How to Collect Files from Clients

Tidyflow gives you several ways to receive files from clients. This article explains each method and when to use it.

Which method should I use?

Start with a client request whenever you’re asking for something. It’s the only method that chases for you: each request has a checklist of what you need, Tidyflow can send automatic reminders until everything arrives, and you can see what’s outstanding across all your clients at a glance. The other methods receive files; a client request gets them in.

For a link you can hand out anywhere, use an upload link. The firm upload link is the same for every client, so it’s the one to put in your email signature, standard email templates, and website. The per-client upload link is unique to each client and files arrive already attached to that client, so use it when you’re writing to a specific client.

The client portal suits files clients send on their own initiative, without being asked each time.

Method	Client needs to log in	Files auto-linked to client	Tracked in workflow
Client request	Yes (client portal)	Yes	Yes
Firm upload link	No	No	No
Per-client upload link	No	Yes	No
Client portal files	Yes	Yes	No

Client request

A client request lets you ask a client for specific files or answers as part of a job. You add a checklist of what you need, and each item is ticked off as the client completes it, so you can see exactly what’s still missing without digging through emails. Every request shows its status: “Not sent yet”, “Sent”, or “Completed”.

When to use it: Any time you’re asking for specific documents. Tax returns, signed forms, bank statements, ID verification, year-end paperwork. If you’d otherwise send a follow-up email to chase it, make it a client request and let the reminders do the chasing.

Before you start: The client needs at least one contact with portal access. You can grant portal access and send an invitation from the client’s Contacts tab.

How to send one:

1. Open the job you’re collecting files for (Jobs). You can also get there from the client: open the client’s Jobs tab and pick the job, or click + to create one
2. In the Client Requests section of the job, click Add client request and give it a name
3. Add checklist items if needed. Each item can be a file upload or a question, with an optional hint, and can be marked as required
4. Click Send (or Send all client requests to send several at once)

The contact receives an email with a View request button that takes them to the client portal. They sign in, upload files against each checklist item, and the request completes when all required items are done.

Automatic reminders are available too. With reminders switched on, Tidyflow follows up with the contact by email until the request is completed, so nothing sits forgotten in an inbox.

Where to track it: You can filter the Jobs page by client requests. Uploaded files appear in the client’s Files tab, in the Client Uploads folder by default. If you’d rather file them elsewhere, click the ⋯ menu next to the file, choose Move, and pick the destination folder.

Firm upload link

A single upload link for your whole firm. Anyone with the link can upload files without logging in. The link never changes, so you can put it anywhere without having to swap it out per client.

When to use it: Generic places where one link has to work for everyone. Your email signature, standard email templates, your website, and intake forms where you don’t know in advance who will be sending files.

How to find it:

1. Go to Files in the main navigation
2. Click the link icon at the top right (the tooltip says Copy upload link)

The uploader is asked for their email address and an optional comment. Because the link isn’t tied to a client, files land in an Uploads folder at the top of your Files page, with the uploader’s email shown against each file. Move them into the right client’s folder from there.

Per-client upload link

Each client also has their own upload link. It works the same way as the firm link, with one difference: files go straight into that client’s Client Uploads folder, so there’s no manual filing afterwards.

When to use it: When you’re writing to a specific client and want their files to land in the right place automatically. Welcome and onboarding emails, or a quick, informal file request where a formal client request isn’t necessary. Because the link is unique to each client, don’t use it in templates or signatures you send to everyone.

How to find it:

1. Open the client and go to their Files tab (Clients)
2. Click the ⋯ menu at the top right of the page
3. Click Copy Upload Link

The uploader is asked for their email address and an optional comment, so you always know who sent each file.

Client portal files

Contacts with portal access can log in, open their account, and upload files to the folders you’ve shared with them.

When to use it: Higher-volume files the client sends on their own initiative, without you asking each time. Receipts are the classic example: dropped in as they come up, week after week, along with supplier invoices and similar paperwork through the year. Shared folders keep it all organised as it arrives, the client can see what they’ve already sent, and you can share files back the other way through the same folders.

If you’re waiting on a specific document, like a bank statement or a signed form, send a client request instead. The portal won’t remind anyone; a client request will.

How to set it up:

1. On the client’s Files tab, open the folder you want to share, click the ⋯ menu and choose Share, then pick the contacts. Only top-level folders can be shared. The contact receives a “folder shared with you” email
2. The contact logs into the portal and opens Accounts, then the client’s Files
3. They can browse the shared folders and upload directly

Files a contact uploads at the top level are placed in the Client Uploads folder automatically, so they never get lost in the root.

The contact needs an active portal account to use this method. For a video walkthrough of folder sharing, see How to share files with Contacts.