You can switch between Classic and Portal without losing saved Portal home settings. Before you choose a layout for visitors, review the appearance both layouts share, check Portal’s home configuration and translations, and confirm whether any appearance changes are still drafts.
Know what switching changes
Widget Design offers Classic and Portal layouts, and shared appearance settings apply to both. Portal home configuration and translations are in the same design screen, and switching layouts preserves saved Portal configuration.
That means a switch is not a reason to recreate your Portal home setup. It is still worth reviewing the result in the layout you plan to use. A saved Portal configuration may not match what you want visitors to see after you change layouts or update shared appearance settings.
For the available widget options, see Widget customization. For wider website setup steps, see how to add an AI chatbot to your website.
Review the switch in three steps
- Check what you already saved. In Widget Design, note the current layout and review the Portal home configuration and translations. Record any details you will want to compare later, such as the order of home options or the wording visitors should see.
- Choose the layout you want to review. Switch to Classic or Portal, then inspect the shared appearance in that layout. If you plan to use Portal, return to its home configuration and translations and check that the saved setup still matches your intended visitor experience.
- Check whether an appearance change is a draft. Appearance changes requested through Architect remain drafts until you publish them. If you changed appearance there, review the draft before publishing. The Architect Studio review guide explains how to inspect saved changes.
Advice: Compare the visitor-facing wording and navigation against the version you intend to use. If a translation needs revision, prepare the corrected wording and review it in context. Do not assume that changing a layout automatically translates text or confirms that a translation is accurate.
Worked example: switching for a campaign
Illustrative example, not an observed result: A repair business has a saved Portal home with options for “Book a repair” and “Ask a question,” plus translations prepared for its visitors. The owner wants to review Classic for a campaign page.
The owner switches to Classic and checks the shared appearance, including the visitor-facing text and visual choices. Before settling on a layout, they switch back to Portal and inspect its saved home options and translations. The expected behavior is that the saved Portal configuration remains available after the switch. If the owner also requested an appearance change through Architect, that change remains a draft until published.
The practical outcome is a layout decision based on a review of both the shared appearance and the Portal-specific setup, rather than an assumption that switching either deletes or updates Portal content.
Finish with a short review
Before using the selected layout, check that its visitor-facing choices are clear, that any Portal translations have been reviewed, and that the appearance is in the state you intend. If you made a draft appearance change through Architect, check that exact change before publishing. For more on reviewing configuration changes, see Review Architect Studio changes before publishing.