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    • Registering lets you take full advantage of the community, enabling you to:
      • Post new messages and reply to other members' posts
      • Receive email when someone responds to a specific post or topic
      • Personalize your community experience
      • Post ideas, vote on the ideas you like best, and post comments
      If you don't register, you can only browse, search for information, and read posts. You won't be able to give kudos, vote on ideas, interact with other community members, or set customization preferences.
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    • Registering takes only a minute; all you need is a Google account.


      To register:

      1. Click Login at the top of any page.
      2. Select your Google account. If you have multiple Google accounts, select the account you want to register with.

        Note: You must have cookies enabled in your browser to register and sign in to the community.
      Close

    • After you've registered and confirmed your registration, you can sign in and start participating.


      To sign in:

      1. Click Login at the top of any page.
      2. Select the Google account you registered with.


        3. Tip: If you're the only one who uses this computer, click Keep me signed in to sign in automatically next time you visit.
      3. Click Sign In.
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    • To get help with your password:
      1. Click Need help with your login name or password? at the bottom of the page.
      2. Enter the email address you used when you registered with the community.
      3. Click Reset Password.
      4. Check your email for your login name and a password reset link.
      Close

    • Changing your avatar is an easy way to personalize your community identity. You can change your avatar as often as you like. Your current avatar appears at the top of the Avatar page.


      To change your avatar:

      1. Sign in to your community account.
      2. Go to My Settings > Avatars.
      3. Choose a new avatar in one of these ways:
        • Choose an avatar from the Community collection. (Choose an avatar collection and click the avatar you want.)
        • Use an image from your Image Gallery. (Click From Image Gallery and click the image you want.) You can only use this option if you have uploaded images that have been approved.
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    • Your signature is text that appears at the bottom of your posts.


      To create your personal signature:

      1. Sign in to your community account.
      2. Go to My Settings > Personal Profile > Personal Information.
      3. Enter your signature text in the Signature box.
        Some communities let you use HTML in your signature. Check with a moderator if you have questions.
      4. Click Save.
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    • To tell other community members about yourself:

      1. Sign in to your community account.
      2. Go to My Settings > Personal Profile > Personal Information.
      3. Enter information about yourself in the Biography field.
      4. Click Save.
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    • You can customize the look and behavior of the community in many ways, including time zone and language preference, text size, menu behavior, message order, and privacy settings.


      To set your viewing preferences:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Go to My Settings > Preferences.
      3. Click through the various preference tabs and make the changes you want.
      4. Click Save on each tab where you make changes.
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    • Communities provide a place for members or participants to search for information, read and post about topics of interest, and learn from each other. Depending on how the community is set up, you'll find:
      • boards where you can post questions and answers
      • blogs where you can read and comment on articles
      • idea exchanges where you can suggest ways to improve products and vote for ideas that other community members have posted
      • and more...

      Guests (unregistered visitors) can browse or search the community for information. Members (registered users) can post messages or comments, track discussions, and get email notifications on posting activity and other community actions.

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    • You are essential to the community, even if all you ever do is read messages or articles that someone else has posted. Communities offer all kinds of contributions: posting questions and sharing answers, leaving comments on blog articles or ideas, voting for ideas you like, or just searching for answers to your questions.

      We encourage you to visit often and participate. Ask your toughest questions. Chances are someone has a solution or can point you in the right direction. If you find a solution that works, let others know and pass on your own tips and insights. You might just have the answer someone else needs.

      Remember to thank community members who have helped you. Show your appreciation by giving kudos to helpful posts, accepting a solution that answers your question, or posting thank-you replies.

      We want the community to be appropriate, friendly, informative, and fun for everyone.

      Be sure to read Google's Privacy & Terms and Google Help Communities Guidelines so that you know what to expect and what is expected of you when you're here.

