Frequently asked questions

Vidual is a project management and tracking app for bespoke makers. It replaces the scattered email chains, spreadsheets, and WhatsApp messages that most studios rely on with a single project space where everything lives together — client communication, internal notes, project stages, payments, materials, files, and supplier coordination.

Any maker or studio that produces bespoke products and has clients who care about the process. That includes custom bicycle frame builders, bespoke tailors, furniture makers, jewellers, ceramicists, leather workers, and print studios. The common thread: you make things to order, your builds take time, and you currently manage most of it over email.

Minutes. Sign up, add your studio name, upload your logo, pick a brand colour, and create your first project. No technical knowledge required. You can send your first client update within five minutes of signing up.

Vidual works in any browser — desktop, tablet, or phone. There's also a native iOS app available on the App Store, and you can install Vidual as a home screen app on any device for push notifications and quick access. Your clients never need to install anything — they access their portal via a link in their email.

Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial — no credit card required. You can also book a free 30-minute demo with Pete, the founder, to see the platform in action before you sign up.

No. Clients access their portal via a magic link sent by email — no account to create, no password to remember, no app to download. They click a link and they're in. The link is unique and secure, and works on any device.

Yes. When a client receives a notification email, they can hit reply and their message appears in the project timeline automatically. Clients who prefer email don't need to change their workflow — everything still ends up in one place for you.

Vidual is white-labelled. Your clients see your brand name, your logo, and your brand colour throughout their portal and in every email. Vidual is mentioned only in small print at the bottom — similar to "Powered by Stripe" on payment pages. The experience feels like yours.

Your client sees a branded project page with build stages, a message timeline, any files or photos you've shared, and their payment history. It's designed to feel like a beautiful editorial journal of their build — not a software interface. They can reply to messages, view files at full size, and pay invoices, all from one page.

Vidual has a dedicated Clients page that shows all your clients at a glance. For each client you can see their active and past projects, total quoted value, payment history, and contact details. Click into any client to see their full profile, add notes, and review their project history.

You can set a VIP threshold — a lifetime spend value — in your account settings. Any client whose total payments (across all Vidual projects, and Lightspeed if connected) meet or exceed that threshold is automatically flagged as a VIP. This helps you identify and prioritise your most valuable customers at a glance, without manual tagging.

Yes. Each client has a notes field where you can record anything useful — preferences, sizing details, communication style, referral source, or anything else that helps your team deliver a better experience. Notes are internal and never visible to the client.

Vidual uses AI to generate a brief summary for each client based on their project history, messages, and activity. It's a quick snapshot of who they are and what their relationship with your studio looks like — useful when you haven't spoken to a client in a while, or when a new team member needs context fast.

Every project can have a Bill of Materials (BOM) — a structured list of every component and material that goes into the build. Each item tracks description, quantity, unit cost, supplier, and notes. You can optionally show the BOM to your client so they see exactly what goes into their order. Items can be marked with stock status — in stock, low stock, or out of stock — giving you visibility at a glance.

Yes. Each BOM item has a cost field. Vidual totals these automatically, giving you a real-time view of material costs against the project's agreed price. Cost data is internal by default — your client sees the item list but not the cost breakdown, unless you choose to show it.

Vidual integrates with Lightspeed R-Series (the retail POS system). This is the system used by many bicycle shops, craft studios, and specialist retailers. The integration connects via Lightspeed's official API using OAuth authentication — you authorise the connection from within Vidual's settings.

Once connected, several things happen. When building a BOM, you can search your Lightspeed product catalogue with smart autocomplete — select an item and the description, cost, and SKU are pulled in automatically. You see live stock levels for each BOM item. You can create Lightspeed work orders directly from Vidual, linked to the project. On the Clients page, Vidual pulls in each client's Lightspeed customer data — their spend history, sales count, work order value, and customer-since date. This data feeds into the VIP calculation, so your highest-value customers are flagged automatically.

The integration is read-and-create only. Vidual reads your product catalogue, stock levels, and customer data, and can create new work orders. It will never modify, update, or delete any existing Lightspeed records. Your POS data stays exactly as it is.

