sendnewportalinvite.simplepractice.clientportal.png

Resending a Client Portal invitation

If a client didn’t respond to the initial Client Portal invitation email, their file will show that the invitation was sent, but that the client has not signed in yet.

clientnotsignedin.simplepractice.clientportal.png

You can manually resend the invitation by checking the Resend email invitation box, customizing the message as needed, and clicking Send email.

resendportallink.simplepractice.clientportalaccess.png

If a client has signed in to the Client Portal at least once, you'll see a last signed in date. You won't have the option to manually resend the invitation.

lastsignin.simplepractice.clientportal.png

If a client has signed in before and reaches out asking that you resend a sign-in link, you can manually send them your Client Portal URL. To do this: 

  • Navigate to Settings > Scheduling > Client portal permissions
  • Click the copy link icon next to your unique Client Portal URL

copydomainurl.simplepractice.settings.png

Note: See Setting up your domain (Client Portal URL) if your Client Portal URL isn't set up yet.

  • Click Messages at the top of your screen
  • Select the new message icon to start a secure conversation with the client

messageportallink.simplepractice.securemessaging.png

  • Paste your Client Portal URL in the message
  • Send the Secure Message

Tip: You can recommend that clients bookmark the link so they can quickly access their Client Portal at any time. 

The client will receive an email with the Client Portal link, where they can view the message and bookmark the Client Portal URL. For more information on Secure Messaging, see Getting started with Secure Messaging.

Note: To learn how you can help clients who are having difficulty signing into the Client Portal, see Assisting clients with signing into the Client Portal.

Allowing clients to upload documents to the Client Portal

You can give clients the ability to easily upload and share documents with you through the Client Portal. To do this:

  • Navigate to Settings > Scheduling > Client portal permissions
  • Scroll to the File Upload section
  • Check the box to Allow clients to upload documents to Client Portal

allowclientupload.simplepractice.clientportal.png

  • Click Save changes

Once File Upload is enabled, your clients will have a new section in the Documents tab of their Client Portal where they can upload documents. We support the following file types as long as the individual files are under 50MB in size:

  • PDF
  • JPG
  • PNG
  • MP3
  • M4A
  • DOC or DOCX
  • CSV

Clients can either drag-and-drop files into the My Uploads box, or they can click Upload Files to select their documents.

uploadfiles.simplepractice.clientportal.png

Once uploaded, clients can see a list of the documents they've uploaded and re-download them if necessary.

myuploads.simplepractice.clientportal.png

After a client uploads a document, their Primary Clinician will receive an email alerting them that there is a new document available. 

On the client’s Overview page, all clinicians assigned to the client can view a client's files on their client Files Overview page.

filestabfromoverview.simplepractice.clientoverview.png

Enabling Client Portal features for individual clients

The primary features available in the Client Portal include allowing clients to request appointments online, use Secure Messaging, and access billing documents. To enable these features for individual clients:

  • Navigate to the client's Overview page > Edit > Client Portal
  • Select the features you want to enable under Client Portal permissions, and deselect the features you want to disable
  • Click Save permissions

savepermissions.simplepractice.clientportal.png

Note: Enabling access to billing documents allows clients to see invoices, statements, and superbills. To allow clients to pay invoices through the Client Portal, an Online Payments account must be set up and the Client Portal permissions, Access billing documents and Pay outstanding balance permissions must be granted.

Disabling the Client Portal for individual clients

You can disable Client Portal access at any time. To do this: 

  • Navigate to the client's Overview page > Edit > Client Portal
  • Click Disable access

disableportalaccess.simplepractice.clientportal.png

If you want to re-enable the Client Portal or enable it for a client for the first time, click Send email in the Client Portal tab.

sendnewportalinvite.simplepractice.clientportal.png

FAQs

What are macros and how do I use them?

You can use macros to personalize the messages that are included when you're creating or editing emails and reminders. A macro is a code that gets replaced with information specific to each recipient. Using macros allows you to easily personalize automatic or manually-sent emails to include specific information for the recipient, such as first name or organization name.

For example:

  • The macro {client_first_name} is replaced with the client recipient's first name
  • The macro {practice_client_portal_login_link} is replaced with your unique Client Portal login link

Note: To learn more about macros, see Explaining client email and reminder macros.

In order to generate a sign-in link for your client's first entry into the portal, you must include the Practice Client Portal Login Link macro in the email. This macro is included by default. If you accidentally delete it, here's how you can add it back into the body of the email:

  • Navigate to Settings > Client notifications > Email
  • Locate the email template you'd like to make changes to and click the pencil icon to edit
  • Click into the text box where you'd like to add the Client Portal link
  • Select the Links dropdown and choose Practice Client Portal Login Link
    • The Practice Client Portal Login Link macro is {practice_client_portal_login_link}

addingportalmacro.simplepractice.clientportal.png

This is what the email will look like from the client's end:

welcomeemailclientperspective.simplepractice.welcomeemail.png

Note: {practice_client_portal_login_link} generates the link that your clients will use to log into their Client Portal for the first time. If you accidentally delete it, you'll want to add it back following the steps above.

