Customer Portal Users vs Developer Accounts in Zoho Creator

 As a Zoho Creator administrator or developer, you need to create user accounts to manage access to the system. If your organization has a large number of users who need access to Zoho Creator, you can create customer portal users and developer accounts. But of course, you need to know the key differences between these account types. Developers and administrators always have a higher level of access than the end-user, because they perform a completely different set of tasks while working with the software.

As your trusted Zoho implementation partner, we decided it was best to clear up any confusion. So, here is everything you need to know about Zoho Customer Portal user accounts vs developer accounts.

What is a Customer Portal User?

Customer portal users are your end users, who will be accessing your app. Of course, the user depends on the type of app or software tool you’ve developed. If we’re talking about an app for your customers, then the end-user is the customer. However, if it’s an internal app, for example, a time-tracking tool, your user accounts will be held by your employees.

Generally, users can add new records, edit existing ones and view data in the customer portal. They can’t alter the actual function of the app at all. Rather, they can use the app for its intended purpose. For customers that could be to place orders or contact your business. For employees, it could be creating a new time record or viewing their weekly time records in a report.

What do Customer Portal users typically use the software for?

Again, this depends on the app or software tool itself. There is really no limit to the types of apps and systems you can create for your customers and employees. But, as mentioned above, user access is generally the lowest level of access. It means users can manage their own accounts or records, but can’t access anybody else’s information.

With that being said, if the tool itself is designed for collaboration, users may also be able to share information through the portal.

 

How to create a Customer Portal User in Zoho Creator

To create a customer portal user, you need to:

·        Go to the User Management page and click on the Add New User button.

·        Enter the username and password for your customer portal user (these credentials will be used by the customer to log in). You can also enable two-factor authentication if required.

·        Enter an email address for this user so they can receive emails related to their account status or any other important information about their usage.

 

After completing these steps successfully, click on the Create button at the bottom right corner of pop-up window, and you’re done.

 

What is a Developer Account?

Developer accounts are for developers who want to create custom apps or add-ons for their customers. They have full access to the application and can create, modify, and delete objects in Zoho Creator. They can also add and remove users from the Developer account. Basically, it’s a higher level of access because a Zoho Creator developer is trusted to perform a wider range of duties within the system.

 

Why do you need Developer Accounts in Zoho Creator?

It’s important for developers and Zohoimplementation partners to have a higher level of access to Zoho Creator. This is mostly because they are skilled in developing apps, as well as editing and modifying apps. Developers may be an external company building software on your behalf, or it could be an in-house team of professionals you hire to build systems and apps for you.

 

Developers can:

·        Create, edit and delete user accounts.

·        Manage users' access to various modules and features.

·        Manage user roles.

·        Manage user permissions (create, update or delete).

·        Create and edit new apps

 

How to create a Developer Account in Zoho Creator

It’s quite easy to create a developer account, provided you have the appropriate permissions to do so. Usually, only an administrator or another developer can create developer accounts.

 

To create a developer account:

 

Visit the 'Admin' tab and click on 'Add Developer.' You can also access this option by clicking on the Add Developer option in the Zoho Creator menu. Once you are done with creating your developer account, it will be shown as an option under your name in the top left corner of your screen.

 

Do you need experienced Zoho Creator developers?

A Zoho Creator developer can work closely with you to generate apps and systems to help your business. Whether you need a customer portal, an app for customers, or even internal systems, we can help. Working in the Zoho ecosystem also means that your newly developed apps and tools will integrate seamlessly into Zoho CRM and other products.  So, if your business can benefit from automating processes and making it easy for customers to deal with you, contactus today and start the conversation.