The Instructions section holds the text the outside user reads in the portal. All three fields are rich text, so you can use colors, fonts, and links, and all three accept variables from the Record.


Instruction Header

Shown at the top of the portal. This is the main place to explain what you expect the user to do. It is also used as the invitation email body when that is left blank.


Instruction Footer

Shown at the bottom of the portal. It is normally used for copyright or legal text. Keep the real instructions in the header.


Completed Instructions

Shown in place of the Instruction Header once every required item is done. Use it to thank the user or to tell them what happens next. Leave it blank and the portal keeps showing the Instruction Header after completion.


Progress variables

These variables can be used in any of the three fields to show how far along the portal is. They are recalculated every time the portal loads.

  • [PortalCompletePercent] — the completion percentage, for example 67.
  • [PortalCompletePercentTo25] — the percentage rounded down to the nearest 25, so 0, 25, 50, 75, or 100.
  • [PortalProgressImage1], [PortalProgressImage2], [PortalProgressImage3] — a completion gauge image in one of three styles, based on the rounded percentage.


Buttons in instructions

You can put buttons into the Instruction Header and the Completed Instructions with this syntax:


{BTN(showwhen|title|action|value)}

  • showwhen — when the button appears. 0 always shows it, 1 shows it only while the portal is not complete, 2 shows it only once the portal is complete.
  • title — the text on the button.
  • action — eform opens an E-form in the portal, url opens a web address.
  • value — for eform, the ID of the E-form to open, or -1 to open the first E-form that is not yet completed, or -2 to open the first E-form in the list. For url, the address to open.


A url button can take a fifth part naming the browser target. Leave it off and the address opens in the same tab, replacing the portal; use _blank to open it in a new tab.

For example, {BTN(1|Start Here|eform|-1)} shows a Start Here button until the portal is complete, and clicking it opens the next unfinished E-form.