Mobile Authentication for Zoho Creator Portals | Zoho Creator Help

Mobile Authentication for Zoho Creator Portals | Zoho Creator Help

Notes
Note: This feature was previously available in beta for IN data center users on request. It is now generally available for all users in the IN and US data centers on paid plans of Zoho Creator. Currently, it will be available only for Indian (+91) mobile numbers. 
Hello everyone,
We're excited to announce that we're rolling out major enhancements to Portals in Zoho Creator that give you more flexibility in how portal users sign up and access your portals.

So far, your portal users could only sign in using their email address. We've now extended that to mobile numbers as well. This opens up your portals to a wider audience, particularly users in regions where SMS beats email for engagement, and gives them a much smoother way to sign up and stay in touch.

New sign-in options

Under a portal's authentication settings, you'll now find two new options alongside the existing email-based sign-in:
  1. Mobile Number: Portal users sign up and sign in using only their registered mobile number.
  2. Mobile Number or Email Address: Portal users pick whichever identifier suits them at sign-up.

Once configured, portal users can join and access the portal using just their mobile number.

Introducing SMS notifications

Signing in with a mobile number needs a way to actually reach that number for different reasons, like sending OTPs, delivering invitation links, or confirming a password reset. That's where SMS notifications come in.

SMS notifications are the messages your portal sends to a user's mobile number for portal-related actions. Once a portal is set up for mobile-based sign-in, every system message that used to go over email is now delivered as an SMS:
  1. The invitation to join the portal
  2. The OTP at sign-in
  3. The code to reset a password
  4. The confirmation when a mobile number is updated
  5. The notification when an access request is approved

Customizable SMS templates

Admins have complete control over the content of the SMS notifications. Under Operations > SMS Templates, admins can:
  1. Write the message for each notification type
  2. Personalize with merge fields like the portal name, user name, OTP, or invitation URL
  3. Assign the same template across multiple portals for consistency

Templates are also reusable, so you configure once and apply everywhere.

A quick example

A construction firm rolls out a portal for its on-site workforce, most of whom rarely open email. The admin sets the portal to Mobile Number, so workers can join and sign in entirely through their phones. Invitations, OTPs, and password resets all reach them over SMS, with no email inbox involved.

Getting started

  1. Configure the Zoho Creator SMS integration and purchase SMS credits from Operations > System Integration.
  2. Create your SMS templates under Operations > SMS Templates. In the IN data center, templates need DLT approval before use.
  3. Assign templates to your portal from the SMS Notifications tab.
  4. Switch your portal's authentication type to Mobile Number or Mobile Number or Email Address under Portal > Authentication.
For detailed documentation, please refer to:
  1. Understanding SMS templates
  2. Understanding SMS notifications in portals
  3. Setting up SMS notifications in portals

Availability

  1. Available only in the IN and US data centers
  2. Applicable on paid plans of Creator
  3. Only super admins and admins can configure SMS integration, templates, and notifications

Rollout

This feature is available to all eligible users starting 22-Sep-2026.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out; we're always happy to help.

Regards, 
The Zoho Creator Team