# Customer Portal (Read-Only Links for Customers)

## What is it?

The customer portal is a shareable link that lets a customer view the status
of **one** project **without logging in** and without their own account. The
customer sees a read-only overview: project status, test sequences with their
respective progress, and **approved** reports available for download. They
can't change anything and can't see anything other than the project the link
was issued for.

A link is bound to exactly one project. It contains a secret (the token in
the address) — whoever has the link gets to the project overview. Share it
only with the intended customer.

## How to use it

- **Creating one:** On the **project detail page**, the _Client portal_
  button in the action bar → _New link_. The project is already fixed there —
  just give it a label (e.g., the customer's name) and optionally an
  expiration date. After creation, the **full link is shown exactly once** —
  copy it immediately. Afterwards, only a prefix remains visible for
  recognition; the link itself can't be retrieved again.
- **Sharing:** Send the customer the copied link (e.g., by email). They open
  it in their browser and immediately see the project overview — no login.
- **What the customer sees:** Project name and status, all test sequences
  with status and counters (passed / failed / running), and **approved**
  reports as PDFs. A report only appears once an admin has approved it
  electronically in the report list (see `berichte`) — approved interim
  reports included, marked as "Zwischenbericht". Completed but not yet
  approved reports are internal drafts and can be reached neither via the list
  nor via a direct link.
- **Revoking:** In the same dialog on the project detail page, _Revoke_ a
  link. It becomes invalid immediately; the customer can no longer open the
  project with it. The entry stays visible for traceability.
- **Expiration:** With an expiration date, the link automatically becomes
  invalid after that date — useful for time-limited access.
- **Monitoring:** Each link shows when it was last opened, so you can tell
  whether the customer has used it yet. The link list is per project; there
  is no organization-wide overview of all links across all projects — each
  project manages its own links on its own detail page.

## Common issues

- **"The customer reports: _Link invalid_."** The link was revoked, has
  expired, or was copied incorrectly/incompletely. Check its status in the
  list and issue a new link if needed.
- **"The customer doesn't see any reports."** Only **approved** reports
  appear in the portal. Check in the report list whether the report is
  completed and shows "Approved"; otherwise click "Approve" (admin/owner).
- **"The customer sees 'Project unavailable'."** The linked project was
  deleted. Issue a link for an existing project.
- **"I lost the link."** For security reasons, the full link isn't stored
  anywhere and can't be shown again. Revoke the old link and create a new
  one.
- **"Can a customer see other projects via the link?"** No. A link opens only
  the one project it was issued for; tenant and project isolation apply here
  too at the database level.
- **"Who can create links?"** Only administrators (permission _manage
  organization_). Issuing a link means sharing project data externally — that
  is deliberately not a casual action.

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Source: https://www.testlabiq.com/en/help/customer-portal