Client Confirmations

A client confirmation is a workflow step that pauses the workflow until the client explicitly confirms something. It could be anything: that all transactions up to a certain date have been recorded, that they're happy for you to file, or that the information they've provided is complete and accurate.

The client receives an email with a link. They click it, see a branded confirmation page with your message, and click a button to confirm. That's it — the step completes and the workflow moves on.

No portal login required. No back-and-forth emails. One click from the client and the workflow continues.

Without client confirmations, practices rely on informal methods — an email reply saying "yes, go ahead", a phone call, or just assuming the client is happy because they haven't objected. None of these create a clear audit trail, and none of them can trigger the next step in your workflow automatically.

Client confirmations give you a definitive, recorded sign-off that integrates directly into your workflow. You know exactly when the client confirmed, and downstream steps can fire without anyone needing to manually update the task.

You set up a client confirmation as a step on a workflow template. The configuration is straightforward:

• Confirmation message — the text the client sees when they open the confirmation page. Write exactly what you need them to confirm, e.g. "Please confirm that all accounting entries up to 31 March 2026 have been recorded."
• Button text — the label on the confirmation button. Defaults to "Confirm" but you can customise it to suit the context
• Thank-you message — what the client sees after they confirm. A simple acknowledgement that their response has been recorded

When the step executes, the client is sent an email containing a secure link. They click the link, read the message, and click the button. The step completes and the workflow continues.

The email that goes to the client can be defined in two ways:

• Content block — reference a reusable content block template. Ideal when you send the same confirmation request across many workflows and want a single source of truth for the wording
• Inline content — write the email subject and body directly on the step. Keeps things simple when a content block would be overkill

Both options support Liquid syntax for personalisation — client name, contact details, task dates, and more — so each email is tailored to the recipient.

Like other workflow step types, client confirmations can run in automatic or manual mode:

• Automatic — the email is sent as soon as the step's dependencies are met, with no human intervention. Perfect for routine confirmations that don't need a personal touch
• Manual — the assigned user sees the fully drafted email in a composer view before it's sent. They can review the wording, adjust recipients, and edit anything before clicking send

Manual mode is useful when the confirmation needs client-specific context — perhaps you want to reference a recent conversation or add a note about what's been agreed.

If the client doesn't respond, Sodium can chase them automatically. You control the content of the chase email and how frequently it's sent. Chasing stops as soon as the client clicks to confirm.

This removes the need for your team to manually follow up on outstanding confirmations. The system handles the reminders and your team only gets involved when the client has actually responded.

You can optionally notify the assigned user when the client confirms. This means you don't need to keep checking — you'll know the moment the client responds, and you can pick up the next piece of work immediately.

The real power of client confirmations comes from combining them with step dependencies. When a confirmation step completes, any steps that depend on it can proceed — automatically if they're configured that way.

For example, the client confirms that all transactions have been recorded. That triggers an automatic email step notifying the team that the accounts are ready for preparation. A task is then assigned to the preparer — all without anyone manually updating the workflow.

• Year-end accounts — confirm all transactions up to the year-end date have been recorded before your team begins the accounts preparation
• Tax filing — confirm the client is happy for you to submit the return to HMRC
• Payroll — confirm salary changes, starters, or leavers before the payroll run
• Onboarding — confirm the client has read and agrees to your terms of engagement
• VAT returns — confirm all purchase and sales invoices for the period have been entered

Any point in a workflow where you need a definitive "yes" from the client before proceeding is a candidate for a client confirmation step.