# Using communities (open chat) | UNIHUB > The community feature: issue a join URL so people can gather anonymously and casually. Creating a room, anonymous joining, images and video, moderation, posting permissions, custom URLs, analytics and embedding. Source: https://hub.uni-core.jp/help/en/community This is the Markdown version of the page for AI assistants and search engines (llms.txt v2). Please cite the source URL when quoting. Generated: 2026-10-22 --- # Communities (Open Chat) **How this is used in practice**[Ch. 2 Marketing (the whole flow)](/help/en/guide#s2-0) Screenshots show the Japanese screens; the English screens have the same layout. Create a join URL and gather students, prospects, and others to chat **anonymously and casually**. Like a LINE open chat (LINE is Japan's most widely used messaging app), a single URL is all it takes to start a community. ## Create a community ### Where to create it Go to Settings → Communities (Open Chat), choose a name, description, and emoji, and create it. Only an Owner or Admin can create one. ### Get a join URL When you create a community, a join URL of the form /o/xxxx is created. Use "Copy URL" and paste it into LINE, email, social media, or a landing page. Anyone who receives it can join from that URL. ### Optional approval Turn on "Require approval to join" and participants cannot read or post until an admin approves them (once approved, they enter automatically). ## Let people join (anonymously) ### No account needed, join anonymously Participants only need to pick a nickname to join (no account registration). Their real name and account are not visible to other participants. ### Set any icon When joining, participants can set any image as their icon. If none is set, the first letter of the nickname is shown. ### People signed in to UNIHUB People already signed in to UNIHUB can join with that account. The UNIHUB icon at the top left takes them back to the main app (chat / landing page). ## Post (text, images, video) ### Text and images Typing messages and attaching images works in every community. Posted images can be tapped or clicked to view full screen. ### Video (paid) Video posting is available only when the organization running the community is on a paid plan (Pro or above). ### New post notifications Turn on notifications with the 🔔 at the top right of the room, and you get browser notifications when you are not looking at the tab or when a post is addressed to you (@nickname). ## Management and moderation ### Admin panel Admins use "🛡 Manage" at the top right of the room to change overall settings, review reports, and manage participants (approve / ban / posting rights). Overall settings can be changed at any time. ### Step messages (Starter and above) Send staff messages automatically on a per-participant schedule, such as "message A one day after joining, B three days after" (the open-chat version of LINE step messaging). No email needed, zero delivery cost no matter how many participants, and messages can carry a button (URL). Set it up from "Step messages" in the admin panel; once saved, it also applies retroactively to existing participants. If you want delivery via LINE, combine it with UNISTEP. ### Posting rights Set "Admins only can post (announcement mode)" and participants can only read. You can also set "can post / cannot post" for each participant individually (works for one-way announcement feeds as well as regular chat). ### Reports Participants can 🚩 report inappropriate posts. Admins review reports in the admin panel and can delete or ignore the message. ### Blocked words Turn on "Blocked word filter" to automatically block posts and nicknames containing abusive words and similar. You can also register extra banned words per room. Turn it off to let people talk freely. ### AI moderation (paid) On paid plans, the AI goes beyond blocked words and automatically detects and blocks posts that are inappropriate in context. ### Bans and approval Remove trolls with a ban (it can be lifted). In approval-based communities, you can approve or decline join requests. ## Host AI (answers common questions automatically) ### What it does Place a shared agent (AI) in the community as a host and it answers participants' questions automatically. Hand it the first response to questions you get over and over, such as "How much is it?" or "When is it held?" ### How to set it up ① Go to "AI page" → "Shared agents," create an agent, and register your common questions and answers as "documents." ② Go to Settings → Communities → "🤖 Host AI," choose that agent, and turn on "Answer questions automatically." ### What does it base its answers on? Only the documents the admin registered. It does not answer questions the documents do not cover; it stays silent. When there is more you want it to answer, add documents (they take effect from the next question). ### Can internal information leak? No. The "shared memory" that accumulates from your internal chat is never used in a public community. The only basis for answers is the documents you explicitly registered. ### Does it cost anything? Participants pay nothing. The AI runs on the community creator's (room owner's) AI: Managed AI on paid plans, or the monthly free AI credits on the free plan (a registered API key is used if there is one). When no AI is available, it simply stays silent. The limit is 50 answers per community per day. ### I'm worried it will give odd answers It is designed not to answer questions the documents do not support. It also reacts only to posts that have passed blocked-word and AI moderation checks. You can turn it off at any time in settings. ## Custom URL and branding (paid) ### Custom URL On paid plans you can change the URL to an easy-to-remember /o/your-text. ### Brand color Set an accent color for the community and it is reflected in the room and the join page. ## Analytics and embedding ### Analytics dashboard "Analytics" on the management page shows participant count, active count, post count, daily post trends, and the most active participants. ### Embed widget Copy the iframe code from "Embed" on the management page and paste it into your own site, landing page, or blog to embed the community. ### Use it for lead generation Use it as a lightweight entry point for students, seminar attendees, and prospects, instead of the heavier step of joining your organization. ## Free vs. paid ### What you can do for free Text and image posts, blocked words, reports, bans, approval, analytics, and embedding. There are limits on the number of communities you can create and the number of people per community. ### Unlocked on paid plans (Pro and above) Video posts, AI moderation, custom URLs, brand colors, and higher limits on the number of communities and participants. ## Related guides - [Create a community →](/app/settings/community): get a join URL from Settings → Communities. - [See other guides →](/help/en): guides on chat, AI, integrations, and more.