The sign-in page never says whether an email matched, so work through these in order.
1. Is the portal on?
Open Settings → Client Portal. The Client Portal switch at the top must be on for this location. While it's off, clients see "The client portal is turned off for this practice. Please contact the practice directly." and the portal items are hidden from the client's profile menu.
If the page is greyed out with Verify your email to manage the Client Portal, your own login email isn't verified yet. Use the link in the verification email first.
2. Is the client on the right portal address?
Each practice has its own portal address, shown on Settings → Client Portal with a Copy link button. Send the client that link. A client on another practice's portal page won't match any record.
The Custom address (yourname.clientportal.care) goes live only once DNS is set up for your practice. Until then, use the default address.
3. Does the email on the record match?
Open the client's profile and check their email. The client must type that exact address. The code is always sent to the email on their record.
If the client has no email on file, or the one on file is old, use step 4.
4. Send a portal access link
On the client's profile, click ⋯ and choose Grant portal access (copy link). Copy the link and send it to the client. When they open it, they confirm an email address. That address becomes their login, and a code is sent to it right away.
- The link is valid for 7 days.
- Only one link per client works at a time. Granting again replaces the old link.
- If the email they enter already belongs to another client at your practice, they're told "This email is already in use. Please contact the office."
Email portal invitation, in the same menu, emails the portal sign-in link to the email already on the client's record. It helps a client who has the right email but not the address. It doesn't change their email.
5. Is the code arriving and still valid?
- The client should check spam and promotions folders for the code email.
- Codes are 6 digits, last 15 minutes, and allow five tries. After that, the client requests a new one. Only the newest code works.
- If the client asks for many codes in a short time, FrontDesk stops sending new ones for a few minutes. The last code they received still works until it expires.
- Links in FrontDesk messages (a new secure message, a form to complete) open the portal, but the client still signs in with a code.
6. Signed in, but something looks wrong
- Practices connected to athenahealth: a visit booked in athenahealth can only be cancelled or moved from the portal once the client's record is linked to their athena chart. Otherwise they see "This visit is managed in the practice's scheduling system and can't be changed here right now. Please call the practice."
- A tab is missing: each portal tab (Appointments, Documents, Billing & payments, Profile editing, Secure messaging) has its own switch on Settings → Client Portal.
Still stuck? Contact support with the client's email address and the time they tried.