How to use the Group Finder

The Group Finder is the part of the app where people can see what is open to join, and join it in a couple of taps. Think of it as a shop window for everything you run: small groups, reading plans, Alpha, community projects or any other connection point that fits how you work.

Only the groups you choose to show appear there. It is not a list of every group in Jovo, so you decide exactly what goes in the window.

You build the Group Finder in the admin site, and it has two parts: links and categories.

‍

‍

Add a link

Links sit at the top of the Group Finder and point people somewhere useful. They might say something like "Find a home group" or "Join a team", and they can open a page outside Jovo as well as one inside it.

1. Open the Group Finder section in the admin site.
2. Choose to add a new link.
3. Write the text you want people to see, such as "Update your contact details".
4. Add the URL the link should open.
5. Save your changes.

Your link now shows in the Group Finder in the app, ready for people to tap.

Create a category

Categories are how you organise what is on offer, so people can find the right thing quickly rather than scrolling through everything at once.

1. Choose to add a category.
2. Name it after something people already recognise, such as Community Projects or Small Groups.
3. Save the category.

Keep names short and familiar. The clearer the name, the easier it is for someone new to work out where they belong.

Add groups to a category

1. Open the category you have just created.
2. Search for the group you want to include.
3. Add it to the category.
4. Repeat for any other groups that belong there.

Only add the groups you actively want people to join. Anything you leave out stays private and carries on as normal in Jovo. For a reminder of what each group type does, see What are the different types of Groups?

Check how it looks

Go back to your groups list, then open the Group Finder again. Scroll down and you will see your new category, with the groups you added sitting underneath it, ready to join.

It is worth checking this view on a phone too, since that is how most people will see it.

You can now

You can now run the Group Finder as your shop window: adding links to the places people need, creating categories that make sense to them and choosing exactly which groups are open to join. New members have a clear way in, and you keep control of what is on show.

Next, you might want to look at How to create a Group to build something new to feature, or Welcome to the Jovo Admin Site for a tour of everything else you can manage from here.

‍