This article explains how Portal Multi-tenancy works in Absorb LMS and highlights key considerations when sharing a single Portal across multiple brands, business units, or tenant groups. It describes which settings are global (limited-to-one), and offers practical best practices for Departments, Administrators, and content owners.

Limited-to-One Configurations

Some Portal configurations are global and can only be set once per Portal. These settings affect every tenant that shares the Portal and therefore require joint decisions from participating stakeholders.

Portal-level Information

The Info tab contains the Portal's core details and global integrations. Many of these values are applied globally; a few can be overridden at the Department level.

• LMS Name
• Company Name 
  • Can be overridden per Department.
• Contact fields 
  • Contact first/last name, email. Some may be overridden at Department.
• Enable Amplify 
  • On/Off
• Disable E-mail Sending 
  • On/Off
• Custom SMTP configurations
• Virtual classroom integrations 
  • Zoom / Teams / Webex
  • Connection to an external provider is limited to a single external tenant.
• Google Tag Manager / Google Analytics 
  • Limited to one Google tenant.
• Integration keys
  • API Key / OAuth Client ID / Client Secret

Users and Profile Configuration

Global Learner and Profile behavior is controlled in the Users and User Profile tabs. Most Learner settings are simple toggles and apply Portal wide unless specifically noted.

• Force new learner password change
• New users required to validate email
• User profile fields 
  • Username, First Name, Last Name, Job Title, Employee Number.
  • Fields can be set to Optional / Required / Hidden / Read-Only.
• Custom fields 
  • These are global 
  • Limits apply: 30 text, 5 true/false, 5 number, 5 date.

Messaging, Translations, and Templates

Message Templates and Translations are applied globally. Course level messages can be overridden at the Course level, but Portal Templates and Translations remain global and should be reviewed for cross-tenant appropriateness.

Integrations and Connectors

Some turnkey integrations are limited to one-to-one relationships (external system ↔ Portal). Where one-to-one is restrictive, consider iPaaS connectors, Integration API, or Scheduled Data Import/Export options. 

Examples include:

• Salesforce connector
• BambooHR connector
• Virtual meeting integrations (Teams / Zoom / Webex) — single external tenant limit

Absorb Create and Content Visibility

Absorb Create supports multiple work spaces, but content published from Absorb Create may be briefly visible to all Administrators before Department visibility and locked Department rules are applied. If tenants have proprietary Courses that must remain private, plan to manually apply visibility restrictions immediately after publishing.

Best Practices for Multi-tenancy

The following recommendations reduce risk and improve governance when multiple brands share one Portal.

Department Management

• Use Departments to group content, Learners, and Admin visibility.
• Create Department specific routes or landing pages to provide tailored Learner experiences.
• Use the Locked Department feature to restrict Department Admin access to only relevant content.

Portal Settings and Branding

• Keep Portal level settings generic where possible (SMTP, default certificates, default images) to avoid conflicts across brands.
• Leverage Department overrides for brand-specific contact information and message images.
• Maintain generic translations and templates at the Portal level, and only customize at the Department or Course level when necessary.

User Management and Privacy

• Prefer Department level User management rather than centralizing all Users under one Admin account.
• Minimize storage of sensitive PII at the portal level. Distinguish between Sensitive PII (full address, SSN, medical/financial records) and Non-Sensitive PII (ZIP/postal code, DOB, race).
• Set clear policies for who can view User profile fields.

Admin Roles and Multi-Admin Considerations

• Restrict top-level System Administrator roles to a small trusted group.
• Use Department Admin and other granular roles for tenant-level Administrators.
• Encourage separate Admin accounts per brand or Department to simplify audit trails and accountability.
• Use the portal View History and audit features to track Admin changes.

Media Library and File Permissions

• Enable and enforce Media Library Permissions to control file access.
• Assign file access by Admin, Department, or Group to ensure only authorized Users interact with media.
• Use the File Manager to apply or adjust permissions after upload.

Operational Best Practices

• Regularly review and update Department structures to maintain appropriate content grouping.
• Conduct periodic audits of Admin permissions and access levels.
• Establish a change-management process for updates that affect multiple brands.
• Test configuration changes in a Sandbox environment before applying them in Production.
• Provide role-based training for Department Admins on responsibilities and limitations.

Summary

Shared Portals can deliver efficiency and centralized administration, but they require early alignment on global settings, careful role design, and consistent operational practices. Use Departments, locked Department controls, granular Admin roles, and explicit governance processes to mitigate cross-tenant risk.