If you're new to Networks, we recommend starting with Networks: Overview and Standard Networks Intro.
Standard Networks are generally managed through direct user actions, manager assignments, or domain settings. While you can apply rule-based logic to a Standard Network, it only captures a one-time snapshot of matching users.
In contrast, Smart Networks feature dynamic membership. The system continuously evaluates your rules, automatically adding users when they meet the criteria and removing them the moment they no longer qualify.
Create a Standard Network
You must have the necessary permissions to create a Network.
- Log in to the Management Dashboard.
- In the left-hand sidebar, select Users.
- Select Networks.
- Click + Create New Network.
- Select Standard Network.
You can now configure your new Network.
Network Setup
Not all fields are required. You can add as much or as little information as needed for your Network.
Name
Enter a name for your Network. Choose a name that clearly identifies the group, such as Marketing, Los Angeles Office, or Bikers.
Type
Select the type that best describes your Network:
- Organization
- Location
- Program
- Schoolpool
- Department
The Network type helps you organize and identify your Networks in the Management Dashboard and is a required field.
Notes
Add internal notes about the purpose or setup of the Network. These notes can be useful for managers who need to understand how or why the Network was created.
Tags
Add optional tags to help organize or search for Networks.
Organizational Size
You can optionally enter the approximate size of the group represented by the Network.
Contact & Location
Add contact information or a physical location for the Network. You can provide a contact webpage, email address, or physical address so users know where to go with questions or problems.
Branding
You can add Network-specific branding, such as logos and images. Before adding branding, make sure the Network is configured as Primary Capable. See Branding & Appearance for more information.
When you are done with the Network setup, click Next.
Membership
On the Membership page, you can manually select members individually or in bulk. You can also use filters to help find the users you want to add.
You can also use Smart Selection to select users based on specific rules. Unlike a Smart Network, however, this is a one-time selection. The Network membership will not automatically update if a user later stops meeting the selected criteria or if another user starts meeting them. Rules and groups created here represent a one time selection that cannot be updated in network settings. You can combine multiple rules into groups using AND, OR, and NOT to create smart selection. For example, you could select users who have completed at least four bike trips AND have registered at least one carpool in the last month.
If you need Network membership to update automatically based on rules, consider creating a Smart Network instead.
Access & Membership
Standard Networks have two separate visibility settings: Public or Private and Visible or Hidden.
Public or Private
Public Networks can be searched for and joined by anyone.
Private Networks are invite-only. Users can join through a manager-provided join link, through an associated email domain, or by being added manually by someone who manages their account.
Visible or Hidden
Visible means that users in your organization can see that the Network exists, whether it is public or private.
Hidden Networks do not appear in users' Network management screens or as options for carpool sharing and searching. Users cannot leave a hidden Network themselves and must be removed by a Network Manager.
Hidden Networks are useful when you want to use a Network for segmentation or reporting without making it visible to users.
Shareable Join Link
You can create a shareable join link that allows users to join your Network.
You can customize part of the URL to make the link easier to recognize and share. For example, you could add commutecompany to the URL. Click the copy button when you are ready to share the link.
A shareable join link is only available for visible Networks.
Auto-Join by Domain
You can add one or more email domains to automatically add users to the Network.
For example, if you add @yourcompany.com, users who register with an email address from that domain can automatically become members of the Network.
This is an exception to the usual Standard Network membership process, where users are added manually or join the Network themselves.
Subnetwork Membership
Choose whether members should remain in the parent Network after leaving all of its subnetworks.
If you enable Remove members when they leave their last subnetwork, users will also be removed from the parent Network when they are no longer a member of any of its subnetworks.
☝️This setting applies only to the current Network.
At the bottom of this page, you can also add messaging for your Network, such as a description and messages for members or non-members.
When you are done, click Next.
Roles
On the Roles page, you can assign users the Network Manager or Program Coordinator role.
As an Admin, you already have permission to view and edit Networks. Before assigning additional roles, make sure you understand the access each role provides. See Roles & Permissions for more information.
Users do not need to be members of a Network to be assigned as a Network Manager or Program Coordinator for that Network. Use the filters to search, and then use the drop-down menu to select a role. You can also add roles later or change them at any time.
When you are done, click Next.
Subnetworks
In the final step, you can add subnetworks to your Standard Network. In most cases, you will create individual subnetworks for the parent Network you are creating. You can learn more about creating subnetworks in the next section.
However, in some cases, it can be useful to connect an existing subnetwork to multiple parent Networks.
For example, imagine you have a Marketing subnetwork that applies to users in different locations. You could connect the same Marketing subnetwork to both a Los Angeles parent Network and a Florida parent Network.
When you are done, click Create.
Manage Your Network
After creating the Network, click into it to view and manage its details.
Depending on your Network setup, you will find the following tabs:
- Overview: View and edit the Network's basic information and settings.
- Statistics: View usage and trip data for the Network.
- Membership: View Network members, add or remove users, and export the member list.
- Roles: View and manage the users who have management roles for the Network.
- Subnetworks: View and manage subnetworks connected to the Network.
For more information, see:
Create a Subnetwork
Standard Networks can be organized into a hierarchy using parent Networks and subnetworks. A subnetwork is a Standard Network that belongs to a larger parent Network.
For example, imagine you are setting up Networks for a company with several departments. You could create a parent Network called CommuteCompany and then create subnetworks for Marketing, Sales, and Engineering.
This allows you to manage the company as one larger group while still keeping its individual departments separate. For example, you could use the parent Network for a company-wide challenge and use the Marketing subnetwork for a department-specific program.
To create a subnetwork:
- Open the parent Network.
- Go to the Subnetworks tab.
- Click + Add Subnetwork (or the top-left + icon) to open the side panel.
- Select an existing subnetwork to attach, or click the + icon inside the panel to build a new one.
- Enter the Network information using the same setup options as when creating a Standard Network.
- Click Create.
☝️A user cannot be a member of a subnetwork without also being a member of its parent Network.
For more information about how parent Networks, subnetworks, membership, and roles work, see Standard Networks Intro.