Create Customer Account
The Customer Account Creation feature enables platform administrators to invite external customers to join the system. Once invited, customers can register, access shared resources, and begin collaboration.
Customer accounts are managed from the Invite Business icon in the navigation menu or from Site Settings › Company › External Connections. Both entry points open the same Connect external business workflow. Administrators complete the connection details, and customers finish registration through a secure email link when Invite by email is selected.
Quick Check - Before You Start
- Have the customer’s business name and correct, active email address ready for invitations, or their registered name/email when linking an existing portal business
- Decide whether the customer is new to the platform (invitation via Invite Business) or already registered (link via External Connections)
- Choose Customer (not Supplier) as the connection type so the correct portal profile and registration flow are used
Steps to Invite a Customer
When you add a customer through the Invite Business icon, you complete the Connect external business pop-up — the same process for entering connection details as Site Settings › Company › External Connections › Connect business.
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Click the Invite Business icon in the lower-left corner of the page.  |
| 2 | On Type, choose Customer as the connection type, select Create new or Link existing, and enter the Business name. See Connection type. |
| 3 | On Portal access, choose Invite by email, Link existing portal business, or PLM only as required. See Portal access. |
| 4 | If portal access applies, choose a Profile template (for example B2B Buyer or Full Customer Portal) or tick Use custom role instead. See Profile templates. |
| 5 | On Review, confirm the summary, optionally tick Enable immediately, then confirm to create the connection and send the invitation where applicable. |
Same workflow as External Connections
The Invite Business icon and Site Settings › Company › External Connections › Connect business open the same Connect external business workflow. For field definitions, profile templates, connection statuses, and administrator actions such as Resend invite, see Site Settings › Company › External Connections.
Email Requirements
When you select Invite by email on the Portal access step, ensure the email address is valid and belongs to the intended recipient. Invitations are one-time use and will expire after a set period.
What Will the Customer Do?
- The customer receives an email invitation to join the platform.
- Click the registration link, which will redirect them to the registration form.
- The customer completes the registration form, entering required information.
- Upon submission, the customer account is automatically added to the Customer List within the system.
Automated Workflow
Once registered, customers can immediately begin interacting with the system based on the profile template or custom role assigned during the Connect external business workflow. To adjust access later, open the connection in Site Settings › Company › External Connections or update the customer record in Site Settings › Company › Customer.
Related Actions
- Site Settings › Company › External Connections
- Site Settings › Company › Customer
- Site Settings › Company › Roles & Permissions
- Manage Staff Account
- Administration
- Manage Company Details
- Manage Personal Details
Troubleshooting
Why didn’t the customer receive the invitation email?
Wrong addresses, spam filtering, or corporate mail rules can block the message before it is read.
Steps to resolve:
- Re-check the email address entered on the Portal access step of the Connect external business workflow
- Ask the customer to search Spam or Junk and allowlist the sender domain if needed
- Use Resend invite in Site Settings › Company › External Connections or send a new connection from the Invite Business icon if the address was wrong or the message never arrived
The customer says the registration link is invalid—what happened?
Each invitation is one-time use and time-limited; reusing or forwarding old links often fails.
Steps to resolve:
- Use Resend invite in Site Settings › Company › External Connections or create a new customer connection from the Invite Business icon
- Ask the customer to open the link in the same browser session without sharing it to others first
- Confirm they are completing customer registration, not supplier signup, if multiple invite types exist in your process
The customer registered but we cannot find them in the Customer List—where should we look?
Successful submission should add them automatically; delays usually mean the flow was not finished or the wrong company context is selected.
Steps to resolve:
- Ask the customer to confirm they submitted the full registration form after clicking the link
- Refresh the Customer List or log out and back in as an admin
- Check Site Settings › Company › External Connections for the connection status (Pending or Connected) and verify you are viewing the correct customer list for your tenant; contact support if duplicates or merge issues are suspected