How to create a community
In this article, you will learn how to create and manage a community using SystemeScale.
A community lets you bring members together around posts, topics, comments, discussions, and shared access. You can create a public or private community, invite members, moderate posts, schedule content, pin posts or comments, and automate access through rules or workflows.
Creating a community
To create a new community, go to the Assets tab, then click Communities.
On the Communities page, click Create.
In the popup that appears, provide the required community details, then click Save.
Community creation details
When creating the community, provide the following details:
- A name: This is the name of your community.
- The domain name: Choose the domain that should be assigned to the community.
- The URL path: Define the path that will be used in the community URL.
- Message validation preference: Choose whether messages should be automatically validated or manually moderated.
The community dashboard
After the community has been created, you will be taken to its dashboard. The dashboard contains the main areas you will use to manage the community.
| Tab | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| Home | Add posts and create topics. |
| Search | Search through posts, comments, and authors' names. Real-time autocomplete suggestions appear after typing at least 3 letters, allowing you to click a suggestion and go directly to the most relevant result. |
| Members | Access the list of community members and manage invitations or banned members. |
| Settings | Manage the community's configuration, including name, URL path, cover image, access type, and validation settings. |
| Scheduled posts | View posts that have been scheduled. |
| Topics | Add and manage community topics. |
Member details
From the Members tab, you can view details about community members, such as when they joined and any roles they have.
You can search for a member by name, invite new members, and view all banned members of the community.
- Use the member search field to find a member by name.
- Click Invite new members to invite members into the community.
- Open the banned members list to view members who have been banned from the community.
Inviting members
To invite a member, enter their email address and click Invite.
For bulk invitations, copy and paste multiple email addresses into the invitation field, then send the invitation.
Community settings
From the Settings tab, you can modify the community's name, URL path, and cover image.
The community cover image will be displayed on the communities list page and on the community's Join page.
Private and public communities
You can choose between two types of communities in the community settings:
- Private community: Only members you invite can access the community.
- Public community: Anyone can join your community after signing up.
You can also modify the settings for automatic validation of posts.
Topics
You can use topics to organize community discussions into different sections.
To add a topic, enter a name and a path, then click Add topic.
Posting in a community
To post in a community, click the Write something section.
A popup will appear where you can enter the post Title and Path, select a Topic, and write your content.
You can also add emojis, upload one or multiple files from your device, add a direct link, or add a voice memo if it has already been recorded and saved to your device.
Editing, deleting, and scheduling posts
After a post is published, click the three dots menu to manage it.
- Click Edit to apply changes to the post.
- Click Remove post to delete the post.
- Use the Schedule this post switch during post creation if you want the post to be published later.
Pinning posts
Community owners and moderators can pin posts by clicking the Pin icon.
When pinning a post, choose whether to pin it to the home page or to the topic the post belongs to.
Once the pinning action is confirmed, a notification message appears to confirm success. The post is then featured at the top of the feed with a small blue banner to distinguish it from non-pinned posts and includes an Unpin option.
Post comments
Comments can be sorted by Oldest, Newest, or Most popular.
You can also pin a comment by clicking the three dots menu, then clicking Pin comment.
Pinned comments appear at the top with the word Pinned next to them.
Automating community access
You can automate how members are added to or removed from your community using SystemeScale automation tools. Access can be managed in two ways:
- Automation Rules: Trigger an action when a specific event occurs, such as a tag being added or a form being filled. The same method can be used to revoke community access.
- Workflows: For more complex sequences, use actions directly inside a workflow. This lets you combine community access with delays, decisions, and other automated steps. The same method can be used to revoke community access.
Joining a community
Community owners can invite people by sharing a community link.
When someone opens the link and clicks Join, what happens next depends on their account and access status.
Scenario 1: The user already has a SystemeScale account
If the user already has a SystemeScale account, the joining flow depends on whether they are logged in and whether they already have access to the ownerβs domain.
- Logged in and already has access: If the user is logged in and already has access to the owner's domain, such as early access to a course on that domain, they can click Join to enter the community.
- Not logged in, but already has access: If the user is not logged in, clicking Join asks them to log in first with their SystemeScale account.
- No access yet: If the user does not have access to the domain, clicking Join asks for their email. After entering the email address, they receive an email to confirm membership. Once confirmed, they can join the community.
Scenario 2: The user does not have a SystemeScale account
If the user does not have an account yet, they follow a similar process:
- Enter their email address.
- Click Join the community.
- Receive an email to confirm and create their student account.
Things to keep in mind
- All community members can add posts and leave comments.
- To receive notifications whenever a member reacts to their posts in the community, members should enable the Notify me about published community posts option in notification settings.
- Community members, including the owner, can change the display name that appears when adding posts or comments.
- The member list is only available to community members in a private community, but is available to everyone in a public community.
- A member can leave a community by clicking the red icon at the top of the community, then confirming by clicking Leave.
Related community guides
Use the related guides below if you want to sell community access, automate access, create workflows, or connect your community with other SystemeScale assets.