BoldDesk provides two ways to stop outbound emails to customers (contacts). Choose the option based on whether customers should still be able to view and update tickets in the Customer Portal.

Option 1. Disable contact email notifications (keep Customer Portal access)

Use this option when you want to stop outbound emails to customers but still allow customers to sign in to the Customer Portal and view ticket details and conversations.

Steps to Disable email notifications for contacts

1. Go to Admin → Email Notifications.

2. Open the Contact tab.

3. Turn off all notification settings.
   

   
   
   

Result

• Outbound emails to contacts/customers stop.
• Customers can still access ticket updates in the Customer Portal (they just won’t receive email notifications).

Option 2. Deactivate the Customer Portal (prevent customer access and make tickets private)

Use this option when you want to stop customers from accessing tickets entirely. When the Customer Portal is deactivated for a brand, customers cannot access or update tickets for that brand.

Steps to Deactivate the Customer Portal

1. Go to Admin → Brands.

2. Locate the target brand and select More options.

3. Select Deactivate Customer Portal.

   
   
   

What happens after deactivating the Customer Portal

• The Customer Portal for the selected brand becomes inactive.
• Deactivation can take up to 15 minutes to take effect.
• Customers can no longer access, view, or update existing or new tickets.
• Only private tickets can be created through the Agent Portal.
• Emails sent to the brand’s support address create private tickets only.
• Agents can still access existing public and private tickets in the Agent Portal.
• Customers do not receive ticket update emails.
• Agents still receive email updates (based on your agent notification settings).

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which option stops customer emails but still lets customers read ticket updates?
   Disable email notifications for contacts: Admin > Email Notifications > Contact tab.

2. Which option prevents customers from accessing tickets entirely?
   Deactivate the customer portal for the brand: Admin > Brands > More options > Deactivate Customer Portal.

3. If I disable contact email notifications, will customers still see agent replies?
   Yes. Customers can log in to the customer portal to view replies and ticket details.

4. Does deactivating the customer portal affect ticket visibility?
   Yes. Only private tickets can be created through the agent portal, and emails to the support address generate only private tickets.

5. How long does customer portal deactivation take to apply?
   Up to 15 minutes.

6. Will agents still receive email notifications if the customer portal is deactivated?
   Yes. Agents still receive email updates; customers do not.

7. What happens if an agent is the requester and contact email notifications are disabled?
   The agent is treated as a contact, so the agent may not receive requester emails unless you use triggers.

8. Can customers update tickets after the customer portal is deactivated?
   No. Customers cannot access or update any existing or new tickets when the portal is inactive.

Related article

How to send an email to the requester without including CC recipients