External Resources Settings - MSPortal.ai Documentation

External resources are links to other web tools, such as IT Glue, a vendor portal or a knowledge base. MSPortal can show them inside the portal or open them in a new tab. This page is for MSP staff. Manage them in Settings > Dashboards on the External Dashboards tab. The older External Resources address opens that tab.

Before you start

You need Dashboards settings access. Adding, editing and checking resources needs write or manage access.
The destination must be an HTTPS URL.
Company users open resources their IT provider makes available. They do not manage this list.
A resource has no category. Use a clear name and description instead.

Configure external dashboards

Create or edit a resource, choose company roles and review sidebar and embedding controls.

Assign Company URLs

Give each company its own destination and import or export them with CSV.

Open an external dashboard

Company scope, external sign-in and Open in New Tab.

Dashboard settings

Configure internal dashboards separately.

Add an external resource

Open External Dashboards

Go to Settings > Dashboards and click External Dashboards. Wait for the table to load. It shows Name, URL, Roles, Frame Policy, Status and Actions.

Click Add External Item

Click Add External Item in the page header. The Add External Item dialog opens.

Fill in the form

Enter a Name and a URL that starts with https://. Optionally add a Description, an Icon (PNG or JPEG), a Display Order and Company Roles (Access Control). Leave the roles empty to allow all roles, or pick roles to limit access. The URL here is used by MSP staff only.

Choose navigation options

Turn Active on to make the resource available. Turn Pin to Sidebar on to show it in the main sidebar, and set a short Sidebar Label if the name is long.

Create

Click Create. A toast says External item created successfully. Cancel closes the form without saving. An icon uploads as soon as you choose it, even if you cancel the form.

Give companies access with Company URLs

Companies see a resource only when it has a URL assigned to them. They always open their own URL, never the default one.

Open Company URLs

On the External Dashboards table, open the row’s menu and click Company URLs. The Company-Specific URLs dialog opens.

Add a URL

Under Add Manually, pick a Company, enter its URL and click Add Company URL. A toast says Company URL saved. To add many at once, use Import from CSV.

Review and close

The Assigned URLs list shows what is saved. Export CSV downloads the current list or all companies. Click Close.

Each add, edit and remove saves on its own. Closing the dialog does not undo them.

Check embedding

Some sites refuse to appear inside another page. Test this before you pin a resource.

Start the check

Open the row’s menu and click Check Frame Policy. To test every resource, click Check All Policies in the page header. The toast says Policy check started.

Read the result

The Frame Policy column shows Allowed, Blocked or Not checked. The result applies to the default URL. It does not prove every Company URL works.

If it is blocked

Users can open the resource with Open in New Tab. If the automatic check cannot reach the URL, for example because the site limits access by IP address, use Force Allow Embedding from the row menu and confirm. The resource is then embedded even when the check says blocked. This cannot get around the provider’s own browser security or sign-in rules.

Manage resources

Action	Where	Result
Edit	Row menu Edit	Opens the form. Click Update to save
Default	Set as Default or Remove Default	Makes it the default dashboard, or removes that
Sidebar	Pin to Sidebar or Unpin from Sidebar	Shows or hides it in the main navigation at once
Turn on or off	Select rows, then Enable or Disable	Changes Status for the selected resources
Change roles for many	Select rows, then Edit Permissions	Replaces the roles on every selected resource
Delete	Row menu Delete, or select rows and Delete	Removes it for every user after you confirm. This cannot be undone

Leaving the roles empty means no company-role limit. It does not make a resource MSP-only. Portal access also does not give a user access inside the external service.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
Add External Item or Check All Policies is disabled	You need write or manage access to Dashboards settings
The form will not save	The Name and URL are required, and the URL must start with `https://`
A company cannot see a resource	Add a Company URL for that company, and check the resource’s roles and Status
The resource shows Blocked	Use Open in New Tab, or Force Allow Embedding if the check could not reach the site
The icon upload failed	Upload a PNG or JPEG image

Frequently asked questions

Where did External Resources settings go?

They are now on Settings > Dashboards, on the External Dashboards tab. The old address redirects there.

Where is the category selector?

There is none. Use a clear name and description.

Does the default URL give every company access?

No. A company needs its own Company URL. The default is not a fallback.

Does leaving roles empty make a resource internal?

No. It means all roles can open it. Pick roles to limit access.

Does closing Company URLs discard my changes?

No. Each change saves as you make it.

Can Force Allow Embedding bypass a provider's security?

No. Browser limits and the provider’s sign-in still apply. Use Open in New Tab if embedding does not work.