When to Use Experience Cloud for Customer and Partner Portals

Experience Cloud fits when your users need to interact with Salesforce data in a branded, self-service way—customers viewing cases and assets, partners viewing opportunities and incentives. Start by defining the user types and the exact data and actions they need. Scope the first release tightly: a few key objects, clear permissions, and a simple UX. Avoid rebuilding your entire external website in Experience Cloud; use it for authenticated, CRM-centric experiences. Integrate with your identity provider and set expectations for performance and customization limits. A well-scoped portal launch beats a big-bang project that never ships.