Question 1

What is a monday.com client portal?

Accepted Answer

A monday.com client portal is a secure, branded web application that gives external clients access to project data, files, and communication without requiring monday.com licenses. Unlike sharing boards directly—which exposes your internal workspace and requires guest licenses—a client portal built with Softr presents only the information clients need through a clean, professional interface. Clients log in to their own branded portal to view project status, download files, submit requests, and communicate with your team, while all data syncs automatically with your monday.com boards in real-time. This approach eliminates 60-80% of licensing costs while providing a superior client experience.

Question 2

How do Softr portals avoid monday.com licensing costs?

Accepted Answer

Softr portals eliminate monday.com licensing costs by creating a separate web application that connects to your monday.com workspace via API. Instead of adding clients as Guest users (which requires paid seats), Softr authenticates users through its own system and displays monday.com data through a custom interface. This means you can have unlimited client users in your Softr portal while only paying for your internal team's monday.com licenses. For agencies managing 20+ clients, this typically saves $10,000-$30,000 annually in licensing fees while actually improving the client experience with a branded, simplified interface.

Question 3

What is the difference between native monday.com sharing and a custom client portal?

Accepted Answer

Native monday.com guest access allows external users to view boards directly within the monday.com interface, requiring guest licenses and exposing your internal workspace structure, board names, and operational complexity. A custom Softr portal, by contrast, provides a separate branded web application where clients access only the filtered data you choose to share—without needing monday.com licenses and without seeing your internal workflows. Key differences: native sharing costs $10-16 per guest user monthly, shows your internal board structure, and provides limited customization. Custom portals have no per-user licensing, complete brand customization, role-based data filtering, and professional client experience. For businesses managing multiple clients, custom portals reduce costs by 60-80% while delivering better client satisfaction.

Question 4

How does Mindflows ensure GDPR compliance for client portals?

Accepted Answer

Mindflows ensures GDPR compliance for client portals through a comprehensive technical and procedural approach. At the infrastructure level, we configure Softr to use EU-based data centers, ensuring data residency within the European Union. We implement role-based access control so clients see only their own data, with row-level filtering preventing cross-client data exposure. All data transmission uses 256-bit SSL encryption, and data at rest is encrypted in both Softr and monday.com. We configure proper consent mechanisms, cookie policies, and privacy notices. Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) are available from both Softr and monday.com for your legal records. We also implement 'right to erasure' workflows so you can fully delete client data on request. This architecture meets GDPR, CCPA (California), and PIPEDA (Canada) requirements, making portals suitable for agencies serving clients across the US, UK, Canada, and EU.

Question 5

How can I give clients access to monday.com without buying licenses?

Accepted Answer

Build a Softr-based client portal that connects to monday.com via API. Softr authenticates users through its own system and displays monday.com data through a branded interface. Clients access the portal without needing monday.com accounts, eliminating per-seat licensing costs. This approach is used by agencies managing 50+ clients, saving $10,000-30,000 annually in licensing fees. Mindflows specializes in building these Softr + monday.com portal integrations.

Question 6

What is the difference between monday.com native sharing and a custom Softr portal?

Accepted Answer

Monday.com native guest access requires paid seats ($10-16 per user monthly), exposes your internal board structure and column names, and provides limited branding. A custom Softr portal has no per-user licensing, presents only filtered client-relevant data, offers complete brand customization, and hides internal operational complexity. For businesses managing 10+ clients, custom portals reduce costs by 60-80% while delivering better client satisfaction.

Question 7

Which regions does Mindflows serve?

Accepted Answer

Mindflows serves businesses in the European Union, United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. As a German-based company with English-speaking team, we work across time zones and have completed projects for clients in 15+ countries. Our portal architecture is designed for international compliance including GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), and PIPEDA (Canada).

Question 8

What is the difference between hiring a Softr freelancer and working with Mindflows?

