Client requests explained

Client requests allow you to ask ad hoc questions during a job without interrupting your workflow. They are designed to be quick and flexible, allowing you to gather crucial information faster, improve communication, and reduce delays. You can address them to your clients or third parties; no sign-in is required.

Client requests at a glance

The  Client requests feature allows you to send quick, ad-hoc questionnaires to clients in the middle of a job to clarify information without disrupting the workflow. Unlike full multi-page organizers , they can be compiled and sent instantly, even without templates. This flexibility helps you get answers faster, improving communication and reducing delays.

How client requests work

In general, the process of collecting information using client requests is the following:

1. You create a quick questionnaire using different question formats (upload documents, multiple-choice questions and others). We would recommend that you create a template if similar questions are to be sent to multiple clients. 

2. You decide whether the questionnaire will be available only to users with access to the client portal or third parties. 

3. You send a request to a client(s) ( bulk sending is available ). 

4. The client gets notified about the request.

5. The client fills in the request and submits it . 

6. You get notified about the submitted request.

7. You start working with the information.

Requests vs. organizers vs. client tasks

The client requests feature has much in common with organizers and client tasks. But the scope of their application and use cases are different: 

• Client requests are an easy and fast way to send an inquiry with ad-hoc questions needed ASAP. You can customize the questionnaire so that not only clients with portal access can respond but also third-party recipients (such as assistants or spouses). Security concerns are taken into account, and besides the page with questions, the people you send the survey to will not be able to see any other sensitive information. 

• Organizers are suitable for automating onboarding of new clients and providing info on lengthy tax forms.

• Client tasks in chat threads list items clients need to complete during the work cycle, such as preparing some documents, providing information, providing access, paying a deposit, and so on. These are non-urgent to-dos that could be used to clarify the scope of tasks and understand how the work is going. 

Client request notifications

When clients submit a response, the request status changes to Completed, and team members that follow the client receive an Inbox+ notification .

Access and permissions

Client requests can be sent and seen by:

• Firm owner
• Admins
• Team members with access to the client’s account or Manage client requests access right

Automate processes with requests

Client requests can be automated via pipeline automations . This means that the request is automatically sent to the client the moment a job reaches the specified stage, and the job advances as soon as the client submits answers.

Common automation scenarios:

• Send a Year-End Checklist before the start of the new fiscal year to finalize outstanding transactions.
• Check in with bookkeeping clients each quarter on new vendors, accounts, or expense categories.
• Confirm life changes (e.g., marriage, dependents, address) at the start of tax season.
• Surface discussion topics ahead of a planning meeting with a short pre-meeting questionnaire.
• Follow up on a stalled job by asking which documents or answers are still outstanding.

Client view

When you send a request, the client will receive a notification via email, mobile app and client portal . Now, they need to open and complete it.