Quick wins for a faster PC:
Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The safe way to do this: build one separate spreadsheet per client, put only that client’s project information in it, share it with the client’s named Google accounts at the lowest permission that works, and use a Google Form if clients need to submit requests without touching the tracker. A Google Sheet is a status board, not a secure multi-client portal, and protected ranges do not change that.
What a Sheets-based portal can and can’t be
A Sheets portal gives a client one place to see status, milestones, deliverables, pending decisions and links. It costs nothing extra to build and needs no new login for clients who already use Google accounts. It does not give you per-client logins inside one shared file, audit-grade controls, or a branded interface. If you need those, that is a signal to move to a dedicated portal tool.
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The key boundary is that Google’s sharing controls work at the file level. The file owner can restrict a file to named accounts or make it available to anyone with the link, and can assign Viewer, Commenter or Editor roles (Google Docs Editors Help). Everything you design should lean on that, not on in-sheet tricks.
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Step 1: Create one file per client
Do not run one workbook for all clients and share it externally. Anyone who can open the file can open every visible tab, and hiding things is not protection. Make a template file once, then use File > Make a copy for each new client and name it consistently, for example “Acme – Project Hub”.
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This one-file-per-client pattern is our recommendation built on Google’s documented file-level sharing. It is not a Google-certified portal design.
Step 2: Lay out the tabs
| Tab | Contents | Who acts |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | Current status, next milestone, due date, the client’s next action | You update; client reads |
| Milestones | Phase, owner, start/due dates, status | You |
| Deliverables | Item, version, status, link to the file, date delivered | You; client comments |
| Decisions | Open questions, options, deadline, outcome | Client responds (via comments or form) |
| Links | Briefs, invoices, staging sites, meeting notes | You |
Keep the Overview short enough to read in ten seconds. Practical usability touches (our suggestions, not Google requirements):
- Use a fixed set of status labels (for example Not started, In progress, Waiting on client, Done) via Data > Data validation dropdowns, so statuses stay consistent.
- Use one date format throughout.
- Freeze the header row with View > Freeze > 1 row.
- Colour “Waiting on client” rows distinctly so client actions stand out from read-only information.
Store deliverables as links to separately shared files rather than pasting content, and check that each linked file’s own sharing settings match the client’s access.
Step 3: Share with the right people and the right role
- Click Share in the top right.
- Add the client’s named Google accounts. Ask for the address each person actually uses to sign in to Google.
- Set general access to Restricted so only listed people can open it. Avoid “Anyone with the link” for anything client-specific, since links can be forwarded.
- Choose the role:
- Viewer as the default.
- Commenter if you want feedback on specific rows or cells.
- Editor only if direct editing is part of the agreed process.
Review the list at project end and remove people who no longer need access.
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Step 4: Take client input through a Google Form
If clients need to submit requests, questions or approvals, a Form keeps structured input out of your tracker. Create a Form with fields such as request type, description, priority and a link to supporting material, then have responses go to a sheet that only you can open, or to a tab you review before updating the tracker.
Google’s published updates describe limiting form responders to chosen users, groups or target audiences, so you can restrict who may submit. Check the live settings in your form, because the options available can depend on your account type. Form access is separate from access to the linked response spreadsheet, so verify both: a client who can submit should not automatically be able to read other responses.
Step 5: Protect against accidents, not against viewing
Use Data > Protect sheets and ranges to stop a client with edit rights from overwriting formulas, headers or dropdown lists. That is a legitimate use. But Google’s own help text says protection “shouldn’t be used as a security measure,” and warns that people can copy, print, paste, import and export copies of protected spreadsheets.
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So the rules are:
- Never rely on hidden tabs or protected ranges to keep one client’s data from another, or internal notes from a client.
- Keep internal margins, staff comments and other clients’ details out of the client’s file entirely. If a client can open the file, assume they can see and copy anything in it.
- Do not put passwords, credentials or highly sensitive personal data in the sheet.
Step 6: Test as the client before onboarding
This is a recommended check, not something to skip:
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- Open the file in a private window signed in with a test Google account that is not yours, ideally one you added as Viewer.
- Confirm that only the intended file is reachable and that every tab shown is meant to be seen.
- Try an edit and a comment to confirm the role behaves as intended.
- Submit the Form from the test account and confirm it is accepted, and that an unlisted account is not.
- Click every link in Deliverables and Links to confirm the client can actually open them.
When a plain sheet isn’t enough
Google Sites is a component of Workspace and may suit you if you want navigation or presentation beyond a spreadsheet. Detailed steps for publishing and embedding a protected sheet in a Site aren’t covered here, and a site’s visibility and the embedded file’s sharing are controlled separately, so check both if you go that route.
Compare Sheets alone, Sheets with a Sites front end, and a dedicated portal on these axes:
- per-client access separation
- setup and maintenance effort
- navigation and presentation
- intake and update workflow
- auditability and admin controls
- fit for sensitive information
Google’s documentation establishes what the products and sharing roles do. It does not establish that any design satisfies your regulatory or contractual obligations, so if clients’ contracts impose data-handling terms, check them before choosing this approach.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsSize and scale
Google’s Workspace FAQ states “Sheets can currently handle two million cells” (no publication year given). That is a capacity ceiling, not a guide to a good portal; a client hub should be tiny by comparison. If your Deliverables tab is growing into thousands of rows, archive finished projects to a separate file.
Workspace plan not required
You can build all of this with a regular Google account. A paid Google Workspace plan becomes relevant if you want business email on your own domain, more storage or team administration, and administrators can then manage sharing policies across your organisation.
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