A portal summary controller monitors usage metadata indicating current usage of at least one portlet within at least one portal page for one of multiple events specified to trigger storage of the usage metadata. Responsive to detecting one of the multiple events within the usage metadata which triggers storage, the portal summary controller stores the detected usage metadata at a current time of at least one instance of at least one portlet application within the at least one portal page. Subsequent to storing separate detected usage metadata at multiple different times, the portal summary controller dynamically creates a summary portal page displaying a separate instance of the at least one portlet application for at least one of each of the multiple different times specified according to the separate usage metadata stored at each of the multiple different times, such that the summary portal page provides a summary of at least a selection of previous usage metadata selected by a user of the at least one portal page based on usage metadata stored responsive to trigger events.