Why a Small Service Catalogue Works Better
The service catalogue lets contacts choose the kind of request they want to make. A small, well-chosen catalogue is easier to use than a long one. This article explains why, and shows how real MSPs set theirs up.
The short version
- People scan a list. They do not read it.
- Contacts are often in a hurry, or worried, when they ask for help.
- If a contact can't find what they want quickly, they may pick any option or send an email instead.
- The catalogue can't force anyone to use it, so it needs to be easy to use.
- The MSPs with the most portal users keep their service groups small.
Think about the contact's moment
Most contacts don't open the portal for fun. Something has gone wrong, or they need something done soon. They may be stressed, and they may be in the middle of other work.
In this moment, a contact has very little patience. They want to know one thing: "Has my request been received?"
This should shape how you design your catalogue:
- Make the choice quick. A short list with clear names helps them decide in seconds.
- Keep forms short. A long form feels like a test. A person in a hurry will skip it, guess the answers, or leave.
- Collect only what you need to start. If you can collect information later, collect it later.
- Let them submit first. Once the ticket is created, the contact can relax. They know someone is working on it. You can then ask for more details through a comment, a follow-up question or an inline form.
The goal of the portal is to help the contact, not to collect as much data as possible. A contact who has submitted a ticket quickly is more likely to answer follow-up questions calmly. A contact who was forced through a long form first may be frustrated before you have started.
How people use a catalogue
A contact opens the portal with one goal: get help. They look at the list of service types and decide in a few seconds. If nothing looks right, they stop looking.
As a guideline, aim for 5 to 10 service types that fit on one screen without scrolling. This is a UX guideline, not a hard limit. The right number depends on your screen layout and your contacts. The principle is simple: the more choices you show, the harder it is to choose.
Contacts who can't find the right service type may choose a random one or send an email. The catalogue can't stop them. That is why it should be easy to scan.
What real MSPs do
We checked the three MSPs with the most contacts using the client portal. The figures below are monthly, from 1 September to 1 October 2026. Names are removed.
MSP A | MSP B | MSP C | |
Unique contacts using the portal | 2,115 to 2,243 | 4,034 to 4,051 | 3,644 to 3,670 |
Portal activities (browsing, creating tickets, comments) | 30k to 33k | 51k to 54k | 54k to 55k |
Form results submitted | 2.25k | 295 | 1.12k |
Unique forms used | 102 | 47 | 64 |
Service groups | 117 | 79 | 76 |
Service types per service group | 1 to 10 | Mostly 3 to 6, some 7 to 10 | 7 to 12 |
What stands out
1. Every service group is small. In all three MSPs, a service group holds about 1 to 12 service types. None of them show hundreds of choices to a contact. This fits the 5 to 10 guideline.
2. Many small groups, not one big one. These MSPs have 76 to 117 service groups each. Instead of one large catalogue, they have many small ones matched to a company or a need.
3. Most forms are company-specific. In MSP A, 95 to 99 percent of the forms used are company-specific. In MSP B and MSP C, most forms are company-specific too. Each company often has its own version of a form, so the number of unique forms grows quickly.
4. A few forms do most of the work. In MSP B, 124 of 295 form results came from one form, "Support - Urgent Issue". Another 26 came from the default new user onboarding form. In MSP C, 110 came from the IT support form. The rest were spread across many company-specific forms.
5. Thousands of contacts, relatively few form submissions. MSP B had about 4,000 contacts using the portal in a month, but 295 form results. Many contacts browse or comment without submitting a form. Not every request needs one.
What this means for your setup
- Keep each service group small. The MSPs with the highest portal use do this.
- Keep forms short. Ask only what you need to start the work.
- Collect the rest later. Create the ticket first, then ask for more details.
- Add a form only when the answers change what you do next. Many requests work well without one.
- Watch for copied forms. If the same request exists once per company, check whether one shared form would do.
- Make the catalogue easy to scan. Clear names and a short list matter more than a long list.
