This article explains how to configure your account in order to disable the use of customer apps entirely. In this case, your customers can only engage with you through email. If you follow the steps in this article, customers will not receive an invitation to the portal, and will not be able to use the portal or any other apps you disable. 

In other words, if you only want customers to create tickets only through email and receive status/progress updates only through email, follow the steps below.

Disable the notifications and customer applications

In a new account, there are a few out-of-the-box automations and automated messages you will need to turn off so that a customer does not receive invitations or notifications concerning the customer apps.

Step 1: Configure or disable the customer notifications

Email Templates are emails that run on automations.

Go to Administration > Automations Locate the automation ‘A02.’ This automation sends a message to the customer thanking them for submitting a ticket and inviting them to see it in the portal. There are two options here. Either you can turn off the automation completely, or if you want to still use the automation, you can remove the text about the portal

To turn off the automation:

Toggle off the automation, or delete it by selecting the trash icon. 

To configure the message:

Select ‘Edit this automation’, the pencil icon next to the trash icon. Click on the green bubble ‘action’. You will see the email template text. Remove the text about the portal (see below).

Note: There is an automation called ‘A01.’ The automation sends a notice to the account owner but it is turned off by default. If you decide to use it however, you should configure this message as well, as it mentions the portal. 

Step 2: Disable System Emails

Go to Administration > Emails > scroll down to System Emails. There are two automations (see below) one that invites a customer to create a portal account whenever the new customer is created, and another that notifies a customer when their account is created. You should turn off these emails. Toggle off the deactivate button. 

Step 3: Disable or delete the apps

Go to Administration > Customer Apps.

Here you can disable or delete any or all customer applications. To disable, toggle off the button under ‘Enabled.’ To delete an app, select the trash icon next to the desired app(s). 

Note: If you ever change your mind you can always create a new app. If you delete an app rather than disable it, any appearance changes or other configurations you may have made to the app will be gone and need to be re-created. Of course, you would also need to reactive or recreate the emails.

Related Articles

• Modify & Creating Email Templates
• Workflow Automations: Create Items Automatically 
• Create, Disable, or Delete Customer Apps