A user portal lets you bring all your data, forms, user submissions, and pages with any type of content or media into one organized space. Your users can log in, access shared resources, interact with forms, and view or even edit their own submissions.
A portal can be as simple as a client dashboard for submitting and tracking project requests, or as advanced as a full learning hub with videos, checklists, quizzes, and progress tracking. It helps you streamline communication and create a professional, self‑service experience for your audience.
Why build a portal?
All‑in‑one, interactive space – bring together relevant content, media, and forms while giving users a polished, branded environment where they can sign up and log in, access resources, submit forms, and review or update their own data. No need to share each part separately or jump between different links; everything is centralized and easy to use.
Adaptable to any scenario – from client portals and HR hubs to interactive courses or school management systems, you can tailor a portal to fit your and your customers' exact needs.
Real‑world use case examples
Customer or client portals for service requests, project tracking, support tickets, or file sharing.
HR portals where employees can access policies, announcements, and submit requests or feedback.
Learning portals hosting courses with media, quizzes after each module, and certificates generated upon completion.
Student dashboards to track academic progress, assignments, or resources.
Patient portals for submitting forms, reviewing records, or managing appointments.
How to build and customize a portal
You have two options to start from:
Option 1: Start with a template
Explore ready-to-use Client portal templates in our Template Gallery – to pick one and adapt it to your needs in minutes, or just for inspiration!
🎨 You can fully customize the layout, design, and content of any template to fit your needs and align with your brand.
Option 2: Build from scratch
Prefer to design everything yourself? Start by creating a new project in your Formaloo dashboard. Click +New and pick a Form:
Next, you can customize your project to the full, turn it into a portal, and share it with your users.
Step 1: Customize your portal
Once your portal project is created, you can tailor it to your exact needs:
Remove any unnecessary pages or content from the template,
Add new pages with text, images, videos, or other media,
Connect existing forms from your account or create new ones right inside the portal,
Insert data blocks to display submissions from any connected form.
🎨 See the full guide on how to customize your portal and its pages or forms.
Step 2: Activate client portal
Once you've set up your app, you can activate the client portal to allow your users to interact with the app and see their submitted data.
Go to Settings
In your app, click on Settings in the top-right corner.Activate the Client Portal
In the settings menu, find the Client Portal option and click Activate Portal.Manage Users
After enabling the client portal, you will see a Manage Users button. Click on this button.Setup Wizard
In the Manage Users section, you'll be prompted with a Setup Wizard. Click on the Setup Wizard button to begin configuring the client portal.Add a User Directory
In the Setup Wizard, you will have three options to add a user directory:
Create a new user directory: A new directory will be created, and everyone who logs in or signs up will be added.
Import users: Import existing users from an external source.
Select an existing directory: Use a user directory that already exists in your Formaloo account.
After choosing your preferred option, click Next step.
Configure Client Portal Settings
You will then be asked to configure your Client portal settings. These settings allow you to control how users interact with the portal. The key settings include:
Allow users to Log In: Enabled by default.
Allow new users to Sign Up: Enabled by default.
Enable CAPTCHA: Optional, for added security.
Allow users to Log In with OTP: Enabled by default for secure login.
Once you’ve set your preferences, click Next.
Enable User Profile on forms
Choose which forms in your portal should include the User Profile field. This lets you track who’s submitting entries and optionally allow users to view or edit their own submissions.
Selecting a form will automatically add a ‘Profile’ field to each record, linking submissions to the user who created them. This ensures users can only see their own data in the portal.
Click Finish Setup when you’re done.
⭐ Pro Tip:
When you select forms for your portal, the user profile field is automatically added to those forms. This allows users to log in and have their information pre-filled seamlessly.
⭐ Note:
You can change these settings later by clicking the Manage Settings button on the client portal page.
Step 3: Manage user access to their data
After setting up the client portal, you can define whether users can view or edit their submitted data directly within their portal.
This helps provide flexibility in managing user interactions with their records.
Enable data viewing for users
Go to the settings of your table of responses.
Enable "Allow users to view user data."
With this option enabled, users can see their submitted responses but cannot modify them.
This setting is useful for cases where users need to track their records without making changes, such as viewing past requests or tracking submission history.
Enable data editing for users
In the same settings menu, enable "Allow users to edit user data."
Once enabled, users will be able to modify their submitted responses and update their information as needed.
This option is beneficial when users may need to correct errors, update details, or revise their entries over time.
By configuring these settings, you can control how users interact with their data, ensuring they have the necessary access while maintaining data integrity.
Step 4: Manage access to different pages
Once you've set up your forms and the client portal, it's time to manage the access levels for different pages in the app.
Go to the Page Settings
In your app, click on the three dots next to the page (e.g., My Ticket or Ticket Status) where you want to manage access.Select Access
From the dropdown menu, select Access to configure the visibility and access level for that page.Configure Access Levels
You can choose from different access options:Public: Anyone can access the page without logging in.
Non-Logged-In Users: Only users who are not logged in can view the page.
Logged-In Users: Only users who are logged in can access the page.
Specific User Access: Limit access to specific users or teams.
Apply to Pages
For example, for the My Ticket and Ticket Status pages, set the access level to Logged-In Users so that only users who have logged in can view their own ticket information.
📝 Additional Insights:
For the form view page and other public pages on your app, the access is set to Public by default, meaning anyone can view them without needing to log in.
Once configured, the pages will have the appropriate access restrictions, ensuring that only authorized users can view or interact with certain data.
Step 5: Publish & share the portal
Once you've set up everything, it's time to publish your portal so users can access it. Follow these steps to make your portal live:
Click on the Share Button
In your app, click on the Share button located at the top-right of the page.Select Publish
In the share menu, select the Publish option to make the portal accessible to users.View the Published Portal
After publishing, you can click on View to preview how the portal looks for users.
Once the portal is published, users will be able to access it using the public URL. They can submit tickets and view their submitted data.
Step 6: Login and test the portal
Now, to test your portal:
Click on the public URL and sign up for the client portal. When you log in, the form and other pages that are shared with the user will be visible.
If you submit the form and go to the result page, you will see the submitted data right away.