No. The Bill of Materials works independently. Without Lightspeed, you manually enter items, descriptions, and costs. Lightspeed adds autocomplete, live stock levels, and work order creation — but the BOM is fully functional on its own.

Yes. Vidual integrates with QuickBooks Online and Xero. Connect your accounts package from Settings, and when you send a work order to a client, Vidual automatically creates the customer in your accounting system and generates a draft invoice — ready for you to review and send. It's a single flow: build the work order, send it to the client, and your books are updated.

QuickBooks Online (widely used in North America, Australia, and internationally) and Xero (popular in the UK, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand). Both connect via OAuth — you authorise the connection from Vidual's Settings page using your existing QuickBooks or Xero login. No API keys or technical setup required.

When you send a work order to a client, Vidual creates (or matches) the customer record in QuickBooks or Xero and generates a draft invoice with the line items from your BOM. The invoice is created as a draft — you review it in your accounting software before it goes live. Vidual never modifies or deletes existing records in your accounts package.

No problem — accounting integration is entirely optional. Vidual's payment tracking, BOM, and work order features work independently. You can always add the accounting connection later when you're ready.

Never. All accounting operations run silently in the background. If QuickBooks or Xero is temporarily unavailable, Vidual continues working as normal — your client still gets their work order, your project is unaffected. You'll see a note in Settings if there's an issue to resolve.

Yes. Partners can be invited with two access levels — All Project (sees client messages, financials, work order) or Minimal (internal notes, files, and shipments only). Partners can never message clients, invite people, or change project settings. See the Roles & Permissions section below for a full breakdown.

Each project has a financial ledger tracking the agreed price, deposits, stage payments, and outstanding balance. You can send a Stripe payment link directly from the project — the client clicks "Pay now", pays via card, and the payment is recorded automatically. You can also record offline payments (bank transfers, cash) manually. Payments appear in the project timeline so everyone can see where things stand.

The State of Play is Vidual's AI-powered studio dashboard. It gives you a narrative briefing of everything happening across your active projects — what needs attention, which builds are progressing, where payments are outstanding. Below the briefing, colour-coded action cards show each project's status at a glance, with a stats strip summarising your pipeline. It updates throughout the day so you always know where things stand.

Each morning, Vidual generates a one-paragraph briefing covering all your active projects — what happened, what's due, and anything needing attention. It saves you from opening each project individually and helps prioritise your day.

Yes. Each project has a shipments panel where you can track incoming parts and components. Mark items as ordered, in transit, or received. This gives you a clear picture of what has arrived and what you're still waiting on before the next stage of the build can begin.

Love Vidual? You can refer other makers using your unique referral link. When someone signs up through your link and subscribes to a paid plan, you earn a free month. Referral tracking and reward fulfilment are handled automatically — you'll get an email when your reward is applied.

Yes. You can upload photos, drawings, documents, and any other files directly into a project. Files are attached to messages, so they're always in context within the timeline. Clients can view and download files shared with them. There's also a dedicated Files panel on each project for quick access to everything that's been uploaded.

Three plans: Maker at £12.99/month (3 active projects), Studio at £34.99/month (up to 10 active projects), and Atelier at £69.99/month (unlimited projects). All plans include unlimited team members — the only difference is the number of active projects. All prices include UK VAT. Every plan starts with a 30-day free trial, no credit card required.

No. All plans are billed monthly and can be cancelled at any time. There is no annual commitment required.

An active project is one that hasn't been marked as complete or archived. Once a build is finished and you mark it complete, it no longer counts towards your plan limit. You can have unlimited completed projects on any plan.

Your data remains accessible for 30 days after cancellation so you can export anything you need. After 30 days, data is permanently deleted.

When you complete a project, you can create an Owner's Card — a beautiful handover document for your client. It includes a product photo, serial or reference number, aftercare notes, and your brand's provenance (name, address, website). It's sent to the client as a branded HTML email and becomes a permanent record of the build.

No. It's entirely optional. When you mark a project as complete, you'll be prompted to create one, but you can skip it. You can always come back and create it later.

