---
title: How to configure the portal
description: Set the public portal name, default layout, default map and data sort order, banner, footer, and navigation. Changes save as you go.
sidebar:
  label: "Configure the portal"
---

The public portal — the page visitors see when they land on your account without picking a specific map — gets its name, default layout (`List` or `Grid`), default sort order, banner, and footer from `Portal config`. Changes save automatically as you type.

## Before you start

- You need to be the account owner. Only the user with the `Owner` role can open the `Portal config` page.
- Have the copy ready: portal name, banner title and body, footer text.
- Decide between `List` and `Grid` for the default layout. Visitors can switch between them, but the default is what they see first.
- Decide how the `Maps` and `Data` pages sort when a visitor opens them. If you don't set a sort, they sort by `Title (A-Z)`.
1. **Open the Portal config page**

    In the admin sidebar, open `Global settings` > `Customisation` > `Portal config`.
    <img src="/_assets/customisation/configure-the-portal--page.png" alt="Portal Configuration page with Portal config selected under Customisation, and Portal details showing Portal name, Default layout, Default map sort and Default data sort set to Title (A-Z), Banner title, and Banner content" width="1600" height="960" />

    Portal settings page showing Portal details and Navigation sections

2. **Set the portal name and default layout**

    In `Portal details`, edit `Portal name`. The field is required. Enter the name visitors should see.

    The portal name appears in the portal's header. An empty name shows up as a blank header.

    Open the `Default layout` menu and pick one:

    - `List` — maps are shown as a vertical list.
    - `Grid` — maps are shown as cards arranged in a grid.

    The choice is the default. Visitors can switch between layouts on the portal itself.

3. **Set the default sort order**

    Open the `Default map sort` menu and pick the order for the `Maps` page.

    Open the `Default data sort` menu and pick the order for the `Data` page. It also offers `Size (smallest first)` and `Size (biggest first)`.

    The default applies to the public portal and to the signed-in `Maps` and `Data` pages. A viewer who picks a different sort keeps their own choice for the rest of the session.

4. **Edit the banner and footer**

    The banner is the prominent area at the top of the portal.

    In `Banner title`, type the headline.
    <img src="/_assets/customisation/configure-the-portal--banner-editor.png" alt="Portal details with Banner title set to Explore what MangoMap can do, and the Banner content editor with its formatting toolbar (Normal text style, link, image, YouTube, table, and horizontal rule) and the banner text" width="1600" height="960" />

    Banner content rich-text editor and its formatting toolbar

    In `Banner content`, type the body copy. The field is a rich-text editor — it supports headings, bold, italic, strike, blockquote, bullet lists, ordered lists, links, images, YouTube embeds, tables, text alignment, horizontal rules, undo, and redo.

    In `Footer`, type the text shown at the bottom of every portal page.

5. **Configure navigation**

    The `Navigation` section in the side nav holds the navigation builder for the portal's header. Toggle `Use navigation` on, then add items in the builder.

    The editor is the same builder used for a map's custom navigation menu. Every change (toggle, add, edit, drag-reorder, enable, delete) saves immediately. The portal's item-type set is a subset of the map's:

    - `Link` — an external URL.
    - `Email Link` — a pre-filled email.
    - `Modal` — a dialog with rich-text content.
    - `Terms Modal` — a terms-of-service or legal-notice dialog.

6. **Save the changes**

    The portal page saves automatically. You do not need a `Save` button. Each field shows its own save state.
    <img src="/_assets/customisation/configure-the-portal--save-states.png" alt="Portal details with a spinner at the end of Default layout while it saves, a green check at the end of Default map sort after it saved, and Error at the end of Default data sort, with the toasts Default map sort saved and Failed to save default data sort: Network Error" width="1600" height="960" />

    Save indicators: saving, saved, and failed

    If a save fails, reload the page to return to the last saved state and try again.

## Troubleshooting

**The Portal config page is blocked**

You are not the account owner. See [The Customisation menu is blocked](/docs/customisation/troubleshoot-customisation-menu-blocked).

**The portal shows a blank header**

The `Portal name` field is empty. Set it.

**A change doesn't appear on the portal**

Reload the portal page to see the latest values.

**You want to change wording that isn't on this page**

Use `Localisation` to override built-in labels. See [How to localise the text on your portal, maps, and dataset pages](/docs/customisation/localise-text).

## Related

- [Customisation menu reference](/docs/customisation/customisation-menu-reference)
- [How to set your brand logo and colours](/docs/customisation/set-brand-logo-and-colours) - the logo shown on portal pages.
- [How to localise the text on your portal, maps, and dataset pages](/docs/customisation/localise-text) - for words MangoMap controls, not your own copy.