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    • The circle icon next to a username in the community represents:

      Community Manager Community Manager

      Community Specialist Community Specialist

      Bronze Product Expert Bronze Product Expert

      Silver Product Expert Silver Product Expert

      Gold Product Expert Gold Product Expert

      Platinum Product Expert Platinum Product Expert

      Alumni Product Expert Alumni Product Expert

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    • Google's Product Experts are special users who have demonstrated the ability and willingness to help others find solutions to their queries. To become a Product Expert, it's as simple as responding to questions with helpful and accurate information. Learn more about Google's Product Expert Program.
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    • To post a message:

      1. Go to the board where you want to post.
      2. Click the New Message link.
      3. In the Subject field, enter your message title.
        Tip: Make your subject clear and concise, as it's the only part of the message that shows up on the message-listing page.
      4. In the Body field, type your message. Be sure to include all necessary details, especially for technical topics.
      5. Format and spell check your message, as needed.
      6. Click Submit Post.
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    • Click Reply to respond to a particular post.

      The Reply Message screen is similar to the Post Message screen, with these differences:

      • When you reply to a post, the subject line is filled in automatically. You can change it if you want.
      • You can paste the message to which you are replying into the body of your reply by clicking Quote Message.

      Your reply is added to the existing thread. It won't create a new thread.

      Close

    • Yes. You can use macros to create boilerplate text that you can paste into any message.

      To set up a macro for boilerplate text:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Go to My Settings > Macros.
      3. Enter a short but memorable name in the Macro Title field.
      4. In the Macro box, enter your boilerplate text. (You can use HTML tags if your community allows it.)
      5. Click Save.

      Tip: To add text at the bottom of your posts, you can include that text as part of your signature instead of using a macro.

      To add your boilerplate text to a post:

      1. Go to a post.
      2. In the comment area, place your cursor where you want to add the boilerplate text.
      3. Open the Macros menu and select the macro you want to add.
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    • Bookmarks enable you to list community content (boards, articles, ideas, topics, or individual posts) on a special page so you can easily find it again.

      To bookmark a piece of content:

      1. Go to the item you want to bookmark.
      2. To bookmark a location, choose (Location) Options > Bookmark.
        To bookmark a specific post, go to the post and choose (Post) Options > Bookmark.

      To view and manage your bookmarks:

      1. Go to My Settings > Subscriptions & Notifications.
      2. Click My Bookmarks.
        You can click a bookmark to go to the item.
      3. To delete a bookmark, click the check box for the bookmark and click Bookmark Options > Delete Selected Bookmarks.
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    • Subscriptions let you get email updates whenever new content appears in an area of the community that you're interested in. You can subscribe to a board, a blog article, an idea exchange, or any other location in the community. You can also subscribe to a specific post.

      To subscribe a piece of content:

      1. Go to the item you want to subscribe to.
      2. To subscribe to a location, click (Location) Options > Subscribe.
        To subscribe to a specific post, go to the post and click (Post) Options > Subscribe

      To view and manage your subscriptions:

      1. Go to My Settings > Subscriptions & Notifications.
      2. Click My Subscriptions to see a list of the items you've subscribed to.
        You can click a subscription to go to the item.
      3. To delete a subscription, click the check box for the subscription and click Email Subscription Options > Delete Selected Subscriptions.
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    • RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication." It is a way for you to get the latest content from this community, along with many other sites that you visit, all in one place. With an RSS feed reader, you subscribe to websites, and those sites feed you new content, so you can stay up to date.

      To use RSS, you need a feed reader, such as Google Reader, MyYahoo, or the Live Bookmarks feature of Firefox. There are many free options. After you have your feed reader set up, you can find RSS feeds in the community by going to a board, blog, thread, or message and selecting Subscribe to RSS Feed from the options menu. There you will see a preview of the feed. Most RSS readers give you a button to click at this point. After you click it, the RSS feed appears in your reader as well as new content from that section of the community whenever it becomes available.

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    • A blog is an online journal written by one or more authors. Blog articles usually appear in reverse-chronological order, so you see the most recent article first, followed by earlier articles. Some blogs have comments from readers, which you can read by clicking the Comments link at the bottom of the article.

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    • Posting a comment on a blog is a lot like replying to a message on a board. If the blog is open for comments, you'll see a post a comment link or a comment count link at the bottom of the article.

      To post your comment:

      1. Click Comment or Post Your Comment.
        You can post a comment to an article or to someone else's comment.
      2. Type your comment in the comment area.
        You can use simple HTML and quote the article you're commenting on.

        Tip: Unless you have special permissions, you can't edit or delete a comment after it's posted, so be sure to preview your comment and spell check first.
      3. Click Post Your Comment.

