How monthly-close files move through PortalLess.

Purpose

PortalLess is designed to collect client files for a specific firm request. The product should not collect more information than the firm needs for that request.

Data handled by PortalLess

• Firm workspace records, including firm name and authorized users.
• Client records created by the firm, including contact details needed for requests.
• Close-cycle records, including closing period, due date, checklist state, assignment, expiration, and delivery metadata.
• Uploaded document files and metadata, including storage path, original file name, detected content type, checksum, size, upload time, client, firm, and close cycle.
• Review decisions and request events used to record receipt, acceptance, replacement requests, processing, readiness, and close completion.

Upload flow

• A firm creates a monthly close with the files it needs from a client.
• PortalLess creates a secure upload link for that request.
• The client opens the link without creating an account and uploads files.
• The file enters private quarantine, passes server-side file checks, and must receive a clean malware result before it reaches private final storage for firm review.
• Receipt moves an item to bookkeeper review; it does not make the item accepted or the cycle close-ready.
• A rejected item reopens the same upload slot with a client-visible replacement reason.

Retention model

• PortalLess retains uploaded files only for the firm workflow and the configured post-close period.
• Each firm records a default retention window of 30, 60, 90, 180, or 365 days in firm settings.
• The retention clock starts when the request becomes closed, archived, or expired; active monthly closes do not expire merely because the file was uploaded earlier.
• The automatic deletion path removes due storage objects, redacts sensitive file metadata, preserves a minimal audit tombstone, and records failures for operator action.
• A firm owner or admin can also permanently remove files from a closed cycle through the same storage-removal and metadata-redaction boundary.
• Provider backups and operational logs may persist after user-facing deletion according to separately reviewed provider lifecycles; PortalLess does not promise backup erasure before that evidence is complete.

Firm obligations

• Firms remain responsible for professional obligations tied to client records and sensitive documents.
• Firms should avoid requesting unnecessary sensitive information.
• Firms should download, route, or archive files according to their own document management policy.
• Firms should limit workspace access to staff who need it.

Launch checklist

• Verify the production scanner provider and data-processing terms.
• Verify the configured retention default and automatic deletion path for closed, archived, and expired requests.
• Complete cross-firm negative-access, expired-link, rate-limit, duplicate-upload, and service-key boundary tests in the deployed environment.
• Complete an incident-response rehearsal and approve the controlled-pilot data restrictions and provider terms.
• Restrict controlled live use to explicitly allowlisted firms and an expiration date; disable uploads for firms outside both the sanitized-walkthrough and live-pilot allowlists.
• Obtain independent application-security and legal/privacy approval and establish a separate backup operator before general availability—or sooner when a customer, document type, contract, or jurisdiction requires it.