TL;DR / Featured snippet: In 2025, the best client portals give teams one secure hub for pages, files, client-visible tasks, a searchable knowledge base, and a permission-aware AI assistant that answers from your content. Add clear permissions, version history, analytics, fast search, and simple client access (in Dokky this is a password-protected link, no account to create). If you want this out of the box, try dokky.io.

How to use this checklist

Evaluate each feature on two axes: Must-have or Nice-to-have, and How well does it work in practice? (Poor / OK / Great). Short questions under each item help you stress-test vendors during a demo.

1) Client-visible tasks and a simple board ✅ Must-have

Give clients a clear To Do, Doing, Done view with owners, due dates and comments that live with the work.
Ask: Can tasks be assigned to clients as well as your team? Are due dates and reminders reliable? Can I template common workflows like onboarding or approvals?
In Dokky: Lightweight, client-visible tasks with templates. See dokky.io/task-management.

2) Knowledge base inside the portal ✅ Must-have

Stop context-switching. Answers should sit where the work happens.
Ask: Is search fast? Can I add synonyms and short snippets? Can I keep client-specific articles private to a Space?
In Dokky: Clean authoring, fast search, per-Space articles. See dokky.io/knowledge-base.

3) AI assistant that’s grounded and permission-aware ✅ Must-have

An assistant should answer from your pages and files, cite sources, respect visibility, and create a task when action is needed.
Ask: Does every answer show sources? Can it limit retrieval to one client Space? What happens when confidence is low?
In Dokky: Grounded answers with citations, Space-scoped retrieval, graceful escalation. See dokky.io/ai-chatbot.

4) Files, versions and a single source of truth ✅ Must-have

No more “final_v7b”. Store one canonical file with previews and history, linked to the page or task it supports.
Ask: Can I pin the current file? Is view history recorded? Are previous versions easy to restore?

5) Pages for plans, updates and decisions ✅ Must-have

You need a calm place to publish plans, weekly status, release notes and a decision log.
Ask: Is the editor simple? Can I add anchors, checklists and mentions? Can I link tasks and files without fuss?

6) Permissions, roles and per-client Spaces ✅ Must-have

Least-privilege by default. Keep internal items private and publish client-safe content intentionally.
Ask: Are roles clear (admin, contributor, viewer)? Can I restrict AI to the same permissions? Is there sharing history?

7) Simple, secure client access ✅ Must-have

Reduce friction or adoption stalls.
Ask: How do clients get in? In Dokky, clients use a password-protected link to their Space (no account to create). Can I rotate or revoke access quickly?

8) Search quality and information architecture ✅ Must-have

Most users won’t scroll. The first result should be the right result.
Ask: Can I set featured answers? Add synonyms? Do titles and snippets matter to ranking? Are zero-result queries reported?

9) Approvals with timestamps ✅ Must-have

Replace “LGTM” email chains with approval tasks.
Ask: Can I set an owner and due date? Is the timestamp auditable? Can approvals live on the same page as the artefact?

10) Analytics that prove value ✅ Must-have

Measure engagement and deflection, not just logins.
Ask: Do I see Space visits, page and file views, task completion and KB/AI deflection? Can I export or share a QBR-ready view?

11) Performance and UX ✅ Must-have

Pages should load fast, search should feel instant and the editor should stay out of the way.
Ask: How does it feel with a busy Space? Any delays when indexing files for AI?

12) Branding and client experience ✅ Nice-to-have (but impactful)

A professional look increases trust.
Ask: Can I add logo and colours, set a clean Home page, and name Spaces? Does it feel calm and consistent?

13) Light CRM context for your team ✅ Nice-to-have

A small internal note block helps delivery; the heavy CRM stays where it belongs.
Ask: Can I keep quick internal notes without exposing them to clients? Can I link the CRM record on the Space Home?

14) Templates for repeatable work ✅ Nice-to-have

Make good process the default.
Ask: Can I templatise pages (briefs, QBRs), tasks (approvals), and checklists (onboarding)?

15) Security, audit and access hygiene ✅ Must-have

Trust relies on clarity and traceability.
Ask: Is there sharing history (who saw what, when)? Can I password-protect client Spaces? Are sensitive items easy to keep private?

Red flags to avoid

• AI answers without sources or permission awareness

• Files stored in multiple places with no version history

• “Client login required” when your clients are casual users who resist new accounts

• Heavy, developer-centric editor that feels like a wiki rather than a client hub

• Analytics that stop at page views and ignore task completion or deflection

One-page scorecard (copy/paste)

Must-haves (score 1–5):
Tasks & board | KB in portal | Grounded AI (cites sources) | File versioning | Pages & decisions | Roles & permissions | Simple client access | Search quality | Approvals with timestamps | Analytics | Performance

Nice-to-haves (score 1–5):
Branding | Light CRM notes | Templates

Total score: ____ / 65 (must-haves) + ____ / 15 (nice-to-haves)

FAQs

Do I really need AI in a portal?
You can run without it, but a grounded assistant that cites sources cuts tickets and speeds answers. It should also create tasks when action is required.

Our clients hate new accounts. What then?
Use password-protected links for client access. This keeps control without signup friction. Dokky works this way by design.

Will a portal replace my CRM or PM tool?
No. Keep your CRM and internal PM for your team. Use the portal as the client-facing hub for plans, files, tasks, answers and approvals.

How do I drive adoption?
Put the current plan and next steps on the Space Home, reply from the portal with page links, pin the current file, and move sign-offs to approval tasks.

Final thought

If your portal nails these features, you’ll replace scattered emails with a single, trusted hub that moves work forward. For a clean, modern portal that includes tasks, knowledge base, grounded AI, file versioning, roles, analytics, and password-protected client access, start with dokky.io.