---
title: "Using the client portal"
description: "A guide for the people whose IT provider gives them a client portal, covering signing in, paying invoices, approvals, tickets, devices, and more."
url: "https://support.outpostplatform.com/portal-guide/"
product: "depot"
type: "landing"
status: "draft"
ai_summary: "Guide for the people at an IT provider's client who use its client portal. The provider gives the address and branding; what each person sees depends on their roles. Links to signing in, security, invoices and payments, autopay, approvals, tickets, starters and leavers, devices and reports, team management, remote access, the activity log, notifications, AI apps, phone, and Teams."
source: "https://gitlab.com/outpostplatform/docs/-/edit/main/src/content/docs/portal-guide/index.md"
license: "CC BY 4.0"
---

# Using the client portal

Your IT provider gives your organization a client portal: a website where
you see what you owe them and pay it, approve their quotes and other work, ask
for help, and keep track of your devices. This guide is for the people who
use it. It describes the portal whoever your IT provider is, because each
provider puts their own name, logo, and colors on it.

## Before you start

- **Your IT provider gives you the address.** It is in your invitation email.
  It usually ends in `/portal`, and may be on your provider's own domain.
- **You need an invitation.** Your IT provider, or an owner in your
  organization, invites you by email. See [Sign in to the portal](/portal-guide/sign-in/).
- **What you see depends on your roles.** Your organization decides what each
  person can do, within limits your IT provider sets. If a page in this guide
  is missing from your portal, you do not have the role for it. Ask an owner
  in your organization.

For questions about your account, your invoices, or your devices, contact
your IT provider. The portal shows their contact details under **Help from**
and their name.

## Home

After you sign in, **Home** shows what needs you and where things stand: the
balance due, what is waiting for your decision, your open tickets, your next
bill, and the computers you can connect to. You see only the parts your roles
allow.

## What you can do

| Task | Page |
| --- | --- |
| Accept your invitation, sign in, and switch between organizations | [Sign in to the portal](/portal-guide/sign-in/) |
| Set up passkeys and an authenticator app, and see where you are signed in | [Manage your sign-in and security](/portal-guide/sign-in-and-security/) |
| See invoices and your next bill, and pay | [View and pay invoices](/portal-guide/invoices-and-payments/) |
| Save a card or bank account, and pay automatically | [Pay automatically](/portal-guide/autopay/) |
| Accept quotes, sign off milestones, and answer approvals | [Approve quotes and other work](/portal-guide/approvals-and-quotes/) |
| Ask for help and follow the reply | [Get help with a ticket](/portal-guide/tickets/) |
| Tell your IT provider someone is starting or leaving | [Report starters and leavers](/portal-guide/starters-and-leavers/) |
| See your devices, and get reports by email | [See your devices and reports](/portal-guide/devices-and-reports/) |
| Invite colleagues and decide what they can do (owners) | [Manage your team](/portal-guide/manage-your-team/) |
| Connect to your own computers | [Connect to your computers](/portal-guide/remote-access/) |
| See who did what, and download the record | [Check the activity log](/portal-guide/activity-log/) |
| Choose which emails you get | [Choose your notifications](/portal-guide/notifications/) |
| Let an AI app use the portal for you | [Connect an AI app](/portal-guide/connected-ai-apps/) |
| Put the portal on your phone's home screen or in Teams | [Use the portal on your phone or in Teams](/portal-guide/phone-and-teams/) |