Every client who receives an Owner's Card gets access to a personal, Vidual-hosted collection page. It shows every Owner's Card they've ever received — across all brands on Vidual. If your client has also commissioned work from another maker using Vidual, both pieces appear in the same collection. It's a permanent archive of everything they've had made.

No. The collection is client-facing only. Each brand can see that they've sent an Owner's Card, but they cannot see what other brands the client has worked with. Privacy between brands is absolute.

Clients can sign in using a magic link sent to their email, or with a passkey (fingerprint, face ID, or device PIN) for instant access. Passkeys can be registered from the collection page or from the project portal — once set up, they work everywhere on Vidual.

Each Owner's Card in the collection displays the product photo, serial or reference number, aftercare notes, the brand's name and address (provenance), their website, and the completion date. It's designed to feel like a certificate binder — archival, editorial, and permanent.

Vidual has four roles. The Lead is the account owner — full control over everything, including removing team members and transferring ownership. Members are your team — they have the same access as the Lead across projects and settings (billing, integrations, client payments, the lot). The only thing Members can't do is remove other members or transfer account ownership. Partners are external collaborators invited to specific projects with controlled access. And Clients see only their own project portal — a branded, simplified view of their build.

Partners are invited to specific projects — they don't have access to your whole account. Each partner can be set to one of two access levels:

All Project access — can see client messages (read only), internal messages (read and write), financials, work order, files, and shipments. Cannot message the client directly, invite people, or change project settings.

Minimal access — can only see internal messages (read and write), files, and shipments. Cannot see client messages, financials, or the work order. This is ideal for suppliers or subcontractors who only need to coordinate on production.

No. Partners can never send client-facing messages, regardless of their access level. They can only post internal notes. Your client will never see a partner's name or messages in their portal.

No. Only Leads and Members can invite people or add partners to a project. Partners can @mention people who are already on the project in internal notes, but they cannot add new people from the network or invite someone by email.

Clients see a branded project portal showing: build progress and stages, client-facing messages and updates from you, files and photos you've shared, their work order (if sent), payment requests and payment history, and a delivery timeline. They cannot see internal notes, partner messages, your cost prices, or project settings.

Feature	Lead	Member	Partner (Full)	Partner (Minimal)
Projects
Client messages	Read & write	Read & write	Read only	—
Internal notes	Read & write	Read & write	Read & write	Read & write
@mention existing members	✓	✓	✓	✓
Add people / invite	✓	✓	—	—
Finance panel	✓	✓	✓	—
Work Order / BOM	✓	✓	✓	—
Files	✓	✓	✓	✓
Shipments	✓	✓	✓	✓
Project settings	✓	✓	—	—
Owner's Card	✓	✓	—	—
Account settings
Brand, notifications, parts catalogue	✓	✓	—	—
Billing, client payments, integrations	✓	✓	—	—
Invite teammates	✓	✓	—	—
Remove teammates	✓	—	—	—
Transfer ownership	✓	—	—	—

Vidual uses passwordless sign-in. Enter your email and we send you a secure sign-in link. Click the link and you're in — no password to remember. You can also register a passkey for instant access using your fingerprint, face ID, or device PIN.

A passkey is a modern, secure alternative to passwords. It uses your device's biometrics (fingerprint or face ID) or PIN to verify your identity. Passkeys are supported on most modern devices and browsers. Once registered, you can sign in with a single tap — no email link needed. Passkeys are more secure than passwords because they can't be phished, guessed, or leaked.

Yes. Clients can register a passkey from their project portal or their collection page. Once registered, they can use it to sign in from the main Vidual login page — they'll be taken directly to their active project, or to their collection if all projects are complete.

The Studio Calendar is a monthly overview of your workshop. Every active project's estimated completion date (ETC) appears on the grid, colour-coded by build stage. Click any marker to see project details, or use the sidebar for upcoming completions and AI planning insights. You can toggle start dates on and off, and print the calendar for your workshop wall.

Planning Insights is an AI-powered briefing that appears in the calendar sidebar. It analyses your active projects — stages, payments, messages, and timelines — and surfaces 3–4 actionable insights. Things like completion clusters that could bottleneck your finishing process, outstanding deposits before work begins, or clients who haven't replied to a design revision. Think of it as a studio manager's morning briefing.

