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External Portal

Overview​

In day-to-day business operations, collaboration is not limited to internal employees. Many processes require coordination with external users across upstream and downstream scenarios, such as:

  • Customer tickets management
  • Membership information management
  • Factory site and delivery driver coordination

These external participants typically engage in a single, specific scenario. They may be numerous or only involved temporarily. Requiring them to download an app and complete a full registration process often creates significant friction.

To address this need, we provide the External Portal feature for applications. The External Portal allows users to quickly register and log in, with access restricted to the current application only. All other modules remain hidden, making it easier to manage and onboard external users efficiently.

Key Features of the External Portal

  1. Simple and Fast Registration & Login

    • Quick registration via SMS or email verification code
    • Login supported via verification code, password, or WeChat QR code

  2. Clean and Focused Interface

    External users can access only the designated application. Other modules—such as Collaboration, Messages, and Contacts—are hidden, ensuring a simplified interface and reducing the risk of user errors.

  3. Cost-Effective

    External users are highly affordable, starting from as low as ¥0.5 per user per year.

I. External Portal Configuration​

Example Scenario​

The configurable modules of the external portal include user registration and login methods, portal UI customization, user invitation, approval and management, roles and permissions, and usage analytics.

In this example, we’ll use the Customer Service application to demonstrate the use of the external portal. The required functions are:

  1. Quick registration and login for external users
  2. External users can submit tickets
  3. External users can edit their submitted tickets
  4. Notify external users upon any ticket updates

1. Enable the External Portal​

Go to the User module of the Customer Service application, then click the Enable External Portal button in the upper right.

After enabling the portal, the interface will appear as follows:

How to Disable the External Portal

If needed, the portal can be temporarily disabled from the portal settings. Once disabled, external users will no longer be able to access the application.

2. Customize the External Portal Access URL​

By default, the external portal access URL is composed of the domain and the application ID. You can customize the suffix of this URL.

  • Only the suffix after the domain can be customized
  • Only letters, numbers, and hyphens are allowed
  • Cannot begin or end with a hyphen
  • Must be at least 4 characters long
  • Must be unique (you'll be notified if it's already taken)
  • The default URL will remain functional even after setting a custom one

Once the external portal is enabled, you’ll see a unique URL and QR code for user registration and login.

The same entry point is used for both registration and login. The first login is considered a registration.

4. Design the Registration/Login Page​

Before inviting users to register, you can style the registration/login page by navigating to [Portal Settings] > [Custom Login Page].

You can configure:

  • Page title
  • Logo
  • Layout
  • Background image or color

After saving, scan the QR code or open the link in a browser to preview the result.

Mobile Preview:

Desktop Browser Preview:

tip

The side-by-side layout is only supported on desktop (PC Web). On mobile, the layout defaults to centered.

5. Set Portal Display Name​

In many cases, only part of an application—such as specific worksheets—needs to be accessible to external users. In such cases, the internal application name may not be appropriate to show on the external portal.

For example, if only the "User Feedback" worksheet of the Customer Service application is open to external users, it makes more sense to display "User Feedback" as the portal name instead of "Customer Service".

You can configure a dedicated portal name separately.

Visible to internal users:

Visible to external users:

6. Configure Registration/Login Methods​

  • Account Registration: Supports registration via phone number or email, which will be used as the login ID.
  • Login Methods: Supports verification code, password, or WeChat QR code scan.

a. Login via Verification Code​

Each login requires identity verification using a one-time verification code. If the user is not yet registered, the platform will automatically create an account using the entered phone number or email.

To use verification codes, you must first complete the SMS Signature Setup

b. Login via Password​

After registration, users can set a password in their personal profile. Learn more

c. Login via WeChat Scan​

If you’ve linked a WeChat Service Account in the admin console, users can log in by scanning a QR code and authorizing via WeChat. This also supports QR login from desktop.

Follow the service account before logging in via WeChat

If enabled, users must first follow the WeChat Service Account before scanning to log in.

The first time a user scans, they will be redirected to a follow-prompt page.

d. Enable User Agreement and Privacy Policy​

Because different portals may collect different types of user data, you must upload customized and compliant versions of your user agreement and privacy policy according to your business needs.

