Why Freelancers Need Otterdock: One Group Per Client
Freelancers juggle multiple clients with different toolsets. Otterdock lets you create a Dock group per client so you can switch contexts without losing focus.
Client A wants Slack; Client B lives in Teams. One sends Figma links, another ships briefs as Word docs. You are not confused—you are context-switching between economies. Otterdock helps by giving each client its own Dock group on macOS 14+: apps, files, folders, and links together, stored locally. The Dock stays Apple’s; Otterdock adds expandable stacks with optional icon skins.
The freelance Dock problem
For more remote work strategies, see our remote work Mac productivity tips. A single horizontal row of “everything I might need this month” trains your brain to stay half-alert to every logo at once. That is the opposite of deep work. You want to open Client A’s world, do the job, close it, and not carry their chat icon into Client B’s session mentally or visually.
One group per client: Name the group after the engagement. Inside, place their Slack or Teams, the project folder, contract PDF, invoicing link, brand assets, and any bespoke tools they require. When the retainer ends, archive or delete the group—your Dock shrinks with your pipeline.
What to put in a client group
- Communication: Slack, email, Zoom—whatever they actually use.
- Deliverables: working directories, export presets, handoff checklists.
- Admin: time tracking, invoices, SOW copies—if you touch them weekly, they belong here too.
When a project ends
Otterdock supports export and import of backups so you can snapshot a layout before you dismantle it. Move old groups off your active Dock after you have archived files on disk—keep the mental boundary clean. Exact backup steps live in the app; the point is: your Dock can reflect current clients, not every client you have ever had.
| Situation | Dock move |
|---|---|
| New retainer | Add a fresh group; populate with their stack. |
| Parallel clients | Keep one group each; switch by expanding the right stack. |
| Project wrap | Export backup if you want a record, then remove the group. |
Permissions and pricing
Use click-to-expand with zero extra permissions, or hover-to-expand with Accessibility enabled. Free tier: two groups—fine for a primary client plus “personal admin.” Pro unlocks unlimited groups — see the free vs Pro comparison for details. $6.99 direct; Mac App Store planned $2.99 (coming soon).
Freelancing already blurs boundaries—let your Dock show one client at a time when you are on the clock. Our guide on how to organize your macOS Dock has more ideas.