> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nextlevelmca.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Create or send a merchant portal link > Issues the deal’s merchant-portal magic link (scoped to the business, so it covers all of its deals) and optionally sends it. Links last **24 hours** — `expires_in_days` is accepted but ignored in v1; the portal lets the merchant request a fresh link, and calling this again before expiry returns the same link. `send_via: "sms"` needs a contact linked to the CRM; `"email"` falls back to the location’s connected mailbox. When the send step fails the link is still returned with `sent: false` and `meta.warning`. Anyone holding the link can view shared offers and upload documents, so treat it like a credential. ## OpenAPI ````yaml /openapi/public-v1.json post /v1/deals/{dealId}/portal-link openapi: 3.0.0 info: title: NextLevel MCA Public API description: >- REST API for the NextLevel MCA deal platform. Objects flow Businesses → People → Deals → Submissions → Offers → Advances. **Authentication.** Send `Authorization: Bearer ` with an API key (`nlmca_live_…`, created in Settings → Developers) or an OAuth access token. Keys are scoped to one location. **Conventions.** JSON only. Cursor pagination (`limit` ≤ 100, `cursor` from `meta.next_cursor`). Every success is `{ data, meta }`; every error is `{ error: { type, message, code, param, request_id } }`. POST endpoints accept `Idempotency-Key` (24h replay). Rate limit 300 requests/min per credential (`X-RateLimit-*` headers). **Scopes.** Keys with no scopes have all of them. Otherwise: - `businesses:read` — Read businesses and their notes, tasks and activity - `businesses:write` — Create and update businesses, notes and tasks - `people:read` — Read people (contacts and owners) - `people:write` — Create and update people - `deals:read` — Read deals, submissions and the pipeline - `deals:write` — Create and update deals, move stages - `documents:read` — Read documents and statement analysis - `documents:write` — Upload documents and request documents from merchants - `lenders:read` — Read lenders, criteria and lender matches - `lenders:write` — Create and update lenders and criteria - `submissions:write` — Submit deals to lenders and withdraw submissions - `offers:read` — Read offers - `offers:write` — Log and update offers, set the primary offer - `advances:read` — Read funded advances and renewal flags - `advances:write` — Update advances - `portal:send` — Generate and send merchant portal links - `webhooks:manage` — Manage webhook subscriptions version: '1.0' contact: {} servers: - url: https://api.nextlevelmca.com description: Production security: - bearer: [] tags: - name: Businesses description: Merchant businesses and their notes, tasks and activity - name: People description: Contacts and owners. Phone lookups normalise to E.164. - name: Deals description: Deals, stage moves, renewals and the pipeline - name: Documents description: Documents, presigned uploads, document requests and statement analysis - name: Lenders description: Lenders and their criteria - name: Lender matches description: Criteria-driven lender matching for a deal - name: Submissions description: Sending deals to lenders - name: Offers description: Lender offers and the primary offer - name: Advances description: Funded advances and renewal readiness - name: Merchant portal description: Magic links for the merchant portal - name: Webhooks description: Outbound event subscriptions paths: /v1/deals/{dealId}/portal-link: post: tags: - Merchant portal summary: Create or send a merchant portal link description: >- Issues the deal’s merchant-portal magic link (scoped to the business, so it covers all of its deals) and optionally sends it. Links last **24 hours** — `expires_in_days` is accepted but ignored in v1; the portal lets the merchant request a fresh link, and calling this again before expiry returns the same link. `send_via: "sms"` needs a contact linked to the CRM; `"email"` falls back to the location’s connected mailbox. When the send step fails the link is still returned with `sent: false` and `meta.warning`. Anyone holding the link can view shared offers and upload documents, so treat it like a credential. operationId: portal_createLink parameters: - name: dealId required: true in: path description: Deal id schema: type: string requestBody: required: true content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/CreatePortalLinkDto' responses: '201': description: Created content: application/json: schema: type: object required: - data - meta properties: data: $ref: '#/components/schemas/PortalLinkDto' meta: $ref: '#/components/schemas/EmptyMetaDto' '400': description: Validation failed. `error.param` names the field. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorEnvelopeDto' '401': description: Missing, invalid, expired or revoked credential. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorEnvelopeDto' '403': description: Credential lacks the scope, or the role lacks the permission. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorEnvelopeDto' '404': description: Resource not found in this location. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorEnvelopeDto' '409': description: Conflict (duplicate or idempotency key reuse). content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorEnvelopeDto' '429': description: Rate limit exceeded. See `X-RateLimit-*` and `Retry-After`. content: application/json: schema: $ref: '#/components/schemas/ErrorEnvelopeDto' security: - bearer: [] components: schemas: CreatePortalLinkDto: type: object properties: person_id: type: string description: >- Person to send the link to. Defaults to the deal’s primary owner, then the business’s primary contact. Ignored when `send_via` is `none`. send_via: type: string enum: - email - sms - none default: none description: >- `email` sends through the CRM conversation when the contact is linked to the CRM, else through the location’s connected mailbox. `sms` texts through the CRM conversation (contact must be linked to the CRM). `none` only returns the link. message: type: string description: >- Message to send. `{{link}}` is replaced with the URL; when absent the link is appended. Defaults to a short note with the link. maxLength: 2000 expires_in_days: type: number description: >- Accepted for forward compatibility but ignored: portal links always last 24 hours and the portal lets the merchant request a fresh one. minimum: 1 maximum: 30 PortalLinkDto: type: object properties: url: type: string description: >- Magic link to the merchant portal. Anyone with it can view the deal’s shared offers and upload documents. expires_at: type: string description: >- When the link expires (ISO 8601, 24 hours from issue). Re-issuing before expiry returns the same link. sent: type: boolean description: True when a message went out. sent_via: type: string nullable: true enum: - email - sms description: Channel used, when sent. sent_to: type: string nullable: true description: Masked email or phone the link was sent to. person_id: type: string nullable: true description: Person the link was sent to. business_id: type: string nullable: true description: Business the link is scoped to (covers every deal of the business). deal_id: type: string description: Deal the link opens on. required: - url - expires_at - sent - sent_via - sent_to - person_id - business_id - deal_id EmptyMetaDto: type: object properties: {} ErrorEnvelopeDto: type: object properties: error: $ref: '#/components/schemas/PublicErrorDto' required: - error PublicErrorDto: type: object properties: type: type: string enum: - validation_error - authentication_error - permission_error - not_found - conflict - rate_limit_error - api_error message: type: string description: Human-readable explanation, safe to show to an operator or an agent. code: type: string description: >- Stable machine-readable code, e.g. `missing_scope`, `duplicate_business`. param: type: string description: Request field the error refers to, when applicable. request_id: type: string description: Echo of the `X-Request-Id` header. Quote it when contacting support. required: - type - message - request_id securitySchemes: bearer: scheme: bearer bearerFormat: API key or JWT type: http description: API key (`nlmca_live_…`) or OAuth access token ```` ## Related topics - [Request documents from the merchant](/api-reference/documents/request-documents-from-the-merchant.md) - [MCP server](/mcp/overview.md) - [Building an AI-first workflow](/guides/ai-first-workflow.md)