---
title: "5.1 Creating an Account on the Gateway"
slug: "51-creating-an-account-on-the-gateway-1"
updated: 2026-10-29T17:05:25Z
published: 2026-10-29T17:05:25Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/51-creating-an-account-on-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.

# 5.1 Creating an Account on the Gateway

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**5.1 Creating an Account on the Gateway**

*Module: Vendor/Client Gateway › Step 5: Vendors/Clients on the Gateway › 5.1 Creating an Account on 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

Vendors and clients create their own accounts **on the Gateway** by completing a multi-step **sign-up form**. Sign-up forms are built and managed on the **Sign-up forms** tab of the **Vendor/Client Gateway (VCG)** administration page. Each form lists what record it **Creates**, how many **Steps** and **Fields** it has, and whether it is **Offered** on the Gateway. A company picks one of the offered forms when it registers.

Self-registration only works when **Allow Vendor/Client Signup through Gateway** is turned on in the VCG settings and at least one sign-up form is offered. The number of forms, and which are offered, varies by environment.

# 2. Key Elements

- **Administration → Vendor/Client Gateway (VCG)**: the admin page where all Gateway sign-in, field, and sign-up settings live.
- **Allow Vendor/Client Signup through Gateway** (VCG **Settings** tab → **Access**): must be **On** for any sign-up form to be reachable.
- **Sign-up forms** tab: lists every registration form with its **Form**, **Creates**, **Steps**, **Fields**, and **On the Gateway** columns.
- **Add form** starts a new sign-up form; **Open** edits an existing one.
- In the form editor, **Add a step** adds a page to the wizard, **Add a block** adds a group of fields to a step, and **Offer this form on the Gateway** makes the form available to registrants.
- A form must include a block that fills in **Vendors/Customers Contacts**; otherwise registrants would have no way to sign in afterwards and the Gateway won't offer the form.

# 3. Enabling Self-Registration on the Gateway

1. From the Contract Insight homepage, click the **Administration** (settings) icon at the bottom of the left navigation bar.
2. In the **Search administration** box, type **Gateway**, then click **Vendor/Client Gateway (VCG)**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/5-1-01-admin-vcg.png)

1. On the **Settings** tab, locate **Allow Vendor/Client Signup through Gateway** in the **Access** section.
2. Set the toggle to **On**.
3. Click **Save changes**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/5-1-02-vcg-settings-signup.png)

# 4. Viewing Sign-up Forms

1. Navigate to **Administration → Vendor/Client Gateway (VCG)** (see Section 3).
2. Click the **Sign-up forms** tab.
3. Review the list of forms. The **On the Gateway** column shows whether each form is **Offered** or **Not offered** to registrants.
4. Click **Open** on a form's row to edit it, or click **Add form** to create a new one.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/5-1-03-signup-forms-tab.png)

# 5. Building a Sign-up Form

## 5a. The Form Editor

Opening a form (or adding a new one) displays the form editor:

- **All forms** returns to the list of sign-up forms.
- **Delete form** removes the form; **Add a step** adds a new page to the registration wizard.
- Warning banners at the top explain anything that prevents the form from being offered, such as a missing contact block.
- In **The form** panel, enter or update the form's **Name** and **Description**. The **Offer this form on the Gateway** toggle controls whether registrants can use it (see Section 6).

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/5-1-04-form-editor(1).png)

## 5b. Adding a Step

1. In the form editor, click **Add a step**.
2. In the **Add a step** panel, enter a **Step name** (for example, *Company contacts*) and an optional **Description**.
3. Use **Order** to set where the step appears in the wizard.
4. Click **Save step**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/5-1-07-add-step.png)

## 5c. Adding a Block to a Step

Blocks group the fields on a step and determine which record those fields fill in.

1. Under the step in the left panel, click **Add a block**.
2. Enter a **Block name** (for example, *Main contact*) and an optional **Description**.
3. In **What it fills in**, select the record the block populates. To let registrants sign in after registering, at least one block on the form must fill in **Vendors/Customers Contacts**.
4. Set the **Order** of the block within the step.
5. Click **Save block**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/5-1-06-add-block.png)

## 5d. Choosing the Fields in a Block

1. Click a block (for example, **Fields**) under its step in the left panel. The block's fields appear on the right.
2. In the **Available** list, use **Find a field** to search, then click **« Add** next to a field to place it on the form. Click **« Add all** to add every available field.
3. In the **On the form** list, drag fields to reorder them, and check **required** and/or **unique** as needed.
4. To take a field off the form, click the **»** arrow next to it, or click **Remove all »** to clear the block.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/e3626857-1fb5-4e27-b278-2d3fc5508be4/Images/Documentation/5-1-05-form-fields(1).png)

# 6. Offering the Form on the Gateway

1. Open the form from the **Sign-up forms** tab (see Section 4).
2. Confirm that no warning banners remain at the top of the editor (for example, that a block fills in **Vendors/Customers Contacts**).
3. In **The form** panel, turn on **Offer this form on the Gateway** (see the screenshot in Section 5a).
4. Return to **All forms** and confirm the **On the Gateway** column shows **Offered** for the form.

# 7. Related Gateway Settings

These settings on the VCG **Settings** tab also affect the registration experience:

| Setting | What It Controls |
| --- | --- |
| Allow Vendor/Client Signup through Gateway | Whether vendors/clients can sign up through the Gateway at all. |
| New Account Confirmation Top Content / Bottom Content | Text shown at the top and bottom of the confirmation page after a new account is submitted. |
| New Account Emails Title / Body Intro | The title and introduction used in new-account email notifications. |
| Enable Alerts for Client Registration | Whether notifications are sent when clients register. |
| Vendor document upload message | The message shown above the file upload box on the Create Account form. |
| Allow vendor to upload documents after account creation | Whether vendors can upload documents after creating a new account. |
| SAM auto fill for VCG self registration | Whether SAM.gov data can auto-fill details for self-registering vendors. |

# 8. Quick Reference Summary

| Task | How to Complete It |
| --- | --- |
| Open the Gateway settings | Administration → search “Gateway” → Vendor/Client Gateway (VCG). |
| Turn on self-registration | Settings tab → Access → Allow Vendor/Client Signup through Gateway → On → Save changes. |
| View sign-up forms | VCG → Sign-up forms tab. |
| Create or edit a sign-up form | Sign-up forms tab → Add form, or Open on a form's row. |
| Add a step | Form editor → Add a step → enter Step name and Order → Save step. |
| Add a block | Form editor → Add a block under a step → choose What it fills in → Save block. |
| Add or arrange fields | Select a block → « Add fields from Available → set required/unique → drag to reorder. |
| Offer a form to registrants | Form editor → Offer this form on the Gateway → On. |