> 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/customers-and-work/customers/turning-on-customer-portal-access-for-a-customer.md). # Turning on Customer Portal access for a customer The Customer Portal lets a customer's contacts sign in to view their account online, and access is controlled per customer. To turn it on, click Edit on the customer page to open the Edit Customer window, find the Customer Portal field, choose Enabled, and click Save. To turn it off, set it back to Disabled and save. When portal access is enabled, the customer page shows a Portal pill near the status pill so you can tell at a glance. Two things determine whether that pill shows as on: the customer must have portal access enabled, and they must also be Active. So an inactive customer won't show portal access as on even if it was enabled. When you enable portal access for a customer, Essential also grants portal access to that customer's current non-deleted contacts. You can still turn access off or on for individual contacts from each contact's Edit form. Turning it on at the customer level makes the portal available for that account, but contacts still need their own portal access, an email address, and a role before they can sign in. If you don't see the Customer Portal field at all, the Customer Portal may be turned off for your business - anyone whose role can manage portal settings can turn it on and select **Save** in Settings > Customer Portal - or your role may not have access to it. If you need portal access controls for your work, contact your business's administrator to review your role. > **Where to find it:** Customer page, Edit Customer modal, Customer Portal field; Portal pill ## Related guides * [Give a contact access to the customer portal](/customers-and-work/contacts/give-a-contact-access-to-the-customer-portal.md) * [Create a customer](/customers-and-work/customers/create-a-customer.md) * [What the customer page shows](/customers-and-work/customers/what-the-customer-page-shows.md) * [Making a customer active or inactive](/customers-and-work/customers/making-a-customer-active-or-inactive.md) * [Merge or split customer accounts](/customers-and-work/customers/merge-or-split-customer-accounts.md) * [Saving a customer's payment methods](/customers-and-work/customers/saving-a-customers-payment-methods.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 dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://learn.withessential.com/customers-and-work/customers/turning-on-customer-portal-access-for-a-customer.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. 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.