> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nudj.cx/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a Community

> Build, configure, and go-live with a branded community

A **community** is the branded space members actually experience — logo, colours, rules, feed, challenges, and rewards. Orgs can have many communities; each one has its own theme and content.

## Creation flow

<Steps>
  <Step title="Basics" icon="pen">
    Name, URL slug, short description, and a banner image. Communities start in **Draft** by default — invisible to members until you flip them.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Status" icon="toggle-on">
    Use the **status dropdown** on the community settings page to switch between **Draft**, **Live**, **Archived**, and **Disabled**.

    <Warning>
      When you flip Draft to Live, Nudj shows a **confirmation popup** so you cant publish by accident. Read it. Confirm.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Featured flag" icon="star">
    Mark any community as **Featured**. Featured communities are surfaced first in multi-community experiences (embed launcher, landing page, org-level dashboard).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Rules & legal" icon="scale-balanced">
    Under **Legal & Policies**, add **community rules** using the rich-text editor. Choose whether members must **agree to rules via a checkbox** on join, and whether the rules panel is a permanent, always-visible toggle. See [Legal & Policies](/admin-guide/settings/legal-policies).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Theme" icon="palette">
    Each community can override the org theme. The **theme editor** has a **live preview iframe** on the right so you can see your changes in real-time. See [Community-Level Theming](/admin-guide/settings/community-branding).
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Community statuses

| Status       | Visible to members? | In admin lists?                                                                |
| ------------ | ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Draft**    | No                  | Yes                                                                            |
| **Live**     | Yes                 | Yes                                                                            |
| **Archived** | No                  | Only on the [Archived page](/admin-guide/getting-started/archived-communities) |
| **Disabled** | No                  | Yes (greyed out)                                                               |

**Archiving** preserves all data so you can restore later. **Disabling** is a soft kill for temporary take-downs (e.g. during an incident).

***

## Rules and agreement

Communities can require members to accept rules before participating.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Rich-text rules" icon="align-left">
    Use the TipTap rich-text editor (headings, lists, links, inline images) to write your rules. Saved to the community's `legalConfig`.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Agreement checkboxes" icon="square-check">
    Require members to tick an **"I agree to the rules"** checkbox before joining. Useful for contests/sweepstakes compliance.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Permanent toggle" icon="sliders">
    Force the rules panel to stay visible (e.g. always-on footer). Once set, admins cannot silently disable the rules — a safeguard for regulated verticals.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

***

## Going live — checklist

<Check>Status dropdown set to **Live** (confirmation popup accepted).</Check>
<Check>Community has a name, banner, and short description.</Check>
<Check>At least one challenge is **Live** (or scheduled).</Check>
<Check>Theme has been previewed in the live iframe.</Check>
<Check>Rules, agreement, and landing page are configured if applicable.</Check>

***

## Archiving & restoring

To archive: **Community Settings -> Status -> Archived**. The community disappears from member apps but stays on the [Archived Communities](/admin-guide/getting-started/archived-communities) page. Restore by switching status back to **Live** or **Draft**.

<Tip>
  Archive seasonal or one-off communities (holiday pop-ups, product launch) rather than deleting — you keep all member data and analytics for future comparison.
</Tip>