Partner programs often start in spreadsheets, forms, and email threads. That works for the first few partners, but it becomes hard to manage once partners need to submit referrals, check deal status, update information, or access enablement materials.

With Airtable and miniExtensions, you can build a partner portal on top of your existing Airtable base. Partners log in through miniExtensions, see only the records linked to them, and can create new referral or deal records from inside the portal. They do not need an Airtable account.

What you can include in a partner portal

A partner portal can include:

  • A list of submitted referrals
  • Deal status and next steps
  • Commission or payout tracking
  • Partner profile details
  • Resource links, onboarding documents, or training materials
  • A form for submitting new referrals
  • A form for requesting support or co-marketing help

Recommended Airtable structure

Create these Airtable tables:

  • Partners
  • Referrals
  • Deals
  • Commissions
  • Partner Resources

The Partners table is your portal users table. It should include fields like partner name, email, company, partner type, status, and any internal notes.

The Referrals, Deals, and Commissions tables should each include a linked record field connected to the relevant partner in the Partners table. This relationship is what miniExtensions uses to show each logged-in partner their own records.

Setup steps in miniExtensions

  1. Open miniExtensions and create a new Portal.
  2. In the Portal create modal, select the first data table partners should see, such as Referrals.
  3. Then select the linked user field on that table, such as Partner. miniExtensions uses that linked field to determine which referrals to show to which partner.
  4. In the Tables section of the portal settings, open the Referrals table’s child form.
  5. Choose the fields partners should see in the referral list, such as:
    • Referral company
    • Contact name
    • Referral status
    • Estimated value
    • Submitted date
  6. Make sure to hide internal fields such as:
    • Internal notes
    • Sales owner
    • Private score
    • Approval status
    • Commission calculations
  7. Enable record creation for the Referrals table (under Create & Expand Records in the table’s settings) if partners should be able to submit new referrals.
  8. Configure the referral create form with only the fields the partner should fill out:
    • Referral company
    • Contact name
    • Contact email
    • Phone number
    • Opportunity notes
    • Estimated value
  9. There is no need to add the Partner linked record field to the create form just to connect the referral to the partner. When a partner creates a referral from inside the Portal, miniExtensions automatically links that new referral to the logged-in partner.
  10. Add the Deals table to the Portal if partners should track accepted referrals after they become deals.
  11. Add the Commissions table if partners should see payout or commission status.
  12. Add the Partner Resources table if you want partners to access sales decks, onboarding documents, training videos, or shared links.
  13. If different partner types should see different content, use conditional tables, views, or links based on fields in the Partners table, such as partner type, tier, or status.
  14. Go to Users & Login to review the login setup, e.g. which fields to use, or conditional login settings (e.g. only allow approved partners to log in).
  15. Use the Profile feature if partners should update their own partner profile details.
  16. Use the Share menu to copy the portal URL, send login links or embed the portal.

How Record Access Works

Partners automatically see the records linked to them. You do not need to set up an extra filter that says “only show records for the logged-in partner.”

The linked record field selected during Portal setup is what connects the data table to the users table. miniExtensions uses that relationship to show the correct records to each logged-in partner.

Why This Works Well

Your team keeps working in Airtable, with all the internal views, notes, automations, and reporting you already use. Partners get a clean portal that only shows the records and actions they need.

A partner portal is especially useful when you want to increase referral volume without creating more manual follow-up work for your team.