Two Ways to Create a Client Account
| Method | Who initiates | Verification | Password source |
|---|---|---|---|
Self-registration at /register |
Client | Email verification (if enabled) | Set by the client |
| Admin creation at Admin → Clients → New Client | Staff member | None required | Auto-generated or set manually |
Self-Registration
Clients register themselves at /register. The process is described in detail in Account Registration. Self-registered clients must verify their email address before they can log in (unless verification is disabled in settings).
Admin-Created Accounts
To create a client account from the admin panel:
- Go to Admin → Clients.
- Click New Client.
- Fill in the form (see fields below).
- Click Create Client.
The account is active immediately — no email verification is required or sent for admin-created accounts.
New Client Form Fields
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| First name | Yes | |
| Last name | Yes | |
| Email address | Yes | Must be unique across all clients |
| Company name | No | Appears on invoices |
| Country | Yes | Drives default tax rules |
| Default currency | Yes | Defaults to system default currency |
| Client group | No | Assign a group immediately; drives discount and pricing |
| Password | No | Leave blank to auto-generate; client receives it by email |
| Send welcome email | Checkbox | Sends the welcome email template to the client |
[!TIP] If you leave the password field blank, Commerce generates a secure random password and includes it in the welcome email. If you set a password manually, it is still hashed — you will not be able to retrieve it later. Encourage the client to use Forgot password to set their own password after first login.
Use Cases for Admin-Created Accounts
Migrating from WHMCS or Another Platform
When migrating an existing client base, create accounts programmatically using the Commerce API or by importing via the migration tool. Admin-created accounts skip email verification, so migrated clients can log in immediately. Credit balances and services can be added during or after the migration.
Onboarding Offline Clients
If a client contacts you by phone or email rather than registering through the portal, create their account manually and send them the welcome email. They can then reset their password and start using the portal.
Internal or Test Accounts
Create internal accounts for staff to test the client portal experience, or for demo purposes. Assign them to a dedicated client group (e.g. "Internal") with a zero-percent discount so they do not affect billing reports.
Setting Additional Properties After Creation
After creating a client account, you can immediately:
- Add services — Admin → Client → Services → Add Service (manually provision a product)
- Add credit — Admin → Client → Credits → Add Credit
- Set custom field values — Admin → Client → Custom Fields tab
- Add tags — Admin → Client → edit, add tags from the tag selector
- Add contacts — Admin → Client → Contacts → Add Contact
[!IMPORTANT] If the client's account was created as part of a migration and you are recreating their services, set the service next due date and status manually to match what they had on the old platform. Incorrect next due dates will generate renewal invoices at the wrong time.
Duplicate Email Prevention
Commerce enforces a unique constraint on email addresses across all client records. If you attempt to create a client with an email that already exists, the form will show a validation error. Check the existing client list before creating a new account.