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Set up your client portal

Use this guide when you are setting up the client portal for the first time.

What the client portal is​

The client portal gives your clients their own Barkway space where they can:

  • View bookings
  • Send booking requests
  • Manage pet details
  • View invoices and documents
  • Update account profile details

What clients can do depends on your portal and service settings.

Before you start​

Before you share your portal with real clients, check these first:

  • Portal is enabled in Settings → Portal
  • Business details and branding are set up
  • Client email addresses are saved correctly on client records
  • Services you want clients to request are marked Available for client booking requests
  • Opening hours and groomer availability are configured if booking requests are enabled
  • You have a test client ready so you can test the full flow yourself first

Step 1: Enable the client portal​

  1. Go to Settings.
  2. Open the Portal section.
  3. Turn on Enable client portal globally.
  4. Save your changes.

For full portal controls, see Enabling client portal.

Step 2: Check your business details and branding​

Your portal experience uses your business and branding settings.

Check:

  • Business name
  • Logo
  • Contact details
  • Branding colours and theme choices
Business settings screenBusiness settings screen

For more detail, see Settings.

Branding tip

Use your Background colour as a light or dark off-tone, not your main brand accent.
Your Primary and Highlight colours should carry the stronger brand colour.

Step 3: Choose which services clients can request​

Enabling the portal alone is not enough. You also need to choose which services appear in client booking requests.

  1. Go to Services.
  2. Open a service to edit it.
  3. In Client Booking Requests, turn on Available for client booking requests.
  4. Confirm your service setup matches how clients should book:
    • Clients must select exactly one core service
    • Clients can then add optional add-ons
  5. Save your changes.
Service edit form showing client booking request optionService edit form showing client booking request option

Important for standalone extras​

If you want clients to request standalone extras such as nail clips or teeth cleaning, do not rely only on add-ons.

Portal booking requests require exactly one core service. So if an extra needs to be bookable on its own, set up a suitable core option (for example an Other core service), then keep extras as add-ons where needed.

See Core vs add-ons and Client-bookable services.

Step 4: Understand how client booking requests work​

Client booking requests are requests, not confirmed bookings.

Your client chooses services and a preferred slot, then submits a request. Your team still reviews it in Barkway and accepts or rejects it.

  • Accepted requests become bookings
  • Rejected requests do not create a booking

See Portal booking requests and Booking requests (staff workflow).

Your client portal URL is your Barkway workspace URL plus /portal/.

Example:

  • Workspace: https://yourbusiness.barkway.app
  • Client portal: https://yourbusiness.barkway.app/portal/

You can send clients a message like:

Hi, you can access our Barkway client portal here: https://yourbusiness.barkway.app/portal/. Use the email address we have on file for you and Barkway will send you a secure sign-in link.

For login details, see Passwordless login (magic links).

Do clients automatically get an email?​

No. Saving a client email address does not automatically send a portal invite.

The email address is used so Barkway can match the client when they request login from the portal. A sign-in email is sent when the client submits their email on the portal login screen.

Test the portal before sharing it​

Before you share with real clients:

  1. Create a test client using an email address you can access.
  2. Add a test pet.
  3. Enable at least one service for client booking requests.
  4. Open your portal URL in a private/incognito window.
  5. Request a sign-in link using the test client email.
  6. Check portal branding and visible data (bookings, invoices, documents, pets).
  7. If booking requests are enabled, submit a test request.
  8. In staff view, confirm the request appears in Bookings → Requests.
  9. Clean up test data afterwards if needed.

Troubleshooting​

Client cannot sign in​

  • Check the client email exactly matches what is saved on their client record
  • Check for typos in the entered email
  • Ask them to check spam/junk for the sign-in email
  • Ask them to request a fresh link if the previous one expired

Client cannot see booking options​

  • Check Allow clients to request bookings is enabled in Settings → Portal
  • Check services are marked Available for client booking requests
  • Check your opening hours and groomer availability

Branding looks wrong​

  • Recheck business and branding settings in Settings

Form inputs are odd colours​

  • Check your branding colour setup in Settings
  • Use Background as a light or dark off-tone rather than a bold primary colour
  • Use Primary and Highlight as your main feature colours
  • Check the subdomain is correct
  • Check the link includes /portal/
  • Check the portal is enabled

Need a hand?

Email the Barkway team and we’ll point you to the right place.

Email supportService status