How do I create a private community?

What is the difference between a "private" community and a "public" community?

A private community at IdeaScale is one where visibility is restricted to only the members of that community. Members of private communities have to be logged in with a verified email address to view and contribute to the community. If a non-member is linked to a private communities, they are brought to the communities login page. Private communities are not indexed for search (ie, links won't show up on Google, etc...).

Public communities at IdeaScale are those that are not restricted to the member group. Anyone can visit the community and (depending on moderation settings) anyone is free to register. Public communities ARE indexed for search to increase visibility and virality online.

How can I create a completely private community?

From the Community Settings of your community, go to Settings >> Global. Within the Global menu, set the Visibility to "Private". Save changes and your community will now be private.

Tip: To test and make sure your community is in fact Private, log out of the community. Clear your browser's cache or use another browser to open your community. Instead of getting the community's homepage, you should see the secure sign-in screen.

Can users at IdeaScale's Evaluation license level host private communities?

Yes, private communities are available at the Evaluation license level. After the Evaluation period ends, the community owner has a choice to continue their private community with one of IdeaScale's premium licenses or to cancel their account. Either way, the community's ideas will never go public.

Note: Social networking is also available for private communities. So members of private communities can share ideas via Facebook and Twitter. Anyone who clicks the link on FB or Twitter will need to be A. an approved member of the private community, and B. logged in to the private community in order to view the idea.