Aug 26, 2025
TL;DR / Featured snippet: A CRM is your internal system of record for people, companies and next steps. A client portal is the shared, branded workspace where you and your clients see plans, files, client-visible tasks, a knowledge base, and permission-aware AI answers. Use the CRM to organise relationships. Use the portal to deliver work together. If you want a clean portal with tasks, KB and AI, try dokky.io. Clients access with a password-protected link, so there is no account friction.
Clear definitions
CRM
Internal database of contacts, companies, deals and notes
Great for pipeline, account health and activity tracking
Optimised for your team’s workflow, not for external collaboration
Client portal
Secure, branded Space for each client
Pages, files, client-visible tasks, knowledge base, and AI assistant
Designed for shared status, approvals and answers
In Dokky, clients open a password-protected link rather than creating an account
Conclusion. CRM is the memory. The portal is the shared room.
Where each lives in the client lifecycle
Prospecting and qualification
Use the CRM to log stakeholders, discovery notes and next steps.Onboarding
Use the portal to publish the welcome page, assign client-visible tasks such as “Provide brand kit”, and link setup guides from your knowledge base.Delivery
Use the portal for plans, files, approvals and AI answers grounded on your docs. Use the CRM to track health, risks and expansion opportunities.Renewal and expansion
Use the CRM for forecasting and commercial workflows. Use the portal for the QBR page with evidence from decision logs, closed tasks and file views.
Why you need both
Clarity for clients. The portal shows exactly what is happening, without asking.
Momentum for your team. The CRM ensures every account has a next step.
Lower support load. Portal knowledge base plus AI assistant answer repeat questions in seconds.
Auditability. Approvals and sharing history live beside the artefacts.
Cleaner handovers. CRM notes tell the story. Portal pages hold the evidence.
Explore tasks at dokky.io/task-management and the KB at dokky.io/knowledge-base. See the AI assistant at dokky.io/ai-chatbot.
How the two should connect
Keep it simple. You do not need a heavy integration to win.
Link structures
Store the portal Space link on the company record in your CRM. Add the CRM account link on the portal’s Home page for your internal team.Light CRM in the portal
Keep a small internal note block in the client Space for context that helps delivery. Full pipeline and forecasting stay in the CRM.Shared identifiers
Use the same company name and primary contact across both systems. This avoids duplicate effort and makes search reliable.Work conversion
When the portal AI cannot fully resolve a chat, convert it to a task. When a conversation suggests growth, convert that insight into a CRM next step.
Day in the life of an Account Manager
Morning. Check the CRM for at-risk accounts and upcoming renewals.
Open the portal Spaces for those clients. Review the board and any overdue client-visible tasks.
Use AI in the Space to summarise the last two weeks and to draft a QBR outline that links to decisions and files.
Post updates on the portal Home page. Share the password-protected link in the calendar invite so clients can see the plan without creating an account.
Log the outcome and next steps back in the CRM.
Result. Fewer status meetings, cleaner QBRs, stronger renewals.
Five anti-patterns to avoid
Using the CRM as a portal. Clients cannot see it and will keep emailing for status.
Using the portal as a CRM. You lose reporting, pipeline and activity hygiene.
Attaching files to emails. Pin the current file on a portal page with version history.
Approval by “LGTM” thread. Use an approval task with an owner and timestamp.
AI without grounding. Keep answers scoped to your portal pages and KB, with sources.
Metrics that show the combo is working
Deflection rate. Percent of queries resolved by KB or AI in the portal
On time approvals. Percent of approval tasks completed by due date
Cycle time. Brief to first draft to sign off
Portal engagement. Space visits, pages per session, file views
CRM hygiene. Accounts with a next step, time since last touch, renewal forecast accuracy
Track a baseline for 30 days, then review at 60 and 90 days.
FAQs
Can a client portal replace my CRM?
No. Keep the CRM for internal pipeline and forecasting. Use the portal for client-facing plans, files, tasks, answers and approvals.
Do clients need accounts to use Dokky?
No. Clients access via a password-protected link, which removes signup friction and speeds adoption.
Where should I store meeting notes?
Use the portal for client-visible notes and decisions. Store sensitive or commercial details in the CRM.
How does AI fit in?
In the portal, an AI assistant answers from your pages and KB, cites sources and can create tasks when action is required. It respects permissions and the boundaries of the client Space.
What about security?
Per-client Spaces, roles and least-privilege sharing. Sharing history shows who saw what and when. Sensitive items stay private.
Final thought
The CRM keeps your relationships organised. The client portal makes collaboration effortless. Use both and you get fewer emails, faster delivery and calmer clients. If you want a modern portal with client-visible tasks, a knowledge base and AI answers in a clean, password-protected Space, start with dokky.io.