Is PortalJS only for CKAN?

No — PortalJS is backend-agnostic. It works equally well with CKAN, OpenMetadata, or custom APIs.

Do I need a developer to manage the portal?

Not for everyday content. Editors can manage FAQs, About pages, and more via GitHub or your preferred CMS.

How long does a PortalJS portal take to launch?

Most deployments go live in 1–2 weeks, depending on the features needed.

Can we manage our own hosting later?

Yes. Many clients start with Datopian-hosted and then move to internal infrastructure. We help with migration.

What makes this better than just CKAN?

CKAN is great for metadata and APIs. PortalJS adds the human layer — modern search, visualizations, dashboards, and guided user experiences.

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CASE STUDY

A Global Transport Hub - Building a shared, open data infrastructure for 30+ transport organizations

We helped the Transport Data Commons (TDC) transform fragmented transport and sustainability data into a unified, public-facing portal. Using CKAN and PortalJS, we built a user-friendly platform that standardizes metadata, automates data ingestion, and enables seamless access and collaboration across 30+ global organizations.

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3 mins read

A Global Transport Hub - Building a shared, open data infrastructure for 30+ transport organizations

30+ organizations sharing one shared portal
100% custom frontend built entirely with PortalJS
80% less manual work through automation and workflows

The Problem

Transport and sustainability data was scattered across disconnected systems—PDFs, spreadsheets, and portals with limited structure. There was no unified place to find consistent, high-quality datasets. Without shared metadata standards or clear contribution processes, organizations struggled to collaborate, often duplicating work. Analysts spent more time cleaning data than analyzing it.

The Solution

Datopian delivered a unified open data platform using CKAN for the backend and PortalJS for the frontend. We replaced the default UI with a custom, fully decoupled interface tailored to non-technical users. The platform includes automated data ingestion pipelines, SDMX-compliant metadata, rich search and filter tools, onboarding flows, and role-based publishing workflows—making data management and access faster, simpler, and more reliable.

The Impact

TDC now operates a centralized, public data portal where 30+ organizations can contribute, manage, and explore datasets efficiently. The platform enables faster decision-making, reduces duplication, and supports international collaboration. Contributors follow structured publishing flows; users benefit from intuitive discovery tools. By standardizing data and simplifying workflows, the portal turns fragmented inputs into a shared, trusted resource.

Why PortalJS Cloud?

Built for multi-organization publishing – PortalJS is ideal for coalitions like TDC — enabling role-based access, contributor dashboards, and streamlined publishing across 30+ organizations.

Supports structured metadata like SDMX – TDC needed metadata aligned with SDMX standards. PortalJS made it easy to surface, search, and display structured datasets clearly.

Turned disconnected data into a unified platform – From scattered PDFs to a live, searchable portal — PortalJS helped TDC centralize transport and sustainability data in one public space.

Frontend flexibility without backend changes – All workflows — including dataset approval, visibility toggling, and publishing flows — were built on the frontend with no backend rewrites.

Visual exploration through filters and maps - Users can search by region, sector, or keyword — or use an interactive map to explore country-specific datasets.

Custom contributor onboarding flow - We built a guided onboarding experience tailored to TDC: helping users follow topics, join organizations, and start contributing with confidence.

This isn’t just a frontend — it’s a public infrastructure for collaboration on transport data.