      Some blogs display new comments almost immediately. Other blogs don't display new comments until the blog author or a moderator approves them.

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    • No, you can't. Be sure to check your spelling and preview your comment before you post it.

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    • To share a blog article:

      1. Go to the article you want to share.
      2. Click Share at the bottom of the article.
      3. Click the service you want to use.
        The next steps depend on the service.

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    • Yes. You can subscribe directly to a blog or an article, or you can subscribe to their RSS feeds. If you subscribe to an RSS feed, you can use an RSS reader to view new content that's added to the blog. If you subscribe directly to a blog or article, you receive an email alert when new articles or comments are posted.

      ToDo this
      Subscribe to a blog Go to the blog page and click Blog Options > Subscribe.
      Subscribe to an article Go to the article and click Article Options > Subscribe.
      Subscribe to an RSS feed     Go to the blog or article and click Blog Options > Subscribe to RSS Feed.
      Then, save the live bookmark or whatever you usually do to add an RSS feed.

      Close

    • You can use any approved image you've uploaded as your personal avatar.

      To use an uploaded image as your personal avatar:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Go to My Settings > Avatars.
      3. Click From the Community or From Uploaded Images.
      4. Click the image to use as your personal avatar.

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    • To insert an image in a post:

      1. Start a new post.
      2. Click Insert Image.
      3. Choose an image source location.
      4. Follow the on-screen instructions

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    • An Accepted Solutions is a way for you to choose the reply that best answers a question that you've posted. When you accept a solution, both the question and the solution get special icons and links that take you directly from the question to the answer.

      An Accepted Solutions icon also appears on boards and in search results so you can see which messages have solutions.

      You can mark a solution as accepted only for questions that you've posted (you started the thread). Community moderators can also mark one of the replies to a message as an accepted solution

      Close

    • To mark a message as a solution, click Accept as Solution on the reply.

      If you change your mind or if another reply provides an even better answer, you can revoke the first selection and accept the second reply.

      To revoke an accepted solution, click Options > Not the Solution.

      You can choose another solution or leave the question unsolved.

      A response can only be marked Accepted Solution by the original poster, Community Manager, Product Expert, Community Specialist, or Admin.

      Close

    • Kudos is a content rating system that lets you vote for the messages you think are the most useful or important.

      When you give kudos to a message, you are giving a thumbs-up for good content and a pat on the back to its author. Your kudos help to boost the value of certain messages and enhance the reputation of their authors.

      Giving kudos is as easy as a single click, but the impact of kudos ripples across the community.

      Close

    • You can give Kudos to any posts in the community except your own.

      To give kudos to a message and its author, click Kudos on the message.

      If you change your mind about the quality of the message, you can revoke your kudos.

      To revoke kudos you've given, click the Kudos button again.

      Close

    • Want to know who thinks a message is good? It's easy to find out which regular community members and community experts have given kudos to a message.

      To see who's given you kudos:

      1. Go to the message page.
      2. Click the Kudos total.
        The Who Kudoed this Message page shows you all the community members who've given kudos to the message.
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    • There are a few reasons why you might not be able to give Kudos to a post.

      • You've already given Kudos to this message (you can only give them once).
      • You wrote the message (you can't Kudo your own messages).
      • Your community manager wants you to give Kudos only to a message that starts a thread and not to replies.
      • Your community manager has turned Kudos off for a message or a forum.
      • Your community manager has frozen Kudos for this message. You can still see how many Kudos the message has received, but you can't Kudo it any more.
      Close

    • Sometimes a message gets so many kudos that we run out of space to show the number. When that happens, you'll see a Hot Kudos symbol or icon instead of the kudos count on the kudos badge.

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    • Labels are used within a community to help categorize articles in a variety of discussion styles. Labels enable you to categorize the content you write based on the themes or content in the article. For example, in a support Q&A for troubleshooting connectivity issues with your smartphone, you might apply labels like "iPhone", "Galaxy", "AT&T", or "Verizon".

      Labels are created by the Community Admin and typically controlled for consistency and need. Authors must choose/apply labels from a pre-defined list.

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    • To add a label:

      1. Navigate to the post you authored.
      2. Open the post to edit it.
      3. In the Labels field, start typing the label or choose one from the list. If you add multiple labels, you must separate them with commas.

