How to Effectively Use Zoho Creator Customer Portal?
Zoho has become one of the most important platforms being used by businesses all across the world. It has multiple functionalities aimed at improving the business processes within organizations. One of these functionalities is the Zoho creator customer portal which is the best way for any business or an organization to permit its clients and customers to log in important details.
The Zoho users can easily use the Zoho creator portals as opposed to creating their own security authentications and mechanisms. In fact, users also have an option to log in to their dedicated portal, submit data, and access shared applications.
The process of data sharing with people through the Zoho Creator Customer Portal is a powerful feature of a low code platform like Zoho Creator. There are so many times when we want to present some of our data to our customers with a login system. Every time we do this, our customers can collaborate easily and keep everything secure.
In this blog, we will understand how to effectively use Zoho Creator Customer Portal for our benefit.
What is Zoho Creator Customer Portal?
A customer portal is one of the best ways for an organization to enable its customers to log into their dedicated internal system while accessing restricted data. Rather than building your own authentication and security mechanisms, you can use Zoho Creator portals so that your users can sign up with your portal rather than signing up with Zoho’s account.
With the customer portal, customers can log into a dedicated portal, access applications shared with them submit data, and most importantly, they can view and edit the records. Zoho Creator customer portal offers you an opportunity to present the application with a brand identity that is personal to your organization.
You can manage and configure various characteristics of the customer portal and the characteristics are as follows:
- Customers: The customers are considered the most important users of the customer portal. You can add customers independently or import the customers in bulk. Just after the customers are added, they will be sent an invitation requesting that they can register for the customer portal.
- Permissions: The permissions can be issued by the admin to all users of the portal.
- Email Notifications: The email notifications allow the admin of the customer portal to communicate easily with the users of the portal. It is possible to customize different types of emails that the customer portal is sending to the users.
- Portal Pages: The portal pages are for displaying information to the user of the customer portal when they want to log in, sign up or even reset a password.
- Custom Domain: The custom domain allows the admins to host customer portal on their own domain rather than the default Zoho Creator domain.
- Portal Types: The portal types are different types of accesses that get granted to the customer portal. They can be public, private, or restricted.
- Title and Logo: The title and logo can be displayed when the customer portal is opened in a browser.
Enhanced Way to Communicate With Customers
In case you are a business that is looking to improve ways for interacting with the customers while also offering the user-friendliness of application then the customer portal offers many ways in which you can increase the business organization development and customer satisfaction. Other than this, you will also be improving your business measures without breaking your business bank because of the portal’s cost.
The thing to understand here is that in case you do not still have Zoho’s customer portal then you are probably missing out on many opportunities of enhancing your business with stronger customer relationships.
Use Cases For Better Understanding
In case you have a financial management firm that needs clients to complete paperwork online, an institution that offers its own online application, a shop that processes orders and sells products on the internet, then you must understand the process of developing, creating, and safeguarding sites.
You must also understand that the information should be safely stored. When the customers fill out any kind of form on the internet, they want the information to be safe and simple. The onus lies upon you to keep the information of your customers safe.
Development of a site that provides all of these features may seem like a time-consuming task. Owning a business does not leave you with any time to create a portal like that. In addition, it is also possible that you may already have an application that enables your customers to submit such data. But the fact is that the technology changes quickly and ensuring that your application has the ability to reflect changing business needs is important.
The custom portal of a low code development platform such as Zoho Creator ensures that your application has all the features. It helps in implementing simple design and development features that have actually made the application development services of Zoho Creator so important. With the customer portal, you can share important data with your customers while also enabling them to submit data and edit various records. All this data gets stored in one place and is restricted from any unauthorized access.
Regardless of the kind of business you are in, the customer portal offers you an opportunity to create a portal that fits the needs of your organization. On the portal, you can easily create forms that customers can fill out and save.
Vital Information is Secured
An organization that has not been able to turn to online applications for collecting and storing important data can rely on Zoho completely. The good thing is that Zoho acknowledges and understands that security concerns might be a primary issue for this thing.
