Kajabi Community: First Look at the New Beta (2025)

Today, I’m giving you an inside look at the new beta version of Kajabi Communities. As someone who’s been granted early access, I’m excited to walk you through how to get started, set up your first community, and understand the main features that are now available. Kajabi has recently integrated new community functions to provide a more robust and customizable experience, especially valuable for anyone who wants to grow an online community or offer memberships as part of their business.

In this overview, I’ll show you what it’s like to build a community from scratch, manage access groups, and use the updated dashboard features to engage members more effectively. I’ll also highlight some of the key settings and ways you can tailor your community’s experience, ensuring you have all the basics to make the most out of Kajabi Communities.

Key Takeaways

• Kajabi Communities now includes new setup and customization features.
• You can manage access groups and monetize your community within the platform.
• The new dashboard and settings help streamline content and member engagement.

Kajabi Communities Beta: Highlights and Integration

Standout Aspects of the Beta Release

I recently got early access to the new version of Kajabi Communities, which is currently in beta for a limited group. With this update, you can create one community per website, and each community costs you one product slot. Setting up is quick: just enter a title and description, upload a cover image, and create access groups.

Access groups let me organize users into free or paid categories—each group is tied to its own product. The dashboard provides clear metrics about active members, joined challenges, meetups, and recent activity, available across different time frames (weekly, monthly, and quarterly). Customization is much improved compared to earlier iterations: I can adjust fonts, colors, sidebar size, and include social links and guidelines tailored to my brand.

Here's a quick list of what can be managed in community settings:

• Edit community name and description
• Upload or change cover image and avatar
• Add social media and website links
• Set and update community guidelines

Navigation options:

• Feeds
• Challenges
• Meetups
• Leaderboard
• Scheduled posts
• Course links

Connection with viy Platform

Kajabi recently acquired viy, a platform specialized in online communities, to boost Kajabi's community features. I can see evidence of this integration in the more robust set of options for members and customization, as well as the overall structure and workflow of creating and managing groups.

With viy technology now within Kajabi, there's an upgraded feel to how communities function both visually and in terms of user management. This integration helps provide a more complete environment for hosting and growing a community within Kajabi.

Steps to Launch Your Kajabi Community

Building Your Initial Community Space

To get started, I open Kajabi and navigate to the training site where I want my new community. Kajabi allows me to have one community per site, with the option to create different access groups within it (such as free or paid). I simply select the community product from the products menu, which brings up a blank template ready for setup.

I then proceed by clicking “get started.” After that, I’m prompted to enter a name for my community. For example, I might use “Solo Creator Network” along with a brief statement about the community’s purpose. Once I fill out these fields, I click “continue.”

Features at this stage include:

• One community per website
• Multiple access groups possible
• Dashboard tracking members, messages, and other stats

Customizing the Name and Description

At this point, Kajabi asks for both a title and a description for the community. I choose a clear, direct name that reflects the purpose—something my audience will recognize right away. For the description, I write a concise overview of my goals for the group, and I may use tools like ChatGPT to brainstorm draft text or guidelines.

Tips for creating your title and description:

• Keep the title relevant and concise
• Use the description to set expectations and communicate the community’s value
• Add community guidelines that align with my brand and mission

I make sure my guidelines match what I want to encourage in the group. This section also allows me to add links, such as to my main website or social profiles, to help members connect beyond the community.

Adding Branding Elements with Images

Next, Kajabi prompts me to upload a cover image to represent the community visually. I prepare my branding materials in advance, so I can upload a custom thumbnail or relevant artwork as my cover.

Branding checklist:

• Cover image: Prepare a clear and engaging image (such as a logo or branded photo)
• Avatar: Use a profile photo of myself as the founder and creator
• Community guidelines: Insert a branded graphic or image if desired

Uploading these images helps establish the look and feel of the space right from the beginning. Once everything is in place, I hit continue, and my basic community setup is complete. From there, I can tweak fonts, colors, and the layout using Kajabi’s customization options.

Setting Up Kajabi Community Memberships

Differentiating Groups and Community Products

In Kajabi Communities, each access group is tied to a single product on your site. I can have one community per website, and each access group within that community—whether free or paid—operates as an individual Kajabi product.

Here’s a quick comparison:

If I want to create multiple access levels (such as free and premium memberships), each distinct access group corresponds to a product slot in my Kajabi plan.

Creating Free or Paid Membership Levels

When setting up a new community, I start by naming it and adding a description that fits the focus and mission. After uploading a suitable cover image that matches my branding, I create the initial access group—for example, “Free Access.”

I can link payment processors and choose how people join:

• Free communities: Anyone can join without payment.
• Paid communities: Connect a recurring subscription or a one-time payment to create a paid group.

During setup, Kajabi will also generate an offer based on the access group. For example, if I make a “Free Access” group, it’ll create an offer reflecting that. All settings for title, description, and image are managed in the dashboard.

To add another access group, I use the dashboard menu to create a new tier, repeating the same process for paid access if needed. This gives me the flexibility to manage membership levels according to my needs and how I want to monetize or open up the community.

Community Promotions and Revenue Streams

Setting Up and Handling Community Offers

When I launch a new community, I begin by adding a product within Kajabi—each community is counted as one product per website. After naming the community and providing a description, I upload a branded cover image to establish a consistent look.

