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Portals

Introduction​

A Portal is a homepage displaying widgets (charts, statistics, shortcuts). Unlike browsers that display lists of records (views), the portal offers a "dashboard" interface whose configuration is defined by a web administrator and displays information related to each user.

The portal is generally used as the entry point of the web application to provide a quick overview of important data.

Portal vs Browser​

CriteriaPortalBrowser
Display typeHomepage with widgetsLists of records (views)
ContentWidgets displaying dataHeaders → Views → Records
ConfigurationWeb application (by administrator)Process Studio (by designer)
CustomizationDisplays logged-in user informationIdentical for all users
Main usageDashboard, homepageAccess records, create forms

[!NOTE] In a navigation bar, you can have both Portal type tabs AND Browser type tabs. They coexist to provide a complete user experience.

Creating a Portal (Process Studio)​

Step 1: Create a Portal Type Navigation Bar​

  1. In Process Studio, go to Navigation → Browsers.
  2. Click New → New navigation bar.
  3. Fill in the fields:
    • Name: Portal (no spaces or special characters).
    • Description: "User homepage portal".
    • Category: "Users" (or create a new category).

Step 2: Add a Portal Tab​

  1. In the Headers section, click Add (Add header).
  2. Configure the tab:
    • Title: "Home" (name displayed in the navigation bar).
    • Content type: Select Portal (instead of "Browser" or "URL").
    • Icon: Select an icon representative of the portal.
    • Page: Create a new page (ex: "Home") or select an existing page.

[!NOTE] The Page is a container that will be configured on the web side by an administrator. You can create multiple pages for different portals.

Step 3: Associate with Profiles​

  1. In the Associated profiles section, select the profiles that will have access to this portal.
  2. Use * to make the portal accessible to all profiles.

Step 4: Save​

Click Save (💾).

The portal is now created in Process Studio. Users with the associated profile will see this portal in their navigation bar.

Widget Configuration (Web Application)​

Configuring the content of the portal (widgets, layout) is done in the web application by a user with the Admin or PortalEditor role. This configuration is static and applies to all users who have access to the portal.

[!IMPORTANT] The portal displays information relative to each user (their tasks, their records, their statistics), but the structure and configured widgets are identical for all users having access to this portal.

Access to Edit Mode​

  1. Log in to the web application with an account having the Admin or PortalEditor role.
  2. Navigate to the Portal tab (ex: "Home").
  3. Click on the Gears icon (⚙️) at the bottom right of the page to enter edit mode.

Layout Selection​

  1. In edit mode, select the layout type:
    • 1 column (full width)
    • 2 columns (50/50)
    • 3 columns (33/33/33)
    • Other custom layouts

Adding Widgets​

  1. Click Add a widget (dropdown list at the top).
  2. Select the widget type from the list.
  3. The widget is added to the portal.
  4. Click on the widget to configure its options (title, data source, filters).

Moving and Configuration​

  • Move a widget: Drag and drop the widget by its title bar to a different area.
  • Configure a widget: Click on the widget to access its specific options.
  • Delete a widget: Click on the X icon in the corner of the widget.

Save​

Changes are automatically saved to the database. Click Finish (Stop button) to exit edit mode.

[!NOTE] Widgets can use contextual filters to display data specific to the logged-in user (ex: "My tasks", "My pending records").

[!TIP] For more information on detailed portal configuration from the administrator side, see the article Configure the homepage portal.

Best Practices​

Use the Portal as Entry Point​

Configure the main navigation bar so that the first tab is a Portal. This provides a user-friendly experience from login.

Recommended structure:

"User Portal" Bar
  ├─ Tab 1: Home (Portal)
  ├─ Tab 2: Document management (Browser)
  └─ Tab 3: Administration (Browser - Admin Profile only)

Limit the Number of Widgets​

Don't overload the portal with too many widgets. 5 to 8 widgets is a good balance.

Too many widgets slow down loading and make the page confusing.

Relevant Widgets by Profile​

Create different portals according to profiles:

  • Users: My tasks, Create records, Personal statistics.
  • Managers: Team indicators, Records to validate, Performance charts.
  • Admin: Global statistics, System alerts, Quick access to settings.

4. Test with Different Users​

Log in with different accounts to verify that:

  • The portal displays correctly.
  • The widgets are relevant for each profile.
  • Performance is good (loading times).

Troubleshooting​

Problem: The portal is empty​

Solutions:

  1. Check that the Page is properly created in Process Studio (navigation bar tab).
  2. Check that widgets are properly configured in the portal page.
  3. Check that the user has the associated profile to the navigation bar containing this portal.

Frequently Asked Questions​

Q: Can I create multiple portals in the same navigation bar?
A: Yes! You can have multiple Portal type tabs in the same bar. For example: "Home", "Indicators", "Statistics".

Q: What widgets are useful for new users?
A:

  • "My tasks" (reminder of tasks to process).
  • "Create records" (quick access to frequent forms).

Q: Can I export/import a portal configuration?
A: Yes, this functionality is available using the Synctool tool. The configuration is stored in the database.

Q: Can users customize their portal?
A: No, the portal configuration (widgets, layout) is defined by a web administrator (Admin or PortalEditor role) and is identical for all users having access to this portal. However, the content displayed by the widgets is relative to each user (ex: "My tasks" displays the tasks of the logged-in user).

See also: