11.7 Memberships Settings: Configuring Your Portal

Purpose:

Configure the global settings, branding, domain, and system emails for your entire Memberships area and the associated Client Portal.

Accessing:

Navigate to Memberships → Settings tab.

Key Configuration Areas:

  • Site Details:
    • Site Title: Set the overall title that appears in the browser tab for your Client Portal (e.g., "The Close Agency Training Hub", "[Your Agency] Client Portal").
    • Support Email: Enter the email address members should contact for support related to memberships.
    • Logo: Upload your main Agency Logo to be displayed within the portal interface (e.g., login page, header).
    • Favicon: Upload the small icon for the browser tab.
  • Custom Domain (ESSENTIAL for Branding):
    • Purpose: Connect a custom subdomain (like portal.youragency.com) to your Client Portal instead of using a generic Close Master system URL. Looks much more professional.
    • Setup:
      1. Go to the Custom Domain tab within Memberships Settings.
      2. Enter the full subdomain you want to use (e.g., portal.theclose.agency). Do not use your main website domain.
      3. Close Master will provide a CNAME Record Target value (e.g., preview.clientclub.net or similar).
      4. Log in to your domain registrar (GoDaddy, Cloudflare, etc.) where you manage DNS for theclose.agency.
      5. Create a new CNAME record:
        • Host/Name: Enter the subdomain part (e.g., portal)
        • Value/Points To: Paste the exact target value provided by Close Master.
        • TTL: Set to Automatic or 1 hour.
        • Ensure Cloudflare proxy is OFF (DNS Only/grey cloud) if using Cloudflare.
      6. Save the DNS record. Wait for propagation (minutes to hours).
      7. Go back to Close Master Memberships Settings → Custom Domain and click Verify Record or Save. It should show as connected/verified.
    • Result: Your members can now access the portal via your branded URL.
  • Email Settings:
    • Purpose: Customize the automated system emails sent to members (e.g., welcome email, drip content notification).
    • Configure:
      • Welcome Email: Toggle ON to send automatically upon enrollment. Select an Email Template (you might need to customize a default one). Ensure the template includes the crucial {{member.password_setup_link}} or similar merge tag allowing new members to set their password.
      • Drip Notification Email: Customize the email sent when new dripped content becomes available.
      • Daily Digest (If using Communities): Configure email summarizing community activity.
      • Set the Default Sender Name and Sender Email address used for these system emails (use an address from your verified sending domain).
  • App Settings:
    • PWA (Progressive Web App): Configure settings if you want to enable the option for users to "install" the Client Portal to their phone's home screen directly from the browser (See 13.8). Enable, set App Name, Icon, Colors.
    • Branding: Customize the appearance of the Client Portal login page and internal interface elements (Backgrounds, Colors, Fonts) to match your agency's brand.

Configuring these settings ensures a branded, professional, and functional experience for your agents or clients accessing your private membership content.