Adding New Clients

Managing your clients in DoulaBub is simple and secure. All client data is encrypted to protect their privacy.

Adding a New Client

From the Dashboard
1. Go to your **Dashboard**
2. Click the **Clients** card or navigate to **Clients** in the sidebar
3. Click the **+ Add Client** button
4. Fill out the client information form
5. Click **Save** to create the client profile

Quick Add Popover
For faster client creation:
1. Click the **+** icon in the top navigation
2. Select **New Client**
3. Enter basic information
4. The full profile can be completed later

Required Information

Basic Details
- **First Name:** Client's first name (encrypted)
- **Last Name:** Client's last name (encrypted)
- **Email:** Primary contact email
- **Phone:** Contact phone number

Optional Details
- **Address:** Full mailing address
- **Due Date:** Expected due date (for birth doulas)
- **Birth Date:** Date of birth (for postpartum clients)
- **Partner Information:** Partner's name and contact
- **Emergency Contact:** Backup contact person

Client Tags & Organization

Use tags to organize your clients:
- **Status Tags:** Prospective, Active, Past Client
- **Service Tags:** Birth Support, Postpartum Care, Prenatal Only
- **Custom Tags:** Create your own organizational system

To add tags:
1. Open the client profile
2. Click **Add Tag** in the profile header
3. Select existing tags or create new ones

Privacy & Security

DoulaBub takes client privacy seriously:
- All personal information is encrypted at rest
- Access is restricted to your account only
- Data is backed up securely
- Compliant with HIPAA guidelines

What Gets Encrypted
- First and last names
- Email addresses
- Phone numbers
- Physical addresses
- All notes and communications

Client Notes

Add private notes to track important details:
1. Open the client profile
2. Go to the **Notes** tab
3. Click **Add Note**
4. Write your note with rich text formatting
5. Save and it will be timestamped

Notes are only visible to you and are fully encrypted.

Importing Existing Clients

If you're transitioning from another system:
1. Go to **Settings** → **Data**
2. Click **Import Clients**
3. Download the CSV template
4. Fill out the template with your client data
5. Upload the completed CSV
6. Review and confirm the import

Supported formats: CSV, Excel

Best Practices

✅ **Do:**
- Get client consent before storing information
- Keep notes professional and factual
- Update information regularly
- Use consistent tag names
- Back up your data regularly

❌ **Don't:**
- Share login credentials
- Store unnecessary sensitive information
- Leave client profiles incomplete
- Forget to update contact information

Managing Multiple Clients

Bulk Actions
Select multiple clients to:
- Apply tags in bulk
- Export data
- Send group messages
- Archive old clients

Search & Filter
Find clients quickly:
- Search by name, email, or phone
- Filter by tag
- Sort by due date or creation date
- View active vs archived clients

Client Dashboard

Each client has a dedicated dashboard showing:
- Upcoming appointments
- Invoice history
- Shared documents
- Communication history
- Notes timeline

Troubleshooting

**Client won't save**
- Check that all required fields are filled
- Ensure email format is valid
- Verify phone number format

**Can't find a client**
- Check your search spelling
- Look in archived clients
- Try filtering by tag

**Duplicate clients**
- Use the merge function in Settings
- Contact support if you need help merging

Next Steps

- [Set up client portal access](/help/client-management/client-portal)
- [Create your first appointment](/help/calendar-scheduling/create-appointments)
- [Send your first invoice](/help/billing-invoicing/first-invoice)