You can click the User Agreement and Privacy Policy sections to edit their contents.

Users will see the terms during registration or login.

e. Two-Factor Authentication for Login​

If enabled, external users who log in via password or WeChat scan will also need to complete a second step: verification code input.

f. Registration Time Window​

You can configure a valid time window during which external users are allowed to register.

g. 7-Day Auto Login​

If enabled (default), external users won’t need to re-enter their credentials for 7 days after login.

If disabled:

  • The "7-day auto login" checkbox will be hidden on the portal login page.
  • All users must log in with password or verification code every time.
  • Previously logged-in users will retain auto-login for the remaining valid period.

h. Enforce Binding of Phone or Email​

If enabled, users must bind both a phone number and an email address before gaining full access.

For example, if a user registers with an email, they’ll be prompted to bind a phone number upon first login:

You can generate multiple registration/login links tailored to specific user groups by configuring login/registration methods and role assignments.

For instance:

  • Some users prefer registering with a phone number and logging in via password or WeChat scan.
  • Others prefer using email and password.

In this case, you can create two custom portal URLs with different registration/login options and default roles.

8. Define Access Identity Types​

Since QR codes and shared links are widely distributed, you may want to impose access restrictions based on business needs. The platform supports identity verification mechanisms to control who can access the application.

Three identity types are supported:

  • Anyone:
    Anyone with the link can register and access the application.

  • Approved Users Only:
    Access is granted only after manual approval.
    Users are informed post-registration that approval is required, and will receive an SMS once approved.

  • Invited Users Only:
    Invitations are sent to specific phone numbers. You can invite users one-by-one or import a list of numbers for bulk invitations.

9. Allow External Users to Join Record Discussions​

  • Discussions Not Allowed
    External users won’t see the discussion section when viewing records.

  • Allowed – All Discussions Visible
    Both internal members and external users share the same discussion thread. All messages are visible to both parties.

    View from External User (PC):

  • Allowed – Internal Discussions Hidden
    Internal and external discussions are separated. External users cannot see internal discussions.
    Internal users always have visibility into both.

    Internal View:

    External View:

External View on Mobile:

Note:

  • If the discussion feature is disabled in the worksheet’s quick settings, discussions will not be available here either.

  • The first time you switch from "All discussions visible" to "Internal discussions hidden", all past discussions will be moved to the internal thread. External users—including those who posted the messages—will no longer see them.

How to Notify External Users of New Discussions​

Since external users do not use the mobile app, they cannot receive push notifications. To alert them of mentions (@) or direct replies, you can configure notifications via WeChat, SMS, or email.

1) Enable Notifications for New Mentions or Replies

Go to [Basic] > [Notification Settings] and enable “Notify external users when they are mentioned or replied to.”

This will auto-generate a system workflow. Click Edit Workflow to configure it.

2) Configure the Notification Workflow

No trigger configuration is required—mentions or replies will automatically trigger the workflow.
Add the appropriate notification nodes depending on your preferred delivery method (WeChat, SMS, or email).

3) Publish the Workflow

Once the workflow is configured, click Publish to activate the notification process.

You can then test it by mentioning (@) an external user in a record’s discussion within the application.

10. Notification Settings for New User Registrations​

  • Notify app administrators when a new user registers or activates:

    When enabled, the app administrator will receive an internal system notification whenever a new user signs up.

  • Notify registrants via SMS of approval results:

    If enabled, external users will receive an SMS notification informing them of the approval or rejection of their access request.

11. Whether to Collect Information from Registered Users​

If you need to collect required information during user registration—such as real name, email, company, or job title—users will be prompted to complete these fields after their first login before registration is finalized.

Go to [Collect Info] to configure:

  • Select "Collect" to display the field on the registration page.

  • The first field is Name (text), which cannot be modified or deleted.
    It is not collected by default. If enabled, it becomes a required field.

    • If your application requires users’ real names, it is recommended to enable the Name field.

  • To collect additional information, add appropriate fields. Other fields support sorting and deletion.

  • The collected information is application-specific. Different applications may display different fields.

  • If a user closes the page without completing the required information, the account remains inactive.
    If approval is enabled, the user will enter the Pending Approval status only after completing the required information upon their next login.

Effect after registration/login when users are required to complete additional fields:

Extended Information Fields as Permission Tags​

Learn more

12. Message Settings​

Verification codes for login, password setup, registration invitations, and approval results (approved/rejected) are sent via SMS or email.

Notification content consists of two parts: SMS signature and message content.

SMS Notifications​

SMS Signature​

The SMS signature appears at the beginning of each message and is automatically added. The signature must not exceed 20 characters.

  • Custom signatures must be added by the organization administrator in the organization admin console and approved through real-name registration before selection.

  • You may also use the platform signature 【Mingdao】 or the SMS provider signature 【Jixintong】.

Learn more

SMS Notification Content​

SMS is sent in the following scenarios:

  • Verification code SMS for external user registration and login

    The content cannot be customized. Format:
    【Selected Signature】Your login verification code is: 2185. Please do not disclose or forward it to others.

  • Invitation SMS for external user registration

    The message content can be customized.

  • Approval result notification SMS (Approved/Rejected)

    The message content can be customized.

SMS Interception Risk

  1. If the SMS signature has not completed real-name registration, verification code messages are highly likely to be intercepted.
    Before approval, it is recommended to use the 【Jixintong】 signature.

  2. Major carriers may intercept messages containing links. For non-verification messages (invitations and approval notifications), avoid including links whenever possible.
    If a link is necessary, it is recommended to use the 【Mingdao】 signature, since the external portal domain and the 【Mingdao】signature belong to the same company. Using 【Jixintong】 or a custom signature increases the likelihood of interception.

  3. If a link is required, you may customize the link suffix and copy the custom link into the notification content to reduce message length.

Email Notifications​

Email notifications are sent in the following scenarios:

  • Verification code for external user registration and login
  • Verification code for password setup
  • Invitation to register
  • Approval result notification (Approved/Rejected)

Sender email address: sender@register.mingdao.com

Click Email Settings to configure the email subject and content.

13. View Approval Flowchart Details​

Records submitted by external users may require approval. While external users cannot act as approvers, they can initiate approval by submitting data.

You can configure whether external users are allowed to view approval workflow details within a worksheet record (This only applies to approval workflows triggered via Initiate Approval Flow node).

14. Watermark Settings​

When watermark is enabled, a watermark displaying the user's name + last 4 digits of phone number or email prefix will appear on all external user pages.

Example:

15. Business Card Display for External Users​

In the portal settings under Business Card Configuration, you can configure what information is shown on the profile cards when internal or external users viewing.

Supported fields include:

  • System fields: phone number, email, role
  • Fields from the information collection
  • Up to 6 fields can be displayed (excluding the user’s name)

Example:

II. External User Management​

1. External User Role Configuration​

Roles and permissions for external users are configured separately from internal members. However, the configuration method is the same as for application roles, so it will not be repeated here.

Differences from internal roles:

  • External users can only be assigned to one role
  • Roles are assigned to external users (users are not directly added to roles)

Default Role

You need designate a default role. After registration, external users are automatically assigned to this role. Their role can later be adjusted in the user list.

Copy Roles Between Internal and External Portals

Since role configurations are the same for internal users and external portal users, roles can be copied between them.

You can also copy roles from internal roles to the external portal.

2. Invite External Users to Register​

If public registration is disabled, you can invite users directly or import users in bulk.

Note: Due to tightened telecom regulations, SMS messages containing links may be intercepted. Some recipients may not receive SMS invitations. In such cases, consider sending the invitation link via email or instant messaging.

  • For a small number of users: Click Invite User directly.

  • For a large number of users: Import users via Excel.

    Download the template first, fill in the required information, and then upload the file.

  1. Both free and paid editions include 100 external users by default. Additional external users require purchasing an external user expansion package. Disabled or deactivated external users do not count toward the quota.

  2. SMS invitations currently support only mainland China phone numbers (+86). For other regions, SMS invitations will not be sent. Users from other regions can register directly via the external portal link.

3. External User Information Management​

1) View External User Information

You can quickly locate and view external users using multiple filters:

  • Role: The role assigned to the external user (not application roles)
  • Status: External users have three statuses — Active, Disabled, and Inactive
  • Field Search: Search by system fields or custom fields
  • Field Filter: Filter by system fields or custom fields
  • Column Display: Configure which fields appear in the external user list, including system fields and fields collected during registration

2) Edit External User Information

In the external user list, click a user row to modify their role, status, or custom field information.

  • You can change the external user’s role.
  • An Active user can be set to Disabled or Deactivated.
    • Deactivation deletes the account. External users can also deactivate their own accounts.
  • For Inactive users, you can resend the invitation or cancel the invitation.

Clicking a user row opens a side panel where you can edit custom fields, adjust status, and modify the role.
System fields (Name, Phone Number, OpenId, Registration Time) cannot be edited.

The fields displayed in the side panel are consistent with the configured display columns.

4. WeChat OpenId​

In the external user list, you can display the user’s bound WeChat OpenId.
If it is empty, the user has not authorized WeChat login and can only sign in using phone number or email.

If the OpenId column is not visible, enable it under Column Display.

5. Export External Users​

Method 1: Export all users currently displayed in the list. Columns that are not visible will not be included in the export.

To export all external users, select All Roles and avoid applying search or other filters.

Method 2: Export selected users only.

6. Adjust External User Status / Delete External Users​

External user accounts support the following actions: Enable, Disable, and Deactivate (Delete).

  • Single User Operation

    For an individual external user, you can directly switch the status to Active or Disabled, or deactivate (delete) the account.

  • Bulk Operations

External users can also deactivate their own accounts.

7. User Approval and Whitelist​

If your portal is configured to allow only approved users to access the application, newly registered external users must be reviewed and approved by the application admin.

You can also set up a whitelist in advance so that approved users are automatically granted access upon registration.

Approval Actions​

Supports both individual and bulk review actions. Only two actions are available: Agree or Reject.

How to Configure a Whitelist​

Once the whitelist is configured, the system will automatically verify a new user's registration data against the whitelist. If there is a match, the user is automatically approved.

The whitelist configuration includes:

  • Data source of the whitelist
  • Field mapping between the source and registered users
  • Maintenance and updates of the whitelist

1) Whitelist Data Source

There are two types of sources for whitelist data: Import via Excel and From Worksheet.

  • Excel Format Guidelines:

    The first row of the Excel file must contain field names.

  • Use Worksheet as Data Source:

    You can select a worksheet from the current application or from another application.

2) Field Mapping

A registered user must match all mapped fields in the whitelist to qualify for automatic approval.

  • If additional fields are enabled under Info Collection, they will also appear here for mapping (e.g., Name and Email).

  • If no additional fields are collected, only the Phone Number field can be mapped.

3) Update and Maintain the Whitelist

  • If the data source is Excel:

    • You can re-upload the Excel file to update the list.
    • You can also delete imported data.

  • If the data source is a worksheet:

    • You can manage (add, update, delete) whitelist entries directly within the selected worksheet.

8. Usage Analytics​

You can view external user registration and access statistics, as well as login logs.

  • User Registration Count

  • User Access Count

  • User Login Logs

9. Sending Notifications via WeChat Service Account​

If you need to notify external users when a record is updated, besides SMS or email, you can also send WeChat messages through a bound WeChat Service Account.

External users must follow your linked WeChat Service Account to receive these notifications.

Learn more configuration details

III. Actions Available to External Users​

1. Personal Account Settings​

External users can access their personal account settings by clicking their profile picture. The following actions are available:

  • Edit name and upload profile picture
  • Update bound phone number or email address
  • Set or change password
  • Select preferred system language
  • Fill in custom field information
  • Deactivate (delete) the account
  • Log out

On Desktop Browser:

On Mobile:

2. User Interface and Access Scope​

After logging in, external users only have access to the specific application they were invited to (e.g., Customer Service). Depending on their assigned role and permissions, they may:

  • View designated worksheets and table views
  • Interact with specific records

External users do not have access to features such as Collaboration, Contacts, or in-app chat.