Creating Your First Portal

Welcome to Huddle! This guide will walk you through creating your first portal from scratch. By the end of this tutorial, you'll have a functional portal ready to share with your users.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

• A Huddle account with portal creation permissions
• Access to at least one Smartsheet workspace
• Your portal content and branding assets ready

Step 1: Access the Portal Builder

1. Log in to your Huddle account
2. Navigate to the Portals section in the main menu
3. Click the Create New Portal button

Step 2: Configure Basic Settings

In the portal creation wizard, you'll need to configure:

Portal Name and URL

• Portal Name: Choose a descriptive name (e.g., "Customer Support Portal")
• URL Slug: This creates your portal's web address (e.g., support.yourcompany.huddle.ai)
• Description: Add a brief description for internal reference

Access Settings

• Public: Anyone can view the portal
• Authenticated: Users must log in to access
• Invite Only: Only invited users can access

Step 3: Design Your Home Page

The visual page builder makes it easy to create professional layouts:

1. Add a Row Widget: Start with a row to create your page structure
2. Add Column Widgets: Divide your row into columns (e.g., 2-column, 3-column layouts)
3. Insert Content Widgets: Drag and drop widgets into your columns:
   • Hero Widget for impactful headers
   • Text Widget for content
   • Button Widget for calls-to-action
   • Image Widget for visuals

Step 4: Connect Your Data

Make your portal dynamic by connecting to Smartsheet:

1. Click on any data widget (List, Table, or Detail Widget)
2. Select Configure Data Source
3. Choose your Smartsheet workspace and sheet
4. Map the columns you want to display
5. Set up filters and sorting options

Step 5: Set Up Navigation

Create a user-friendly navigation structure:

1. Go to Portal Settings → Navigation
2. Add menu items for your main sections
3. Create sub-pages as needed
4. Configure breadcrumbs for easy navigation

Step 6: Apply Your Branding

Make the portal match your brand:

• Upload your logo in Portal Settings → Branding
• Set your brand colors (primary, secondary, accent)
• Choose fonts that match your brand guidelines
• Add a favicon for browser tabs

Step 7: Preview and Test

Before going live, thoroughly test your portal:

1. Use the Preview button to see your portal as users will
2. Test on different devices (desktop, tablet, mobile)
3. Check all links and navigation paths
4. Verify data is displaying correctly
5. Test user permissions with different roles

Step 8: Publish Your Portal

When you're ready to go live:

1. Click the Publish button in the top toolbar
2. Choose immediate publishing or schedule for later
3. Share the portal URL with your users
4. Monitor usage through the analytics dashboard

Next Steps

Congratulations on creating your first portal! Here's what to explore next:

• Understanding Widgets - Deep dive into all available widgets
• User Management - Set up roles and permissions
• Creating Forms - Add interactive forms to collect data
• Advanced Theming - Customize every aspect of your portal's appearance

Common Questions

Can I change my portal URL after publishing?

Yes, you can update your portal URL in Portal Settings. Note that this will break any existing bookmarks, so communicate the change to your users.

How many pages can I add to a portal?

There's no hard limit on pages. However, we recommend keeping your navigation structure simple with no more than 3-4 levels deep for the best user experience.

Can multiple people work on a portal simultaneously?

Yes! Huddle supports collaborative editing. You'll see avatars of other editors and their changes in real-time.