> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://kb.craftformswp.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://kb.craftformswp.com/documentation/form-building/form-submissions/client-access.md).

# Client Access

Let each client sign in and read their own forms' submissions and files, read-only, and nothing else in wp-admin.

**Client Access** lets the businesses you build forms for read their own submissions. You create a client, attach their forms to it and invite their people by email. Each person signs in at your site's usual login page and sees one screen: their forms' submissions, newest first, with the files sent with them. They can read and download. They can't change anything, and they never see other forms or anything else in wp-admin.

It's made for agencies and freelancers who run forms for several clients on one WordPress install, including forms [embedded on the clients' own websites](/documentation/form-building/embed.md).

![Settings, Clients tab with two client cards](https://97821998-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FM2yV1foUgoGHBC66VBDw%2Fuploads%2FQqXzvBjuglgIzK1K4CWX%2Fclient-access--clients-tab.jpg?alt=media)

## What you need

* **CraftForms PRO** on a self-hosted WordPress site. Client Access isn't available on hosted CraftForms workspaces.
* An **Administrator** account. Only Administrators see the **Clients** tab.
* Forms with the **Save Submission** submit action. Without it there's nothing to show. See [Form Submissions](/documentation/form-building/form-submissions.md).
* Email that leaves your site, because invitations are sent by email. See [SMTP and Email Tips](/documentation/email-templates/smtp-servers-tips.md).

Clients don't need a licence of their own, and there's no limit on how many you add.

## Add a client

1. Go to **CraftForms → Settings → Clients**.
2. Under **New client**, type the **Business name** and click **Add client**.

The client gets a card with three parts: **Forms**, **People** and **Delete client**. Click the name, or **Rename**, to change it. Two clients can't have the same name.

With more than six clients, **Find a client** appears above the cards. It matches client names and the email addresses of their people.

## Attach forms

1. In the client's card, type in **Add a form to …**. The search matches the start of words, in any order: `surf q` finds *Surf Coast group quote*.
2. Pick the form. Add as many as you need.
3. Click **Save forms**.

**Remove** next to a form takes it off the client.

A form belongs to **one client at most**. A form that already belongs to someone else shows **belongs to …** in the search. Saving moves it to this client, **with all its past submissions**: the other client's people stop seeing it. If two businesses use the same form, duplicate it and give each its own copy.

![Adding a form to a client: a form that belongs to another client says so](https://97821998-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FM2yV1foUgoGHBC66VBDw%2Fuploads%2F6gY723xb8mkCTgR7czxm%2Fclient-access--add-form.jpg?alt=media)

## Invite people

1. Under **People**, enter a **Name (optional)** and an **Email**.
2. Click **Invite**. The screen says **Invitation sent to …**.

Invite each person at the client separately.

| Who                                                                                       | What they get                                                                                                                               |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A new email address                                                                       | An email, **"\[Your site] Your form submissions are ready to view"**, with a link to set a password, their username and the sign-in address |
| Someone who already has a client account (for example, they work for two of your clients) | An email, **"\[Your site] More form submissions shared with you"**. They see both clients' forms under one login                            |
| An address that belongs to an administrator, editor, shop customer or any other role      | Refused. One account can't be staff or a customer and a client at the same time. Use another address                                        |

## What clients see

Clients sign in at the site's usual login page (`/wp-login.php`) and land on **Form submissions**.

![A client reading one submission and downloading its file](https://97821998-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FM2yV1foUgoGHBC66VBDw%2Fuploads%2FbuYwdjZvqkeh1xnttLEC%2Fclient-access--client-portal.jpg?alt=media)

* On the left: **All forms**, then each of their forms with how many submissions it has. With more than eight forms, **Find a form** filters the list.
* On the right: the newest submissions first. **Newer** and **Older** page through them.
* Click a submission to read it: every answer with its field label, and the files sent with it, ready to download. **← Back to the list** returns.
* **Your profile** changes their name and password. **Log out** signs them out.

That is all they can open. Any other wp-admin address sends them back to their submissions.

| Clients can                                           | Clients can't                                                 |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Read the submissions of their forms (Unread and Read) | See other forms, abandoned drafts or trashed submissions      |
| Download the files sent with those submissions        | Download any other file                                       |
| Change their own name and password                    | Edit, delete, export or mark submissions as read              |
|                                                       | See payment details, IP addresses or browser data             |
|                                                       | Open orders, payments, bookings, PDFs, work pages or settings |
|                                                       | Open WordPress's own screens or other plugins' screens        |

## Remove access

* **Remove access** next to a person ends their access on their next click. Their account stays, with nothing in it.
* **Remove** next to a form stops sharing that form.
* **Delete client** asks first: **"Delete this client? Its forms stay, unshared, and its people lose access."** Click **Yes, delete**.

## Recent changes

At the bottom of the tab, **Recent changes** lists who did what, newest first: **Client added**, **Form shared**, **Form moved here from another client**, **Form no longer shared**, **Person invited**, **Access removed**, **Client renamed**, **Client deleted**.

## How clients are kept apart

* A client has **no CraftForms permission** at all, whatever a role editor plugin, a theme or Team Access says. Every CraftForms screen and API route is closed to them. They get one read-only screen made for them.
* A form or submission that isn't theirs answers exactly like one that doesn't exist.
* A file downloads only if the submission names it, the file belongs to that submission and the form matches.
* On a client's screens only WordPress itself and the client screen load, so other plugins' settings and data aren't sent to them.
* Clients can't create application passwords. WordPress's own REST API is closed to them apart from their own profile.

The client role isn't listed in [Team Access](/documentation/work-pages/team-access.md) and can't be given access there.

## Good to know

* **Notification emails don't change.** Whoever a form emails today still gets the email.
* **Licence.** Adding clients, forms and people needs an active licence. If it lapses, clients keep reading and you can still remove access.
* **Multisite.** Access is stored per site. A client of one site sees nothing on another.
* **Headless mode.** With [Headless mode](https://kb.craftformswp.com/documentation/for-developers/headless-backend-mode) on, clients still sign in at `/wp-login.php` and read their submissions.
* **Read-only for now.** Clients can't change a submission's status or add notes.