This article describes how to set up a Guest Registration portal with Sponsor approval in FortiNAC.
A standard setup will include the following products: FortiSwitch, FortiGate and FortiNAC.
This article only discusses the flow and steps to configure the portal on FortiNAC.
It is expected the customer has already performed integration of FortiNAC and FortiGate by referring to the following articles and documentation:
Technical Tip: An example of a simple network deployment of FortiNAC with FortiGate/FortiSwitch
Technical Tip: A simple deployment including FortiGate/FortiAP (self-registered guest)
FortiGate endpoint management integration guide
Other necessary elements:
To troubleshoot issues with Guest/Captive portal not appearing for rogue hosts follow this article.
B. Operation flow for a host connecting wirelessly to the SSID
Before proceeding to the Portal and guest templates, the following will be necessary to have:
Step 1. Create role and template for Guests.
Go to Policy and Objects -> Roles.
Select GuestSelfRegistration.
Edit the details if it will be necessary groups to be added to this role.
Figure 1. Set Role for self registering guests.
Step 2. Configure the Template for Guests.
Go to User & Devices and select 'Role: GuestSelfRegistration' from the previous step.
Figure 2. Guest Template configuration for self registering guests.
Edit the Data fields.
Figure 3. Set the required "Data Fields" that must be filled by guest during the registration process.
Step 3. Create a user host profile named 'Guest' to associate with the network access policy.
Add the Who/what attribute to Role:GuestSelfRegistration.
Figure 4. User "Role" as filtering criteria in the user host profile.
Step 4. Create a network access policy matching the previously created User/host profile and Network access configuration.
The network access configuration should specify the Guest_Vlan logical network.
Figure 5. Define Network Access configuration.
Step 5. Enable the self-registration guest login:
Figure 6. Enable Guest Self registration in the portal settings.
Step 6. Enter a sponsor email if sponsor approval for guests is enabled.
Figure 7. Enable sponsor approval.
Edit the 'Require sponsor approval' to 'Any User' and enable additional features if needed as below:
Figure 8. Additional settings related to approval process in the portal configuration.
Step 7. Configure the email server and verify the sponsor's email address under Users View by modifying the user entry and configuring the email address.
Figure 9. Admin user for sponsor approval and email server configuration.
Under Settings -> System Communication, go to Email settings and configure the Email server as needed.
Figure 10. Email Server configuration options.
Step 8. Put the Port where the host connects to the 'Force Registration' and 'Role Based Access' groups.
These are system groups that will provide enforcement to all ports that are marked as members.
In order to do this, include all the needed ports in a port group and then make this group a member of both system groups above.
For a simple test with one port, it is possible to go to the Network device in Inventory view, select the port, and select Group Membership.
Enable membership for both system groups.
Related articles:
Technical Tip: Troubleshooting domain resolution in the captive portal
Technical Tip: How to troubleshoot FortiNAC guest captive portal authentication
Technical Tip: Troubleshooting captive portal page not building or rendering
Troubleshooting Tip: Captive portal page not building or slow to build
The Fortinet Security Fabric brings together the concepts of convergence and consolidation to provide comprehensive cybersecurity protection for all users, devices, and applications and across all network edges.
Copyright 2025 Fortinet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.