MSP Partner Portal - Getting Started Checklist
The getting started checklist lives on your dashboard. It tracks the two steps between registering and having your first customer enabled, and it updates as each step is completed.
Changed in 2026-07: there used to be a separate Onboarding Hub page at
/onboardingthat you had to pass through before reaching the portal. That gate is gone. The checklist moved onto the dashboard, and/onboardingnow redirects there, so old bookmarks still work.
Overview
After you register, the portal takes you straight to /dashboard. The checklist sits near the top of that page and shows two steps:
- Register as partner - always shown as completed once you are signed in
- Enable your first customer - your current step until it is done
Progress is tracked server-side on Partners.OnboardingStatus. Closing the browser and returning picks up exactly where you left off, and a completed step never reverts, even if something about your account changes later.
There is no billing step. Registering starts a 45-day trial with full Complete-tier access, and no card is required to use it.
Registration and Your Region
Register using your organization's Microsoft 365 account. Registration binds your Microsoft 365 tenant to the portal's region before creating your partner account. If your tenant already has a region from customer onboarding or an earlier partner registration, that region stays in place.
If registration is refused because your tenant belongs to another region, use the partner portal for that existing region and register there. Retrying in a different region does not change the binding.
If the service cannot confirm your region, registration stops without creating a partner account. Try again later.
Accepting a Team Invitation
Team invitations require a Microsoft 365 account from the partner organization's own tenant.
- Open the team invitation link from your email.
- Sign in with your work account from the partner organization's Microsoft 365 tenant.
- The portal accepts the invitation and links that account to the partner team.
If you sign in from another tenant, the portal displays:
Sign in with your [partner company name] Microsoft 365 account to accept this invite.
The message uses the partner's company name. Sign out of the incorrect Microsoft account, then reopen the original invitation link from your email and sign in with the correct work account. The refused attempt does not accept the invitation.
Step States
Each step can be in one of three states:
| State | Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Completed | Green check circle | The step is done |
| Current | Numbered circle | This is your current step, and a CTA button is shown |
| Locked | Lock icon | The step cannot be started right now |
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Step 1: Register as partner
Completed once you are signed in. No action is required.
Step 2: Enable your first customer
Click Start to open the customer enablement flow. You can do this on day one: enabling customers is available for the whole trial, not held back behind anything.
Completing this step sets your OnboardingStatus to onboarded and marks the checklist complete.
This step is locked only if your trial ends without a customer being enabled. In that state the button explains that enabling a customer requires an active trial or subscription.
Trial Banner
Above the checklist, a banner shows how much of your trial is left. It becomes more prominent as the end date approaches, and after the end date it tells you the trial has ended and that new customers cannot be enabled.
The banner shows your trial end date so you can see it at a glance. Nothing emails you before the trial ends, so note the date if it matters to you.
Rest of the Dashboard
Alongside the checklist the dashboard shows:
- KPI row - your enabled customer tenants, team members, days left on the trial, and your current plan
- Customers - your customers, or a prompt to enable your first one if you have none yet
Dismissing the Checklist
Use Hide for now to hide an incomplete checklist for the rest of the browser session. Once both steps are complete the control becomes Dismiss, which hides it for good on that browser.
FAQ
Can I choose a different region by registering again? No. Your Microsoft 365 tenant keeps the region set by its first registration or customer onboarding flow. Use the partner portal in that region.
Can I accept a partner team invitation using an account from another company? Use an account in the partner organization's Microsoft 365 tenant. An account from another tenant is refused, even if you received the invitation email.
Where did the Onboarding Hub go?
It was retired. The checklist it hosted is on your dashboard, and /onboarding redirects to /dashboard.
Why is there no billing step any more? Billing was removed from partner onboarding. Your trial gives you full Complete-tier access with no card and no plan selection.
Why is Step 2 locked? Your trial ended and no customer was enabled during it. Enabling customers requires an active trial or subscription.
What happens if I close the browser mid-way? Your progress is saved server-side, so returning to the dashboard shows your current state.
Can I see the checklist after completing all steps? Yes, until you dismiss it. It stays on the dashboard showing both steps complete.