There are two ways to bring a client into Fidu.
Share the sign up link. The client opens a link, fills in your Service's sign up form, and Fidu creates the client account for you.
Invite the client manually. Your team creates the client, invites the first user, and adds a Service.
Use the sign up link when clients come to you from your website, a proposal, or an email. Use the manual invite when you already have the client's details, for example an existing client or a contact from Clio.
Option 1: Share the Sign Up Link
Every Service with the Sign Up Form step turned on has a public link. Anyone with the link can start the engagement process for that Service.
Please note: The Sign Up Form step must be turned on in the Service Journey before the link works. See How to set up a Sign Up form and Engagement Letter for your Service.
Find the link:
Go to "Sell" and open the Service. The link shows at the top of the Service page under "Public link." It looks like https://yourfirm.fidulegal.com/e/xxxxxxxx.
Share it:
Copy the link and put it on your website, in a proposal, or in an email. The link stays the same, so you can share it once and reuse it.
What the client sees
The client opens the link and walks through the steps you set in the Engagement Process, in the order you set them. This can include the sign up form, payment, terms of service, engagement letter, and your review.
What you see
A new client and user appear automatically. Fidu creates the client record and the first user from the sign up form answers. The client's name, email, and address come straight from the form. If your signup form includes a password field, the user will create their password. If not, your client will receive an email with a link to create a password.
Clients waiting for review show in the "Pending" tab. If your Engagement Process has an Approval step, the client stops there. Go to "Clients," open the "Pending" tab, open the client, and click "Approve Client" at the top right. If you do not use an Approval step, the client becomes active without you.
The Service tab holds the full story. Open the client and click "Service" to see the sign up form answers, the engagement letter, and any payments.
Onboarding starts on its own. When the engagement becomes active, the onboarding workflow, onboarding project, welcome email, and pages you set in the Service Journey run automatically.
Option 2: Invite a Client Manually
Use this when you want to set up the client yourself. There are three short screens, then you add a Service.
After a client is invited manually, they will receive an email invitation with a link to create a password.
Step 1: Client Details
Start a new client:
Go to "Clients" and click "New Client" in the left navigation.
Fill in the details:
Name and Email are required. Legal Name, Description, Phone, and Address are optional. Leave Legal Name blank to use the Name.
If Clio is connected, click "Import from Clio" to fill the form from a Clio contact. See How to Import a Client from Clio.
Click "Next."
Step 2: First User
This is the person who signs in to the client portal first. This user also receives signature requests unless you change it later.
Invite a New User (most common):
Enter the person's First Name, Last Name, and Email. Fidu sends them an invitation email so they can create a password. The email address must not already belong to another user in Fidu.
Or choose an Existing User:
Click "Choose an Existing User" to pick a person who already has a user on another client. This is useful when one person owns more than one business.
Click "Next."
Step 3: Team Roles
Assign your team:
Choose a team member for each role on this client. The roles are the ones set up in your account.
If you see the yellow "Add yourself to this list!" notice, pick yourself for a role. If you are not on the client's team, you will not be able to see the client.
Click "Save."
Done. Fidu opens the client's page with the message "Your client has been invited!"
Step 4: Add a Service
A manually invited client has no Service yet. Add one so the client gets the right experience.
Open the Service picker:
On the client's page, click "Add a Service" at the top right, or click the "Service" tab.
Choose the Service:
The table lists your published Services with their type and price. Click the one you want.
Set the options:
The "Add Service" drawer opens. The options shown depend on how the Service is set up.
Require client to complete engagement process (most common) – Check this when the client still needs to go through the steps (sign up form, payment, terms, engagement letter). The Service becomes active only after the client finishes. The other options are then handled automatically, so they turn grey.
Run Onboarding workflow – Start the Service's onboarding workflow now.
Run Onboarding project – Create the Service's onboarding project now.
Send welcome email – Send the welcome message template now.
Enable Pages – Give the client access to the pages included in the Service.
Click "Add Service."
The Service is now on the client. Open the "Service" tab to see it.
Things to Know
One active Service per client. Adding a Service archives the client's current one. If the old Service was a subscription, stop the payments in your payment processor. Fidu does not stop them for you.
The sign up link only works for published Services. Archive a Service and its link stops working.