to a portal is only half the job - you also need to decide how it looks and what it shows. This guide walks through the display, field, filter and view settings available on a portal's collection navigation items, so you can shape each one around what its users actually need to do.

1. Choosing a Display Type

Each collection navigation item uses one of two display types, set when you configure the item.

Table view displays records in a familiar list, similar to how collections appear in Kinabase - rows of records with fields as columns. Reach for it when users need to scan a list quickly, compare many fields at once, or rely on sorting and filtering.

Catalogue view groups records into categories shown on separate pages, with records displayed as cards or tiles. It suits product or inventory catalogues, resource libraries, or anywhere visual browsing matters more than side-by-side comparison.

When you use catalogue view, you also select a Catalogue Layout: Cards for visual tiles with featured images, or Table to show records within categories as table lists.

1. Open the item

Open your portal in Settings → Operations → Portals, go to the Structure tab, then click an existing collection item or add a new one.

2. Set the basics

Every collection item has a Name (the label shown in portal navigation), an Icon, a Data Source (the collection to display), and a Display Type (Table or Catalogue).

The rest of this guide covers the settings you'll configure from here.

3. Controlling Which Fields Appear

For each field on the collection, you decide where it's visible:

Context	Description
Table Display	Whether the field appears as a column in the table/list view
Record Details	Whether the field appears when viewing a record's full details
CSV Export	Whether the field is included when users export data to CSV

You can also make a field's visibility conditional - for example, showing a "Cost" field only to certain user types, or an "Internal Notes" field only once a record reaches a particular Workflow

Workflow

A structured process, built from Stages and Actions, that a record moves through to represent its status in a business process, such as a sales pipeline.

stage. Click the visibility settings for a field, then add conditions using the formula builder; the field only appears when they're met.

To change the order fields appear in, drag them within the table or record details configuration - put the fields users need most towards the top.

4. Filtering Which Records Appear

Two kinds of filter control what a portal user sees in a collection item.

Static filters apply fixed conditions to every user of the portal, for example Status is "Active", or Category is "Published".

User-based filters (external portals) show each user only their own records, by matching a field on this collection against a field on their user record:

In the filter configuration, add a User-Based Filter.
Select the field on this collection that links to user records.
Select the corresponding field in the user collection.
Select Current Record to match on the signed-in user's own record.

Example: in a Projects collection, filter where "Client" equals the current user's record, so each client only sees their own projects.

See our External Portals guide for the full walkthrough of user-based filters.

5. Sorting and Grouping Records

Set a default Sort Field and Sort Direction (ascending or descending) so records appear in a sensible order without the user having to set it themselves.

You can also group records by a field - useful for long lists. For date fields, select a grouping Precision (Day, Month or Year); for hierarchical data, configure additional levels so records nest under their parent group.

6. Configuring Catalogue View

Once a navigation item uses catalogue display, a few extra options appear:

Categorising Field - the field used to create categories; records are grouped by its unique values.
Catalogue Layout - Cards for visual tiles, or Table for a list format within each category.
Featured Image - an image field used on record cards and category headers.
Hierarchical Grouping - for nested category structures, configure parent-child relationships and per-level sorting.

7. Creating Named Portal Views

Within a single collection navigation item, you can offer several Portal Views - named, filtered perspectives on the same data, so users can jump straight to what matters to them.

1. Add a view

In the navigation item configuration, find Portal Views and click + Add View.

2. Configure it

Give the view a Name (e.g. "Active Projects", "Overdue Tasks"), an optional Icon, and its own Filters and Sorting.

Once you've added more than one, portal users can switch between them - each shows only the records matching its filters. For a Tasks collection, for example, you might offer "All Tasks" (no extra filter), "Overdue" (Due Date before today), "Completed" (Status is "Completed"), and "This Week" (Due Date within the current week).

A record often needs to show data from elsewhere - the tasks attached to a project, for instance. Portals reuse the same Collection List

Collection List

A subcollection nested inside a record for repeating line items — such as order items or components — shown as a table within the parent record.

concept you already know from records: a subcollection of related records shown inside another record's details.

1. Add a list

In the navigation item configuration, find Lists, then add one: select the child collection, select which fields are visible, and apply filters if needed.

Example: show Tasks as a collection list within Project records, so a client sees their project's tasks without leaving the project page.

2. Add an associated collection (optional)

For records linked through record fields or multi-record fields rather than a child collection, add an Associated Collection instead, and configure the relationship and display settings.

9. Letting Users Move Records Through Workflow Stages

If a portal collection has a Workflow

Workflow

A structured process, built from Stages and Actions, that a record moves through to represent its status in a business process, such as a sales pipeline.

, you can let users trigger stage transitions themselves - useful for self-service approvals or status updates.

In the navigation item configuration, find Workflow Actions. For each stage transition, choose whether it's available in the portal and set any conditions for when it should appear. You can also control where the action buttons show up: in row actions on Table View, or in the header or actions area of Record Details.

10. Making Forms and Automations Available

Form

An Automation whose first Step opens a data-entry screen, used to collect structured information from colleagues, or from external users via a Portal.

s let portal users submit information or trigger an Automation

Automation

A rule that automatically runs one or more Steps, such as sending a notification or updating a record, when its Trigger conditions are met.

without needing full Kinabase access - for example, a client uploading a document or requesting a change.

In the navigation item configuration, find Automations and select which forms and automations are available; they appear to users as action buttons that trigger the automation and open its form. Forms keep their own visibility conditions, so you can show different forms to different user types, require certain field values before a form is available, or limit a form to specific workflow stages.

Best Practices

Limit visible fields

Only show fields that users need. Too many columns make tables hard to read.

Use meaningful default sorting

Sort by the most relevant field - usually by priority, due date, or status.

Create focused views

Use portal views to help users find what they need without complex filtering.

Use catalogue view for visual data

If your data has images or natural categories, catalogue view provides better browsing.

Test with real data

Use the Preview as user feature to see exactly what portal users will experience.

Internal Portals - set up portals for team members
External Portals - set up portals for clients and partners
Views - table, side by side and timeline views elsewhere in Kinabase
Custom Domains & Branding - personalise the portal appearance

Thoughtful view configuration makes portals intuitive and efficient for users. Take time to consider what information users need most, and present it in the clearest way possible.

Need more help? Ask your System admin, or contact our support team via Help & Support.

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