When BrightClient is enabled on your account, BrightManager automatically searches your organisation's BrightClient database as you create or open a client file. This article explains how the search works, how to use the Companies House and Companies Registration Office (CRO) autofill with BrightClient, and what to do when you save.
| Important: Always search before creating. If the client already exists in BrightClient, select them rather than creating a new record to avoid duplicates across your Bright products. |
Searching for a client when creating a new client file
- In BrightManager, navigate to Clients and begin creating a new client file.
- Open the Required Information accordion.
- Begin typing in the Name field. After three characters, BrightManager automatically searches your BrightClient database and displays matching results in a dropdown.
- Review the results. Each result shows the client name, company number, VAT number, and Bright 'b' logos indicating which other Bright products are already using that record.
- Choose one of the options based on what you find.
Your options
| Option | When to use it | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Select an existing BrightClient record | A matching client already exists in BrightClient. | The client file populates automatically with BrightClient data. Review and update as needed, then save. Data synchronises back to BrightClient and other linked products. |
| Create New | No matching record exists or none of the results are correct. | A new client record is created in BrightClient and linked to BrightManager when you save. |
Using Companies House or CRO autofill
If you use the Companies House or CRO autofill when creating a client, the workflow now includes additional steps to check BrightClient before creating a new record.
| Screen | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Search and select the company from the Companies House or CRO registry (existing functionality). |
| 3 | Review the company details and confirm the selection. |
| 4 (new) | BrightManager checks BrightClient for an existing matching record. Select a match, or continue with Companies House / CRO data only if no match is found. |
| 5 | Select a director or PSC as the Main Contact. |
| 6 (new) | BrightManager searches BrightClient for an existing person record matching the contact. Select an existing contact or create a new one. |
| 7 (new) | Confirmation screen — review the selected company and contact, then click Finish to apply. |
| Note: Where a Companies House or CRO record and a BrightClient record both exist for the same company, Companies House / CRO data takes priority for any conflicting fields. |
Clearing a selected BrightClient record
If you have selected a BrightClient record and want to start again, click the X icon in the Name field.
| Warning: Clicking the X in the Name field clears BOTH the client record and all associated contact data imported from BrightClient. If you only want to clear a contact, use the X icon in the Main or Secondary Contact accordion instead. |
What happens after you save
- The client data is sent to BrightClient first and saved there.
- Once BrightClient confirms the save, the data is saved locally in BrightManager.
- Other connected Bright products (such as BrightTax and BrightAccountsProduction) automatically receive the updated client data.
- If BrightClient is temporarily unavailable, your data is saved locally in BrightManager and queued for synchronisation automatically.
Troubleshooting
The client I am looking for is not appearing in the search results
- Ensure you have typed at least three characters.
- Try searching using the registered company name rather than a trading name.
- If the client does not exist in BrightClient yet, select Create New to create a new record.
The client type is locked and I cannot change it
Once a client file has been synchronised to BrightClient, the Client Type field is locked. This is by design to protect data integrity across linked compliance products.
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