Testing and switching on the new TOPdesk SelfServicePortal

TOPdesk has a new SelfServicePortal, the portal where callers log a call or submit a request and search for knowledge items. An application manager switches the new portal on themselves and can preview it at its own URL. TOPdesk states in the community (15 June 2026) that switching is optional and reversible. Not everything from the old portal is in the new one yet.

What changes with the new SelfServicePortal?

Anyone opening the new portal sees a different design and different navigation. According to Using the new Self-Service Portal, fixed quick links at the top of every page lead to News, Requests, Service disruptions and, for managers, Approvals. A search icon sits at the top right. The Service overview shows all published services with their forms. Suggested knowledge items appear next to a form. You set up the content with the same SSP designer as before, with some limitations.

AI search only works in the new SelfServicePortal. TOPdesk states in the community (15 June 2026) that AI search is available from the Engaged package onwards (as of October 2026).

Limitations of the new portal

In the update guide, TOPdesk keeps track of what is still missing and which parts redirect to the old portal.

Availability and testing beforehand

TOPdesk states in the community (31 March 2026) that application managers can switch on the new SelfServicePortal. In TOPdesk SaaS it is available from version 16.03.026, according to Renewing the Self-Service Portal. If you do not see the option to switch, first check which version your environment runs.

If you have a test environment, start there. TOPdesk states in the community (22 June 2026) that in the test environment you spot problems, such as images that do not transfer cleanly, before your callers do. The new portal also has its own URL. Append /services/app/ssp/home to your environment's URL, for example mycompany.topdesk.net/services/app/ssp/home, to view the new portal in production too, without it becoming the default.

Step-by-step plan for the switch

1. Read the update guide again: TOPdesk updates the guide. Compare the list of what is missing with what you use now.
2. Switch on the new portal in the test environment: under Settings > Module Settings > Self-Service Portal > General, option Switch to the new Self-Service Portal. Then work through the test checklist below.
3. Let a small group try it: give a few colleagues the test URL in production, so they ask their usual questions through the new portal.
4. Prepare callers and the service desk: see below.
5. Switch on the new portal in production: the switch applies to everyone at once. TOPdesk states in the community (31 March 2026) that links to the old portal then redirect, including links in email templates.
6. Collect the first reactions: in the first two weeks, ask a few callers where they get stuck. TOPdesk states in the community (15 June 2026) that you can go back to the old portal if the new portal does not yet suit your organisation.

Test checklist for the new SelfServicePortal

Test with accounts of ordinary callers in different person groups. An administrator account alone is not enough, because what a caller sees depends on person groups and settings.

• Access: only persons with Has access to Self-Service Portal ticked on their person card can log in. You can also fill the field through the person import; see TOPdesk integration with Entra ID and HR.
• Services and forms: check per test account that the right services and forms appear. According to the documentation, a service that is available in the SelfServicePortal also shows up in the search results when there is no tile for it.
• Knowledge items: search for items callers need to find, and for an item meant only for operators.
• Custom forms and external pages: open them from the new portal and check that they work.
• Homepage and branding: you no longer set the number of tiles per row; the new portal determines that itself. Text-only tiles do not appear on the homepage, and images are cropped. Also look at the homepage on a phone. Recommended dimensions are in the update guide.
• Pages in the old portal: click the tiles that lead to the old portal and check whether a caller can follow the transition.
• Approvals: test with the account of a manager who approves changes or Authorization Activities (see change management in TOPdesk).
• Links: test the links you use most, especially links to a specific form.

How do you prepare callers and the service desk?

TOPdesk states in the community (22 June 2026) that it is best to announce the switch in advance, mentioning that open requests and history remain in place. In a short explanation, describe where callers submit a request, where they find their own requests and how searching works. Also mention that some pages still look like the old portal. Update manuals and knowledge items that contain screenshots. The first line gets the questions, so brief the service desk beforehand.

What is still to come

TOPdesk is working on a new SSP designer. According to the update guide, the approvals and the rest of the profile will follow in the coming months.

The situation described here is as of October 2026.

We have guided clients through the switch to the new SelfServicePortal. Through our TOPdesk consultancy, we prepare the switch together with you, or reconfigure the portal. Key users and administrators can attend a theme session on the SelfServicePortal, which also covers the new portal.