Add a new client to your Practice Dashboard
This article explains how to add a new client to your Practice Dashboard as part of the onboarding process.
Begin by logging in to your Practice Dashboard. From the ‘Clients’ area, choose the 'Add new client' drop-down menu in the top-right corner and select 'New client'.
Client details
Now you're ready to enter the following details for the client.
Business name and subdomain
Enter the client's business name and the subdomain you'd like them to use as the URL (the web address) for their account. A subdomain should be all lowercase and contain only numbers or letters.
What should I use for the subdomain?
Some accounting and bookkeeper practices use their client reference number as the subdomain. Alternatively, you can use something derived from the business's name. For example, a business called John Smith Ltd might be given johnsmith as its subdomain.
Client type
Next, choose the client type for this client. Please note that once the client type is set, it can't be changed later. For example, if a client incorporates their business, they will need a new FreeAgent account.
Client status
Next, choose the client’s status: active or inactive.
What does the client status mean?
An active client will have access to their FreeAgent account and will be able to upload bank transactions. Clients who are inactive won’t have any access to FreeAgent.
Please note that a client can only be active once. If you change their status from ‘Active’ to ‘Closed’, it cannot be changed back to ‘Active’ again. For more information on client account statuses and how and when to change them, please see this article.
Free licences for your NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank and Mettle clients
If your client has either a business banking current account with NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank or a Mettle bank account, you can add their FreeAgent account to your Practice Dashboard for free.
To do this, tick the 'Does your client have an eligible account?’ checkbox in the ‘Get a Free Licence’ section, select the relevant bank and enter the account number and sort code for your client’s business banking current account.
NatWest/Royal Bank of Scotland/Ulster Bank/Mettle clients can be managed as you would any other FreeAgent client account. However, there are some slight differences in the FreeAgent interface. For example, the footer for the client account will include the bank's branding.
Additional features
If you file payroll for your clients in bulk and don’t wish to include the new client in your payroll run, select ‘Yes’ to ‘Exclude from Bulk Payroll’. Otherwise, select ‘No’ to include the client in your next payroll run.
Account owner details
Next, enter the client's name and email address. This will be the email address they use to log in to their FreeAgent account.
Owner access
If you set the client’s user access level to 7 or below, you’ll need to complete the setup stages of their account before you can send them an invitation to set their password.
If you set the client’s user access level to 8 (full access), you can tick the check box to send the client an email invitation to choose their password. You can add a personalised message to the email if you like.
It is essential that your client follows the instructions in this invitation email to choose their password, as they will need it to access FreeAgent.
You do not need access to your client’s password as you will be able to access their data and account from your Practice Dashboard for as long as they remain your client.
User access level
You can change the client's user access level by sliding the pointer along the 'Owner Permissions' slider. The user access level that you set will determine the permissions for the client. Bullet points below each level of the ‘Owner Permissions’ slider explain what a user can and can’t see and do at each level.
If you’re adding a new client with a free licence, they’ll need at least level 6 (Banking) user permissions in FreeAgent to allow them to update their bank feed every 90 days via the NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank or Mettle app. They’ll need at least level 7 access to see the Tax Timeline in FreeAgent (and in the Mettle app, if they’re a Mettle user).
Assigning an account manager for the client
If you want one of your colleagues to be this client's account manager, use the drop-down menu in the ‘Account manager’ section at the bottom of the page. Please note that you need to be a senior account manager to assign an account manager to a client.
Add client to group(s)
If you’d like to add this client to an account manager and client group that you’ve created, tick the ‘Add client to group(s)’ check box and tick the check box for each group you want to add them to.
Completing the process
The final options you’ll see will depend on whether you’re completing the setup stages of the client’s account or sending the client an invitation to set their password.
Completing the setup stages
If you set the client’s user access level to 7 or below, select ‘Save & continue to client setup’ to finish setting up the client’s account once you're happy with all of the client details sections. Follow the instructions provided and go through the ‘Getting Started’ process.
Alternatively, to save the client’s details without continuing with the client setup process, select ‘Save & return to dashboard’. When you’re ready to complete the setup process, switch to their account and go through the ‘Getting Started’ process.
You can also select 'Cancel' to abandon the process without saving this client.
Sending the client an invite to set their password
If you set the client’s user access level to 8 (full access), select 'Send invite & continue to client setup' to set up the new client and send them the email to set their password. Follow the instructions provided and go through the ‘Getting Started’ process.
Alternatively, to send the client an email to set their password without continuing with the client setup process, if you’re going to complete the set up stages later or the client is going to set up their own account, select ‘Send invite & return to dashboard’ instead. If you’re going to complete the setup process, switch to their account when you’re ready and go through the ‘Getting Started’ process.
You can also select 'Cancel' to abandon the process without saving this client.
What happens when the client receives the email invitation?
Once the client clicks on the link within the email invitation, they will be taken to the subdomain that you set for them and prompted to choose a new password.
Once they've chosen a new password, they'll be invited to log in to their FreeAgent account.