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For Admins — Setting up a hub

This guide is for hub admins who are configuring a locali hub for the first time. It walks through the key setup steps — from creating the first spaces to entering required legal information.

Governance hub

The admin area is the Governance hub (/governance), reached via the shield icon in the top bar or via Profile → Administration — visible to users with the right permissions (usually hub admins).

Starting point: the freshly set-up hub

On the very first sign-in, a setup wizard walks you through the basics in four steps: Setup code (from the server configuration) → Hub details (name and registration mode) → Administrator account → Review & create.

The wizard deliberately creates no first space: your hub starts empty, and you decide afterwards, at your own pace, how to shape it. As long as there is no active space, the app hides the Spaces entry in the main navigation — it appears automatically for all signed-in users as soon as you have created the first space (step 1).

The full reference for all admin areas is in the Admin Handbook; this quick start only covers the first steps.

Step 1: Create your first spaces

Spaces are the heart of a hub. Every space has its own feed, calendar, and member circle.

To create a space:

  1. In the Governance hub, open Spaces and click Create space.
  2. A three-step wizard guides you through: Identity (name and slug, e.g. weilstadt — becomes part of the URL) → Address/Area → Access (join mode).
  3. Choose the join mode: Open, Invite, Request or Managed.
  4. Finish the wizard — you automatically become the first Owner of the space.

Choose the slug carefully

The slug determines the space's URL and cannot be changed after creation.

Details: Manage spaces · Space settings

Step 2: Add sources

Sources are the channels from which locali automatically imports content — RSS feeds, iCal calendars, municipal bulletins.

  1. Go to Governance → Sources.
  2. Click Add source — a three-step wizard opens (Address → Check → Details).
  3. Add name, area and trust level; the preview shows you before saving whether the source delivers.

Keep area names consistent

Always write area names in lowercase without spaces (e.g. bad-schoenborn). This value must be used exactly the same way in routing rules.

Details: Sources

Step 3: Create routing rules

Routing rules determine which content lands in which space. Without rules, imported content is not assigned anywhere.

Simple rule: Area → Space

  1. Go to Governance → Routing (Rules tab) and start a new rule (three-step wizard).
  2. Select the target space, set priority to 100.
  3. Condition: Area · Is · weilstadt.

More complex rule: Keyword overrides area

First create a keyword tag (e.g. "firebrigade") under Governance → Routing (Vocabulary tab), then create a routing rule with priority 20 and condition Tag · Contains · firebrigade. Since the lower priority number is evaluated first, this content always lands in the right space — regardless of area.

Details: Routing Rules · How-to Guides

Running a public hub requires mandatory legal disclosures. locali provides dedicated fields for these in the Governance hub.

Go to Governance → Hub settings (Legal texts area) and maintain the three sections:

Mandatory for every publicly accessible information service in Germany:

Field Content
Provider / Operator Name of the organisation or authority
Address Street, postcode, city
Email address Reachable contact address
Phone Optional, recommended
Person responsible (§18 MStV) Name of the person responsible under press law
Additional legal notes Free text (VAT ID, disclaimer, …)

The imprint is publicly visible on the hub's imprint page after saving.

Privacy policy (GDPR Art. 13/14)

Enter the full privacy policy for your hub here — as free text, displayed on the public privacy page.

The policy must contain the mandatory information under GDPR Art. 13/14:

  • Controller / responsible party
  • Purpose and legal basis of processing
  • Retention period
  • Data subject rights (access, deletion, objection)

Privacy policy generators

Templates from data protection authorities or other well-maintained sources can help with drafting. Legal review remains the operator's responsibility.

Terms of use

The terms of use form the legal basis for operating the hub — particularly for moderation, suspensions, and disclaimers. Enter them as free text.

Recommendation

Have the terms reviewed by legal counsel if your hub is publicly accessible or has a significant user base.

Details: Hub Settings

Step 5: Set the registration mode

Under Governance → Hub settings → Registration you determine who can register on your hub:

  • Open — anyone can register
  • Invite code — registration only with a valid invite code
  • Closed — no new registrations

Start with invite-only

For the start, invite mode is recommended — it keeps you in control of who gets access during the alpha phase.