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Configuring the Public Portal

How the public-facing Records Requests portal works and what to configure before going live.

Written by Trish Griffin
Updated today

The public portal is where members of the public submit records requests and download released files. This article covers how the portal works and what to configure.

What the Portal Includes

The public portal has three parts:

  1. Request form — Where requesters submit new records requests, providing their name, email, and a description of the records they need.

  2. Status check — Where requesters can check the status of an existing request.

  3. Download page — Where requesters access released records via a secure magic link.

Setting Your Portal URL

  1. Go to Settings > Services.

  2. Find your Records Requests service and click to edit.

  3. Set the URL Path field (e.g. "heartland-pd").

  4. Click Save.

Your portal URL will be: https://[govworx-domain]/[your-url-path]/records

Share this URL on your agency's website so the public knows where to submit requests.

How the Request Form Works

When a requester submits the form:

  1. They enter their name, email address, and a description of what records they need.

  2. The system creates a new request in your queue with a To-Do status.

  3. The requester receives a confirmation email acknowledging their submission.

  4. The AI agent begins searching for matching records automatically.

Portal submissions generate an automatic acknowledgment email to the requester. Email-forwarded requests do not. See Communicating with Requesters for details.

How Downloads Work (Magic Links)

When you complete a request and release records:

  1. The requester receives an email containing a magic link.

  2. The magic link is a one-time-use, time-limited passcode.

  3. Clicking the link takes the requester to the download page on your portal.

  4. They can download the released files.

Security details:

  • Restricted to the requester. Only the email address that submitted the request can access the download.

  • One-time use. The magic link expires after use.

  • Time-limited. Links expire after a set period even if unused.

  • Redacted versions only. If media was redacted before release, the requester gets only the redacted version.

Tips

  • Link from your website. Add a link to the portal from your agency's public records or FOIA page.

  • Test the full cycle. Submit a request from the portal, fulfill it, and confirm the magic link email arrives and the download works. See Records Requests Onboarding Checklist Step 5.

  • Check your URL path. Make sure the URL is clean and recognizable (e.g. "springfield-pd", not "test-agency-123").

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