Portal open tracking in eCourtDate shows you exactly when clients open your portal links, along with details about the device, browser, and network they used. This visibility helps your agency confirm client engagement and identify potential issues with message delivery.

### Overview

- **What it is:** A tracking feature that records the exact time and technical details each time a client opens a portal link sent through eCourtDate.
- **Why it matters:** Knowing whether a client opened your portal link helps you confirm they received and engaged with your communication. This data supports follow-up decisions, compliance documentation, and outreach strategy.
- **Who uses it:** Case managers, pretrial officers, court clerks, and administrators who need to verify client engagement with portal-based communications.
- **Expected outcomes:** A detailed log of portal open events including timestamps, IP addresses, device types, browser information, and network details.

### Prerequisites

- An active eCourtDate account with access to the **Portals** or **Messaging** module
- At least one portal link sent to a client
- The portal must be active (not expired or disabled)

### How-To Steps

#### Step 1: Navigate to the Portal or Message Record

1. Open the portal or message record you want to review. Portal open data is available on any **Portal** or **Message** record that includes a portal link.
2. Navigate to the record by clicking **Portals** or **Messaging** from the main navigation and selecting the specific record.

#### Step 2: View Portal Open Events

1. Scroll to the **Opens** section on the record detail page, or click the **Opens** tab.
2. Review the list of open events displayed in reverse chronological order (most recent first).
3. Each entry shows the **Date and Time**, **IP Address**, **Device Type**, **Browser**, and **Network** information.

#### Step 3: Review Detailed Open Information

1. Click on any individual open event to expand the details.
2. Review the full information including:
   - **Timestamp:** The exact date and time the link was opened.
   - **IP Address:** The network address used to access the portal.
   - **Device:** The type of device (mobile, desktop, tablet).
   - **Browser:** The browser used (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, etc.).
   - **Operating System:** The client's operating system (iOS, Android, Windows, macOS).
   - **Network:** The network provider or type (Wi-Fi, cellular).

#### Step 4: Search and Filter Open Events

1. Use the **Search** bar within the Opens section to find events by date, IP address, or device type.
2. Filter by date range to narrow results to a specific time period.
3. Sort columns by clicking the column header to identify patterns (for example, sort by device to see how many clients use mobile vs. desktop).

#### Step 5: Monitor Expired Link Activity

1. Navigate to the portal record and check the **Status** field. If the portal link has expired, any attempted opens after expiration are still logged.
2. Review the Opens section for events that occurred after the expiration date. These entries indicate the client attempted to access the portal but was shown an expiration notice.
3. Use this information to decide whether to resend the portal link with a new expiration date.

### What to Expect

Portal open events are recorded automatically with no action required from you or the client. The tracking data appears within seconds of the client opening the link. Multiple opens from the same client are recorded separately, so you can see how many times they accessed the portal. This data persists on the record indefinitely and is included in exports.

### Best Practices

- Check portal opens before following up with a client. If they already opened the link, your follow-up can reference their engagement.
- Use device and browser data to identify clients who may be experiencing technical issues (for example, an outdated browser that does not render the portal correctly).
- Monitor expired link activity to identify clients who attempted to engage after the deadline. Consider extending or resending the portal link.
- Review open patterns across your caseload to determine the best times to send portal links for maximum engagement.
- Document portal open data in case notes when client engagement is relevant to compliance or supervision decisions.

### Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Does the client know their portal opens are being tracked?**
A: Portal open tracking is a standard feature of link delivery systems. Your agency's privacy policy and terms of service should disclose this practice. The tracking does not install anything on the client's device.

**Q: What if a client opens the portal multiple times?**
A: Each open is recorded as a separate event with its own timestamp and details. You can see the full history of all opens in the **Opens** section of the record.

**Q: Can I export portal open data?**
A: Yes. Use the **Export** button within the Opens section to download the data as a CSV file. This is useful for compliance reporting or analysis.

**Q: Why does the IP address or device information show as "Unknown"?**
A: Some clients use VPNs, privacy browsers, or network configurations that mask device and network details. In these cases, certain fields may display as "Unknown." The timestamp is always recorded regardless of privacy settings.

### Troubleshooting

**Issue:** No open events appear even though the client says they opened the portal.
**Symptoms:** The Opens section is empty or shows no events for the expected time period.
**Solution:** Verify that the correct portal link was sent by checking the message record. Confirm the client opened the link from the message (not a cached or bookmarked version). If the portal link was copied and shared outside eCourtDate, opens from the shared link may not track correctly.

**Issue:** Open events show an unexpected location or device.
**Symptoms:** The IP address resolves to a different city or state than where the client is located.
**Solution:** This can occur when a client uses a VPN, corporate network, or mobile data provider that routes traffic through a different region. The open event is still valid. If you suspect unauthorized access, contact the client to confirm they opened the link.

### Related Articles

- [How to Configure Portals](how-to-configure-portals)
- [How to Send Messages](how-to-send-messages)
- [How to Manage Clients](how-to-manage-clients)