If you're setting up ManyRequests for the first time, the goal is simple: get your portal ready, add your services, connect payments, invite your team and clients, and start accepting requests. This guide walks you through that path and links to the detailed article for each step.
Your setup wizard and checklist
When you create a new portal, a short setup wizard walks you through four steps: Brand, Team, Billing and Services. In the Services step, ManyRequests can suggest services for your agency with AI, which you can edit or regenerate. You can click Skip for now on any step and come back to it later.
After the wizard, your dashboard shows a Getting started checklist with six steps:
Watch a quick demo: a 2-minute video on how to get your first requests.
Set up your brand: add your logo and brand colors.
Invite a client: send an invite link to a real client.
See your client portal: preview the portal as a client would see it.
Customize services: edit the services or add new ones.
Connect billing: connect Stripe or enable manual payments.
Each step has a button that takes you to the right page. You can skip a step you don't need. The checklist disappears once every step is done or skipped. The sections below cover the same ground in more detail.
The checklist is shown to admins on portals created after the onboarding redesign. If your portal is older, just follow the steps below.
1. Customize your client portal
Start with your client portal. This is what your clients will see, so it's worth setting it up early. Go to Settings > Portal to set your portal name, logos, favicon and colors.
Client experience and client view: how the portal looks from your client's side
2. Create your first services
Next, define what clients can buy or request. Go to Services > All services and click Create service.
3. Set up your request forms
Decide what information you need from clients before you start work. Each service has its own request form.
Using custom order forms (optional)
4. Connect payments and configure checkout
If you charge clients through ManyRequests, set this up early. Go to Settings > Modules and extensions > Billing to connect Stripe or enable manual payments.
How to enable a self sign-up page (optional)
5. Add your team
Before handling real work, invite your team and decide what each role can do. Go to Users > Team and click Create team member.
6. Add or invite clients
Once your setup is ready, bring your clients into the portal. Go to Users > Clients and click Create client.
How to create a test client account to demo the client journey: test your setup first
How to reset the password for your clients: if a client misses their invite
7. Start receiving and managing requests
This is where your workflow begins.
How to use the queue (optional)
How to use Kanban (optional)
How to use the workload management feature (optional)
8. Set up notifications and security
Keep your team and clients in sync as work comes in, and protect your account.
That's it
Don't worry about getting everything perfect on the first try. Create a test request, look at it from your client's side, and adjust as you go. Most good setups are built through small changes, not one perfect configuration.
Need help?
Contact support: message us from the chat in your portal for help with your setup.
Browse all help articles: help.manyrequests.com
Watch tutorials: see our YouTube videos and Getting started [video].




