Customer Portal Settings

The customer portal is a public-facing page where your customers interact with your business online. They can view proposals, request estimates, pay invoices, leave reviews, refer friends, and book services. Go to Settings --> Portal to configure it.

Enabling the Portal

The customer portal is enabled by default when you create your CE Pro account. Your portal URL is:

app.cleanestimate.pro/portal/your-slug

The slug is your unique business identifier, set during onboarding. It appears in all portal links.

To disable the portal entirely:

1. Go to Settings --> Portal.
2. Toggle the Portal Active switch to off.
3. The portal URL returns a "not available" message to anyone who visits it.

To re-enable, toggle the switch back on. Your configuration and branding are preserved.

Tip: The portal slug cannot be changed after initial setup. Choose a short, recognizable slug that matches your business name or abbreviation.

Customizing Portal Branding

The portal uses your default company branding. If you have multiple brands configured, you can select which brand appears on the portal.

What Branding Controls

• Logo -- Displayed in the portal header and on all portal pages.
• Company Name -- Appears in the page title and header.
• Accent Colors -- Applied to buttons, links, headings, and interactive elements.
• Contact Information -- Shown in the portal footer and contact sections.

Changing the Portal Brand

1. Go to Settings --> Portal.
2. In the Branding section, select a brand from the dropdown.
3. The preview updates to reflect the selected brand.
4. Changes save automatically.

If you need to create a new brand first, go to Settings --> Brands and add it there. See the Managing Brands article for details.

Configuring Portal Features

The portal offers five customer-facing features. Each can be independently toggled on or off.

Proposals

When enabled, customers can look up their proposals by entering their email address or phone number. They see the full proposal details, pricing options, and can accept or decline directly from the portal.

Estimate Requests

When enabled, a form is available where customers enter their contact information, property details, and service needs. Submitted requests create a new lead in your pipeline with the source tagged as "Portal."

Invoice Payments

When enabled, customers can look up and pay outstanding invoices by entering their email or invoice number. Payments are processed through your connected Stripe account.

Note: Stripe must be connected before enabling invoice payments. See the Stripe Settings article for setup instructions.

Reviews

When enabled, customers can leave a star rating and written review after a completed job. If you have configured a Google Review URL in your account settings, CE Pro redirects customers with high ratings (4 or 5 stars) to leave a public Google review.

Referrals

When enabled, customers can enter a friend's name and contact information. The referral appears in your pipeline as a new lead with the referral source tracked.

Toggling Features

1. Go to Settings --> Portal.
2. Each feature has a toggle switch.
3. Turn features on or off as needed.
4. Changes save automatically.

Booking Widget

The booking widget is an embeddable estimate request form that you can add to your own website. It provides the same functionality as the portal's estimate request form but runs directly on your site.

Enabling the Booking Widget

1. Go to Settings --> Portal.
2. Scroll to the Booking Widget section.
3. Toggle the widget to Active.
4. Copy the embed code snippet.

Embedding on Your Website

Paste the provided code snippet into your website's HTML where you want the booking form to appear:

<iframe
  src="https://app.cleanestimate.pro/book/your-slug"
  width="100%"
  height="600"
  frameborder="0"
  title="Request an Estimate"
></iframe>

The widget adapts to the width of its container. It uses your portal branding for a consistent look.

Widget Behavior

• Customers fill out their name, contact information, property address, and service needs.
• On submission, a new lead is created in your pipeline with the source tagged as "Booking Widget."
• The customer sees a confirmation message.
• You receive a notification (email and/or SMS, depending on your notification settings).

Review Requests

Review requests are automated messages that encourage customers to leave a review after a job is completed.

How Review Requests Work

1. A job is marked as complete in CE Pro.
2. CE Pro sends an automated email or SMS (based on your automation settings) with a link to your portal's review page.
3. The customer clicks the link and submits a review.
4. If the customer gives a rating of 4 or 5 stars and you have a Google Review URL configured, they are prompted to post the review on Google.

Configuring the Google Review URL

1. Go to Settings (main settings page).
2. Find the Google Review URL field.
3. Paste your Google Maps review link.
4. Click Save.

To find your Google review link:

1. Search for your business on Google Maps.
2. Click your business listing.
3. Click the "Write a Review" button.
4. Copy the URL from your browser's address bar.

Review Request Timing

Review requests are tied to your follow-up automation sequences. You can configure the delay and number of review request messages in Settings --> Automations. A typical setup sends the first request 24 hours after job completion, with a follow-up reminder 3 days later if no review has been submitted.

How Customers Access the Portal

Direct customers to your portal through any of these channels:

• Direct link -- Share the portal URL on your website, social media profiles, or Google Business listing.
• QR code -- Generate a QR code for the portal URL and print it on business cards, door hangers, yard signs, or vehicle wraps.
• Estimate and invoice emails -- Links to the portal are automatically included in estimate, proposal, and invoice emails sent from CE Pro.
• SMS messages -- Include the portal link in text messages to customers.
• Website embed -- Use the booking widget to embed the estimate request form directly on your website.

Holiday Lights Portal Tab

If your account has the Holiday Lights module enabled, the portal includes an additional tab where customers can view their holiday lighting proposals and designs. This tab appears automatically when the module is active. No additional configuration is needed.

Tips

• Enable only the features your customers will actually use. A simpler portal is easier for customers to navigate.
• Test your portal from a customer's perspective. Open the URL in a private browser window and verify the layout, branding, and forms.
• If you use the referral feature, mention it to satisfied customers after completing a job. Referrals convert at higher rates than cold leads.
• Make sure your Stripe integration is connected before enabling invoice payments on the portal.
• Set up your Google Review URL before enabling the review feature. Without it, reviews stay internal to CE Pro and are not posted publicly.
• Embed the booking widget on every page of your website, not just the contact page. More visibility means more leads.