Service Portal

About the Service Portal

The Service Portal is a place where both internal and external users can get information they need. Depending on its configuration, it can be used to access the knowledge base, get help from the community, or file a support case. (A Community is a place where users can ask questions and help each other. A Knowledge Base is a place where you can publish self-help articles. Customers can find publically available articles, while internal users have access to a broader set.)

To visit the Service Portal, customers and other visitors use the same URL you visit when you log in.

Your configuration settings tell which kinds of users are allowed:

• Guests are visitors who can access Support Portal features without logging in
• Registered Users are visitors who can log in to access Support Portal features
• Internal Users are Case Agents and other support staff who work with the system to manage support cases

The features that different users can access depends on the configuration choices made in the Service Portal Settings.

Working with the Service Portal

{{:Service Portal} Usage}}

Configuring the Service Portal

To configure the Service Portal, you start by selecting the features you want:

1. Go to > Channels > Service Portal

   

   The Configure Service Portal page opens.

   

2. Under Portal Features:
   1. Click the Community checkbox to let users interact with each other
   2. Click the Knowledge Base checkbox to give users access to articles you've published

   In the portal, the Cases tab lets customers create new cases and monitor cases they have created.

   These options create additional tabs that portal users can access.

   

3. Next decide if you'll allow users to register themselves:

   

   Self-registration is generally useful for business-to-consumer (B2C) support, where customers may have purchased your products through a retail channel. When customers visit your Service Portal, they can then login using their Google ID--or they can create a new username and password at the portal site.

   For B2B support, this option is generally disabled. When it is, customers can register only when you send them an invitation.

4. You can also upload a logo image and customize the Service Portal in other ways.

   Learn more:

   Branding Applications for Your Organization

   Service Portal Settings, for a complete list of settings

Service Portal Settings

Note: For a sandbox tenant, only the Branding section is supported. Changes made to other sections are not applicable. Updates made to Branding section become applicable only post login.

Basic Information

• Title - Change the portal name if you like, or leave it as "{YourCompanyName} Support Portal". (It's only displayed internally.)
• Service Portal Domain- Displays the domain portion of the URL that customers will use to access the service portal.

Portal Features

• Community - Allow registered portal users to interact with each other.
• Knowledge Base - Allow registered portal users to access articles published in your Knowledge Base.
• Case Submissions - Allow portal users to submit new cases using the Support Portal, and view cases that they have submitted.

Cases and Case Type Forms

This section is enabled when the Case Submissions option is selected, above.

For Cases, and for any specialized Case Types that have been defined, specify:

• Authenticated User Form

  The form used by registered portal users who have logged in.

  When Do not show Form is selected, that kind of Case cannot be created.

• Unauthenticated Guest User Form

  The form used by customers who are not registered or who have not logged in.

  When Do not show Form is selected, that kind of Case cannot be created.

• Display Name - The form title, and the name used to select the case type to create.

User Registration

• Add Registered Users to Team - Use the default Service Portal Users Team.
• Allow Users to Self Register - Allow someone who visits your portal to register themselves. Leaving this box unchecked means that only users who receive an invitation can become registered users.

Learn more: Self Registration

Guest Features

• Allow Guests to Access Community - Otherwise, registration is required to engage.
• Allow Guests to Access Knowledge Base - Otherwise, registration is required to view articles.
• Create New Contact for Unmatched Email Address - When a guest user supplies an email address that doesn't match an existing Contact, create a new entry with that address.

  Select this option to expedite future email communications.

Note: Guest users are supported only when the KB or Community features are enabled. Otherwise, users are required to register in order to file a case.

Branding

• Header Logo - Upload your organization's logo image.
  • Standard logo size is 98 pixels wide by 24 pixels high
  • Realistic maximum size is up to 600 pixels wide by 32 pixels high

Tip: At 28 pixels high, only simple images or stylized text are readable.

• Web Site URL - Enter the URL the users go to when they click on your logo.

  Typically, this is the organization's web site.

• Favicon - Upload a small favicon image that displays in the browser's address bar, in bookmarks, and in browser tabs.
• Page Background Color - Select a background color for the page.

Email Templates

Click on these templates to customize them, or use them as they are:

• Invitation Email - Use this template when sending someone an invitation to use the Service Portal.
• Case Response Email - This template is used when an agent sends a message to customer.

  Different portals will use different templates, so that each template can contain logos and links that are appropriate for the product or service supported through that portal.

• Auto Acknowledgement Email - This template is used to acknowledge receipt of a case submitted through the portal.