> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.timetracker.in/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a client

> Add a new client company in TimeTracker: set the name, default currency, default hourly rate, payment terms, contacts and billing details.

Creating a client takes about a minute. Only the name is required – everything else can be filled in later.

## Before you start

You need the **Manage clients** capability (`client.manage`). Without it the **Add client** button does not appear, and opening the new client page shows *"You can't add clients"*.

The **Projects & tasks** app must be switched on. See [/concepts/apps-and-modules](/concepts/apps-and-modules).

## How to create a client

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Clients">
    Click **Clients** in the sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Add client">
    The **New client** form opens.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the client name">
    This is the only required field. Use 1 to 120 characters. It appears on invoices, in project pickers and in reports, so use the name the company actually trades under.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set the default currency">
    The picker starts on your workspace base currency. Change it if this client is billed in a different currency.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set a default rate (optional)">
    The hourly rate to charge this client when no more specific rate applies. Leave it blank if you price per person instead.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add payment terms (optional)">
    Free text, such as `Net 30`. It is a note on the client record, not a rule the system enforces.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add contacts (optional)">
    Click **Add contact** for each person. Fill in Name, Role, Email and Phone.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add billing details (optional)">
    Billing address and Tax info feed your invoices.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Add client">
    You see **"Client added."** and land on the new client's page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## The fields

### Details

| Field                       | Required | Notes                                                                                                        |
| --------------------------- | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Client name**             | Yes      | 1 to 120 characters. A blank or whitespace-only name is rejected.                                            |
| **Default currency**        | No       | Defaults to the workspace base currency. Common codes are listed, and your base currency is always included. |
| **Default rate (per hour)** | No       | A number of 0 or more. Decimals are allowed. This is a **billing** rate – what you charge – never a cost.    |
| **Payment terms**           | No       | Free text, for example `Net 30`.                                                                             |

### Contacts

Each contact row has four fields: **Name**, **Role**, **Email** and **Phone**. Use **Remove** to drop a row.

<Note>
  A contact row is only saved if it has a name. Rows with an empty name are discarded when you save, so a half-filled row cannot leave a nameless contact behind.
</Note>

Contacts here are a phone book. They do **not** create a login. To give a contact access to the client portal, see [/clients/client-contacts](/clients/client-contacts).

### Billing

| Field               | Notes                                                      |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Billing address** | A multi-line address – street, city, postal code, country. |
| **Tax info**        | A VAT, GST or tax ID.                                      |

## Example

Maya Ellis sets up Bluebird Coffee at Northwind Studio:

* **Client name:** `Bluebird Coffee`
* **Default currency:** `USD`
* **Default rate:** `120`
* **Payment terms:** `Net 30`
* **Contact:** Ruth Castillo, Marketing Lead, `ruth@bluebirdcoffee.com`
* **Billing address:** the company's registered office
* **Tax info:** the company's tax ID

She clicks **Add client**, sees *"Client added."*, and lands on the Bluebird Coffee page. She then creates the **Website Redesign** project under it.

## What happens next

1. The client appears in the **Active** client list.
2. It becomes selectable in the **Client** picker when you create or edit a project.
3. Its default rate joins the rate chain as a fallback – see [/rates/how-rates-are-chosen](/rates/how-rates-are-chosen).
4. If the Client portal app is on, a **Portal access** panel appears on the client page so you can invite contacts.

## Permissions

| Action          | Capability      |
| --------------- | --------------- |
| Create a client | `client.manage` |

Owner, Admin and Project Manager hold it by default. Finance can view clients but not create them. See [/concepts/roles-and-capabilities](/concepts/roles-and-capabilities).

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Do I have to set a default rate?">
    No. If you leave it blank, billing falls back to the person's own rate. If they have none either, the hour is unpriced – there is no workspace default rate. A client rate is useful when you charge one flat hourly figure for everyone on that account.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can two clients have the same name?">
    Yes. Nothing stops it. Names are not unique, so add something distinguishing if you have two companies with the same trading name.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I change the currency later?">
    Yes, on the client's page. Changing it does not re-price anything already recorded – existing time entries and invoices keep the currency they were created with.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Where does the billing address show up?">
    On invoices for this client's projects. See [/invoicing/overview](/invoicing/overview).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need to fill in every field now?">
    No. Only the name is required. Currency defaults to your workspace base currency, and everything else can be added later from the client's page.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Troubleshooting

| Message                                       | Meaning                                 | Fix                                                                                                          |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| "Enter a client name (up to 120 characters)." | The name is blank or too long           | Enter 1 to 120 characters                                                                                    |
| "Enter a rate of 0 or more."                  | The rate is negative or not a number    | Enter a number such as `120` or `120.50`                                                                     |
| "That isn't a currency code we recognise."    | The currency is not a three-letter code | Pick one from the list                                                                                       |
| "You can't add clients"                       | You lack `client.manage`                | Ask an admin for the **Manage clients** capability                                                           |
| "We couldn't save this client."               | The server refused the save             | Check every field, then try again. If it persists, your role may have changed mid-session – reload the page. |

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Client details" icon="pencil" href="/clients/client-details">
    Edit a client after you create it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Client contacts" icon="users" href="/clients/client-contacts">
    Contacts and portal logins.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Client rates" icon="dollar-sign" href="/clients/client-rates">
    How the client default rate is used.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create a project" icon="folder-plus" href="/projects/create-a-project">
    The next step after a client.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Clients overview" icon="building" href="/clients/overview">
    How the client list works.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>