Many times, customers are also hesitant to make an online change because they do not understand what will become of the data that is provided online. They also don’t know where the tax records and credit card information will end. For them, the internet may seem like an empty place, a place where all information may be lost.
This kind of fear is entirely understandable, but the fact is that in case you do not make a switch, you will be left behind competitors. The Zoho Creator customer portal makes it possible for a customer to see right where the data is being stored. The portal also uses better security measures so that the customers get restricted access to private data.
What matters is that you have a distinct ability to control the users who can access records that are stored in the portal. Based on the kind of permissions you offer, you can have control over who accesses forms and records, who can view and edit them, and which users can import data to the portal. All of these measures are put into place just so that unauthorized users can access information easily.
Customer Satisfaction in a Cost-effective Way
The customer portal makes data easy to collect and access for both you and your customers. Regardless of the number of customers you have, the customer portal will cover all of them.
It is of utmost importance to understand the difference between users and customers when it is about Zoho Creator’s Customer Portal. The users are the ones who are in the organization, the people who use the application for things like workflow management and form creation.
In contrast, the customers are external because they are the ones who will be taking the benefit of the customer portal for keeping records or purchases. Zoho does not even charge a fee per customer. When you get more customers, the business thrives automatically. The Zoho Creator Customer Portal can help you in managing the data as the number of customers keeps growing.
Setting-Up of Customer Portal
In order to set up a customer portal, take the following steps:
- The first step is to click on the option of Customer Portal under the Users and Control section given on the Settings page.
- In case you haven’t yet confirmed your primary email address for the Creator account, you will get a message that says, “Click Proceed to Account for confirming your email address.”
- On the next page, click on the Configure Portal button.
- When you do this, the portal URL page will appear. On this page, you can choose to host the customer portal on Zoho’s default domain or on a custom domain.
- For hosting the customer portal on the default domain, select the Default URL option on the portal URL page. This will make the Portal Type appear again. On this page, the access type for the customer portal can be easily selected from the three options that are available including Public, Private, and Restricted.
- The Portal Permission page is going to appear wherein the permission for the user can be selected from the two options called Customer and Custom.
- The Custom option helps in creating a new customized permission set for the users accessing the customer portal. Right when the custom option gets selected, the Custom Permission tab appears. You can configure the name and permissions and click Add so that the portal page can be set up.
- The option of Customer helps in creating a customer portal for the users. The portal will now be set up and the changes will appear on the Customer Portal page.
- For hosting the customer portal on the custom domain, it is important to upgrade the account so that you can set up the customer portal on the custom domain.
- You can now enter the domain URL and click on Next
- When the portal page is created successfully, it is now important to verify the custom domain URL and the domain verification can be done by:
- Click Verify Now below the domain URL. When you go to the Domain Verification tab, you can create a CNAME for your domain.
- Create a TXT record for the domain. In case you have not created a CNAME for the site and if you have the needed permissions, you can easily upload files on your site.
- Next, click Verify. After successful verification, the Domain Verification pane will get closed and you will see a pop-up with the message that says Domain verified successfully.
Conclusion
Zoho Creator is the best way to ensure that an application fits all your business needs completely. However, businesses need expert assistance while working with Zoho Creator and Zoho Creator Customer Portal. If you have that business then take comfort in the fact that you do not have to go through the process alone.
A Zoho Creator Certified developer can help you at each step in your journey of making the best use of the Zoho Creator Customer Portal. A good developer will be familiar with all the best practices needed for seamlessly integrating your software’s data into the new application.
Stay Tuned for more!
Cheers!
Abhi
(Seasoned Zoho Authorized and Certified Partner)
Feel free to contact me if you have any queries
Email: abhishek(@)encaptechno(dot)com
Call: +1-416-405-8185
Access your files securely from anywhere
New to Zoho Recruit?
Zoho Developer Community
New to Zoho LandingPage?
Zoho LandingPage Resources
New to Zoho Survey?
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho CRM Plus?
Deliver unforgettable customer experiences
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Zoho Marketing Plus?
Everything you need to run your marketing
New to Bigin?