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    • Typically, only administrators or permissioned members can create new labels or edit the label list. When the use of labels is enforced, members must apply a label when submitting posts. Labels can be optionally predefined, giving administrators complete control over exactly which labels are used in their community.

      Labels are applied at node (board) level, so different settings can be applied at different boards. One board might be mandatory with a predefined pool of labels, while another can be completely optional and enable users to create their own labels.

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    • When you subscribe to a label, you will be notified by email when a new post is created with the label.

      To subscribe to a label:

      1. From a particular post with a label, click on the label to filter by that label. (You can also do this from the labels component.)
      2. Click Subscribe.

      Note:Your community users can configure their own subscription settings under My Settings > Subscriptions and Notifications > My Subscriptions and My Settings > Subscriptions and Notifications > Notification Settings.

      One thing to note about labels is that they are applied at node level. Thus, predefined labels and subscriptions to labels exist only at the node at which they are applied. For example, if you subscribe to a label named 'contest' at board 1, it will not automatically subscribe you to an identically named label at board 2. You will have to subscribe twice, once at each board. This also applies if you add a labels component to your page to display the most popular labels, these are also designed to work at node level.

      Close

    • Private Messenger enables you to send private notes to other community members. Private Messenger has two big advantages over email:

      • You don't have to know the other member's email address to send the note. (Also, you don't have to reveal yours.)
      • You can read and send private messages without leaving the community, making it easy to a quick conversation with another community member.

      To use the Private Messenger, you must be registered and signed in. You'll see a Private Message icon at the top of your page. If you have any new messages, you'll see the number of unread messages next to the envelope icon.

      Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.

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    • To send a private message:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
      3. Click Compose New Message.
      4. Enter the recipient's name in the Send to area.

        Note: Depending on your role in the community, you might be able to send a message to a group of users based on their role or rank in the community. If so, you can choose a role or a rank.
      5. Enter the subject for the message in the Message Subject area.
      6. Type the reply in the Message Body editor.
      7. Click Send Message.
        You can look for the messages you've sent in the Sent tab.
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    • To read a private message:

      1. Sign in to the community.
        If you have any new messages, you'll see the number of unread messages next to the envelope icon.
      2. Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
      3. To read a message, click the message subject.
      4. To reply to a message, click Reply. Type the reply and click Send Message.
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    • To reply to a private message:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
      3. To read a message, click the message subject.
      4. To reply to a message, click Reply.
        The recipient and subject are automatically entered for you, but you can edit them.
      5. Type the reply in the Message Body editor.
      6. Click Send Message.
      Close

    • You can delete messages one at a time as you read them, or in bulk from your Inbox.

      To delete a private message:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
      3. To delete a single message, click the message to view it and then click Delete.
      4. To delete all messages, click the Options menu and click Delete All.
      Close

    • To see the private messages you've sent:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
      3. Click Sent Messages.
      Close

    • Your Friends List is a way to create your own community within a community.

      Depending on your privacy settings, the people on your Friends List can see your biography, other personal information, or online status. If you send private messages, you can choose friends from a list instead of typing their user names.

      Note: Your Friends List is available only if your community supports private messages.

      To add people to your Friends List:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Click the user name of a friend to see the friend's About user name page.
      3. Click Add user name to Friends.

      Note: You can remove a person from your Friend's List by clicking "Remove from Friends". Additionally, you can click "Ignore" to prevent specific users from contacting you.

      Close

    • Most users in an online community get along very well. Sometimes, however, you might encounter someone you consider a nuisance. If you are receiving messages that you'd prefer not to receive, you can add the sender to your Ignored Users list. The system blocks all messages from users on your Ignored Users list.

      To add someone to your Ignored Users list:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Click the message count or envelope icon to go to your Private Messages Inbox.
      3. Click a message from the user you want to ignore and click Ignore user name.

      To remove someone from your Ignored Users list:

      1. Sign in to the community.
      2. Click Ignored Users to see the list.
      3. Click Remove from Ignored list to begin receiving messages from this user again.

      You can also search for community members and add them to your Ignored Users list.

      To search for a user.

      1. On any page, enter a user name in the Search box.
      2. Choose Users and click Search.
      3. In the Search Results, click the user's name.
      4. Click Ignore user name in the Contact area

      Close