Clients & portal

Easy Invoice doesn't have a separate "client" CPT — clients are WordPress users. This is intentional: it lets you reuse WordPress login, password reset, and avatars without reinventing them.

How clients are stored

• Storage: wp_users + wp_usermeta (queried via includes/Repositories/ClientRepository.php).
• Role: easy_invoice_client (auto-created on activation; capability read only).
• Listing: Easy Invoice → All Clients — uses WP_User_Query filtered to admins + portal-role users that have invoices.

Some installs may also have legacy easy_invoice_client post type data from older versions — Reports still considers it (ReportController.php:978) for backward compatibility.

Adding a client

Three ways:

1. From the invoice builder — start typing in the Client field, hit + Add new.
2. Bulk — Users → Add New with role Easy Invoice Client.
3. Programmatically via wp_insert_user + add_role.

Required fields:

• First / last name — printed on invoices.
• Email — invoice / quote emails are sent here.
• Address — billing address on the invoice template.

Optional per-client defaults (Pro):

• Currency override.
• Tax exempt flag.
• Default payment method (if multiple are enabled).

The portal (Pro)

PROHosted client portal

Pro adds a self-service area where clients log in, see every invoice, every quote, every payment, and download PDFs — without seeing wp-admin.

Unlock the portal →

What the client sees

After logging in:

• Profile — name, address, default email, change password.
• Invoices — list with status badges, due dates, total + balance due.
• Quotes — list with accept / decline buttons inline.
• Payments — receipt history.

Click any row → opens the public single template, with Pay now if the invoice has a balance.

Portal pages

The Pro plugin uses three shortcodes you place anywhere:

Shortcode	What it renders
[easy_invoice_login]	Login form for the easy_invoice_client role.
[easy_invoice_profile]	Profile + address editor.
[easy_invoice_client_login]	Alternative login form (legacy alias).

Recommended structure:

/client-area/login         → [easy_invoice_login]
/client-area/profile       → [easy_invoice_profile]
/client-area/invoices      → list (auto-rendered when logged in)

See Shortcodes for every attribute.

Magic link login (Pro)

Pro supports a tokenised login URL: append ?client_token=xxx to any portal page and the user is auto-logged in (single-use token, expires).

Use case: include a "View your invoice" link in the email that signs the client in without a password — see ClientPortal.php:75–78.

Client role & capabilities

The dedicated easy_invoice_client role:

• Has only read capability.
• Cannot see wp-admin (Pro forces redirect to the portal).
• Cannot edit anything site-wide.

Combine this with a redirect on login plugin (or the Pro portal itself) so clients never land in wp-admin.

Privacy & data export (GDPR)

The Pro plugin's Privacy & Access tab adds:

• Login required to view invoice URLs.
• Token-based access (hash-protected slugs).
• GDPR exporter — exports a client's invoices/quotes/payments as JSON via WordPress's Tools → Export Personal Data.

See Pro features overview → Privacy & Access.

Bulk operations

From All Clients:

• Search by name / email.
• Filter by role.
• Bulk action: Send statement of account Pro — emails a summary of outstanding invoices.

Where to go next

• 🧾 Invoices — assign invoices to clients.
• 📝 Quotes / estimates — pre-invoice flows.
• 💳 Payment gateways — let clients pay via card or PayPal.
• 💎 Pro features overview — full portal details.