Topic Participants
Abhishek - Zoho Partner
Sticky Posts
Share your success story
We would like to hear from our passionate users how much Zoho Creator has changed the way you work and benefited you. If you would like to share your story to us and be featured as a proud user of Zoho Creator, then this is for you. Fill up the form below and if you want to be included in a case study, we will get in touch with you to get further details. So what are you waiting for? Tell us your story. CharlesMerge and Store v1 API depreciation
Hi Zoho Writer users, The Merge and Store v1 API allows you to store the merged document in Zoho WorkDrive. The response of this API will be returned with the document's ID only after the merge is complete. In Deluge, the maximum timeout for operationZoho Creator Developer's Conference 2017 !!!
We welcome all our Creator Developers! You're invited to join us for our annual Zoholics Developers conference August 29th–31st! This is your chance to get training and guidance on Zoho Creator from our most knowledgeable custom app builders. Zoholics Developers is a three-day event where you'll participate in interactive workshops to hone your app-building skills, get questions answered by Creator experts with personal one-on-one sessions, and connect with other Creator developers from around
New to Zoho TeamInbox?
Zoho TeamInbox Resources
Zoho CRM Plus Resources
Zoho Books Resources
Zoho Subscriptions Resources
Zoho Projects Resources
Zoho Sprints Resources
Qntrl Resources
Zoho Creator Resources
Zoho CRM Resources
Design. Discuss. Deliver.
Zoho Show Resources
Get Started. Write Away!
Writer is a powerful online word processor, designed for collaborative work.
Zoho CRM コンテンツ
-
オンラインヘルプ
-
Webセミナー
-
機能活用動画
-
よくある質問
-
Ebook
-
-
Zoho Campaigns
- Zoho サービスのWebセミナー
その他のサービス コンテンツ
Nederlandse Hulpbronnen
ご検討中の方
Recent Topics
Marketing Automation Requirements Questions
I would like to set up a multi-email drip campaign- please see the structure below and confirm if I can achieve this set up in Zoho marketing automation. Where applicable, highlight gaps and workarounds. Thanks Drip email campaign- Can I create one dripZoho CRM for Gmail Extension Not Working in Brave Browser?
Is anyone able to get the Zoho CRM Chrome Extension working in the Brave browser? They're both built on the Chromium platform and every other Chrome Extension works with the exception of Zoho CRM for Gmail so any ideas here?Sharing URLs and direct access
Hello, I am storing my team's email signature images on Workdrive. I am creating a public image download share and adding “?directDownload=true” so that the image can be accessed without the Workdrive interface. A few questions: 1) Can we generate friendlyhow to change the page signers see after signing a document in zoho sign
Hello, How can I please change the page a signer sees after signing a document in Zoho Sign? I cannot seem to find it. As it is now, it shows a default landing page "return to Zoho Sign Home". Thanks!Question about using custom_fields in Storefront Add-to-Cart API (error 2003 – required details)
Hi everyone, I’m working with the Zoho Commerce Storefront API, specifically the Add to Cart endpoint: POST /storefront/api/v1/cart According to the documentation, this endpoint supports a custom_fields parameter for adding line-item custom data. I’mCan a project be cloned?
Good afternoon, greetings. I would like to ask if it's possible to clone a project in Microsoft Project. I found a way to do it using templates, but I'm not sure if there's a direct way to clone a project. Thank you in advance for your attention, andTimesheet Tasks in Zoho Books: associate to service item
How do we associate a service item to timesheet tasks in Zoho Books? For example: Joe spent 5 hours on project:task1 which is Service Item#1 (Income:Service1). When the invoice is issued thru the Project Invoice section, this is not available. When theWhy Sharing Rules do Not support relative date comparison???
