A Google Sites client portal gives each client one address for everything in their project: the proposal, the agreement, the payment link, the booking link, and their files. Google Sites is free with a Google account, and it connects directly to Forms, Sheets, Docs, and Drive. The tools are already there. What most portals lack is structure: pages in the order clients need them, one copy per client, and sharing set on purpose.
This guide walks through that structure, from planning the pages to publishing a private copy for each client.
What a client portal needs to do
A portal is not a website about your business. Your website wins the client. The portal guides them once they have said yes.
That changes what belongs on it. A client opening their portal is trying to do one thing: the next step. Read the proposal. Sign. Pay the retainer. Book the kickoff call. Find a file. Every page should answer one of those, and the pages should appear in the order the client meets them.
When the order is right, the portal does part of your client communication for you. Fewer clients email to ask where the invoice is, because the Payment page is the next page in the menu.
Plan the pages before you open Google Sites
Write the page list first. A clear list keeps the build short and keeps every client copy consistent.
A structure that works for most service businesses:
- Welcome. A short introduction, your photo, and the three steps of your process, so the client knows what comes next.
- Your proposal. The embedded proposal form, where the client chooses a package, adds their details, and signs.
- Payment. One button to your payment link, plus the payment schedule in plain words.
- Book a call. One button to your booking page.
- Client guide. Timeline, what to expect, and answers to the questions you hear on every project.
- Files. A link to the client’s shared Drive folder.
Keep each page to one job. If a page needs two buttons, it is probably two pages.
Build a master site once
Build one complete portal with sample content. This is your master. You never send it to a client. You copy it.
Set the theme
In Google Sites, open the Themes panel, choose a theme, and set your brand color and the closest available font. Add a banner image to the header. Theme settings apply across every page, so the portal stays consistent without page-by-page styling.
Match the theme to your proposal form and documents. When the portal, the form, and the welcome packet share one color and one header image, the client sees a single system rather than a collection of tools.
Add the pages in client order
Create the pages in the order from your list, and set Welcome as the home page. The navigation menu follows the page order, so the menu itself shows the client the sequence of their project.
Connect the working pieces
The pages are the frame. The working pieces come from the rest of Google:
- Proposal form. On the Your proposal page, click Insert and choose Forms from the bottom of the menu, then select your proposal form. The client completes it without leaving the portal.
- Payment and booking. Use Insert > Button. Name the button for the action, such as “Pay your retainer,” and paste the link.
- Other embeds. Use Insert > Embed > Embed code to add code from tools that provide it, such as a booking calendar or a help center.
In the master, use placeholder links that are obviously placeholders. That way a missed link in a client copy is easy to spot before you send it.
Copy the master for each client
One site per client is the decision that makes a Google Sites portal work.
A single shared portal for every client cannot hold a client’s own proposal, payment link, or files without showing them to everyone else. A copy per client can. Each client sees only their project, and you can share, update, or archive one client without touching the others.
To copy the master, open it in Google Sites, click More in the top right, and choose Make a copy. Copy the entire site and give it a consistent name, such as Client Portal: Client Name. Then work through a short checklist:
- Replace the client name and any bracketed text.
- Swap in this client’s payment link.
- Link the Files button to this client’s Drive folder.
- Embed a proposal form for this client, if their packages or terms differ from your standard set.
The checklist is what keeps the copies consistent. Keep it in the master, on a setup page you delete from each copy before publishing.
Publish with the right access
Click Publish, choose a web address, and publish. Then decide who can view it.
Open Share. Next to Published site, choose Public or Restricted. Restricted limits viewing to the people you add with the Published Viewer role. For a portal that holds a client’s agreement and files, Restricted with that client added is the stronger default.
If you keep a portal Public, open Publish settings and select the option asking search engines not to display the site. Google notes this is a request, not a guarantee, so a public portal should never hold anything you would not want found.
Test before you send. Open the published address in a private browser window, or have someone outside your account open it, and confirm they see what the client should see.
Keep the portal in step with your records
The portal is what the client sees. Your records sit behind it.
Every proposal form submission lands in the form’s responses, with Google’s timestamp. A Google Sheet beside it, with one row per client and columns for package, status, and payments, gives you the view the client never sees. Update the tracker when a client signs or pays, and the portal and your records stay in agreement.
For a full look at which paid tools your Google account can already cover, read How to Get More From the Google Workspace You Already Pay For.
Where a Google Sites portal fits
A Google Sites portal is a structured, manual system. It does not send reminders, move a client to the next step on its own, or trigger an email when a payment arrives. You send the portal link, and you update the tracker.
For a business booking a handful of clients a month, that is a clear trade: one organized client experience at no added software cost. For higher volume, or when you want each step to start the next one automatically, a platform with workflows is the better foundation. Our Dubsado templates carry the same designs into a system built for automation.
Either way, the structure comes first. Map your client process before you build any portal. This guide to mapping your client process covers that step.
Start from a finished portal
The Google Workspace kits follow the structure in this guide: an eight-page Google Sites portal, a proposal form clients sign online, a client tracker in Google Sheets, and a matching document template, in one design. Rosemary for Google Workspace is one example. Each page arrives with sample content and a setup guide, and each client copy takes about ten minutes.
Structured. Connected. Built on tools you already have.
FAQ
Do I need a paid Google Workspace plan to build a client portal in Google Sites?
No. Google Sites, Forms, Sheets, Docs, and Drive are available with a free Google account, including a personal Gmail address. Work and school accounts may see additional sharing options.
Should every client get their own portal?
Yes. A copy per client keeps each client’s proposal, payment link, and files private to them, and lets you update or archive one client without affecting the rest.
Can I keep a client portal private?
Yes. In the Share settings, set the published site to Restricted and add the client as a Published Viewer. Only the people you add can view it.
Can clients sign an agreement inside the portal?
A Google Form embedded on the proposal page can collect an agreement checkbox, a typed signature, and the date, and Google timestamps each response. Have your contract wording and signing method reviewed for where you do business.
When should I move from a Google Sites portal to a CRM?
When the manual steps cost more time than the software would. If you want reminders, automatic next steps, and payment-triggered emails, a CRM with workflows fits better. Dubsado setup services are available if you want that system built for you.
