This guide walks you through the necessary steps to enable and configure Karbon for Clients, including how to customize the branding and security settings for your firm and clients. By following these instructions, you’ll be able to prepare your Karbon environment for the new client experience and manage the rollout at your own pace.
Step 1: Enable Karbon for Clients for Your Firm
Before your clients can access Karbon for Clients, you need to enable the feature at the firm level.
Go to Account Settings
In the Settings menu, select Karbon for Clients.
Activate Karbon for Clients for Your Firm
Click on Activate to turn on Karbon for Clients for your firm.
Note: Enabling Karbon for Clients will not immediately impact the client experience. Client requests will continue to route through the old client portal until further actions are taken.
Step 2: Customize the Look and Feel of Karbon for Clients
You can brand the Karbon for Clients interface to reflect your firm's unique identity. There are two key elements you can customize: the logo and the homepage background.
Customizing the Logo
You have two options for the logo displayed in the top left corner of the Karbon for Clients interface:
Firm Name: The default setting that displays your firm’s name from the Account Settings.
Firm Logo: Displays the same logo already used for client-facing features like invoices and payments. Changes to this logo will apply across other client-facing areas.
Best Practice: Ensure your logo dimensions are optimized for the best visual quality.
Customizing the Homepage Background
The Karbon for Clients homepage features a prominent welcome section. You can select from several preset colors or upload an image to match your branding.
Step 3: Configure Your Firm-Branded Login Page
Each firm has a unique, firm-branded login page for Karbon for Clients, allowing clients to log in directly.
To find and share your firm’s login URL:
Go to Settings > Karbon for Clients.
Scroll to the Your Karbon for Clients Log In Page section.
Click Copy to Clipboard to copy your firm’s login URL.
Share the link with clients or add it to your website.
Important: Clients must be invited to Karbon for Clients before they can log in. They should create their accounts through the invitation email, as the "Create account" option on the login page cannot be removed.
When is the firm-branded login page used?
Clients will see your firm's login page when:
They click your firm-specific login link.
They access Karbon for Clients via a magic link (e.g., from a client request) and choose Log in.
Your firm’s security settings require login for client request recipients, and they click a client request reminder link.
Step 4: Set Security Policies
Karbon for Clients offers two security settings for client requests:
Allow access via emailed single-use link
Clients can interact with client requests via email links without needing to log in.
Require multi-factor authentication
Clients must log in with multi-factor authentication to view and interact with client requests.
Note: This security setting does not affect other client-facing tasks, such as approvals, e-signatures, and payments. These features are still available via single-use links.
Step 5: Enable Karbon for Clients for Each Client
After enabling Karbon for Clients for your firm, the next step is to enable it for individual clients. This process can be done in two places:
From the Karbon for Clients Management Page
Go to Contacts and find the Karbon for Clients management page.
Click on a client’s name or any part of their row, then select Turn on Karbon for Clients.
Once enabled, the page will show an access list for inviting users to access the client.
Important Note: Even if no one is invited to access the client, future client requests will link recipients to Karbon for Clients.
From the Client's Contact Details
Go to the Details tab for a person or organization contact and enable Karbon for Clients from there. This method offers the same functionality as enabling via the Karbon for Clients Management Page.
Step 6: Invite People to Access Karbon for Clients
To unlock the full features of Karbon for Clients, invite people to access the client. Once invited, they can:
Log in to the mobile app
View documents shared with the firm
View collaboration history with the firm
Get task and status updates
Available Access Levels
You can grant either of the following access levels to invitees:
Limited Access: The user can only access tasks and documents specifically sent to them.
Full Access: This level grants users access to all tasks and documents related to the client. It is ideal for individuals who may oversee a team or require visibility into firm/client relations to ensure proper management and coordination.
How to Invite Your Clients
Go to the Karbon for Clients section under Contacts.
Find the client and click on their name.
In the access list, choose the contact you wish to invite and select the appropriate access level. The invitation will be sent from the user sending the invite.
Click Invite to send the invitation email. The recipient has three days to accept the invitation.
Note: After the invitation is accepted, the user can access all tasks and documents for that client. Invitations are limited to individual clients, so a person needs a separate invitation for each client.
Step 7: Managing Client Access and Invitation Status
Once Karbon for Clients is enabled, you can view the invitation status for each client. The Karbon for Clients Management Page will show:
The number and percentage of clients with Karbon for Clients enabled
The number of users invited to access each client
The status of each invitation
Further Reading 📖