mirror of https://github.com/zulip/zulip.git
126 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
126 lines
5.0 KiB
Markdown
# Getting your organization started with Zulip
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Use this as a checklist to get your organization off to a great start.
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## Organization settings
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* Add an organization [icon and description](/help/create-your-organization-profile) to
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customize your login/registration pages as well as how your
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organization appears in the desktop and mobile apps.
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* Do a [quick review](/help/review-your-organization-settings)
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of all the organization settings available.
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## Create streams
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Most messages in Zulip are sent to streams. Streams are similar to chat
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rooms, email lists, and IRC/Slack channels, in that they determine who
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receives a message. A few suggestions:
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* It's often better to start with fewer streams, and let the number of
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streams grow organically. For small teams, you can start with the default
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streams and iterate from there.
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* For large organizations, we recommend using a consistent naming
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scheme, like `#marketing/<name>` or `#mk/<name>` for all streams
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pertaining to the marketing team, `#help/<team name>` for
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`<team name>`'s internal support stream, etc.
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* A `#zulip help` stream can be useful for providing internal Zulip support
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and answering questions about Zulip.
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* For open source projects or other volunteer organizations, consider
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adding default streams like `#announce` for announcements, `#new
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members` for new members to introduce themselves and be welcomed,
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and `#help` so that there's a clear place users stopping by with
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just a single question can post.
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* Add clear descriptions to your streams (especially public streams).
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A few relevant help center articles:
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* [Create a stream](/help/create-a-stream)
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* [Set the default streams](/help/set-default-streams-for-new-users)
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for new members.
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* [Rename a stream](/help/rename-a-stream)
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## Understand topics
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Zulip’s topics are life-changing, but it can take a bit of time for everyone
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to learn how to use them effectively. It helps a lot if there are at least a
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few people who understand the conversation model at the beginning.
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* Read our [guide to streams and topics](/help/about-streams-and-topics),
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and send it out to a few people who you think would be good stewards of
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the organization.
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* If you're unsure at all, create an account on the
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[Zulip community server](https://chat.zulip.org) and see what topics look
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like there.
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Topics are lightweight and do not need to be managed. Anyone writing to a
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stream can and should [start topics](/help/start-a-new-topic) for new
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conversations. "Old" topics naturally lose visibility over time, and do not
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need to be deleted.
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## Set up integrations
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Zulip integrates directly with dozens of products, and hundreds more through
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[Zapier](/integrations/doc/zapier) and [IFTTT](/integrations/doc/ifttt).
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The [integrations page](/integrations) has instructions for integrating with
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each product.
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## Familiarize yourself with Zulip’s featureset
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As the administrator of your Zulip organization, you'll be the initial
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expert teaching other users how to use Zulip.
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* [Review your settings](/help/review-your-settings), and skim the article
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names here on the left sidebar.
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* Learn the basic [keyboard shortcuts](/help/keyboard-shortcuts) (`n`, `r`, `c`, and `End`).
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* Bonus: learn [Markdown message formatting](/help/format-your-message-using-markdown).
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* If anything is confusing or feels missing, tweet `@zulip`, ask on the
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[Zulip community server](https://chat.zulip.org), or email
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[support@zulipchat.com](mailto:support@zulipchat.com). We love hearing
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from new administrators!
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## Invite users and onboard your community
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* [Delete any test messages](/help/edit-or-delete-a-message#delete-a-message-completely)
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or [topics](/help/delete-a-topic) you want to delete.
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* Configure
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[allowed authentication methods](/help/configure-authentication-methods),
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and [invite users](/help/invite-new-users).
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* If you have an existing chat tool, make sure everyone knows that the
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team is switching, and why. The team should commit to use Zulip
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exclusively **for at least a week** to make an effective trial;
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stragglers will result in everyone having a bad experience.
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* If [community topic edits](/help/community-topic-edits) are enabled,
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encourage a few people to help rename topics for the first few days, while
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everyone is still getting used to the new conversation model.
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## Bonus things to set up
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* [Add custom profile fields](/help/add-custom-profile-fields).
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- [Automatically linkify](/help/add-a-custom-linkification-filter)
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issue numbers.
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- [Write custom integrations](/api/integrations-overview)
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for your team’s workflow.
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- If your users primarily speak a language other than English,
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[set a default language for your organization](/help/change-the-default-language-for-your-organization).
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- [Add custom emoji](/help/add-custom-emoji), at the very least for
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your organization's logo.
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- Link to your Zulip instance with a [nice badge](/help/join-zulip-chat-badge).
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- Send feedback to the Zulip development community! We love hearing
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about problems (however minor) and feature ideas that could make
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Zulip even better.
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