What it is and How it Works

What it is and How it Works

ZPortals is a WordPress plugin so it has to be installed on a WordPress website. If your website is currently built on another CMS/platform we recommend installing WordPress on a subdomain to run the portal. Once installed, the plugin will need to be connected to each Zoho App that you intend to grant user access to. These connections are handled via Zoho’s API version 2.0 and will give the plugin the necessary permissions to access data from that app to display in the portal. The plugin itself does not store any data from Zoho, everything is either retrieved or pushed back into Zoho in real time and transmitted through TLS encryption. 

Planning for Your Portal

Just like any other project, it is important to plan out your needs and expectations to help you ensure a smoother setup process.  As part of your ZPortals subscription you get a complimentary configuration session with our team, where we can get the basics of ZPortals implemented. The session will take place over a screenshare so we ask you to be logged in to the WordPress admin and the paid Zoho account (with API admin access) that will be connected to the portal.

Here is a short guide to help you plan out your Portal project. 

1. Decide if you want your portal to be on your main domain or a sub domain.  (Domain vs Sub Domain)
2. Decide if you need an Account Based, Vendor Based or Contact Based portal. (Account Based vs Contact Based Portal Types)
3. Take an overview of your data relationships and ask yourself the following questions:  (Learn more about Data Relationships)
  1. Who will be logging in?
    1. Will this be a client, partner, or some other type of user?
    2. Do you have more than one type that need to see different pieces of information?
  1. What data do you want them to see?
    1. What modules are you going to enable as menus?
    2. In those modules, what fields do they need to see?
  1. What do you want them to be able to do?
    1. What fields in the modules you show do you want them to edit?
    2. Will they need to upload documents or receive documents from you?
    3. Do you want them to see and/or pay invoices?
    4. Do you want them to submit tickets instead of just using email?
    5. Do you want them to be able to chat with you live?
    6. What forms would they need to fill out?
    7. Do you have any additional Zoho apps you want to bring into your portal possibly as embeds i.e, Zoho Bookings or Analytics?
  1. Determine which plan you need. 
    1. How many users will be invited and what would you like that process to look like?
    2. Is usage seasonal, i.e., tax filing or travel seasons with spikes and dips in number of active?
    3. Realistically of the users invited, how many will register and use the portal regularly?

Here is a short list of components needed to successfully install and run the ZPortals Plugin:


Required Components - We recommend configuring the following items in order:

       Obtain a License Key by subscribing here
       Paid Version of Zoho CRM (Zoho One, Standard, Professional, Ultimate, CRM Plus)
       WordPress 5.7 and PHP 7.4 or higher
       Connect all your Zoho Apps, learn more about that here
       Install the Zoho CRM Extension here

Optional Components:


       Improve Email deliverability. Learn more here.

You’ve got the basics down, let’s login to the WordPress admin and configure the plugin!

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