Accepted Answer

Freelancers typically build what you describe. Mindflows designs what you need. This means starting with your operational reality—how teams actually work, how data flows, how complexity grows—and architecting a system that supports it. We provide documentation, training, long-term support options, and have established processes from 40+ production Softr implementations. The difference shows up months later: systems that still work vs systems that need rebuilding.

Question 9

Can Softr handle enterprise-level permissions and governance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Softr's permission system is powerful when properly architected. Mindflows designs role hierarchies, conditional data access, field-level visibility, and approval workflows that support real enterprise complexity. The key is designing these structures before building, not retrofitting them later. We've built Softr platforms with 500+ users across multiple permission levels.

Question 10

What databases does Softr integrate with?

Accepted Answer

Softr natively integrates with Airtable, monday.com, Google Sheets, and has a REST API for other data sources. For production business systems, Mindflows typically recommends Airtable (for flexible data modeling) or monday.com (when teams already use it for project management). We architect the database structure before building Softr screens to ensure scalability.

Question 11

How long does it take to build a portal?

Accepted Answer

Most projects take 2-4 weeks for a standard portal and 6-8 weeks for enterprise solutions. We work in sprints so you see progress every week and can start using parts of the system before everything is complete.

Question 12

Do we need technical skills to use the system?

Accepted Answer

No technical skills required. We build on Softr and monday.com specifically because your team can manage and update the system without writing code. We also provide video training and documentation.

Question 13

What's the typical investment?

Accepted Answer

Projects start at $3,500 for a Launch Portal and scale up to $10,000+ for complex enterprise solutions. We'll give you a fixed quote after understanding your specific needs—no surprises.

Question 14

Can you work with our existing monday.com setup?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Most clients already use monday.com when they come to us. We audit your current setup, identify what's working, and build on top of it rather than starting from scratch.

Question 15

What happens after the project is done?

Accepted Answer

We offer a Retainer Program for ongoing support, optimization, and new feature development. Many clients stay with us long-term as their operations evolve. But the system is yours—you're never locked in.

Question 16

Do you work with companies outside Europe?

Accepted Answer

Yes! We've worked with businesses in 15+ countries across North America, Europe, and beyond. We're flexible with time zones and use async communication when needed.

Question 17

What if my team resists the new system?

Accepted Answer

Change resistance is normal, and we plan for it. Our implementation includes personalized video tutorials, hands-on training sessions, and a gradual rollout strategy. We've found that once teams see how much time they save, resistance turns into enthusiasm. Plus, we design interfaces to feel familiar and intuitive—not like learning a whole new tool.

Question 18

How is Mindflows different from hiring a freelancer?

Accepted Answer

Freelancers often disappear after delivery. We're a dedicated team with certified monday.com and Softr expertise, established processes, and long-term support options. You get documentation, training, and a partner who understands your business—not just a one-off contractor who may not be available when you need help.

Question 19

We've tried automation before and it failed. Why would this be different?

Accepted Answer

Most automation failures happen because of poor planning or tools that don't fit the workflow. We start with a deep-dive discovery to understand your actual processes—not just what you think you need. We build incrementally, test with your team, and iterate. Our 14-day support period ensures we're there to fix any issues that arise in real-world usage.

Question 20

What if our needs change after the project is complete?

Accepted Answer

That's expected! Your business evolves, and your systems should too. The platforms we use (Softr + monday.com) are flexible by design, and your team can make basic updates themselves. For bigger changes, our Retainer Program gives you ongoing access to our team for continuous improvements.

Question 21

What exactly is a 'digital operating system' for a business?

Accepted Answer

A digital operating system is the complete technical infrastructure that powers your business operations — from how data flows between systems, to how teams collaborate, to how customers interact with your product. It's the architecture that makes everything work together as one unified system, rather than disconnected tools.

Question 22

Do you work with early-stage startups or only established companies?

