> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.msportal.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Configure external dashboards

> Add external dashboard links, set Company role access and manage embedding and availability.

**Audience:** MSP staff with permission to manage dashboard settings. Company users should use [Open an external dashboard](/user-guides/dashboards/open-external-dashboard).

Open **Settings > Dashboards > External Dashboards**. This is the shared external-dashboard catalog. Adding a link does not connect an API integration or grant an account in the external service.

## Create a dashboard link

<Steps>
  <Step title="Add the item">
    Wait for the external-dashboard table to load, then select **Add External Item**. Enter a clear name and an **HTTPS** default URL. Add a description that helps users identify the dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose presentation and access">
    Set **Display Order** if needed; lower values appear earlier. The optional icon accepts PNG or JPEG images. Choose the eligible **Company Roles**, or leave all unchecked for no additional Company-role restriction. This does not replace company assignment or module access.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create and verify">
    Select **Create**. Reopen the item to verify the saved URL and role selections. New items start active. For Company access, use the row’s **Company URLs** action to assign a URL to each intended company.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>Company-role selections restrict Company users, not MSP staff. They do not assign roles to users. User permissions remain managed by the MSP.</Note>

## Edit an existing item

Open its row **… > Edit**, change the fields, and select **Update**. The edit dialog also provides **Active**, **Pin to Sidebar** and an optional sidebar label. An inactive item is unavailable in the normal dashboard reader.

The default URL is for MSP global viewing. [Company URLs](/user-guides/dashboards/assign-external-dashboard-company-urls) are saved separately. After changing a URL, recheck its destination and embedding behavior; an old policy status is not proof that the new page works.

Icon uploads occur when a file is selected. Canceling the dialog does not undo that upload. Use an appropriate small icon and verify the saved result after updating it.

## Row actions

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/msportal/CuJu_16D8ZGdquKW/images/product/external-dashboard-row-menu.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=CuJu_16D8ZGdquKW&q=85&s=1db5185c9be9252cdb208efcd56737e8" alt="External dashboard actions for editing, company URLs, frame policy, defaults, sidebar pinning and deletion." width="408" height="486" data-path="images/product/external-dashboard-row-menu.png" />

The image shows MSP administration controls.

| Action                                  | Effect                                                                                                                            |
| --------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Edit**                                | Change the item; select Update to save form changes.                                                                              |
| **Company URLs**                        | Add, edit or remove company assignments, each saved immediately.                                                                  |
| **Check Frame Policy**                  | Request a background embedding check for this item’s default URL. Reopen the table later to inspect the result.                   |
| **Force Allow Embedding**               | Confirm an override of the portal’s embedding check. It cannot override restrictions enforced by the external website or browser. |
| **Remove Force Allow**                  | Remove the override and return to the stored automated policy result.                                                             |
| **Set as Default**                      | Replace the tenant’s current internal or external dashboard default. It does not grant access.                                    |
| **Remove Default**                      | Clear this default without selecting another.                                                                                     |
| **Pin to Sidebar / Unpin from Sidebar** | Add or remove the shared sidebar shortcut. Access rules still apply.                                                              |
| **Delete**                              | Open a confirmation dialog. Confirm only when you intend to remove the portal item and its company assignments.                   |

The URL link in the table opens the external destination. It is different from opening the dashboard reader inside MSPortal.

## Embedding checks

**Check Frame Policy** checks the default URL, not every company-specific URL. **Check All Policies** queues checks for active items that have not been checked; it is not a guaranteed fresh recheck of every existing result. Use the individual action when reviewing a changed URL.

* **Not checked:** no saved embedding decision.
* **Allowed:** the stored automated check permits an embedding attempt. It does not prove that every company URL loads, authentication succeeds or the service’s data is correct.
* **Blocked:** use a separate tab, or investigate the external service’s supported embedding configuration.
* **Force Allow:** the portal attempts embedding despite its automatic result. The external website can still reject it.

Test the actual intended company URL as well as the default. A provider can apply different policies or authentication to different pages.

## Bulk changes

Select only the intended rows, then use the bulk controls. **Enable** and **Disable** change availability. **Edit Permissions** replaces the selected items’ Company-role assignments; it does not merge the new selection with their previous roles. Selecting no roles removes the explicit role restriction. Verify each affected item afterward.

Bulk **Delete** asks for browser confirmation. Single-row Delete uses an in-app confirmation dialog. Deletion removes the MSPortal configuration, not the external service or its account. Disabling is useful when you want to retain the configuration for later.

## Related guides

* [Assign company URLs](/user-guides/dashboards/assign-external-dashboard-company-urls)
* [Open an external dashboard](/user-guides/dashboards/open-external-dashboard)
* [Manage internal dashboard settings](/user-guides/dashboards/manage-dashboard-settings)

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Where can an MSP add an external dashboard?">
    Use Settings > Dashboards > External Dashboards > Add External Item.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does creating an external dashboard configure an API integration?">
    No. It creates a portal link or embedded view. Configure API integrations separately when needed.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which URL format is accepted?">
    Use a valid HTTPS URL for the default and company-specific destinations.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What does selecting no Company Roles mean?">
    No additional Company-role restriction. The item still needs active status, applicable access and company URL assignments for Company use.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do Company Roles restrict MSP staff?">
    The external dashboard’s Company-role selections gate Company users; they do not assign or restrict MSP staff roles.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Why should I reopen the item after saving?">
    Verify the actual saved URL, role choices and availability before relying on the configuration or sharing it with users.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can a Company Admin configure these settings?">
    These are MSP administration tasks. Company users should ask their MSP to change dashboard configuration or user permissions.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Check All Policies recheck every dashboard?">
    It queues active items that have not been checked. Use the individual Check Frame Policy action when a saved result needs review.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are company-specific URLs included in the frame check?">
    No. The check uses the item’s default URL. Verify each intended company destination separately.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Allowed prove the external dashboard works?">
    No. It permits an embedding attempt based on the saved check. Authentication, actual content and company-specific URLs still require verification.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What does Force Allow Embedding change?">
    It overrides the portal’s automated embedding decision after confirmation. It cannot bypass the external website’s browser policy or sign-in requirements.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Are row actions saved by a later page Save?">
    No. Defaults, pinning and policy actions take effect through their own actions. Edit form changes require Update; company URL changes save individually.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does setting an external default affect internal defaults?">
    Yes. Set as Default replaces the tenant’s existing internal or external dashboard default. It is not just a personal preference.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does bulk Edit Permissions add to existing roles?">
    No. It replaces the selected items’ Company-role assignments. Review the selection and each saved result.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does deleting the portal item delete the provider dashboard?">
    No. It removes the MSPortal item and its company assignments, not the external service’s account or dashboard.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does canceling an icon edit undo the upload?">
    No. Choosing an icon uploads it immediately, before Create or Update. Cancel is not an upload rollback.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between Active and pinned?">
    Active controls availability. Pinning adds a navigation shortcut and does not grant access or make an inactive item usable.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>