You’ve finished the milestone. The client wants to see it live. Now you risk turning a two-minute review into setup support: install an app, create an account, or find an old login. A client demo should start with the project, not the meeting tool.
One link in an email, and the client is looking at your work
The Linkside flow is short. Create a room, copy its invite link, and paste that link into the email or message thread you already use with the client. You do not need a Linkside account or an install.
The client opens the invite in a supported browser. Linkside has already generated a nickname, which they can keep or edit, so joining takes one button press and no signup. A free room does not ask them for an email address, password, or download. If you want the complete host flow before your first demo, use the room setup walkthrough.
Sending the link early? Enable the free waiting room when you create the room, then admit the client when you are ready. If you send links through a social app, ask the client to open the invite in Chrome or Edge. In-app browsers are not supported, and Linkside shows a notice explaining what to do.
The design walkthrough: share the tab, not your desktop
When you start sharing, your browser asks what to show: a tab, a window, or the whole screen. Choose the project tab or staging-site window instead of your entire desktop. Your inbox, invoices, notifications, and other client work then stay outside the shared area.
Point, laser, draw
The room creator can show a pointer, use a laser pointer, or draw over the shared view. That makes “look at the spacing here” specific without giving anyone control of your computer. Voice works both ways, and the in-session chat is useful for pasting a staging URL or follow-up link. Chat messages travel through the peer connection and are not kept as a chat log.
What the client can and can’t do
The client can watch, talk, and use chat. They cannot control your mouse or keyboard, and they cannot draw on the shared screen. Annotation belongs to the room creator. Say that at the start if the client is cautious about remote-access tools.
A quick pre-approval check can still be private
For a “look once more before approval” review, a supported mobile browser can join as a guest and view the shared screen. The person sharing needs a desktop browser; Chrome or Edge gives hosts the recommended experience.
For unreleased work, the privacy details matter. Linkside does not record the session, transcribe the audio, or retain a chat log. Media uses a direct, browser-to-browser connection by default. If that path cannot be established, Linkside uses an encrypted relay; the media remains end-to-end encrypted, and the relay cannot decrypt your screen or audio.
Linkside’s infrastructure does observe that a room exists, roughly when guests join, and how long the session lasts. A relay also sees encrypted packets being routed. It does not see the media content, and Linkside does not pair that operational information with an account identity. When the session ends, the room becomes unavailable and its short-lived server state is later deleted.
When screenshots stop helping, switch to live
A screenshot thread can stall when two people are describing different parts of a page. At that point, “here’s a link — have you got two minutes?” is often clearer. Create a fresh free room for the conversation. Rooms do not persist, so last month’s invite cannot be reused for an unexpected visit.
Sometimes the direction reverses: the client needs to show you a bug on their computer. Only the room creator can share, so the client must create a new room from a desktop browser and send you its link. You then join as the guest. If they are uneasy with the steps, use this plain-English screen-sharing script.
What’s actually free (and what isn’t)
A free room covers the usual freelancer demo: you and one client, screen sharing, two-way voice, chat, and a waiting room. Linkside does not impose a session-length limit while the browsers are connected directly.
Some restrictive networks and double-NAT setups prevent a direct connection. A free room then gets a five-minute trial of the encrypted relay path. A licence removes that relay time limit, enables a room password, and raises the room capacity from two to four people total. That is enough for a client to bring one or two colleagues, but it is not webinar capacity.
| Free room | With a licence | |
|---|---|---|
| People in the room | 2 — you and one client | Up to 4 total |
| Waiting room | Included | Included |
| Direct connection | No Linkside time limit | No time limit |
| Encrypted relay fallback | Five-minute trial | No time limit |
| Room password | Not included | Included |
Pre-demo checklist
- Host from desktop Chrome or Edge.
- Open the exact tab or window you plan to share.
- Create the room and enable the waiting room if you sent the link early.
- Ask the client to open the link, keep or edit the generated nickname, and select Join room.
- Admit the client, start sharing, and choose only the project tab or window.
The moment finished work becomes approved should not begin with account recovery. Your client needs only a supported browser and the link you send them.