Accepted Answer

We work with both. For founders, we architect systems from day one so you scale correctly. For established companies, we restructure existing operations into scalable systems. The approach differs, but the principle is the same: architecture first.

Question 23

How is Mindflows different from a development agency?

Accepted Answer

Development agencies build features. We architect systems. The difference is ownership and scope — we don't just implement tools, we design how your entire business operates digitally, then build and maintain that infrastructure as your accountable partner.

Question 24

What does a 'Systems Discovery' involve?

Accepted Answer

A Systems Discovery is a structured assessment of your current operations, technical infrastructure, and growth plans. We identify architecture gaps, system dependencies, and the critical path to building a scalable foundation. It's strategic, not a sales pitch.

Question 25

Do you offer ongoing support after building the system?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We offer retainer programs for continuous system optimization and support. Once we architect your system, we can remain your dedicated systems partner for ongoing improvements, maintenance, and scaling.

Question 26

Do credits roll over?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Unused credits roll over for up to 2 months. This gives you flexibility if you have a lighter month — just use them within the following billing period.

Question 27

Can we upgrade anytime?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. You can upgrade to a higher tier at any point, and the change takes effect immediately. We'll prorate your billing accordingly.

Question 28

What if my request exceeds my remaining credits?

Accepted Answer

No problem. We can either break the work into smaller parts that fit your balance, or provide a custom quote for the additional credits needed. You're always in control.

Question 29

Is this only for monday.com?

Accepted Answer

Not at all. Our retainer covers your entire ecosystem — monday.com, Softr, Make, and any integrated tools. If it's part of your stack, we support it.

Question 30

How fast are requests completed?

Accepted Answer

Packages M and L include priority queue access for faster turnaround. Package S clients receive standard queue access. Small requests are often done within 24–48 hours. Larger tasks depend on complexity, but we always provide clear timelines upfront.

Question 31

What does 'Softr system architecture' mean in practice?

Accepted Answer

Softr system architecture means designing the entire platform structure before building screens. This includes data relationships, user role hierarchies, permission logic, workflow dependencies, and growth patterns. The result is a platform that scales predictably and remains maintainable over time — not a collection of screens that becomes difficult to change.

Question 32

Can Softr support enterprise-level governance and permissions?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Softr's permission system is powerful when properly architected. We design role hierarchies, conditional data access, field-level visibility, and approval workflows that support real enterprise complexity. The key is designing these structures before building, not retrofitting them later.

Question 33

How is working with Mindflows different from hiring a Softr freelancer?

Accepted Answer

Freelancers typically build what you describe. We design what you need. This means starting with your operational reality — how teams actually work, how data actually flows, how complexity actually grows — and architecting a system that supports it. The difference shows up months later: systems that still work vs. systems that need rebuilding.

Question 34

What makes a Softr platform 'scalable'?

Accepted Answer

A scalable Softr platform handles more users, more data, and more complexity without structural changes. This requires upfront architecture: normalized data models, role-based permissions, modular page structures, and clean automation logic. We design for scale from day one, so growth doesn't mean rebuilding.

Question 35

Does Softr work for businesses with complex operational workflows?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Softr becomes powerful for complex operations when combined with proper data architecture and automation. We connect Softr to structured databases and workflow tools, creating systems that handle multi-step approvals, conditional routing, role-based handoffs, and real-time status tracking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Client Portals & Licensing

Still have questions?

Frequently Asked Questions

Client Portals & Licensing

1What is a monday.com client portal?

2How do Softr portals avoid monday.com licensing costs?

3What is the difference between native monday.com sharing and a custom client portal?

4How does Mindflows ensure GDPR compliance for client portals?

5How can I give clients access to monday.com without buying licenses?

6What is the difference between monday.com native sharing and a custom Softr portal?

7Which regions does Mindflows serve?

8What is the difference between hiring a Softr freelancer and working with Mindflows?

9Can Softr handle enterprise-level permissions and governance?

10What databases does Softr integrate with?

Still have questions?