In Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Salesforce Portal License is pivotal in enhancing customer, partner, and employee engagement.
This article aims to provide a detailed understanding of the Salesforce Portal License, its key features, benefits, and how it can be effectively utilized for your business.
Understanding Salesforce Portal License
Salesforce Portal Licenses provide specific access to your Salesforce environment for users who don’t require full access.
These licenses are typically used for external users and come in several types, each with its permissions and restrictions.
Legacy Portal Licenses
Legacy Portal Licenses include Gold Partner, Customer Portal Manager Standard, and Customer Portal Manager Custom. These licenses are no longer sold because Partner Portals and Customer Portals are no longer available for orgs that aren’t currently using them. Instead, Salesforce recommends using Experience Cloud sites.
Partner Portal User Licenses
Partner Portal users have the Gold Partner user license. They can only access Salesforce using the partner portal. Once orders are enabled, standard profiles automatically include all object permissions for orders and read access for products and price books.
Customer Portal User Licenses
Users of a Customer Portal site have the Customer Portal Manager Standard license. It allows contacts to log in to your Customer Portal to manage customer support. Users with this license can:
- View contacts, price books, and products.
- View and edit accounts and cases.
- Create and edit assets.
- Create, view, edit, and delete custom objects.
- Access custom objects depending on their permissions.
- Receive the “Portal Super User” permission.
- Access Salesforce CRM Content if they have a Salesforce CRM Content feature license or the appropriate permissions.
The Overage Customer Portal Manager Standard license is the same as the Customer Portal Manager Standard license, except that users are limited to one login per month.
Customer Portal—Enterprise Administration User Licenses
Customer Portal—Enterprise Administration users have the Customer Portal Manager Custom license. This license gives contacts unlimited logins to your Salesforce Customer Portal to manage customer support. Users with this license can:
- Create, read, or update accounts, assets, and cases.
- View contacts.
- View custom objects and run reports depending on their permissions.
- Receive the “Portal Super User” and “Delegated External User Administrator” permissions.
- Access Salesforce CRM Content if they have a Salesforce CRM Content feature license or the appropriate permissions.
The Overage Customer Portal Manager Custom license is the same as the Customer Portal Manager Custom license, except that users don’t have unlimited logins.
Comparison of Portal Licenses
Here is a comparison of the equivalent current communities licenses for legacy portal licenses:
| License Name | Best Used For | Comparable Portal License |
|---|---|---|
| External Apps | Custom digital experiences to engage any external stakeholder, including Brand Engagement and Customer Loyalty. Limited access to CRM objects. The External Apps license can be used with person accounts. | High Volume Customer Portal, Service Cloud Portal, Authenticated Sites Portal |
| Customer Community | Business-to-business experiences that need access to sales data, such as partner relationship management. The Partner Community can’t be used with person accounts. | High Volume Customer Portal, Service Cloud Portal, Authenticated Sites Portal |
| Customer Community Plus | Business-to-consumer experiences with external users who need access to reports, dashboards, and standard sharing. The Customer Community Plus can be used with person accounts. | Customer Portal — Enterprise Administration, Customer Portal Manager Standard, Customer Portal Manager Custom |
| Partner Community | Business-to-business sites and portals that calculate their usage based on the number of partners instead of individual users. | Gold Partner |
| Channel Account | Business-to-business sites and portals that calculate their usage based on the number of partners instead of the number of individual users. | Gold Partner |
FAQ
What is a Salesforce Portal License?
Salesforce Portal Licenses provide specific access to your Salesforce environment for users who don’t require full access. These licenses are typically used for external users and come in several types, each with its permissions and restrictions.
What are Legacy Portal Licenses?
Legacy Portal Licenses include Gold Partner, Customer Portal Manager Standard, and Customer Portal Manager Custom. These licenses are no longer sold because Partner Portals and Customer Portals are no longer available for orgs that aren’t currently using them. Instead, Salesforce recommends using Experience Cloud sites.
What is a Partner Portal User License?
Partner Portal users have the Gold Partner user license. They can only access Salesforce using the partner portal.
What is a Customer Portal User License?
Users of a Customer Portal site have the Customer Portal Manager Standard license. It allows contacts to log in to your Customer Portal to manage customer support.
What is a Customer Portal—Enterprise Administration User License?
Customer Portal—Enterprise Administration users have the Customer Portal Manager Custom license. This license gives contacts unlimited logins to your Salesforce Customer Portal to manage customer support.
What are the equivalent current communities licenses for legacy portal licenses?
The equivalent current communities licenses for legacy portal licenses include External Apps, Customer Community, Customer Community Plus, Partner Community, and Channel Account.
Conclusion
Understanding Salesforce Portal Licenses is crucial for businesses to leverage the Salesforce platform’s capabilities fully. Whether you’re dealing with legacy licenses or the newer community licenses, it’s essential to understand the features and limitations of each to make the most out of your Salesforce experience.
Always remember to consider the features and costs before making a decision. Salesforce’s flexibility in allowing you to switch between different licenses ensures you can adapt as your business needs change.
