> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://learn.withessential.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://learn.withessential.com/administration/what-your-customers-see-in-the-customer-portal.md). # Customer Portal Concepts The portal refreshes when a customer returns to its browser tab. Staff with the **Set up Customer Portal** permission can [preview the portal for a contact](/customers-and-work/contacts/preview-a-contacts-customer-portal.md) to check their view. The Customer Portal is the signed-in site your customers use. When a customer and contact both have portal access enabled, they can see the work and paperwork shared with them. **Action Required** lists unsigned quotes to approve and unpaid invoices to pay online; each row opens the customer action in a new tab. Expired quotes are not shown there. Reactivating an expired quote makes it available for the customer to review and sign again. **Upcoming Services Due** shows recurring services and their next due dates. A service due within 60 days is marked **Due Soon** unless an upcoming visit already marks it **Scheduled**. **Service History & Reports** lists past visits newest first, with the work-order type, technician, and a **Completed**, **In progress**, or **Scheduled** status. Customers can open or download each inspection report and any work-acknowledgment files. When a visit has more than one report, **Download All Reports** downloads them together. The **Paid invoices** and **Signed quotes** settings control whether billing history appears. Depending on which settings are enabled, the portal tab is labeled **Invoices**, **Quotes**, or **Invoices & Quotes**. **Files** provides customer-visible Property Files and Asset Group Files. When the **Asset group information** setting is enabled, the portal shows an **Asset Groups** tab. It groups asset groups by type and property; a customer can open one to see its individual assets and their attributes. Each asset starts with its number in the group's order, matching the asset group page. Inspection reports number only the assets they print, so their numbers can differ when assets are skipped or deleted. **Your Properties** lists each property with its address and tracked asset-group types. **Portal Users** manages the customer's other users. When the business has the Customer Portal service-request capability and a published portal service-request form, the portal also shows **Request service**. The customer account and sign-in email are supplied automatically. The contact chooses an allowed existing property; a customer-level portal contact can also request service at a new property by entering an address, while a property-limited contact is restricted to assigned properties. Required questions must be answered before sending. The submission creates a task under **Tasks > Service Requests > All** marked **Submitted through the Customer Portal**. The portal form has its own versions and does not change the public website intake form. When a contact has access to more than one property, **All Properties** covers everything their access permits and choosing one property scopes the portal. If the person belongs to more than one customer account, the **Viewing** switcher changes accounts. The portal's logo, color, and business name follow the brand-specific URL used to sign in. A brand portal may include properties from several offices when those offices use the same brand. Properties and customer-facing records assigned to another brand are excluded from that session; the customer uses the other brand's portal URL and requests its sign-in link to view them. An inspection report appears only when it has been published with a PDF, belongs to a past visit, and falls within the contact's allowed properties. A draft, a report with no PDF, or one not tied to a visit does not appear. Direct report email and Job Summary sharing are separate from the portal: **Send Report** emails only the report PDF, while **Send Job Summary** emails a no-login recap that can include the report with other job information. > **Where to find it:** The portal your customers sign into; set its address and branding in Settings -> Customer Portal, and turn a customer's access on from their customer page Customers can open **Invoices** (or **Invoices & Quotes**), select all or some eligible open invoices, and pay them together using the usual card or bank-transfer checkout. The **Pay invoices** shortcut in Action Required opens that list. Individual **Pay Now** actions remain available; when only one invoice can be paid, its **Pay Now** is the only pay button. Combined payments do not require Statements to be enabled. An invoice opened from the portal works like the invoice link in your email: when Statements is on, it also shows the other open invoices billed the same way (the customer's billing, or that property's own Property Billing), and customers can pay several of them together. The **Statements** tab is optional: enable customer statements for the business, then turn on **Settings → Customer Portal → Customer-facing sections → Show Statements** and save. It starts off. Hiding Statements also hides its PDF downloads without hiding invoice payments. ## Related guides * [Set your Customer Portal heading and URL](/administration/settings/set-your-customer-portal-heading-and-url.md) * [Editing a quote or invoice through the Assistant](/administration/using-the-essential-assistant/editing-a-quote-or-invoice-through-the-assistant.md) * [How your customers sign in to the Customer Portal](/administration/what-your-customers-see-in-the-customer-portal/how-your-customers-sign-in-to-the-customer-portal.md) * [Managing portal users (inviting, access scope, and editing)](/administration/what-your-customers-see-in-the-customer-portal/managing-portal-users-inviting-access-scope-and-editing.md) * [Download or email an inspection report](/field-operations/inspection-reports/download-or-email-an-inspection-report.md) * [Let customers request service from the Customer Portal](/administration/settings/let-customers-request-service-from-the-customer-portal.md) --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://learn.withessential.com/administration/what-your-customers-see-in-the-customer-portal.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.