Quick Start Guide

Install ClientCove on your WordPress site and launch your branded client portal in minutes.

Before You Begin

Make sure your environment meets these requirements before installing:

RequirementMinimum
WordPressLatest version (always keep updated)
PHP8.2 or higher
MySQL8.0 or higher
HTTPSRequired — SSL certificate must be active

ClientCove is a WordPress theme, not a plugin. It replaces your active theme and runs your entire site. Install it on a fresh WordPress install or a dedicated subdomain (e.g. portal.yourfirm.com) rather than an existing marketing site.

Step 1: Download the Theme

  1. Log in to your license portal at account.clientcove.io
  2. Go to Downloads
  3. Click Download ClientCove to save the .zip file to your computer

Your license is tied to your account. Keep your login details safe — you will need them to receive updates and access subscribed services.

Step 2: Install & Activate

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel (yoursite.com/wp-admin)
  2. Go to Appearance → Themes
  3. Click Add New → Upload Theme
  4. Choose the .zip file you downloaded and click Install Now
  5. Once installed, click Activate

Your site will now be running ClientCove.

Step 3: Enter Your License Key

After activating the theme you will be prompted to enter your license key:

  1. Return to account.clientcove.io and copy your license key
  2. In your WordPress admin, go to ClientCove → License
  3. Paste your key and click Activate License

A valid license is required to receive theme updates and to use Subscribed Services (transactional email, real-time features, and AI). Your license is perpetual. To learn how many sites it covers, what keeps working if you stop renewing updates, and how to move to a new server, see Your License and Updates.

After activation, a Welcome to ClientCove notice offers Start Setup. That opens the Setup Wizard, which asks five questions about your business and builds the portal to match — features, pages, menus, starter content, and your look — in about five minutes.

ClientCove runs on any server that meets the requirements above, but these are our recommended options:

DigitalOcean — Best for control & performance

[DigitalOcean affiliate link placeholder] — A Droplet running Ubuntu + Nginx is the setup we use ourselves. We also built a native integration with DO Spaces for offloading private and public file storage, which is ideal for portals handling large client files.

Cloudways — Best for managed WordPress

[Cloudways affiliate link placeholder] — Managed WordPress hosting built on DigitalOcean, AWS, or GCP. No server management required — good option if you want performance without DevOps.

Other hosts

Any managed WordPress host that supports PHP 8.2+ will work. Avoid shared hosting for production portals — it will not handle real-time features reliably.

What to Do Next

With ClientCove installed and your license active, the next steps are:

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