Can I print a blank version of the intake questionnaire?

Yes, if your client doesn’t use email, you can provide a blank form to collect the intake information. For additional details, see Printing completed and blank forms.

When are different email templates sent to clients? 

There are 16 different email templates in SimplePractice, and each one is customizable.

Note: Email, voice, and text templates and reminders aren’t customizable for trial customers. To customize templates and reminders during your trial, add a credit card by navigating to Settings > Practice > Plan info. For more information, see Updating your credit card information.

Here's a breakdown of when you can expect your clients to receive each type of email:

  • Welcome: This is included with the intake package that's sent to a new client.
    • You'll be given the opportunity to edit this email template when following the steps to send your client their intake forms. For more information on sending documents and customizing this email, see Sending intake forms and documents to clients.
  • Appointment Confirmation: This is sent when you approve an appointment that the client requested.
    • This can be edited by navigating to Settings > Client notifications > Email. From there, click the pencil icon next to the Appointment confirmation email template.
  • Appointment confirmation with documents: This is sent when you approve an appointment that a client requests and the client has incomplete documents in the Client Portal.
    • This can be edited by navigating to Settings > Client notifications > Email. From there, click the pencil icon next to the Appointment confirmation with documents email template.
  • Video appointment confirmation: This is sent when you approve a Telehealth appointment that a client requested.
    • This can be edited by navigating to Settings > Client notifications > Email. From there, click the pencil icon next to the Video appointment confirmation email template.
  • Video appointment confirmation with documents: This is sent when you approve a Telehealth appointment that a client requested and the client has incomplete documents in the Client Portal.
    • This can be edited by navigating to Settings > Client notifications > Email. From there, click the pencil icon next to the Video appointment confirmation with documents email template.
  • Appointment Declined (New Client): This is sent when you decline an appointment that a new client requests.
    • You'll be given an on-screen guide where you'll have the opportunity to edit your message when declining the appointment.
  • Appointment Declined (Existing Client): This is sent when you decline an appointment that an existing client requests.
    • You'll be given an on-screen guide where you'll have the opportunity to edit your message when declining the appointment.
  • Client Portal activation: This is sent when granting an existing client Client Portal access for the first time.
    • You can send this email by navigating to the client's Overview page > Edit > Client Portal tab. Click Send email to grant Client Portal access and send this email.

sendnewportalinvite.simplepractice.clientportal.png

  • Document Request: This is sent when you share documents with your client through the Client Portal.
  • New Billing Document Available: This is sent when a client has a new billing document available in their Client Portal from the previous day, and the client has billing notifications enabled.
    • To enable billing notifications for a client, navigate to their client Overview page and click Edit. Click into their Billing and Insurance tab, and choose Send email with link to Client Portal from the Email Billing Notifications dropdown. Check the box next to the corresponding billing document and click Save Client.
  • Invoice Past Due: After an invoice is marked past due, this email is sent out once a week for four weeks, or until the invoice is either paid or deleted.
    • You can change when an invoice is considered past due by navigating to Settings > Client billing and insurance > Client billing documents. Under the Invoices section, find the Past due invoices subsection, and choose your desired number of days.
    • Click Save changes.

invoicepastdue.simplepractice.clientportalsettings.png

  • Appointment request received: This is sent when a client requests an appointment through the Client Portal.
    • This can be edited by navigating to Settings > Client notifications > Email. From there, click the pencil icon next to the Appointment request received email template.
  • Pending appointment request: If you receive an appointment request for a date 2 or more weeks in the future, this email will be sent out if it hasn’t been approved by you after 1 week.
    • This can be edited by navigating to Settings > Client notifications > Email. From there, click the pencil icon next to the Pending appointment request email template.
  • Default invoice email: This is sent when the embedded email function is used in an invoice. This email will also include the invoice as an attachment.
    • To edit this template, navigate to Settings > Client notifications > Email, and click the pencil icon next to the Default invoice emails template.
  • Default statement email: This is sent when the embedded email function is used in a statement. This email will also include the statement as an attachment.
    • To edit this template, navigate to Settings > Client notifications > Email, and click the pencil icon next to the Default statement emails template.
  • Default superbill email: This is sent when the embedded email function is used in a superbill. This email will also include the superbill as an attachment.
    • To edit this template, navigate to Settings > Client notifications > Email, and click the pencil icon next to the Default superbill emails template.

Note: The default invoice, statement, and superbill emails can only be edited on the Essential and Plus plans. For more information, see Which subscription plan is right for me?

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