> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.allshore.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.allshore.ai/clients-and-pipeline/managing-clients.md). # Managing clients Clients live on the **Clients & contracts** screen. Every client is either **active** (the default — a relationship you can bill) or a **prospect** (a company you're pursuing), and the difference is enforced, not cosmetic. ## Creating a client When you create a client you choose its stage. **Active** is the default — use it for a signed client you're onboarding. Choose **Prospect** to track a deal you're still pursuing. Either way, fill in **firmographics** on the detail page as things take shape: legal name, address, the **signer** (name, email, title), website, and notes. These fields feed generated paperwork — when you produce an MSA or proposal, the legal name and signer merge straight into the document, so keeping them current is what keeps your paperwork correct. Stale values can be cleared, not just replaced, so an outdated signer never silently prints on a contract. ## What a prospect can and can't do Pre-sale work is exactly what a prospect exists for: * **Allowed**: job requisitions, estimates and proposals, contract documents (drafts to send), credential requirements. * **Blocked until active**: invoicing, hiring/placements, recurring billing schedules, and portal access for their contacts. These all assert a signed relationship — Allshore refuses them with a clear "client is a prospect" error rather than letting you bill a company that hasn't signed. When the deal closes, **activate** the prospect and the blocked operations open up. ## Archiving When a relationship ends, **archive** the client. Archiving marks the record — it stays visible in the client list, and its contracts, invoices, and history remain readable forever. Nothing is ever deleted. ## Where everything lives The client's **detail page** carries the relationship's records in panels: firmographics, **Contacts** (and their portal invitations — see Client contacts & portal invitations), **commercial contracts** (with their bill rates), **contract documents**, **estimates** and their proposal sends, and **credential requirements**. Two related tools sit on the top-level **Clients & contracts** screen rather than the detail page: **budgets** (caps per contract with burn-down) and your **document types** taxonomy (NDA / MSA / SoW plus your own). The **collateral** library lives in Settings and is attached when you assemble a proposal. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.allshore.ai/clients-and-pipeline/managing-clients.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.