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How to create a portal and manage users' access

Create a portal that lets users submit, view, and edit their data easily. Manage access and customize features in your portal.

Updated over a week ago

This guide will walk you through the steps to create a general portal, allowing users to submit, view, and edit their own submitted data.

In this portal, users can easily track their progress, make changes to their submitted forms, and update their information in real-time.

This is a highly requested feature that gives users control over their own data, and you can use this portal to manage various types of data, such as support tickets, project progress, or personal records.

Once you're on your dashboard, you can either choose from pre-made templates or create a new portal from scratch.

Note: You can either use one of our ready-to-use templates or create your new ticketing portal from scratch.

Using a template:

If you want to save time, you can use our client portal template and customize it for your needs.

Customizing the template

Once you’ve selected the template, you can customize it by deleting or adding pages, forms, or other elements to personalize your ticketing app.

For this guide, we will create a general portal from scratch. This template is designed to allow users to interact, submit data, and track their results.

Follow these steps to set up and customize the portal:

Step 1: Create a portal from scratch

You can create a new portal from scratch by following these simple steps:

create portal
  1. Click on the +New Formaloo Button
    In your Formaloo dashboard, click on the +New Formaloo button and select Form from the options.

  2. Customize Your App
    Once the dashboard page opens, you can delete any unwanted pages or menu items.

    Enable Edit mode from the top of your page and continue to customize your app.

  3. Add Custom Content
    To start adding your custom content, enable Edit mode from the top of your page and continue to edit it.

    Click on the +Add new button from the left-hand menu.​

add form

For example, you can add pages like:

  • Submit a ticket: A form for users to request support.

  • Ticket tracker: A page where users can track the status of their tickets.

  • Offers & Deals: A section to share exclusive deals with your clients.

  • FAQ: A page to answer common questions for your users.

add pages

Step 2: Enable 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.

  1. Go to Settings
    In your app, click on Settings in the top-right corner.

  2. Activate the Client Portal
    In the settings menu, find the Client Portal option and click Activate Portal.

  3. Manage Users
    After enabling the client portal, you will see a Manage Users button. Click on this button.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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.

  7. 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.

  8. 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.

  1. 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.

  2. Select Access
    From the dropdown menu, select Access to configure the visibility and access level for that page.

  3. 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.

  4. 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:

  1. Click on the Share Button
    In your app, click on the Share button located at the top-right of the page.

  2. Select Publish
    In the share menu, select the Publish option to make the portal accessible to users.

  3. 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.

test portal

If you submit the form and go to the result page, you will see the submitted data right away.

track ticket status
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