Why should I set up a customized onboarding?

A thoughtful onboarding experience sets the tone for every new member joining your community. It's one of the best ways to boost retention, spark engagement early, and build a sense of connection right from the start.

In Heartbeat, you can customize the onboarding flow to:

• Collect member info for bios or posts

• Assign access groups based on interests or experience

• Show a welcome video with key next steps

• Require agreement to your Code of Conduct

• And more

🔥 Best Practice from Top Communities

Communities with the highest retention rates use onboarding to:

• Set clear next steps — Highlight 2–3 key actions (e.g. “Join this discussion,” “RSVP to this event,” “Take your first course”)

• Segment early — Use onboarding questions to guide members into different access groups (like beginner/intermediate/advanced)

• Humanize — Encourage bios, location, and social links so people feel real, not anonymous

• Post intros automatically — Helps existing members welcome them and builds community warmth

1. Access the Onboarding Builder

Head to:
Settings → Members → Onboarding

Heartbeat starts you off with a set of default questions. You can edit, delete, or add more depending on what you need.

2. Add & Customize Onboarding Questions

You can add any kind of question you want — open-ended, multiple choice, or group selection.

For each question, you can:

• Make it required

• Include the answer in the member’s bio

• Include it in their automatic introductions post

• Keep it private (e.g. T-shirt size, dietary restrictions)

📌 Tip: Use 1–2 “human” questions like “What’s the best meal you’ve ever had?” to make introductions more fun and personable.

3. Use Access Groups to Unlock Content

Heartbeat lets you tie onboarding choices to Access Groups — so someone who selects “Beginner” might unlock a different set of channels or courses than someone who selects “Advanced.”

Just make sure those groups are created in advance (with the right content tied to each) and then select your group question inside the onboarding setup.

[See: How to Create Joinable Access Groups →]

4. Add an Onboarding Video

Use this video to reduce time-to-value. Point members to:

• Your top 2–3 channels

• A live event they can RSVP to

• A course they should start first

This helps members get clarity on where to start and makes the community feel immediately useful.

5. Set Up the Intros Post + Bio

When enabled, Heartbeat will automatically publish a welcome post for each new member inside your introductions channel — using the info they just filled out.

That same info can also populate their profile so other members can click their name and get context immediately.

6. Require Code of Conduct Agreement

You can select any existing Heartbeat document as your Code of Conduct. Every new member will need to agree to this as the final step in onboarding.

7. Toggle On Required Profile Info

We strongly recommend turning on:

• Profile picture requirement (so people feel real)

• Location sharing (helps power location-based groups down the line)

8. Add Follow-Up Emails

You can add onboarding emails under:
Settings → Workflows → Onboarding Template

We recommend:

• Day 0 (5 min after signup): Reinforce next steps

• Day 1: Highlight an event or community win

• Day 2–3: Ask a question or invite engagement

9. Preview the Flow

You can preview the entire experience with the "Preview" button in the top right.

Try running through it yourself so you can make improvements and experience what new members see.

Bonus: Set Up Different Onboarding Flows for Different Groups

If you have different access groups (e.g. free vs. paid members), you can create a unique onboarding experience for each — with custom questions, videos, and workflows.

This is especially helpful for premium members who may need more guidance or have different expectations.