Xanadu Release Prep: Why and How to Deactivate Pre-Installed Portals

If you've been managing ServiceNow instances for any length of time, you know the frustration of portal sprawl. I have witnessed firsthand how organizations struggle with multiple pre-installed portals cluttering their environment, confusing users, and creating unnecessary maintenance overhead. The good news? ServiceNow's Xanadu release finally delivers a native solution that administrators have been requesting for years.

This guide will walk you through exactly why portal deactivation matters, what's changed with Xanadu, and the precise steps you need to take to clean up your portal environment before and after your upgrade.

The Portal Proliferation Problem

Out-of-the-box, a standard ServiceNow instance comes loaded with nine pre-installed Service Portals. Yes, nine. While ServiceNow provides these to cover various use cases: from IT service management to HR service delivery: the reality is that most organizations only actively use two or three of them.

The remaining portals sit there, accessible to anyone who stumbles upon the right URL. This creates several critical issues that I've seen derail organizations:

• User confusion: Employees bookmark legacy portals or find them through search engines, leading them to outdated or unsupported experiences

• Security concerns: Unmaintained portals can become potential entry points for issues

• Maintenance burden: Every active portal requires attention during upgrades, testing, and customization efforts

• Brand inconsistency: Different portals may have varying levels of branding and polish, creating a fragmented user experience

The problem intensifies when organizations migrate from the classic Service Portal to Employee Center. Users with old bookmarks continue accessing the legacy portal, completely bypassing your beautiful new Employee Center implementation.

What We Had to Do Before Xanadu

Before the Xanadu release, ServiceNow offered no direct way to deactivate portals. Through the Washington DC release and earlier versions, administrators had to get creative: and the workarounds were far from elegant.

I've implemented many of these solutions myself, and none of them were ideal:

The 404 Approach

Changing the login page and homepage to display 404 errors. This technically worked but created a jarring user experience and looked unprofessional.

The Empty Theme Trick

Removing the Header and Footer from the portal Theme, essentially rendering the portal unusable. Users would land on a blank or broken-looking page with no navigation.

The Announcement Method

Displaying manual announcements directing users to go elsewhere. This relied on users actually reading and following instructions: something we all know is optimistic at best.

URL Redirect Rules

Implementing server-side redirects or using third-party solutions. This added complexity and another layer to maintain during upgrades.

None of these approaches were clean, maintainable, or user-friendly. They were band-aids, not solutions.

Enter Xanadu: Native Portal Deactivation

The Xanadu release introduced native functionality to deactivate portals and optionally redirect users to alternate portals. This is the clean, supported solution we've been waiting for.

ServiceNow added two new fields to the Service Portal table and Form Layout:

Field	Purpose
Inactive	A simple checkbox to mark the portal as inactive
Alternate portal	An optional field to specify where users should be redirected

The elegance of this solution lies in its simplicity and the user experience it creates.

What Users Experience

When a user attempts to access a deactivated portal, the behavior depends on your configuration:

Without an alternate portal configured: Users see a clear message stating that the portal has been deactivated. No confusion, no broken pages: just a straightforward notification.

With an alternate portal specified: Users are automatically redirected to your designated portal. They see a brief message: "You're being redirected to [Portal Name] as the portal you attempted to access has been deactivated."

This is exactly how portal management should work. Professional, seamless, and completely under your control.

Step-by-Step: Deactivating Portals in Xanadu

Let me guide you through the essential steps to implement this functionality in your environment.

Step 1: Verify Your Form Layout

Here's something critical that catches many administrators off guard: if you've previously customized the Service Portal Form Layout, the new Inactive and Alternate portal fields may not appear automatically after your upgrade.

ServiceNow creates Skipped Records for past customizations rather than overwriting them. This means your carefully customized forms are preserved, but new fields don't automatically appear.

To add the fields manually:

1. Navigate to Service Portal > Portals

2. Open any portal record

3. Right-click the form header and select Configure > Form Layout

4. Locate the Inactive and Alternate portal fields in the Available slotted items

5. Move them to your Configured slotted items

6. Save the form layout

Step 2: Plan Your Portal Strategy

Before deactivating anything, I recommend creating a comprehensive portal inventory:

1. List all portals in your instance

2. Identify which portals are actively used and supported

3. Determine the appropriate alternate portal for each legacy portal

4. Document any bookmarks or external links that point to portals you plan to deactivate

5. Communicate changes to stakeholders before implementation

Step 3: Configure Your Default Portal

This is crucial: you cannot deactivate the default portal. If the portal you want to deactivate is currently set as the default, you must first assign a different Service Portal as the default.

Navigate to Service Portal > Portals, identify your current default, and update the default designation to your primary active portal before proceeding.

Step 4: Deactivate and Redirect

With your planning complete and form layout updated:

1. Open the portal record you want to deactivate

2. Check the Inactive checkbox

3. Optionally, select an Alternate portal to enable automatic redirects

4. Save the record

Repeat this process for each portal you want to remove from active service.

Critical Restrictions to Remember

ServiceNow implemented sensible guardrails around this functionality. Keep these constraints in mind:

• Default portal protection: You cannot deactivate the portal designated as your instance default

• Circular redirect prevention: You cannot deactivate a Service Portal that is configured as an alternate portal by another Service Portal (this prevents redirect loops)

• Mobile portal exception: You cannot deactivate or redirect the Mobile Employee Service Portal (/mesp): this portal has special handling requirements

These restrictions prevent common configuration mistakes and ensure you always have a functional portal available.

Best Practices for ServiceNow UI Optimization

Deactivating legacy portals is just one component of comprehensive portal management. Here are additional recommendations I share with every organization preparing for the Xanadu release:

Consolidate Before You Deactivate

Don't just turn off portals: ensure their functionality has been properly migrated. Review catalog items, knowledge bases, and widgets that may have been portal-specific.

Update External References

Search your documentation, intranet, and training materials for references to portals you're deactivating. Update these links proactively.

Monitor Access Logs

Before deactivating, review portal access logs to identify any unexpected usage patterns. You may discover integrations or automated processes that rely on specific portals.

Test in Sub-Production First

Always implement portal deactivation in your development and test environments before production. Verify that redirects work correctly and no critical functionality is broken.

Looking Ahead

The native portal deactivation functionality in Xanadu represents ServiceNow's commitment to giving administrators the tools they need for clean, maintainable instances. This feature, combined with the continued evolution of Employee Center and the broader UI optimization initiatives, signals a clear direction toward consolidated, streamlined user experiences.

For organizations still running pre-Xanadu versions, this functionality alone is a compelling reason to prioritize your upgrade. The days of hacky workarounds for portal management are over.

If you're preparing for Xanadu and want expert guidance on portal strategy, instance optimization, or upgrade planning, visit SnowGeek Solutions to explore how we can help streamline your ServiceNow journey.