Managing the Canvas Patient Portal

Last updated: June 9, 2026

The Canvas Patient Portal gives patients a secure way to access parts of their care experience online. Depending on your organization’s configuration, patients can use the portal to send messages, complete forms or consents, view health information, manage appointments, upload documents, and access other patient-facing workflows.

Before you begin

Patient Portal access and available features depend on your organization’s configuration. Some portal capabilities may require Canvas support or implementation assistance to enable.

Common configuration areas include:

  • Enabling the Patient Portal for your instance

  • Configuring the portal login page and banner

  • Enabling beta portal features, such as appointments, forms, consents, registration, or My Health

  • Configuring scheduling availability, forms, documents, or custom workflows

Patient Portal URL

Patients typically access the portal at:

https://[your-practice-name].canvasmedical.com/app/login

You can share this URL from your website, intake materials, appointment reminders, or patient communications.

Inviting a patient to the portal

To invite a patient:

  1. Open the patient’s chart.

  2. Confirm the patient has the required demographic and contact information.

  3. Go to the patient profile or portal user section.

  4. Send the portal invite by email or phone, depending on your configured workflow.

  5. The patient follows the invite link to create their login credentials.

If the patient’s invite link expires, send a new invite or password reset link.

Patient self-registration

If self-registration is enabled, patients can register from the portal login page.

Patients should use the same identifying information your organization has on file. If a patient registers more than once using different contact information, this may create duplicate patient records. Canvas does not automatically merge duplicate charts, so your team should follow your internal duplicate chart process if this happens.

Logging in

Patients log in using their portal credentials. Canvas supports username and password login for the Patient Portal.

If a patient cannot log in:

  1. Confirm they are using the correct portal URL.

  2. Confirm they are using the correct username or email, depending on their setup.

  3. Ask them to reset their password.

  4. Confirm their portal account is active.

  5. Ask them to try a private/incognito browser window or clear browser cache.

  6. If the issue continues, contact Canvas support with the patient MRN or chart URL, screenshots, and the exact error message.

Portal features

Available portal features vary by configuration.

Messaging

Patient Portal messaging allows patients and care teams to communicate securely. Messaging behavior may differ from email-only communication, so confirm that your team understands how portal messages are routed and reviewed.

Forms and consents

Depending on configuration, patients may be able to complete forms or consents in the portal.

Use portal forms and consents for workflows such as intake, acknowledgements, and required patient documentation. Some workflows may require additional configuration or plugin work.

Documents

Patient document workflows may include patient uploads, staff review, or document visibility in the portal. Availability depends on your configuration.

Appointments

If appointment scheduling is enabled, patients may be able to view availability, book appointments, or access virtual visit details through the portal. Scheduling behavior depends on your calendar, note type, availability, and implementation setup.

My Health

The My Health section may show patient health information such as conditions, medications, allergies, or related clinical information, depending on configuration.

Landing page

Canvas supports a Patient Portal landing page experience. Organizations may customize the landing experience to guide patients to the most important next steps.

Troubleshooting

The patient cannot access the portal

Check the following:

  1. The patient is using the correct portal URL.

  2. The Patient Portal is enabled for your instance.

  3. The patient has an active portal account.

  4. The patient has completed registration.

  5. The patient’s email or phone number is correct.

  6. The patient is using the correct login credentials.

Collect the exact error message and patient details before contacting support.

The patient sees invalid credentials

Ask the patient to:

  1. Confirm their username or email.

  2. Reset their password.

  3. Try a private/incognito browser window.

  4. Clear browser cache and cookies.

  5. Try again from the correct portal URL.

If multiple patients are affected, contact Canvas support.

The patient’s invite or password reset link expired

Send a new invite or password reset link. Ask the patient to use the newest link, since older links may no longer be valid.

The patient sees a 403 error

A 403 error may indicate an access restriction or security block. Contact Canvas support and include the patient’s portal URL, screenshot, IP address if available, and the time the error occurred.

Forms, appointments, or documents are not appearing

Confirm that:

  • The relevant portal feature is enabled.

  • The patient is eligible for the workflow.

  • The form, appointment, or document is configured to appear in the portal.

  • Any required implementation or plugin work has been completed.

Feature-specific portal capabilities are often configuration-dependent.

Best practices

  • Add the portal URL to your website and patient-facing materials.

  • Send portal invites before the patient’s first appointment when possible.

  • Confirm patient contact information before sending invites.

  • Test portal workflows in a non-production environment before rollout.

  • Provide patients with simple instructions for registration, login, and password reset.

  • Document your internal process for duplicate patient records created through registration.

When to contact Canvas support

Contact Canvas support if:

  • Multiple patients cannot access the portal.

  • A patient receives repeated login errors after password reset.

  • A patient sees a 403 or unexpected error.

  • Portal features are enabled but not visible.

  • You need help enabling or configuring portal functionality.

Include:

  • Patient MRN or chart URL, if applicable

  • Portal URL

  • Screenshots

  • Error messages

  • Browser and device information

  • Approximate time the issue occurred