> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.planeconnection.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Set Up the Customer Portal

> Enable and configure the customer portal so your charter clients and aircraft owners can self-service trip requests, passengers, invoices, and messages.

This guide walks you through enabling the customer portal, configuring its settings, and preparing it for your first client invitations.

<Warning>
  This feature requires **administrator** or **workspace owner** permissions. Changes made here
  affect all users in your workspace.
</Warning>

<Info>
  **Who should read this:** Workspace administrators and account owners who want to give charter
  clients and aircraft owners a self-service portal.

  **Prerequisites:** Admin or Account Owner role. An active PlaneConnection workspace with at least
  one confirmed trip or active client relationship.
</Info>

## Enable the portal

<Steps>
  ### Navigate to portal settings

  In the sidebar, click **Settings**, then select **Portal** from the settings menu.

  ### Turn on the portal

  Toggle the **Enable Customer Portal** switch to the on position. This activates the portal URL for your workspace.

  ### Review the portal URL

  Your portal is accessible at:

  ```
  https://app.planeconnection.com/{your-workspace}/portal
  ```

  This URL is unique to your workspace and can be shared with clients or linked from your company website.
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Enabling the portal does not automatically grant any clients access. You must explicitly invite
  clients before they can sign in. See [Send a Portal Invite](/en/how-to/portal/send-portal-invite).
</Warning>

## Configure portal features

After enabling the portal, configure which features are available to your clients.

### Trip requests

Control whether clients can submit new trip requests through the portal:

| Setting                    | Description                                                          |
| -------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Allow trip requests**    | Clients can submit new trip requests from the portal.                |
| **Require approval**       | All trip requests require dispatcher approval before confirmation.   |
| **Auto-assign dispatcher** | Incoming requests are automatically routed to a specific dispatcher. |

### Passenger management

| Setting                        | Description                                                          |
| ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Allow passenger management** | Clients can add, edit, and remove passengers in their own directory. |
| **Require travel documents**   | Passengers must have passport or ID details before trip assignment.  |

### Invoices

| Setting                | Description                                |
| ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| **Show invoices**      | Clients can view invoices for their trips. |
| **Allow PDF download** | Clients can download invoice PDFs.         |

### Messaging

| Setting              | Description                                                      |
| -------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Enable messaging** | Clients can send and receive messages with your operations team. |

## Configure branding

Customize the portal appearance to match your company brand. Navigate to **Settings > Portal** and scroll to the **Branding** section.

| Setting             | Description                                                                                         |
| ------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Company logo**    | Upload your logo (PNG or SVG, recommended 200x60px). Displayed in the portal header and login page. |
| **Primary color**   | Your brand's primary color. Applied to buttons, links, and accents.                                 |
| **Welcome message** | Custom text displayed on the portal login page.                                                     |

<Tip>
  Use your company logo and brand colors so the portal feels like part of your own website rather
  than a third-party tool. This builds client confidence and trust.
</Tip>

## Set up client management

Before inviting clients, ensure your client records are up to date.

<Steps>
  ### Review your client list

  Navigate to **Settings > Portal > Clients** to see all clients who have portal access or pending invitations.

  ### Add client records

  If you have existing clients who are not yet in the system, add them through the main platform's passenger or owner management before sending portal invitations.

  ### Assign client roles

  Each portal user needs a role:

  * **Owner** -- for aircraft owners and shareholders
  * **Charter Client** -- for clients who book charter flights
  * **Customer** -- for FBO customers
</Steps>

## Test the portal

Before inviting real clients, verify the portal works correctly:

1. Send a test invitation to your own email address.
2. Click the magic link to sign in.
3. Verify the dashboard loads with your branding.
4. Submit a test trip request and confirm it appears in your operations queue.
5. Check that messaging works in both directions.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Portal Overview" href="/en/tutorials/portal-overview">
    Understand the portal's purpose and capabilities.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage Portal Branding" href="/en/how-to/portal/manage-portal-branding">
    Customize logos, colors, and welcome messages.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Send a Portal Invite" href="/en/how-to/portal/send-portal-invite">
    Invite your first client to the portal.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configure Portal Settings" href="/en/how-to/admin/configure-portal-settings">
    Advanced portal configuration in workspace settings.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>