What is one of the primary purposes of the service cloud (customer) portal?

The primary purpose of the service cloud (customer) portal is to provide web self-service by making knowledge articles available to customers. By offering easy access to a repository of knowledge articles, customers can independently find answers to their questions, troubleshoot issues, and gain information without the need to directly contact support staff. This self-service feature empowers users, enhances their experience, and can significantly reduce the volume of incoming support requests, allowing service teams to focus on more complex queries and matters.

While sharing support reports and dashboards, logging and checking the status of cases, and partner access to contact records are all valuable capabilities within the broader customer service landscape, they do not specifically capture the core function of providing self-service access to knowledge resources. Self-service options not only increase customer satisfaction by providing immediate assistance but also contribute to operational efficiency in customer support organizations.