Introducing Curated Onboarding: A Personal Touch to Community Building

Community is at the heart of every social platform, but not all communities are created equal. Pixelfed is taking a step further to ensure that its community doesn't just grow, but flourishes with genuine, engaged, and creative individuals.

What is Curated Onboarding?

Curated Onboarding is Pixelfed's innovative strategy that transcends the standard sign-up process. This approach involves a more personalized method to understand each applicant's intentions and aspirations within the platform. It's a thoughtful, considerate process that not only ensures a good fit for the community but also fosters a sense of belonging right from the start.

Screenshot of the Curated Onboarding feature

How does Curated Onboarding work?

The onboarding process is straightforward yet personal:

  1. Application Submission: Users start by submitting a personal note along with their username and email, providing insight into their interests and why they're excited to join Pixelfed.

  2. Review and Interaction: The Pixelfed instance admin team reviews each application individually. If there's a need for more information, they reach out with a special form, inviting a detailed response. This ensures a fair and thorough evaluation.

  3. Decision – Acceptance or Rejection: Applications are thoughtfully considered. Acceptance includes a warm welcome and instructions for account activation, while rejection is handled respectfully, keeping future possibilities open.

The Importance of Curated Onboarding

Curated Onboarding is significant for several reasons:

  • Fostering Quality Connections: Pixelfed values the quality of connections over quantity. The onboarding process is designed to ensure that new members contribute positively and meaningfully to the platform, making each interaction enjoyable and rewarding.

  • Ensuring Safety and Respect: A meticulous onboarding process is crucial in upholding a secure and respectful atmosphere. It ensures that each new member is acquainted with, and adheres to, the community's fundamental values of kindness and inclusivity.

  • Encouraging Community Engagement: By engaging with applicants from the start, Pixelfed fosters a community that's not just active but passionate. This approach welcomes users who are genuinely interested in making a positive contribution to Pixelfed's vibrant community.

Screenshot of the Curated Onboarding feature

With Curated Onboarding, Pixelfed is setting a new standard in community building, prioritizing a personalized and engaged experience from the very beginning. It's an invitation to be part of a community that's as interested in you as you are in it.

Screenshot of the Curated Onboarding feature

How to enable Curated Onboarding

We made it really easy to use:

  1. Navigate to your admin dashboard

  2. Tap on the "Settings" link in the sidebar

  3. Under the "Registration Status" label, select "Filtered - Anyone can apply (Curated Onboarding)"

  4. Tap "Save"

Curated Onboarding is now active, and you will notice a new "Curated Onboarding" link in the admin dashboard.

How to enable admin notifications for new applications

If you have properly configured a mail driver, you can configure Pixelfed to send an email to admins when an applicant has successfuly verified their email and is awaiting your approval (or rejection).

  1. Open your .env file

  2. Add INSTANCE_CUR_REG_NOTIFY_ADMIN_ON_VERIFY=true to your .env file and save it

  3. From the CLI, run the following command:

php artisan config:cache && php artisan cache:clear

Curated Onboarding is more than just a feature — it's a commitment to building a community where each member is valued and engaged.

Join Pixelfed and embark on a visual journey with a community that cares.