I am creating a Sharing Rule and simply want to share where "Last Day of Coverage" (Date field) is Greater than TODAY (Starting Tomorrow). However, sharing rules don't have the option to compare a date field to a relative date (like today), only to StaticTask/Activity indicator in SalesPipeline overview has disappeared
I Just logged in my ZOHO CRM first 2026 checking my salespipeline overview , Every record card used to show an indication that there was an open task (Yellow if the expiry date was close, red if the expiry date was today and grey when it had expired).Tip #56- Accessibility Controls in Zoho Assist: Hearing- 'Insider Insights'
As we begin the new year, it’s a great time to focus on making our tools more inclusive and accessible for everyone. Remote support often involves long hours in front of screens, varying lighting conditions, and users with diverse accessibility needs.Zoho Desk Android app update: Table view for All Departments view, custom button
Hello everyone! In the latest version(v2.9.25) of the Zoho Desk Android app update, we have introduced Table view for the 'All Departments' view in the ticket module. We also have supported an option that allows tickets in the Table view to be sortedWhat's New - December 2025 | Zoho Backstage
In December, Backstage introduced a focused set of updates that improve how you manage registrations, communicate with attendees, and track participation. These enhancements are designed to give organizers greater flexibility and clearer control acrossNeed code format to specify default values
Can someone please direct me to the code syntax or the proper translation per the instructions circled below. These instructions don't seem correct.Problem with CRM Connection not Refreshing Token
I've setup a connection with Zoom in the CRM. I'm using this connection to automate some registrations, so my team doesn't have to manually create them in both the CRM and Zoom. Connection works great in my function until the token expires. It does not refresh and I have to manually revoke the connection and connect it again. I've chatted with Zoho about this and after emailing me that it couldn't be done I asked for specifics on why and they responded. "The connection is CRM is not a feature toAdd multiple users to a task
When I´m assigning a task it is almost always related to more than one person. Practical situation: When a client request some improvement the related department opens the task with the situation and people related to it as the client itself, the salesmanA Roundup of Zoho Sprints 2025
Sorting Custom Date in API isn't working w pagination limit
How can we sort a custom field with DATE using pagination? Starting at page=1 then moving to page=2 with a limit of 10 each, its all messed up and even shows some of the same records as page 1? https://www.zohoapis.com/crm/v2/INVOICE_MODULE/search?criteria=(FM_Contact_ID:equals:1234)&sort_by=Invoice_Date&sort_order=desc&per_page=10&page='SAP Business One(B1) integration is now live in Zoho Flow
We’re excited to share that SAP Business One (B1) is now available in Zoho Flow! This means you can now build workflows that connect SAP B1 with other apps and automate routine processes without relying on custom code. Note: SAP Business One integrationEnhancement in Role and Profile mapping of agents in Sandbox
Hello everyone! We have brought in a modification in the way users are mapped to a particular role and profile in Sandbox. What has changed? When agents are copied from production to Sandbox: If a user's current role and profile is available in Sandbox,The reason I switched away from Zoho Notebook
My main reason for switching to Zoho was driven by three core principles: moving away from US-based products, keeping my data within India as much as possible, and supporting Indian companies. With that intent, I’ve been actively de-Googling my digitalDecimal places settings for exchange rates
Hello, We are facing issues while matching vendor payments with banking feeds. As we often import products/services exchange rate comes into play. Currently, ZOHO allows only six digits for decimal places. We feel that conversions like JPY to INR requireZoho removed ability to see all Scheduled Reports!
