Client Document Requests

Document Requests is the client's file to-do queue: the firm asks for a specific document and the client uploads it securely from the portal. Track open vs. completed requests with a sidebar badge and expiring download links.

Key capabilities

• Firm-created requests scoped to a specific client business, each with a title, optional instructions, and optional due date
• Dedicated client queue with Open and Completed tabs
• Secure client upload directly from the portal, stored securely with the business's other files
• Status lifecycle: Requested, then Uploaded, or Cancelled by the firm
• Overdue indicator when an open request is past its due date
• Sidebar Document Requests badge counting open requests (refreshed about once a minute)
• A notification to the client on a new request and to the person who asked when the file arrives
• Short-lived, secure download links for both the client and the firm
• View-only client-portal users can still upload for their own requests
• Firm can cancel a request that is no longer needed

How it works

A firm user creates a request against a client business. It appears in the client's queue and notifies them; the client uploads the file, which marks the request Uploaded and notifies the requester. Either side can later open the file through an expiring secure link; the firm can cancel an open request.

flowchart TD
  create["Firm creates request (title, due date)"] --> notify["Client notified"]
  notify --> queue["Open in client queue"]
  queue --> upload["Client uploads file"]
  upload --> fulfilled["Status: Uploaded"]
  fulfilled --> firmnotify["Requester notified + downloads"]
  queue --> cancel{"Firm cancels?"}
  cancel -->|"Yes"| cancelled["Status: Cancelled"]

How to use it

1. Firm: from Settings > Clients, click Request Doc on a client, choose the business, and fill in Document (what you need), optional Instructions, and an optional Due date. You can also ask Regent to create one.
2. Client: open Document Requests in the portal sidebar; the badge shows how many are open.
3. Client: on the Open tab, read the request and click Upload document to attach the file.
4. The request flips to Uploaded, the firm is notified, and it moves to the Completed tab.
5. Either side: open an uploaded request's file name to download it through a short-lived secure link.

Pro tips

• Firm-side: be specific in the title (include the year or exact document name) so the client uploads the right file the first time.
• Firm-side: set a due date on time-sensitive asks — the client's queue shows an Overdue flag once it passes.
• Firm-side: make the request under your own name; the person who asked is the one notified when the file arrives.
• Client-side: use this queue instead of email for anything sensitive; files never travel through an inbox and downloads use expiring links.
• Client-side: the Open tab is your to-do list; once it's empty you've sent the firm everything they asked for.

In-depth guide

What the client can see vs. do

Status lifecycle

Access controls

• Scope: requests are tied to a single client business, so a client only ever sees the requests for the business they're viewing.
• View-only users can respond: uploading to a request works with a view-only portal account, precisely so clients can answer without edit rights.
• Secure downloads: both sides use short-lived links rather than permanent URLs.

How firm-side data flows in

• The firm creates requests from Settings > Clients or by asking Regent. Cancelling a request and downloading the uploaded file on the firm side work through the API but have no dedicated screen yet.
• The client portal mirrors the Requested, Uploaded, and Cancelled state for the active business.
• Uploads are stored securely with the business's files: no email handoff, no duplicate copies.

Notifications

• Creating a request notifies the client ("Document requested").
• Uploading notifies the staff member who made the request ("Document uploaded").
• Both appear in the respective Notifications inboxes, and the client's sidebar badge reflects the current open count.

Edge cases

• No business selected: the page shows "No business selected."
• Empty queue: the Open tab shows "You're all caught up — no documents requested."; Completed shows "No completed requests yet."
• Overdue: an open request past its due date is flagged Overdue but can still be fulfilled until it is uploaded or cancelled.

Developers

Firms and integrators can create, list, cancel and download requests, and clients can upload, over the API; see the Client Collaboration guide.