--- sourceDocument: Australia ServiceNow AI Platform user interface sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/platform-user-interface Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia ServiceNow AI Platform user interface ft:clusterId : - platux bundleId : - platux workflow : - Platform --- # Configuring Service Portal # Configuring Service Portal {#ariaid-title1} * Release version: Australia * * Updated April 27, 2026 * * ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read Plan and set up a self-service portal for your employees or customers. ## Configuration overview {#configuring-service-portal__section_overview} This workflow provides a high-level overview for configuring a portal. However, there may be use cases where performing these steps in a different order is preferred. 1. [Upgrade Service Portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Y~wroB7Hp49UoQNe53LU4w "After upgrading a ServiceNow instance from a previous release, you might need to perform additional tasks to take advantage of new or updated functionality in Service Portal.") If you upgraded from a previous release, you may have to perform additional tasks to take advantage of new or updated functionality in Service Portal. 2. [Create a portal or update a base system portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/M5XzWPpysYIiXDb1PefOCg "Create a portal for users to browse company resources, discover articles, and get help.") A portal is the engine that houses all the references to content for your site. The portal record defines the URL extension for a site, as well as things like the knowledge base, catalog, and homepage. You can also use the portal record to define the header menu and the portal branding. You can create a portal or update an existing base system portal to suit your needs. 3. [Configure portal branding](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/GgVKO~bkgTjHweInqo__hg "Use Branding Editor to give your portal its own look and feel.") With the Branding Editor, you can configure the styles and theme of your portal in a view with real-time updates. You can see how your portal appears to users. More advanced users still have the option of creating CSS style sheets for the portal theme. However, they won't take advantage of the real-time update that the Branding Editor provides. Changes made in the Branding Editor or to specific components of the portal (such as a widget or a page container) override any customizations made to the theme. If you need more customization than what the Branding Editor can provide, see [Create a portal theme](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/O0W7JKo8EioH0CYtUZSTnQ "If you need more customizations than the Branding Editor can provide, you can create your own custom theme."). 4. [Create new pages or update base system pages](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/TbkBNc0cMK18ri_uRZxb5Q#t_ConfigureAPage "Create or edit a page and use layouts to organize the columns that house the widgets.") and [configure widgets](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ZTiLLLpxS30LzmnC96BA5w "Widgets are what define the content of your portal pages. You can use the base system widgets provided with Service Portal, clone and modify widgets, or develop custom widgets to fit your own needs.") Pages are the centerpiece of the end-user experience. Page definitions not only control the layout of the content, they craft the experience for the user. Pages also help define mobile responsiveness, which is a key component in the user experience. Use any existing base system pages as an example for your own creation or create new pages from scratch. Widgets are what define the content of your pages. You can use the base system widgets provided with Service Portal to get started configuring pages. 5. [Configure search in a portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ZmQkMke8jkwAU7tQw4PoJw "Service Portal displays search results data within a widget on the search page. To make data searchable from Service Portal, you can fetch data from a single table within your ServiceNow instance, from multiple ServiceNow tables, or from an external site.") Search data displays within a widget on the search page. To make data searchable from a portal, create a search source that fetches data from a single table within your instance, from multiple tables, or from an external site. Enable AI Search to take advantage of intelligent query features and quickly find the answers they need. 6. [Manage access to a portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/dAJfeqGRPlmhlBSpfjcL_g "Control user access to a portal.") Manage who can access your portal by making pages public, configuring user logins and single sign-on, limiting page access by role, or enabling multi-factor authentication. You can also use advanced user criteria for access to pages, widgets, and more. {#configuring-service-portal__ol_lcw_mtz_kwb} ## Common portal configurations {#configuring-service-portal__example_hzx_qjv_s1c} The following video shows examples of common portal configurations. * **[Upgrading Service Portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/Y~wroB7Hp49UoQNe53LU4w)** After upgrading a ServiceNow instance from a previous release, you might need to perform additional tasks to take advantage of new or updated functionality in Service Portal. * **[Create a portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/M5XzWPpysYIiXDb1PefOCg)** Create a portal for users to browse company resources, discover articles, and get help. * **[Defining portal styles](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/GiKsk_YsucpCA9zTYShoJg)** Pages are made up of containers, columns, rows, widgets, and widget instances. You can configure the CSS of each component, or use the CSS defined in theme and branding as global definitions for the portal. If you do not define CSS in theme or branding, Bootstrap defaults are used. * **[Creating portal pages](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/sE81MCmoI8o~7oGXtQpSWA)** Use pages to organize content, ensure responsive mobile optimization, and design meaningful portal user experiences for your customers. A page houses containers and rows, which then contain widgets. By manipulating the layout of the page, and the widgets within it, you can construct your desired user experience. * **[Configure Service Portal Approval Configuration record](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/8ZJIx9QRMxnFTz3~Q7tZgQ)** Configure the Service Portal Approval Configuration record to make the Approval assistance AI agent and Approval Info Record widget work better for your specific use case. * **[Using portal widgets](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ZTiLLLpxS30LzmnC96BA5w)** Widgets are what define the content of your portal pages. You can use the base system widgets provided with Service Portal, clone and modify widgets, or develop custom widgets to fit your own needs. * **[Configuring search in a portal](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/ZmQkMke8jkwAU7tQw4PoJw)** Service Portal displays search results data within a widget on the search page. To make data searchable from Service Portal, you can fetch data from a single table within your ServiceNow instance, from multiple ServiceNow tables, or from an external site. * **[Managing portal access](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/dAJfeqGRPlmhlBSpfjcL_g)** Control user access to a portal.