Discover What's Around
Discover What's Around
The best communities are the ones right around the corner. The Discover page is your window into what's happening nearby — from local groups and gatherings to places worth visiting. Whether you're new in town or just curious about what's going on in your neighbourhood, this is the place to start.
Getting to the Discover Page
To open the Discover page, click the community switcher (the swap icon next to the logo in the top navigation bar). A dropdown menu appears with three options under the Communities heading:
- Discover what's around you — opens the Discover page
- Find a Community — browse and search all communities
- Start a Community — create your own community
Select Discover what's around you to get started. You'll see a page titled "Discover what's around you" with a search bar, nearby communities, and local experiences all in one place.
You don't need an account to explore — guests can browse the Discover page freely.
Setting Your Location
Discover works best when it knows where you are. How your location is set depends on whether you're signed in.
If you're not signed in
The first time you visit the Discover page, a location prompt appears. You have two options:
- Click on the map to drop a pin at your location, then drag the marker to fine-tune it
- Click "Use my current location" to let your browser detect your position automatically
Once you're happy with the pin placement, click Confirm location to save it. Your chosen location is remembered on this device, so you won't need to set it again on your next visit.
If you're signed in
Your location is pulled from your profile settings automatically. You can update it anytime by going to Profile > Edit and adjusting your saved location.
Browsing Nearby Communities
The Nearby Communities section sits just below the search bar. It shows up to six communities near your location in a grid of cards. Each community card displays:
- Community image — a visual preview (or a coloured icon if no image is set)
- Name — the community's title
- Description — a short summary of what the community is about
Click any community card to visit it and learn more.
Tip: You can collapse this section by clicking the Hide button in the top-right corner of the section. Click Show to bring it back when you want to browse communities again.
Exploring Local Experiences
Below the communities section, you'll find a grid of Local Experiences — content from nearby communities that might interest you. Each card shows:
- Type and visibility badges — small labels in the top-right corner of the image (e.g. "Event", "Public") so you can tell at a glance what kind of content it is
- Title — the name of the event, place, or other content
- Date — when it's happening (for events)
- Location — the address where it's taking place
- Community name — which community it belongs to
Content types include Events (such as workshops, meetups, exhibitions, hackathons, and performances), Places, and more. If you're signed in and a member of nearby communities, you'll also see community-only content like Discussions (see the visibility section below).
As you scroll, more content loads automatically so you can keep exploring.
Using Search
A search bar sits at the top of the Discover page with a magnifying glass icon and "Search..." placeholder text. Start typing and results will filter in real time (with a brief delay as it searches). Search looks across:
- Community names
- Content titles and descriptions
This makes it easy to find something specific — for example, typing "yoga" will surface yoga-related events even if the community name doesn't mention yoga.
Switching to Map View
Prefer a visual overview? Click the Show Map button that floats at the bottom centre of the screen. The page switches to a full map view showing markers for all nearby content and communities.
On the map, you'll see different marker icons for events, places, and communities. Communities also show a shaded circle to indicate their general area.
Click any marker to see a tooltip with the content's name. Click the tooltip to visit that page. To return to the card grid, click the Show List button at the bottom of the screen.
Tip: The search bar remains available in map view, so you can search and see results on the map at the same time.
What You Can See
What appears on the Discover page depends on whether you're signed in and which communities you've joined.
As a guest (not signed in)
- Public experiences such as Events and Places from nearby communities — look for the Public badge on content cards
- A "Join a Community" banner at the bottom of the page with options to sign up or sign in
As a member (signed in)
- Everything guests can see, plus content from communities you've joined — including members-only Events, Discussions, and other community content
- A small flag icon on each content card image that lets you report content if something doesn't look right (flagged content is reviewed by community moderators)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why don't I see any communities or content? A: Make sure your location is set correctly. If you're in a rural area, there may not be communities nearby yet. Try switching to map view and zooming out to widen your search, or use the search bar to look for specific topics.
Q: Can I change my location after setting it? A: If you're signed in, update your location in your profile settings. If you're browsing as a guest, your location is saved in your browser — visit the Discover page again and use the location prompt to update it.
Q: Why can I see some content but not other types? A: Guests can see public experiences like Events and Places. Community-only content such as Discussions is only visible to members of those communities. Join a community to see everything it has to offer.
Q: Is my location shared with other people? A: Your exact location is never shared. It's only used to show you relevant nearby communities and content. For more details, read our Your Privacy Matters article.
Need Help?
If you have questions about the Discover page or finding communities near you, contact our support team. We're happy to help.