At Heylo, we're on a mission to help people be healthier and happier through groups. Join us!
Each group on Heylo has their own dedicated space. It can be branded with the group logo and colors, and it contains a series of tools for the leaders to organize events, streamline communications, manage members, and collect payments so people can meet, get together, and ultimately belong.
To build a meaningful community, authenticity is a must. On Heylo, everyone is encouraged to use their real name and photo and show up the way they want to be seen, in real life.
Heylo is available everywhere your members are - in an app or on a browser, from the phone, tablet, or computer. It’s also integrated with email, so even if your members don’t sign up, they can still get the most important info from your group, right to their inbox.
We get it—moving your group is a big decision. That’s why you can try Heylo first, at no cost, and see if it’s a fit. No pressure, just possibilities.
Successful groups on Heylo
Heylo is proud to support thousands of groups around the world, from Hong Kong to Hawaii, ranging from run crews to reading clubs. Here’s a quick sample:
- The Brooklyn Track Club. An 800+ paid membership club with a monthly and annual membership option.
- LA Skate Hunnies. A female-led community of 500+ in the Los Angeles community. All wheels welcome.
- Midnight Runners Toronto. A 2,000-member chapter of a global running group that hosts free weekly runs and special paid events.
- Electric Athletic Club. A monthly membership club with 8 chapters across the US.
- Parents of Littles. A 50-member paid parents group in Minnesota with monthly and annual options.
- San Francisco Beach Volleyball. A 1,000-member volleyball group hosting paid tournaments and clinics.
Anyone can create a group on Heylo. Whether it’s a long-time group or just getting started, Heylo can be the group’s home for organization, communications, and payments.
There are no fees to create a group on Heylo. Heylo is free to use! We make money by helping groups collect payments. If you are a free group, you can use Heylo for free.
To create a group on Heylo:
- Navigate to create a group
- Select your group’s name and privacy setting. Don’t worry, you can change either at any time
- Add a photo. It helps convey what the group is all about
- Invite a few others to join and help get set up
- Add your first event
That’s it! In less than a minute, you can have a group up and running on Heylo, for free.
Every group on Heylo has a unique link. The group link contains the group profile - everything someone new needs to join the group, such as:
Admins have full control over group links including their content, URL, and visibility. To edit a group link, navigate to the group tab, and then select “group appearance.”
Groups may only have one link. If a link is edited, the previous link is available for another group to use. If someone clicks on a past link, they land on Heylo group discovery.
Customizing the group link does not impact the group’s permission settings. Admins always control who can join the group, regardless of the link name.
Groups profiles contain everything new members need to join a group. It houses all the group’s key information, including the group name, logo, group reps, links, AND all your upcoming events. Here's an example: https://heylo.group/midnight-runners-sf
No maintenance required
Alternatives require leaders to set reminders and pay constant attention to swap out old links and add new events.
Your new group profile automatically displays all your upcoming events and group information, keeping your group profile fresh and up-to-date without any extra effort from you. New events are automatically added, and past events are archived seamlessly.
Bring forward your group’s brand and vibe
Your group profile is a reflection of your group's identity, and we’ve added more customization options to help you make it uniquely yours:
- Customize the background with your brand colors.
- Display your logo prominently at the top.
- Get a custom URL with your group’s name.
- Feature your leadership team to help new members get acquainted.
- Control event visibility—keep some events private for members, while showcasing others to the public.
Get started with your new group profile
Get your group profile up and running in less than 2 minutes, and it’s for free:
- Customize your group’s appearance by adding your brand colors and logo to ensure your group profile reflects your identity.
- Add any links you’d like to include.
- Copy your customized link and add it to your socials—Facebook, Strava, or Instagram bio.
Group profiles are designed to convert followers into active members who show up. Take advantage of this powerful tool to grow your community today! It’s free to use for all Heylo group leaders.
Your re-designed group profile will help you change followers into active members!
Specifically, group profiles contain
- Name
- Logo
- Description
- Member count
- Member requirements
- Leaders as Group reps
- Links
- Upcoming events (attendees not visible)
Any admin of the group can edit the group profile at any time by heading to the group tab, and then “Appearance.”
Heylo can help group leaders find new members for their group. An admin can publish the group and make it public, and other members can discover the group through Heylo Discover and search engines like Google.
