# Publish your portal

> Open your portal for applications with the switch in Settings, Domains. It needs an address and published branding linking your privacy notice and terms.

Source: https://delsivo.com/help/portal-and-branding/publish-your-portal · Updated 2026-11-06

## Key takeaways

- A portal takes sign-ins and applications only once an Admin turns on Open for applications in Settings, under Portal, then Domains.
- Opening needs a portal address and published branding that links to your privacy notice and your terms.
- Until it opens, and after it closes, founders see a Not open yet page on every address of the portal, with no sign-in and no form.
- Closing the portal never deletes anything. Applications already sent stay in your pipeline.

Your portal takes sign-ins and applications only when it's open. An Admin opens it with the **Open for applications** switch in **Settings → Domains**, after publishing the branding with links to your fund's privacy notice and terms. Until then, founders who visit see a **Not open yet** page. You can close the portal again at any time.

## What opening needs

| Requirement | Where to do it | Message if it's missing |
|---|---|---|
| A portal address | **Settings → Domains**, **Choose an address** | **Choose a portal address first.** |
| Published branding | **Settings → Branding**, **Publish** | **Publish your branding first (Settings → Branding).** |
| A privacy notice link and a terms link in the published branding | **Settings → Branding**, **Legal** tab, then **Publish** | **Your published branding needs links to your privacy notice and terms. Add them in Branding and publish again.** |
| The portal isn't suspended | Write to hello@delsivo.com | **Delsivo has suspended this portal. Contact support to reopen it.** |

Publishing the branding itself needs your fund name, both legal links and every colour pair passing the contrast check. See [Brand your portal](/help/portal-and-branding/branding-your-portal).

The legal links are required because your fund is the controller of the data founders submit. Founders need to know how you will use it before they apply. Delsivo's own notice, as your processor, is linked in the footer automatically.

## Open your portal

1. Publish your branding in **Settings → Branding** if you haven't yet.
2. Open **Settings → Domains**.
3. In the **Open for applications** card, check the line under the title. **Ready to open.** means everything is in place. Otherwise it names what's missing, with **Go to Branding** when the fix is there.
4. Turn on the switch.
5. In **Open your portal?**, check the address and click **Open portal**.

You see **Your portal is open. Founders can apply.** The badge on the **Portal address** card changes to **Open**, the **Your portal** card on **Home** shows **Live**, and **Publish your portal** is ticked off in the setup checklist.

## Close your portal

1. In **Settings → Domains**, turn off **Open for applications**.
2. In **Close your portal?**, click **Close portal**.

You see **Your portal is closed. Founders see a not-open-yet page and can't apply.** Applications already sent stay in your pipeline, and your branding and address don't change. Turn the switch on again to reopen.

## What founders see

| Portal | Founders see |
|---|---|
| Open | Your landing page, **Sign in**, **Apply** and, once signed in, their founder workspace |
| Not open yet (never opened, or closed) | A **Not open yet** page on every address of the portal: "[Your fund] hasn't opened applications here yet. Check back soon, or follow the fund for news of when it opens." It uses your published branding if there is one. There's no sign-in and no form, and founders who were signed in see the same page |
| Suspended | **This portal is unavailable**, with no fund name, logo or colours |

A portal that isn't open is never shown in search results. Once it's open, only the landing page can be, and only if you turned on **Let search engines find the landing page** in **Branding**.

## Changing things while the portal is open

- **New branding:** publish it in **Settings → Branding**. Founders see it straight away; the portal stays open.
- **A new address:** change it in **Settings → Domains**. The old address keeps sending founders to the new one for 90 days. See [Choose your portal address](/help/portal-and-branding/choose-your-subdomain).
- **New legal links:** update them on the **Legal** tab in **Branding** and publish. Every published version must keep both links, so the portal is never open without them.

## Who can open or close the portal

Only Admins can turn **Open for applications** on or off. Everyone else on the team sees the switch and its state, but can't change it. Every opening and closing is recorded in the [activity log](/help/team-and-settings/exports-and-activity-log) with who did it and when.

## Suspended portals

Delsivo can suspend a portal, for example when it is reported as being used to deceive founders. While it's suspended, the badge says **Suspended**, the switch and **Change address** are off, and the card reads **Delsivo has suspended this portal. Contact support to reopen it.** Write to hello@delsivo.com.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can we open the portal before the application form is available?
Yes. Founders can read your landing page and sign in. **Apply** says **The application form opens soon** until applications arrive, and founders who sign in have their workspace ready when it opens.

### Does closing the portal delete applications or founder accounts?
No. Closing only stops new sign-ins and applications. Everything already received stays in your workspace, and founders keep their Delsivo accounts.

### Why is the switch greyed out?
Either you're not an Admin, something on the requirements list is missing (the line under **Open for applications** says what), or the portal is suspended.

### Can we use our own domain when we open?
Yes, if your plan includes custom domains. You can open on your delsivo.app address and connect your own domain at any time: once it is live and you make it the primary address, the delsivo.app address sends founders to it. See [connect your own domain](/help/portal-and-branding/connect-a-custom-domain).