This article covers common AODocs Portal configurations, from simple file sharing to complex document request workflows with AI-powered extraction.

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How configuration translates to the portal

The diagram below shows how your AODocs configuration translates to what the external user sees in the portal. Permissions on each document determine whether the user can view, upload, or has no access.

The scenarios below show how to configure specific portal behaviors using these building blocks.

Scenario 1: Share documents for viewing only

Goal: Let external users preview and download documents without uploading anything.

How to configure

1. Add attachments directly to the portal document, OR
2. Add related documents (their attachments become visible in the portal). Learn more: Configure relations
3. Set the external user's permission to Read

Tip: Use related documents when you want a single source of truth—changes to the source document appear in all portals that reference it.

Prevent downloads while allowing preview

Enable "Prevent viewers from downloading" on the document. Learn more

Scenario 2: Request documents from external users

Goal: Create upload zones where external users can submit required documents.

How to configure

1. Create related documents with descriptive titles (e.g., "Tax Returns", "ID Verification"). Learn more: Configure relations
2. Set the external user's permission to Write on each related document
3. Each document appears as a labeled upload zone in the portal

Important: Use related documents for uploads, not the portal document itself. This ensures proper tracking and lifecycle management for each submitted document.

Scenario 3: Show submission status as a checklist

Goal: Display workflow states so users can track what's been submitted, what's pending, and what needs attention.

How to configure

1. Create a workflow with states like "Not submitted", "Submitted", "Under review", "Approved", "Incomplete"
2. Apply the workflow to your document request classes
3. Workflow states automatically display in the portal

Learn more: Create workflow states

Scenario 4: Lock documents after submission

Goal: Allow uploads initially, then make documents read-only once submitted.

How to configure

1. Create a workflow with a "Submitted" state
2. Configure the workflow transition to change permissions from Write to Read
3. Once the user submits, they can no longer modify the document

Learn more: Set workflow permissions

Scenario 5: Add a welcome message and branding

Goal: Customize the portal with instructions, your logo, and a professional welcome message.

How to configure

1. Edit the portal document's Description field
2. Add rich text, images, and HTML formatting
3. The description appears prominently in the portal

Scenario 6: Automatically extract data with AI

Goal: Use AODocs Intelligent Document Processing to extract metadata from uploaded documents automatically.

How to configure

1. Set up AODocs Intelligent Document Processing in your library
2. Configure extraction rules for your document types
3. Uploaded documents are automatically processed and metadata is extracted

Learn more: Set up AODocs Intelligent Document Processing in your library

Next steps

You've learned how to configure portals for various scenarios. Now understand how to properly grant access to external users.

Granting portal access to external users — Learn the three steps required to enable automatically and securely external users access: allowlisting, library security, and document permissions.