How to enable the Hubs application

Before anyone can start using Hubs, the Hubs application needs to be switched on for your site and the right permissions need to be in place.

There are two types of Hub, Community Hubs and Area Hubs, and their permissions work differently.

This guide will walk you through switching on Hubs and setting up permissions for both types of Hub.

This guide covers:

• Switching on the Hubs application
• Setting Community Hub permissions
• Setting Area Hub permissions
• Considerations, tips & guidance

Before you start:

• You need to be assigned as a System Manager to access Site Settings
• You need the Area Security Manager permission to set Hub permissions.

Switching on the Hubs application

1. Go to the Actions button > Configure > Site Settings and select Applications in the left-hand column.
2. Select the toggle next to Hubs to switch it on.
3. Click OK at the bottom of the page to save.

Setting Community Hub permissions

Community Hubs sit in their own space, separate from your site structure. You choose who can create them; once created, they're visible to everyone.

1. Go to your main site homepage, select the Page options (three vertical dots) in the top right and select Manage Permissions or Manage Security, depending on how your site is set up.
2. Community Hub permissions are set in Advanced Permissions. If you see the Simplified Permissions panel, select Advanced.
3. Select Hubs from the list on the left.
4. In the Create Community Hubs section, select the pencil icon and choose the user groups who can create Community Hubs. To let anyone in your organisation create one, choose the Active Intranet Users group from the System Group category.
5. Select Confirm to save.

Setting Area Hub permissions

Area Hubs are linked to areas in your site structure, so their permissions are set in each area that has a Hub. You don't need to do this up front: you can set permissions after the Hub has been created.

There are two security roles:

• Manage Area Hubs: who can create and administer Area Hubs in that area.
• View Area Hubs: who can see Hubs linked to that area. Members of the area can see them by default, but you can add other groups. For example, you might create a Hub in the HR area that everyone in the organisation can see.

1. Go to the area, open Manage security (or Manage Permissions > Advanced) and select Hubs from the list on the left.
   
   Note: You can only assign Area Hub permissions via Simplified Permissions. Assigning someone as a Manager provides access to managing Hubs for the area. Any permissions below Manager will allow the user to view the Hubs for the area.
    
2. Select the pencil icon next to each role, choose the user groups and select Confirm.
3. In the Hubs Overview, users see every Community Hub but only the Area Hubs they're allowed to view. If they follow a link to a Hub they can't access, they'll see an access denied message.

Considerations, tips & guidance

• Check both places: Area Hub access can also be set from within the Hub itself, so check permissions are right in both places.
• Showing Hub posts elsewhere: if you show posts from an Area Hub in a Timeline on another homepage, the people viewing that homepage also need View Area Hubs access, or they won't see the posts.
• Use user groups: we recommend assigning permissions to user groups rather than individuals. See How to create and manage User Groups.