Set up a community
Create a community product, open its editor, set the name, icon and layout members see, and choose which features are switched on.
When you finish these steps you will have a community with its own name, icon and layout, the right features switched on, and a way for members to get in.
Create the community product
In the sidebar open Products → Communities (/communities) and click Create product. The
new community opens in the product hub, on its Community tab
(/communities/<productId>/content). A community is a product like any other, so the hub's other
tabs (Add-ons & Plans, Checkouts, Pages, Access, Workflows, Settings) work
as described in The product hub.
Follow the launch checklist
While the community is a draft, the Community tab shows Get ready to launch with four items: Create your channels, Create a checkout, Publish the community and Invite your first members. Each item has a button that takes you to the right place. Members cannot join until the product is published.
Open the community editor
On the same tab click the Community editor tile. The editor opens at
/communities/<productId>/editor with a left menu: Overview, then Content (Channels,
Events, Resources), Community (Members list, Roles, Moderation,
Support) and Settings. The arrow in the top-left corner returns to the product and Go
to community opens the member view.
Set the name, icon and layout
Open Settings. The Appearance tab (/communities/<productId>/editor/settings) opens
first. Community name is what members see in the navigation; leave it empty to use the
product name. Community icon is a square logo next to the name: upload one or click
Generate icon, pick a palette and an emoji, and confirm with Use this icon. Under
Community layout choose Sidebar (channels in a left rail, the default) or Topbar
(channels as chips across the top, marked Beta). Click Save.
Choose the features
Open the Access & features tab (/communities/<productId>/editor/settings/access), set the
switches described below and click Save. Leaving a tab with unsaved edits asks Unsaved
changes first, with Discard changes and Stay here.
Add channels and let members in
Build the structure in Channels (Channels and groups), then create a checkout for the product (Create a checkout) and publish it. People who already bought something else from you can be brought in with Import members (Manage members).
Access & features settings
| Setting | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Public community | Off | Anyone with the link can read the feed without an account. See Public community. |
| Members display | Show full members list | Members get the Members tab with the directory only with Show full members list. Hide members list and Show count only both remove the tab. |
| Allow video uploads | On | Lets members upload video files into posts. When off, members can still add a video by link. |
| Events (calendar) | On | Shows the Calendar tab and upcoming events. Turning it off hides the section; scheduled events are kept and come back when you turn it on again. |
| Private messages between members | On | Lets members write to each other 1:1. When off, the Message buttons disappear and existing conversations become read-only. Your own inbox thread with each client is not affected. |
| Archive from purchase date | Off | Members only see posts published after their access started. Renewals do not reset the date. When off, everyone sees the full archive. |
| Allow member API / CLI access | Off | Lets members use the Zanfia CLI and the Community API to read and post as themselves. |
The other two tabs have their own articles: Notifications holds the weekly digest switches (Weekly digest) and Gamification holds XP, levels and level-gated channels (Gamification).
The Overview dashboard
Overview (/communities/<productId>/editor/overview) is the first screen of the editor. Four tiles open their sections when clicked: Reports to review, Open support tickets, Members (with +N this week) and Next event. A tile with nothing in it reads Nothing waiting.
Below the tiles, Activity (last 30 days) charts one column per day with XP earned and Active members on hover, Member levels shows how many members sit at each level from 1 to 9, and Leaderboard lists up to 8 members for 7 days, 30 days or All time. These three cards are based on gamification: with gamification off they show an Enable gamification button instead.
New members lists the 5 most recent members. Quick actions holds Add new channel, Import members, New event and New role, with a Structure line underneath that counts channels, groups, restricted channels and custom roles.
Good to know
Once the community is published, the product's Community tab becomes a second dashboard focused on the business side: Needs attention (unread replies and mentions, posts with no reply, failed renewals), Pulse (revenue, new members and posts for the last 30 days), a Reply queue and an Activity list of who joined, renewed or left.
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