If you are not the owner of a scheduled report, Zoho recently removed the capability to see each scheduled report. As an admin who relies on seeing all scheduled reports being sent, this is a terrible update. Now I cannot see ANY scheduled reports...even the ones I am being sent!! This should be a setting for admins to control. This is a bad update.Automate Backups
This is a feature request. Consider adding an auto backup feature. Where when you turn it on, it will auto backup on the 15-day schedule. For additional consideration, allow for the export of module data via API calls. Thank you for your consideration.GCLID and Zoho Bookings
Is there anyway to embed a Zoho Bookings signup on a landing page and pass the GCLID information? More specifically, can this be done using auto-tagging and not manual tagging the GCLID? I know Zappier has an integration to do this but is there a betterMerge Items
Is there a work around for merging items? We currently have three names for one item, all have had a transaction associated so there is no deleting (just deactivating, which doesn't really help. It still appears so people are continuing to use it). I also can't assign inventory tracking to items used in past transactions, which I don't understand, this is an important feature moving forward.. It would be nice to merge into one item and be able to track inventory. Let me know if this is possible.Create PO from an invoice
We are a hardware and software sales company which receives orders over the internet. We drop ship most of our products from a warehouse outside of our company. Our orders get sync'd into Zoho from our store via onesaas as invoices. It would be greatBlueprint or Validation Rules for Invoices in Zoho Books
Can I implement Blueprint or Validation Rules for Invoices in Zoho Books? Example, use case could be, Agent confirms from client that payment is done, but bank only syncs transactions tomorrow. in this case, Agent can update invoice status to done, andResetting auto-number on new year
Hi everyone! We have an auto-number with prefix "D{YYYY}-", it generates numbers like D2025-1, D2025-2, etc... How can we have it auto-reset at the beginning of the next year, so that it goes to D2026-1? Thanks!The Social Wall: December 2025
Hello everyone! As we wrap up the final edition of the Social Wall for 2025, it’s the perfect time to look at what went live during December. QR code generator From paying for coffee to scanning metro tickets, QR codes are everywhere and have made everydayCustom AI solutions with QuickML for Zoho CRM
Hello everyone, Earlier, we introduced Custom AI Solutions in CRM that let you access QuickML for your custom AI needs. Building on that foundation, we’ve now enabled a deeper integration: QuickML models can be seamlessly integrated into CRM, and surfaceHelper Functions and DRY principle
Hello everyone, I believe Deluge should be able to use 'Helper functions' inside the main function. I know I can create different standalones, but this is not helpful and confusing. I don't want 10000 different standalones, and I dont want to have toIntroducing workflow automation for the Products module
Greetings, I hope all of you are doing well. We're happy to announce a few recent enhancements we've made to Bigin's Products module. The Products module in Bigin now supports Workflows, enabling you to automate routine actions. Along with this update,Power up your Kiosk Studio with Real-Time Data Capture, Client Scripts & More!
Hello Everyone, We’re thrilled to announce a powerful set of enhancements to Kiosk Studio in Zoho CRM. These new updates give you more flexibility, faster record handling, and real-time data capture, making your Kiosk flows smarter and more efficientZia Formula Expression Generator for Formula fields
Hello everyone! Formula fields are super useful when you want your CRM to calculate things for you but writing the expression is where most people slow down. You know what you want, but you’re not fully sure which function to use, how the syntax shouldIssue with Zoho Creator Form Full-Screen View in CRM Related List Integration
Hi Team, We have created a custom application in Zoho Creator and integrated it into Zoho CRM as a related list under the Vendor module, which we have renamed as Consignors. Within the Creator application, there is a form named “Pickup Request.” InsideWrapping up 2025 on a high note: CRM Release Highlights of the year
Dear Customers, 2025 was an eventful year for us at Zoho CRM. We’ve had releases of all sizes and impact, and we are excited to look back, break it down, and rediscover them with you! Before we rewind—we’d like to take a minute and sincerely thank youCustomer Parent Account or Sub-Customer Account
Some of clients as they have 50 to 300 branches, they required separate account statement with outlet name and number; which means we have to open new account for each branch individually. However, the main issue is that, when they make a payment, theyProjects custom colors replaced by default orange
Since yesterday, projects uploaded to Zoho, to which I had assigned a custom color, have lost the customization and reverted to the default color (orange). Has anyone else had the same problem? If so, how did you resolve it?Restrict Users access to login into CRM?
I’m wanting my employees to be able to utilize the Zoho CRM Lookup field within Zoho Forms. For them to use lookup field in Zoho Forms it is my understanding that they need to be licensed for Forms and the CRM. However, I don’t want them to be able toIntroducing Connected Records to bring business context to every aspect of your work in Zoho CRM for Everyone
Hello Everyone, We are excited to unveil phase one of a powerful enhancement to CRM for Everyone - Connected Records, available only in CRM's Nextgen UI. With CRM for Everyone, businesses can onboard all customer-facing teams onto the CRM platform toNext Page