Overview

When adding a business client, such as a limited company, partnership, or other entity, BrightClient will first search for an existing record. This prevents duplicate client records from being created and ensures your data stays consistent across all Bright products.

This article covers both scenarios: selecting an existing business client and creating a brand-new one.

Before you start

• You must have access to BrightClient and the relevant Bright product.
• Search is based on the client's registered name, not their trading name.

• Results appear after you have typed at least three characters.

   

Step 1: Start the client creation process

1. In your Bright product, navigate to the client creation screen and begin adding a new client as you normally would.
2. A search field will appear at the top of the form. Begin typing the client's registered company name.
3. After three characters, a dropdown list of matching results from BrightClient will appear.

If the client already exists in BrightClient

Selecting an existing business client

1. Review the search results. Each result shows the registered name, client reference, email, contact number, client type, and any Bright products already linked to that record.
2. Select the correct client from the list.
3. The form will automatically populate with the client's existing details. The client name field will be locked while you complete the setup.
4. Finish completing any remaining required fields and save.

What happens next

The existing client record in BrightClient is updated to show that your product is now linked to it. No duplicate record is created. The client's details remain consistent across all connected Bright products.

If the client does not exist in BrightClient

Creating a new business client

1. If no matching results appear, or none are correct, click Create New in the dropdown.
2. Complete all required fields for the new client.

3. Save the record.

    

What happens next

A new client record is created in BrightClient and linked to your product. The record will then be available across all connected Bright products, so it does not need to be entered again elsewhere.

Search results explained

The following information is shown for each result in the search dropdown:

Troubleshooting

The client I am looking for is not appearing in search results

• Check you are searching by the registered name, not a trading name or abbreviation.
• Ensure you have typed at least three characters.
• If the client genuinely does not exist, use Create New to add them.

The client name field is locked

This is expected behaviour while you are completing the setup for a selected client. To cancel and start again, click the X icon.

I received an error when saving

Do not save locally or create a duplicate. Wait a moment and try saving again. If the issue continues, contact support.