> ## 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. # Clients overview > Clients are the companies you bill. Learn how the client list works, what each column means, and who can see clients in your workspace. A client is a company you do work for and send invoices to. Every project belongs to at most one client, and every client can have many projects. ## What is a client? A client record holds the billing facts about one company: * Its name * Its default currency * Its default hourly rate * Its payment terms, billing address and tax details * Its contacts – the people you talk to You do not track time against a client. You track time against a **task** inside a **project**, and the project points at the client. See [/concepts/data-model](/concepts/data-model) for the full chain. ## When to use clients Create a client as soon as you have a company you will bill more than once. | Situation | What to do | | -------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | | A new customer signs a contract | Create the client, then create a project under it | | The same customer starts a second engagement | Add a second project under the same client | | Internal work that nobody pays for | Create a project with **No client** | | A one-off you will never repeat | Still create the client – invoices need one | ## The client list Go to **Clients** in the sidebar. Each row is one company. | Column | What it shows | | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Name** | The client name. Under a non-active view, a small chip marks it as Archived or in the Trash. | | **Currency** | The client's default currency, such as `USD`. | | **Default Rate** | The client's default hourly rate, shown as `120 / hr`. Reads **No default rate** when it is not set. | Click any row to open that client. ### Controls on the list The search box filters on what you can read on screen – name, currency and rate. Click a column heading to sort. Click again to reverse it. The dropdown next to **Add client** switches which lifecycle state you are looking at. It defaults to **Active**, so retired clients stay out of your way. The footer shows the row count and lets you page through 25, 50 or 100 rows at a time. Opens the new client form. This button only appears if you can manage clients. ### Empty states * No clients yet: **"No clients yet – add your first client to start organizing projects."** * An empty Archived or Trash view: **"No clients in this view."** That means nothing is archived, not that you have no clients. ## Who can see clients Two things decide this, and both must pass. **1. The capability.** You need `client.view` or `client.manage`. Without either, the page shows *"Clients are hidden for your role"*. **2. Your supervision scope.** Client reach is **derived from project reach**. You see a client when you can see at least one of their projects. A role scoped to its own projects therefore sees only the clients behind those projects. A role scoped to the whole workspace sees every client. This is deliberate. A separate client rule could disagree with project reach and leave someone able to see every client but none of their projects. ## Example Northwind Studio has two clients: **Bluebird Coffee** and **Harbor Logistics**. * Maya Ellis (Owner) sees both, plus **Fenwick Legal**. * Priya Raman (Project Manager) manages the Bluebird Coffee projects, so she sees Bluebird Coffee. * Sarah Lin (Member) is staffed on Website Redesign, so she sees Bluebird Coffee too – but only if her role holds `client.view`. * Ana Ferreira (Contractor) holds no client capability, so **Clients** is hidden for her entirely. ## Permissions | Action | Capability | Roles that hold it by default | | ------------------------------------------ | --------------- | -------------------------------------- | | See the client list and a client's details | `client.view` | Owner, Admin, Project Manager, Finance | | Add, edit, archive or delete a client | `client.manage` | Owner, Admin, Project Manager | | Invite portal contacts for a client | `client.manage` | Owner, Admin, Project Manager | Contractors and portal clients hold neither. See [/concepts/roles-and-capabilities](/concepts/roles-and-capabilities). ## App and plan gating Clients live inside the **Projects & tasks** app. If an owner or admin switches that app off in **Settings → Apps**, the **Clients** page disappears and its URL stops working. Nothing is deleted – switch the app back on and everything returns. Projects & tasks is included on **Free**. Client portal access is a **Pro** feature. See [/concepts/plans-and-features](/concepts/plans-and-features). ## Common questions Yes. Pick **No client** when you create the project. Internal work usually has no client. You cannot invoice a project with no client, because an invoice needs a company to bill. No. A project has exactly one client, or none. If two companies split the cost, create one project per company. That should not happen – client reach follows project reach. If you see it, the client is probably reachable through a project that was just archived. Switch the project list to **All** to check. A client company does not. A client **portal contact** does, because it is a login. See [/team/seats-and-billing](/team/seats-and-billing). ## Troubleshooting | Problem | Cause | Fix | | --------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | **Clients** is missing from the sidebar | The Projects & tasks app is switched off | An owner or admin turns it back on in **Settings → Apps** | | "Clients are hidden for your role" | Your role has neither `client.view` nor `client.manage` | Ask an admin to add **View clients** to your role | | A client you created has vanished | You are looking at the **Active** view and it was archived | Switch the dropdown to **Archived** or **All** | | No **Add client** button | You hold `client.view` but not `client.manage` | Ask an admin for the **Manage clients** capability | ## Related guides Add a company and set its billing defaults. Every field on the client form. How projects attach to a client. Who can see and change clients. Why you see some clients and not others. The next layer down.