How discussions work
Every group (Main Group, Local Centers, Role Groups, Private Groups) can have discussions enabled. When a member creates a post in a group:- It appears in that group’s Discussions tab
- Group members receive notifications (based on their preferences)
- Members can reply, react with emojis, or share the post
- Admins can pin important posts, lock threads, or moderate content
Creating a post
Go to any group → Discussions tab → Create Post| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Title | Clear headline — “Q4 Planning Meeting Notes” is better than “Update” |
| Body | Rich text content with formatting, images, links, and embedded media |
| Category | If Discussion Namespaces are enabled, select a category |
| Topics | Tag your post with one or more topics for filtering and organization |
Media and attachments
Posts support rich media — not just text:| Media type | How it works |
|---|---|
| Images | Embed directly in the post body. Displayed inline with lightbox preview. |
| Videos | Upload MP4/WebM videos that play directly in the feed. |
| Files | Attach PDFs, documents, spreadsheets — members download from the post. |
| Link previews | Paste a URL and it generates an OpenGraph preview card with title, image, and description. |
| @Mentions | Type @ to mention a member by name. They receive a notification and the mention links to their profile. |
Rich text features
The editor supports:- Bold, italic,
strikethrough - Headings, bullet lists, numbered lists
- Links and inline images
- Code blocks and block quotes
- File and media attachments
Comments and reactions
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Comment | Write a response below the post. Comments appear in chronological order. |
| Reply to a comment | Click reply on a specific comment to create a threaded response under it (one level of nesting). |
| React | Click an emoji reaction on the post or any comment. Reactions are visible with counts. |
| Mention | Type @name to notify and link to a specific member in your comment. |
Moderation
Admins and group owners can manage discussions:| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Pin | Keep a post at the top of the discussion list — use for announcements or important resources |
| Lock | Prevent new replies — useful for resolved topics or closed decisions |
| Hide | Remove from the feed without deleting — content preserved but not visible |
| Delete | Permanently remove the post and all replies |
| Move | Change the post to a different namespace/category |
Discussions in different groups
| Group | Discussion character |
|---|---|
| Main Group | Org-wide announcements, general conversation. Often restricted to admin-only posting with open replies. |
| Local Centers | Local news, community conversations, area-specific topics. Usually open to all local members. |
| Role Groups | Segment-specific coordination — leaders sharing practices, youth peer discussion. |
| Private Groups | Team communication — project updates, decisions, meeting notes. |
Search and filtering
| Filter | What it does |
|---|---|
| Namespace/category | Show only posts in a specific category (if namespaces enabled) |
| Author | Find posts by a specific member |
| Date | Sort by newest, oldest, or most recent activity |
| Full-text search | Find posts containing specific words |
Setting up discussions
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Who can create public discussions | Permission level required to create discussions visible to all. Default: All Users. |
| Enable Discussion Namespaces | Organize posts into categories/namespaces. See Discussion Namespaces. |
Notifications
Members receive notifications for:- New posts in groups they belong to
- Replies to their posts
- @mentions
- Moderator actions on their content
Common scenarios
The Main Group feed is cluttered — too many random posts
The Main Group feed is cluttered — too many random posts
Enable “Only admins can post” on the Main Group. It becomes an announcement channel where admins post and members read. Direct open discussion to Local Centers or Private Groups. Members can still reply to admin posts if needed.
I want organized topics instead of one flat feed
I want organized topics instead of one flat feed
Enable Discussion Namespaces. Create categories like “Announcements”, “Questions”, “Ideas”, “Events”. Members tag their posts, and everyone can filter by category.
How do discussions differ from the newsletter?
How do discussions differ from the newsletter?
Can members delete their own posts?
Can members delete their own posts?
Typically yes, within a time window. After that, only moderators/admins can delete. This prevents accidental loss of threaded conversations where others have already replied.
Related
- Discussion Namespaces — Organize posts by category
- Groups — Where discussions live
- Notifications — Discussion notification settings
- Newsletter — For one-way email communication