Add Community to your Hub

For existing Hub owners, learn how to set up a community in your Hub quickly

NOTE: You don't need to do any of the steps below if you're starting a new Hub, as they are already enabled by default. This guide applies to existing Hubs before the Community feature was introduced.

---

Step 1 - Set Your Hub to Private

First, your Hub needs to be private to create a close-knit community.

Go to your Hub's settings and ensure the Private option is checked.

Step 2 - Turn On Comments

Foster engagement by allowing comments on your posts.

Still, in your Hub settings, navigate to the Comments section. Toggle the comments to ON.

Step 3 - Enable Notifications

Keep your members in the loop by enabling notifications.

In your Hub settings, find the Notifications section and enable notifications if you have not already.

Step 4 - Enable the Member Directory

Help your members connect by enabling the directory.

Open the Hub Editor and find the Member Directory page. Enable the page in the settings.

Step 5 - Enable the Discussions Page

Add the core of your community by setting up a Discussions page.

While in the Hub Editor, look for the Discussions page. Enable the Discussions Page from the page settings. Optionally, you can create custom "Spaces" within your community in the discussion page settings.

Step 6: Customize the Discussions Sidebar

The sidebar of the Community Hub can be customized with different sections to create a more personalized and engaging experience for your members. 

Open the Hub Editor and navigate to the Discussions page. Then, click the Sidebar section to access the customizable elements/spaces and make changes. Don't forget to click Save Changes!

Step 7 - Add the Discussions page as a Header menu item

Go back to your Hub pages. Click Home > Header > Header Menu. 

 

Click + Add Menu Item under Menu Items and choose Page. This is where you will select the Discussions page from the Page drop-down. You can optionally set to open the page in a new tab when members click on it from your Hub.

Don't forget to Save your changes! Should you need more information on editing your Header menu items, you will find this article really helpful.

 

And that’s it! You’ve just added a new pillar of your membership: Community. Now, your members can engage, discuss, and connect more than ever before. 🎉

 

If you have any questions or run into any issues, don't hesitate to contact help@membership.io for assistance. Talk soon!

Also, we understand that this setup can seem complicated, so we’re working hard to make it much simpler. Everything we’ve built up to this point has been introduced as one-off updates, but now that the experience is almost complete, we have some exciting updates coming that will streamline the process of enabling your community on Hubs!