Pages & Sites
Customer portal menu & layouts
Configure portal navigation, layout presets, and custom page placement.
Customer portal menu & layouts
Portal menu and layouts covers Customer portal navigation, layout choices, menu order, and the pages or object views available to signed-in customers. Use this page when you are configuring the live product surface, planning a rollout, or checking why users see different data from what an administrator sees.
What this surface is
- Primary purpose: Customer portal navigation, layout choices, menu order, and the pages or object views available to signed-in customers.
- Where staff start: Configure portal menus at
/settings/pages/customer-portal-menu. - Where admins configure it: Portal pages and reusable pages are managed from
/settings/pages/pages; portal object exposure is configured per object. - Runtime/detail surface: Customers see the resulting portal menu after login, including custom pages, object entries, tickets, billing, forum, or support links.
- Platform connections: Portal menu choices depend on customer access, object ownership filters, and enabled modules.
Common workflows
| Workflow | What happens | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| List the | List the customer jobs the portal must support: view records, submit tickets, pay invoices, read content, or update details | Confirm in the product route above before publishing. |
| Create menu | Create menu sections that match those jobs instead of mirroring internal app names | Confirm in the product route above before publishing. |
| Add portal | Add portal entries for custom pages, object views, tickets, invoices, forum content, or knowledge pages | Confirm in the product route above before publishing. |
| Choose a | Choose a layout style that fits content density: classic, centered, full-width, minimal, or stacked where available | Confirm in the product route above before publishing. |
Configure it
- List the customer jobs the portal must support: view records, submit tickets, pay invoices, read content, or update details.
- Create menu sections that match those jobs instead of mirroring internal app names.
- Add portal entries for custom pages, object views, tickets, invoices, forum content, or knowledge pages.
- Choose a layout style that fits content density: classic, centered, full-width, minimal, or stacked where available.
- Set default portal landing order so the most important customer action appears first.
- Check page permissions and object exposure before linking the page in the portal menu.
- Preview the portal as a customer user and verify empty states are helpful.
- Publish gradually and monitor support questions about navigation.
Configuration options
| Option | Use when | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Custom page | Customers need instructions, dashboard, or rich content | Build in Pages and add to the portal menu. |
| Object menu item | Customers need their own records | Enable portal exposure on the object. |
| Ticket menu item | Customers need support access | Pair with ticket categories. |
| Billing menu item | Customers need invoice/payment access | Pair with Billing and payment links. |
| Forum/KB menu item | Customers need self-service content | Pair with Forum or Knowledge Base modules. |
| Minimal layout | The portal should focus one action | Useful for payment or application portals. |
Operating notes
- Do not expose a page in the menu until every data block on that page respects customer ownership.
- Use customer language such as “My requests” instead of internal labels such as “Case object”.
- Portal layout changes should be tested on phone and desktop.
- If customers see blank content, check menu placement, object exposure, enabled module, and role filters.
- A portal page can link to public forms, but public forms do not require portal login.
- Keep high-risk actions such as payments and document uploads easy to find but clearly labelled.
- Avoid duplicating the same destination under multiple menu labels.
- Retire old menu entries instead of leaving hidden paths users can still find from email links.
- Document who owns each portal menu item.
- Review portal menu order after adding new modules such as Billing, Forum, or ATS.
For developers
Use the developer and reference pages when this configuration is read or changed by code, scripts, widgets, embeds, API clients, or webhooks.