Access groups determine who joins and how: these can be free or paid. Each access group is tied to one product, so organizing these efficiently is important. In my dashboard, I can keep track of user activity, such as new members and messages, which helps me understand community engagement. To make offers, I connect payment processors directly, allowing me to set up both free and paid entry points.

A simple table structure might look like this:

Ongoing Subscription Options for Members

For communities that are intended to support or become a main source of income, I always consider using a recurring subscription model. This means community members pay on a regular basis (such as monthly or annually) for their access, providing predictable revenue.

To set up a recurring payment structure, I link my community to Kajabi’s payment features, then configure the access group to require ongoing payments. This method is helpful both for scaling the community and managing income consistently.

Key points:

• Recurring memberships incentivize ongoing engagement.
• Kajabi’s settings make it straightforward to manage billing cycles and member access.
• Keeping the membership model clear within the offer details helps set member expectations.

Exploring the Kajabi Community Panel

Dashboard Tools and Functions

When I open the new Kajabi community area, the main dashboard gives me a summary of everything happening. Here, I can see the number of people active in my community, track events like challenges and meetups, and view how many new members have joined. There are also counts for messages sent, and I can switch between different time frames—such as every 7 days, 30 days, or 3 months—to get a better idea of activity.

On the left, there’s a sidebar that lets me move and resize it for easier navigation. I can quickly access features like the feed, challenges, schedule, and meetups. The dashboard also displays the community’s title, cover image, and main description, along with my avatar at the top.

I can add personal touches by editing information, uploading my own avatar, and inserting website or social media links. Community guidelines can easily be added or updated from here. For any changes, I can use the settings menu in the upper-right corner to access account and community options.

Community Stats and Activity Breakdown

Inside my dashboard, I have built-in analytics that give me a clear view of member behavior. Each metric, like active users or messages sent, displays in a simple table and updates over selectable periods.

Sample Dashboard Table:

These numbers help me track growth and engagement over time. As soon as members start joining, I can instantly see how involved the group is, which sections are being used, and what kinds of content or activities get the most response. Using this data, I make informed decisions about future community events or improvements.

Tailoring How Your Community Looks and Feels

Choosing Your Own Visual Style

One of the first things I do after creating a new community is set the tone with the appearance. I upload my own cover image, making sure it fits the branding and message I want to convey. The platform lets me adjust fonts and colors so the community looks unique and aligned with my overall brand.

I can even change the width of the sidebar by dragging it in or out to fit my preference. This helps keep the space clean and organized for both myself and members.

Including Useful Links and Setting Clear Guidelines

Right from the settings area, I add links to my website and any social accounts I want to share. This makes it easy for members to connect beyond the community platform.

There is a space to provide guidance for how members should interact. I write out my own guidelines reflecting what works for my audience. I can also include an image to help communicate expectations visually. Members see these guidelines when they join, so everyone understands what is encouraged from the start.

Overseeing Posts and Participation

Sharing Updates and Starting Group Activities

When I need to communicate with my community, I use the announcement feature to share key updates. I also create group activities, or challenges, to encourage members to interact regularly. These options are easily accessible from the menu and keep everyone in the loop.

Types of updates you can post:

Challenges can be customized, and I regularly rotate new topics to maintain interest. This makes participation more dynamic and gives community members a reason to return.

Organizing Gatherings and Q&As

The platform offers tools for planning virtual gatherings such as meetups or live Q&A sessions. I set up these events through the community dashboard and members can RSVP or get reminders.

• Live meetups foster direct connection
• Q&As help address common questions
• Scheduled events appear on a shared calendar

This setup helps create a regular rhythm, so users know when to expect opportunities to connect in real time.

Linking Learning Programs to Community Spaces

I can seamlessly connect my online courses with community features. By adding links or discussions related to specific course topics, I encourage deeper learning and conversation.

• Members access course content and community in one place
• Discussions can be tied directly to lessons
• Sharing course updates or resources boosts engagement

This approach keeps all resources unified and supports both individual progress and group interaction.

Fine-Tuning Community Options and Personalizing Your Profile

Managing Community Functions and Account Preferences

Inside the new Kajabi community dashboard, I have several ways to oversee how things run. From the top right, clicking on my avatar gives quick access to various settings like community details, my personal account, and the main Kajabi library.

Key features available for management:

• Toggle the visibility of community information
• Add new announcements, run challenges, create chat feeds, host events, and build custom pages
• Set up and group access by free or paid memberships

I can always jump between the main settings for the community and my own account preferences without hassle. Dashboard snapshots—including user activity, active users, and engagement over time—help me keep tabs on growth and interactions. For paid communities, I can link to payment options and select whether memberships are billed as one-time or recurring subscriptions.

Personalizing Your Experience and Public Profile

Profile customization is straightforward in the new Kajabi community platform. I can upload a distinct avatar as the main founder, add social links, and include relevant interests or location details so members get to know me.

Profile Customization options include:

I use the settings area to make sure my profile reflects who I am and aligns with the community's brand. Adding a cover image and clear description helps set the tone, while custom community guidelines provide direction and foster a positive environment. If needed, I can place images within the guidelines for extra clarity or branding.