Channels & Categories are the life of your Community! Channels are the chatrooms in which all your community communication will take place, and Categories are overarching 'Groups' that help you organize your Channels! Genesiv currently provides communities 4 basic Text Channel types, each with unique characteristics that aid communication in a couple of different ways! In addition, we have 2 multimedia channels that allow for voice calls, video chat & screen sharing in your community!

The 4 Basic Text Channel Types are as follows:

• Open Channels: A text channel that allows users to openly chat with each other as long as they have access to the channel.
• Whisper Channels: A special type of channel where users are not able to see each other’s messages. They can only see messages that are sent from the assigned whisperers.
• Announcement Channels: A 1-way channel where announcers can post messages, whereas members are only able to read and react to them.
• Direct Message (DM Channels): A special channel where users can DM a list of pre-selected roles/users.

The 2 Multimedia Channels are as follows;

• Voice Channels: A hub for real-time audio interaction, allowing community members to engage in dynamic group calls!
• Video Channels: Allow members to have video calls, complete with screen sharing, enabling vivid visual communication and collaborative work.

Creating a Channel

To create a channel, first let's head over to the Channels page of your Community Settings.

To create a channel, click on the '+' button located next to 'Channels'. Select 'New Channel' and your new channel will be instantly created.

Now that your channel has been created, there are multiple fields located on the right-hand side that you can configure according to the purpose, and goal of your channels!

Channel Description

Let your community know what your channels are meant to be used for! For example, a good channel description could be "This is a Channel to talk about all things Food!"

Channel Options

Decide who can see, and access your channels!

• Public: A public channel will allow everyone in your server to see the channel in the channel bar, access it, and read messages sent in it.
• Private: A private channel restricts the access of this channel to a specific group. Private channels can be configured to be seen in the channel bar but not accessible, or configured to be hidden from the channel bar entirely.

Channel Types

Choose the type of channel you want to create. Genesiv has 4 text channels; Text Channels, Announcement Channels, Direct Message (DM) Channels, and Whisper Channels. Genesiv also has 2 multimedia channels; Video Channels and Voice Channels.

iFrame & Embeds

iFrame & Embeds allow you to embed external content into your channels. Do note that this feature is only available for Text Channels, Announcement Channels & Whisper Channels.

This can be done with Websites, Youtube Playlists, Games, and more! iFrame and Embeds allow you to fully integrate your brand or practice with your Genesiv Community. Do note that if you embed sites that require users to be logged in, members will need to first login on a separate tab before they'll be able to view it in your channel.

To begin integrating your content, simply turn on iFrame & Embeds and paste your embed code. If you'd like to have a chatroom nestled beside your embed content that allows for conversations between members, toggle on 'iFrame Chatroom'

This is how your channel will look in your community! In this example we have embed a Youtube Playlist.​​

Channel Widgets

Channel widgets allow you to embed your channel activity on external sites, in order to give your website visitors a glimpse into the exciting conversations happening within your community.

Start by turning on your Channel Widget.

From there, scroll down to reveal other customizable aspects of your widgets!

• Sizing: Decide how big your Widget will be. Choose between dynamic sizing or specifying a fixed width and height!
• Color Theme: Choose your widget's colors! Pick from a selection of presets or customize your own widget theme by adjusting each individual color.
• Button: Decide if you would like a Button that redirects to a desired URL. If so, input your Button Text and URL Link.

After configuring your widget, you'll be able to see a preview of how your Widget will look! If you're satisfied with your widget, simply copy the HTML code and paste it anywhere!

Creating a Category

Categories allow you to group channels together under one single header to facilitate better channel organization! ​

To create a category, click on the '+' button next to 'Channels' and select 'New Category'. Similarly to your Channels, you may add a Category Description, and toggle category Privacy.

To put Channels into a Category, simply drag existing channels under the desired category.

Deleting a Channel or Category

In order to delete a channel or category, first select it in your channel list. Once that's done, scroll all the way down your channel settings, and click the red "Delete Channel/Category" at the bottom. In the pop-up window, click 'Yes, Delete Channel/Category". Do note that deleted channels and categories cannot be recovered!