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Use a separate Basecamp project for each client engagement or clearly defined body of work. Invite the client only after deciding what they should be able to see, then keep discussions, tasks, dates, documents, and recurring questions in the project tool that best fits each one.
Set up a project and decide what the client can see
Create a project as the shared home for one client engagement. Basecamp describes projects as the place where teams organize tasks, discussions, deliverables, and decisions. Add only the people and tools relevant to that work. Its Mastering Basecamp learning hub includes a Working with Clients tutorial on inviting clients and controlling visibility.
Before inviting anyone, review the project’s client-visibility settings. Basecamp describes client access as configurable project by project, including the option to hide unfinished work. The precise controls may depend on the live account interface, so check the settings for this specific project before sharing it—especially if it contains sensitive information or internal discussion. Do not assume that a client sees, or cannot see, a particular item without verifying the current settings.
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Choose the right place for each kind of client work
Basecamp’s feature descriptions distinguish tools by the type of work they hold. Use the tool that keeps an item understandable and easy to find later.
| Use | Best fit | What belongs there |
|---|---|---|
| Broad project discussion | Message board | Announcements and discussions that benefit from a durable post with replies collected beneath it. |
| Assigned work | To-dos | Specific commitments, owners, due dates, and subtasks for work that needs to be broken down. |
| Dates and events | Schedule | Milestones, deadlines, meetings, and other project events. |
| Shared reference and assets | Docs & Files | Images, documents, PDFs, and links to cloud files. |
| Repeatable questions | Automatic Check-ins | Questions asked on a schedule, with answers kept together—for example, a regular prompt about current work. |
| Discussion about one item | Comments on the relevant task or document | Context-specific questions, decisions, and feedback that should stay attached to the item they concern. |
Build a client-work routine
- Start with the engagement. Create the project, add its relevant participants, and choose the tools the work actually needs.
- Set visibility before sharing. Review client access for the project and check what is visible before inviting the client or posting sensitive material.
- Post broad updates and discussion. Use the message board for announcements or wider topics that the client and team may need to revisit.
- Turn commitments into to-dos. Assign each action, add a due date where useful, and create subtasks when an action has smaller steps. Put meetings and milestones on the project schedule.
- Keep working materials together. Store shared deliverables and reference items in Docs & Files so they remain with the engagement rather than being scattered across unrelated channels.
- Keep item-level conversation in context. The 37signals communication guide recommends discussing a task in its comments and a document in its comments. Use the project space for the overall work, and the item itself for feedback about that item.
- Automate recurring prompts. Set up Automatic Check-ins for questions that need answers on a regular schedule, then use the collected responses as a shared record.
Make the project easy for a client to follow
- Give posts, tasks, files, and check-ins clear names so their purpose is apparent.
- Put a commitment in a to-do rather than leaving it only in a discussion thread.
- Use item comments for feedback tied to a particular task or document, and broad discussion posts for subjects that affect the project as a whole.
- Review client visibility whenever the project’s participants or contents change.
These are organizational practices based on Basecamp’s described tools; they do not guarantee a particular project outcome. Customer statements on Basecamp’s testimonials page are individual endorsements, not independent evidence of results.
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