--- title: "1.3 Managing Access to the Gateway" slug: "13-managing-access-to-the-gateway-1" updated: 2026-10-29T17:05:25Z published: 2026-10-29T17:05:25Z canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/13-managing-access-to-the-gateway-1" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # 1.3 Managing Access to the Gateway **COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE** Contract Insight — User Guide **1.3 Managing Access to the Gateway** *Module: Vendor/Client Gateway › Step 1: Vendor/Client Gateway Configuration › 1.3 Managing Access to the Gateway* **Note:** Each procedure in this guide begins at the Contract Insight homepage, so any section can be followed on its own. Custom fields are configurable, so the exact field list on a contract category record may vary between environments. # 1. Overview The **Access** group on the Vendor/Client Gateway (VCG) **Settings** tab controls what a signed-in vendor or client is allowed to do: edit their own vendor/contact information, preview or download files, use solicitation calendar buttons, self-register, submit Contract Requests, view and add files, and see linked contracts or other respondents. It also sets how long an inactive account stays unlocked and whether solicitation respondents must accept terms and conditions. **Allow submission of Contract Requests** is a dropdown rather than a toggle, because it sets both whether the capability exists and what authentication level it requires. # 2. Key Elements - **Allow Management of Vendor Information**, **Allow Previewing and Downloading of Files/Attachments**, **Allow Solicitations Calendar Buttons**, **Allow Vendor/Client Signup through Gateway**, and **Allow Viewing and Adding of Files** are on/off toggles. - **Allow submission of Contract Requests** is a dropdown with three options: **Public: Visitors and Accounts**, **Accounts Only**, and **No Requests Allowed**. - **Allow Viewing Linked Contracts** and **Allow Viewing of Interested Parties** control cross-record visibility. Turn them on only if vendors/clients should see linked contracts or other respondents. - **Enable Bid Alerts** is flagged **Managed by CobbleStone** — CobbleStone support changes that one, not an administrator. - **Inactive Login - days until lock** sets how many days a company contact can be inactive before the account is locked (0 = no inactive locking). - **Show/Hide Solicitations Terms and Conditions** requires Line Item Bid / Reverse Auction respondents to accept the **Solicitations Terms and Conditions**, edited with **Edit content**. - Changes are not applied until you click **Save changes**. **Discard** abandons unsaved changes. # 3. Navigating to the Gateway Settings 1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Application settings** icon at the bottom of the left navigation bar. 2. Under **Gateways & Portals**, click **Vendor/Client Gateway (VCG)**. ![Administration page with Application settings and Vendor/Client Gateway (VCG) outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/vcg-01-admin-vcg.jpg) # 4. Configuring Access Settings 1. The **Vendor/Client Gateway (VCG)** page opens on the **Settings** tab. The **Access** group is first. 2. Click a toggle to turn a setting **On** or **Off**. ![VCG Settings tab Access group with toggles, the Contract Requests dropdown, Discard, and Save changes outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/vcg-02-access-toggles.jpg) | Setting | Type | What it controls | | --- | --- | --- | | Allow Management of Vendor Information | Toggle | Whether Vendor/Client Admin Users can edit both vendor and contact information. | | Allow Previewing and Downloading of Files/Attachments | Toggle | On: files can be previewed and downloaded from the Gateway. Off: preview only. | | Allow Solicitations Calendar Buttons | Toggle | Enables or disables the calendar button downloads on Solicitation records. | | Allow submission of Contract Requests | Dropdown | Whether vendors/clients can submit Contract Requests on the Gateway, and the authentication level required. | | Allow Vendor/Client Signup through Gateway | Toggle | Whether vendor/client users can sign up through the Gateway. | | Allow Viewing and Adding of Files | Toggle | Whether vendor/client users can see and add files. | | Allow Viewing Linked Contracts | Toggle | Shows linked Public/Gateway contracts on the contract detail screen. | | Allow Viewing of Interested Parties | Toggle | Whether vendor/client users can view the list of Interested Parties/Respondents in Solicitation Details. | # 5. Setting Who Can Submit Contract Requests 1. Click the **Allow submission of Contract Requests** dropdown. 2. Select one of the following: - **Public: Visitors and Accounts** — anyone can submit, including visitors who have not signed in. - **Accounts Only** — only signed-in vendor/client accounts can submit. - **No Requests Allowed** — Contract Request submission is turned off on the Gateway. ![Allow submission of Contract Requests dropdown open with its three options outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/vcg-03-contract-requests-dropdown.jpg) # 6. Additional Access Settings Scroll down within the **Access** group for the remaining settings. ![Remaining Access settings with toggles, Managed by CobbleStone flag, Inactive Login field, and Edit content outlined](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/vcg-04-access-more.jpg) - **Enable Bid Alerts** (**Managed by CobbleStone**): lets public and logged-in users set up bid alerts on the Gateway. This setting is locked — contact CobbleStone support to change it. - **Inactive Login - days until lock:** enter the number of days a company contact can remain inactive before the account is automatically locked. Enter **0** for no inactive locking. - **Show/Hide Solicitations Terms and Conditions:** when on, respondents to Line Item Bid / Reverse Auction solicitations must agree to the terms and conditions before they can view or submit a response. - **Solicitations Terms and Conditions:** click **Edit content** to define the terms and conditions respondents must accept. # 7. Saving Your Changes 1. Scroll back to the top of the page. 2. Click **Save changes** to apply your Access settings. To abandon unsaved changes, click **Discard**. **Note:** **Save changes** is disabled until at least one setting has been changed.