Client links
Which freelance tools don't make clients create an account?
Short answer
Look for a tool that sends every client document as a link: the brief, the scope, contracts, change orders, invoices and a portal. PaloWorks works this way. Clients read from the link and approve or sign from a one-time link emailed to them, so they never make an account, and an optional emailed code lets them see all their projects in one place.
Free for 1 client, 3 active projects. No card to start. Updated by PaloWorks.
What to look for
Every document as a link
A client who has to create an account for a brief form often never gets past it.
In PaloWorks
Intake, scope, agreement, contract, change order, invoice, delivery, status, statement and portal all open from a link.
Signing without an account
Approvals must still be tied to the right person.
In PaloWorks
Approving or signing uses a one-time link emailed to the client's address on file. The plain link stays read-only.
Paying from the invoice
The shortest path to paid is a Pay button on the invoice itself.
In PaloWorks
Invoices take card payments through Stripe, plus bank debit for USD, EUR and GBP where available. A plan-based platform fee applies to card checkouts; see pricing.
One place for returning clients
Clients with several projects lose links.
In PaloWorks
An optional sign-in with a code emailed to the client lists every document shared with their address.
Links that stay private
Client documents carry money and personal details.
In PaloWorks
Each link carries 160 bits of randomness and is kept out of search engines. Links can be revoked.
How it works in PaloWorks
Step 1
Send the brief
The client fills in your intake form from a link.
Step 2
Send the scope
They read it from a link and approve from the signing link emailed to them.
Step 3
Keep them in the loop
A status link and a portal show progress and every document, with no login.
Step 4
Get paid
They open the invoice and pay by card, or by bank debit where available.
When PaloWorks is the wrong pick
- If you want clients working inside a shared project board every day, a team workspace tool fits better. PaloWorks gives clients documents, not a workspace.
- If a client's IT policy requires single sign-on for every vendor tool, links alone will not satisfy it.
Comparing tools? Read PaloWorks compared, including what the others are better at.
Questions people ask
- Is a link without a login secure?
- Each share link carries 160 bits of randomness and is excluded from search engines. Anything that approves, signs or pays needs the one-time link emailed to the client, and links can be revoked.
- Can clients see all their projects in one place?
- Yes, optionally. They enter their email, get a one-time code, and see every document shared with that address.
- How do clients pay without an account?
- The invoice link has a Pay button for card, and bank debit for USD, EUR and GBP where available. A plan-based platform fee applies to card checkouts, and Stripe's own fees are separate.
- Is this on the free plan?
- Yes. Client links work the same on every plan.