Customer Authentication
Manage customer logins, first-visit password setup, password resets, and account provisioning from order creation.
Customer authentication
Customers log in to the portal with their own credentials, separate from company-user accounts. When an order is created, the system provisions a customer account and sends a password-setup email automatically.
Separate identity store
Customers authenticate against a separate customer identity store. Company users cannot use a customer portal session as a substitute for company authentication. Portal access is scoped to the customer's linked contact and company.
Logging in
Customers log in with their email address and password from the branded portal login screen. After authentication, the customer is redirected to their orders.
| Login element | Customer experience |
|---|---|
| The email address linked to the customer's portal account. | |
| Password | The customer's portal password. |
| Portal shell | Company branding and company-specific context. |
| Redirect | The customer is sent to their orders after authentication. |
First-visit password setup
Customers arriving from an order-creation or sign-in link may need to set a password before viewing their order. The setup screen replaces the order view until the password is created.
The screen includes:
- A verified-email indicator
- A field for the new password
- A field to confirm the new password
- Minimum password guidance
- A Save and continue action
Receive the password-setup email
The customer receives an email with a password-setup link.
Open the setup link
The customer clicks the link in the email.
Verify the email address
The setup screen shows the customer's verified email indicator.
Create and confirm a password
The customer enters a new password and enters it again to confirm it.
Open the customer portal
After saving the password, the customer gains access to their orders.
Forgot and reset password
Customers can request a password reset from the login screen. A reset link works for 1 hour after it is requested. After that, the customer must request a new link from the login screen.
Password policy
The setup screen displays minimum password guidance while the customer creates a password. After setup, customers can change their password from the Profile page.
A customer portal password must be at least 8 characters long. There are no complexity rules: numbers, capital letters and symbols are allowed but not required. A password set through a reset link or changed from the Profile page can be at most 72 characters long.
Account provisioning from order creation
When an order is created, such as after an offer is accepted, the system match-creates a customer portal account using the contact information. The system then sends a password-setup email, and the customer can view the order after completing setup.
Customer account provisioning happens automatically when the order is created. Staff do not need to create the account or send the password-setup email manually.