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What is a Portal template?

A Portal template is a Caseflow template that renders an entire application page without being bound to a single primary object. Unlike Create, Update, and Preview Pane templates — which all render one specific object — a Portal template runs in application context and is free to compose searches, transient inputs, and aliased related objects however it likes. Typical use cases:
  • Landing dashboards — a curated entry view for an application that lists open cases, recent documents, and key actions
  • Search workbenches — an input form that drives one or more ObjectSearch / DocumentSearch panels
  • Deeplink targets — pages a user lands on from an external link (e.g. an email) that pre-populates inputs from URL query parameters

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How they differ from other template types

AspectCreate / Update / Preview PanePortal
Bound to a single objectYesNo
Has a primary {{stock.objectid}}YesNo ({{stock.*}} is unavailable)
Available scopeObject attributes, stock, user, aliasesUser context, transient (_*) fields, aliases
Persists changes via SaveButtonYesNo — there is no primary object to save
Selected by class + typeYesSelected by application + portal name

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Routing

Portal templates are reached at the route /caseflow/portal/{appId}/{portalName}. The portalName matches the template’s configured name in administration.

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Available scope

Inside a Portal template you can use:
  • User context — {{user.id}}, {{user.username}}, {{user.realName}}, {{user.emailAddress}}
  • Transient fields — any _-prefixed attribute name (see Transient fields)
  • Alias scopes — registered via <RelatedObject alias="..."> when a related object lookup makes sense in context
  • Render-time globals — ${today}, ${now} in actions
{{stock.*}} and class-bound {{AttributeName}} references are not available, because there is no primary object. Portal templates accept URL query parameters that are written into the transient store before the template renders. This lets external systems (or your own bookmarks) prefill search inputs and trigger an immediate search.

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Convention

Use _-prefixed parameter names so the values land in transient fields and never accidentally persist: 
/caseflow/portal/12/customer-lookup?_cpr=1212121212&_year=2026
Inside the template, those values are then available: 
<EditableField attributeName="_cpr" label="CPR" type="text" />
<EditableField attributeName="_year" label="Year" type="number" />

<ObjectSearch
  queryKey="customer-results"
  config='{
    "className": "Customer",
    "displayColumns": [
      {"dottedName": "Name"},
      {"dottedName": "CPR"},
      {"dottedName": "Year"}
    ],
    "constraints": [
      {"dottedName": "CPR", "operator": "=", "value": "{{_cpr}}"},
      {"dottedName": "Year", "operator": "=", "value": "{{_year}}"}
    ]
  }'
  display="table"
/>
When the user lands on the page from a deeplink, the inputs are populated and the ObjectSearch runs immediately because its constraints already resolve.

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Cascading queries

Because transient inputs feed ObjectSearch constraints through {{...}} interpolation, chained searches naturally cascade: change the input, the dependent search re-runs. 
<EditableField attributeName="_customerId" label="Customer ID" />

<ObjectSearch
  queryKey="customer-cases"
  config='{
    "className": "Case",
    "constraints": [
      {"dottedName": "CustomerRelation", "operator": "=", "value": "{{_customerId}}"}
    ],
    "displayColumns": [{"dottedName": "CaseId"}, {"dottedName": "Status"}]
  }'
  display="table"
  editable="true"
/>

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Suppressing the default submit

Portal templates almost always need a custom submit experience — a dedicated “Search” button, a multi-action toolbar, or no submit at all. Add the directive at the top of the template: 
<!-- workview:hideDefaultSubmit -->
See Template directives.

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Example: search workbench portal

<!-- workview:hideDefaultSubmit -->
<div class="container mx-auto p-6 space-y-6">
  <header class="space-y-1">
    <h1 class="text-2xl font-semibold">Customer lookup</h1>
    <p class="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
      Hello {{user.realName}} — search the customer book by CPR or name.
    </p>
  </header>

  <div class="grid grid-cols-2 gap-4">
    <EditableField attributeName="_cpr" label="CPR" placeholder="10 digits" />
    <EditableField attributeName="_name" label="Name (partial match)" />
  </div>

  <ObjectSearch
    queryKey="customer-search"
    config='{
      "className": "Customer",
      "displayColumns": [
        {"dottedName": "Name"},
        {"dottedName": "CPR"},
        {"dottedName": "Email"}
      ],
      "constraints": [
        {"dottedName": "CPR", "operator": "=", "value": "{{_cpr}}"},
        {"dottedName": "Name", "operator": "like", "value": "{{_name}}"}
      ],
      "sorting": [{"dottedName": "Name", "direction": "asc"}]
    }'
    display="table"
  />
</div>

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Administration

Portal templates are administered alongside Create / Update / Preview Pane templates. See Template administration. Key points:
  • A Portal template is associated with an application, not a class
  • Multiple portals can be defined per application — addressed by name in the URL
  • Group-based access control applies the same way as for object-bound templates

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Best practices

  • Always include <!-- workview:hideDefaultSubmit --> unless you genuinely want the default submit button (which has nothing to save in portal context).
  • Prefix all input fields with _ so they live in transient state and cannot leak into a save attempt.
  • Set explicit queryKey values on every search so refresh actions have a target.
  • Validate URL inputs in the template (regex on EditableField) — deeplinks can carry anything.
  • Keep the portal narrow in scope — one job per portal. Use the application landing page for an overview and link out to focused portals for specific tasks.

Templates and syntax

Variable resolution, conditionals, loops, scope model, and the directive reference shared by all template types.

State, persistence, and caching

Transient fields, query caching, and refresh patterns — all heavily used in Portal templates.