The calendar feed is a live iCal subscription link from Vidual. Copy the link from your calendar page and paste it into Apple Calendar, Google Calendar, Outlook, or any app that supports iCal subscriptions. Every project ETC will appear in your regular calendar, and it stays up to date automatically — when you change an ETC in Vidual, it updates in your calendar too.

Yes. Each calendar event shows the project name, client name, and current build stage. The feed link is private to your account — only someone with the link can see it. You can regenerate the link at any time from Settings if you want to revoke access to the old one.

Yes. Hit the Print button on the calendar page and you'll get a clean landscape A4 layout — just the grid with your ETC markers and project names. Perfect for pinning to the workshop noticeboard.

Yes. If you don't use Lightspeed, Vidual has a full native stock management system. You can track stock quantities for every item in your catalogue, record stock movements (received, sold, adjusted, returned), run stock takes, and set low-stock alert thresholds. Stock levels are visible inline on every BOM, so you can see at a glance whether you have the parts you need for a build.

Yes. Vidual has a smart CSV import that uses AI to automatically map your spreadsheet columns to catalogue fields — description, SKU, cost price, sell price, stock quantity, and supplier. Upload your file, review the mapping, and your entire inventory is live in minutes.

You can set a minimum stock threshold for any item in your catalogue. When available stock drops to or below that threshold, Vidual flags it as low stock — visible on the catalogue page, in BOM line items, and in a weekly stock digest email that summarises everything running low across your inventory.

Each catalogue item has a Demand tab that shows how the item is being used across your active projects — how many are reserved by BOMs, the velocity of usage, and a predicted stockout date based on current demand. It helps you reorder before you run out, not after.

An Industry Client is another Vidual account holder — typically a brand, retailer, or trade partner — who you invite to view a specific project on your account. They see the project through a restricted view: client-facing messages, files, and progress only. No BOM, no financials, no internal notes, no settings. It's designed for trade relationships where the other party needs visibility of a build without access to your cost structure.

You send an Industry Client invitation from the project. They receive a branded email with a magic link. When they sign in, your project appears in their workspace switcher alongside their own account — they can flip between their projects and yours without signing in again. The invite expires after 7 days if unused.

Yes. Industry Clients can forward individual messages from your project into one of their own projects. This is useful when a trade partner needs to share a build update with their end client. The forwarded message appears in their project timeline with a "forwarded from" attribution.

Yes. The entire Vidual interface translates automatically into English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Malay, Indonesian, and Simplified Chinese. Each team member can choose their own language — a German frame builder and their Italian supplier can both use Vidual in their native language on the same project. User-generated content (messages, project names, client names) stays in the original language.

The client portal currently stays in English. Translation is applied to the brand-side interface where your team works. Client-facing translation is on the roadmap.

Yes. Vidual is available as a native iOS app on the App Store. It wraps the full Vidual web experience in a native shell with push notifications, and it's ideal for checking in on projects or sending quick updates from the workshop floor. You can also install Vidual as a home screen app on Android or any device from the browser — with the same push notification support.

Yes. Whether you use the iOS app or install Vidual as a home screen app, you'll receive push notifications for new messages, client replies, payment confirmations, and other project activity. Notifications arrive in real time — you don't need to have the app open.

Those tools are designed for tech teams managing sprints and tickets. Vidual is designed for bespoke makers managing client relationships and physical production. The key differences: a branded client portal (your clients see your brand, not a project tool), separate internal and client-facing message streams, a built-in payment ledger, Bill of Materials with POS integration, VIP client tracking, and a design philosophy centred on the maker-client relationship rather than task management.

CRMs manage sales pipelines and customer relationships at scale. Vidual manages the production process for individual bespoke projects. A CRM tracks leads and deals; Vidual tracks builds and deliveries. Some makers use both — a CRM for pre-sale and Vidual once the project begins.

Absolutely. Vidual isn't a replacement for your POS — it sits alongside it. If you use Lightspeed R-Series, the two systems connect directly. If you use a different POS, Vidual still works perfectly for project management; you just won't get the automatic product catalogue and stock level features.