The more a group uses Heylo, the more visibile the group becomes. More info is provided to search engines like Google, higher member groups with more events are ranked higher in Heylo discover, and more members have the group on their profile.
Heylo Discover
Heylo Discover is a list of groups that can be sorted by search and by location. Public groups are also visible on member's profiles, and other members of their groups can find the group. Group discovery through members is the most common path for new members to discover your group through Heylo.
Search engines like Google
When your group is published set to public, Heylo can publish the group and public events to search engines like Google. Any search on Google or another search engine will display the group profile or event if the key terms match. Events are also integrated with Google Event Search. Only the information designated by the admin or host are displayed.
Best practices for search engines like Google
To maximize the chances of your events appearing on Google, group leaders should:
- Use clear and concise titles for events
- Include detailed descriptions about their group
- Set a precise event location and time
To publish a group:
- Finish customizing your group branding and preview
- Navigate to group admin settings, and then "Appearance"
- Edit Discoverability under "Publish" to "Public"
- Save changes
To publish an event
- Confirm the group discoverability setting is "public", per above
- Create or edit an event
- Update the event permissions to make the event "public"
On Heylo, a group has it's own identity. Admins can customize your group's appearance and brand to make it feel like home.
How to customize and brand your group
- Customize the background with brand colors. There is an option for primary and secondary. Heylo creates a gradient for you to use on default images and the group profile.
- Add the group logo. It is displayed on the group tab and in the top left corner to remind all members where they are. It also lives on the top of the group profile.
- Get a custom URL link including the group name.
- Feature your leadership team with roles and group profiles to help new members get acquainted.
Onboarding your members onto Heylo is easy—and the more intentional you are, the better the results.
The biggest mistake groups make is trying to keep using multiple platforms and slowly transition to Heylo. That only creates confusion and dilutes engagement with your members. The best way to build momentum is to go all in on Heylo!
Here’s a step-by-step plan to help your community make a smooth, successful transition:
1. Start by adding events
Events give members a reason to join your group on Heylo. Schedule a few in advance to populate your calendar, and make sure an RSVP is required.
Learn more about event RSVPs →
2. Post a welcome message
Set the tone and intention for your group with a warm, clear welcome post right in Heylo. Let members know what to expect and how to participate—this helps people feel grounded and excited.
3. Bring on a few key leaders
Before you share Heylo with your whole community, invite your leadership team or most engaged members first. Ask them to:
- Comment on the welcome post
- Engage in chats
- Share photos
This early activity warms up the space and encourages others to join in.
4. Empower your leaders
Assign roles and walk leaders through how Heylo works. Show them how to post, RSVP, chat, and add members so they can help drive engagement.
5. Set a hard transition date
Pick a date to fully move over to Heylo and announce it. Don’t stretch out the process—it creates confusion. Here’s how to prepare:
- WhatsApp: Turn on announcements-only. Share a final message that you’re moving to Heylo and add your link.
- Meetup: Create a final standing event with your Heylo link.
- Facebook: Add Heylo to your "About" section and post a final post about moving over.
- Other tools: Shut them down or stop using them. Be clear that all future activity happens on Heylo. Having multiple platforms dilutes engagement.
6. Add Heylo to your Instagram
First, add your Heylo link to your bio and your Linktree. Then, use one of these Canva templates to create a post announcing your move to Heylo. Consider pinning it to your profile to make it easy for members to find and join.
7. Make announcements at your in-person events
Mention your move at your gatherings. Show members how to scan your QR code, or send the invite link in your follow-up.
8. Encourage leader engagement post-onboarding
Once your group is live, ask your leaders to:
- Post discussion prompts
- Share photos from events
- Welcome new members in chat
Sustained momentum leads to stronger connections!
Extra onboarding tools
Here are other Heylo features to help bring your group together:
- Sign a waiver: Collect liability releases automatically.
- Share event photos: Encourage members to share photos and videos.
- Celebrate attendance: Track milestones and award members.
- Collect member info: Gather important details like t-shirt sizes or emergency contacts.
- Pay membership dues: Set up recurring or one-time dues.
Need more help? Check out our sample FAQs to share with members below.
Sample FAQs
You can copy and paste these into your communications!
What’s Heylo and why are we moving?
Heylo is a group platform that helps organize our events, communications, and benefits. It’s the best way to see our full upcoming events calendar and connect with other members. Heylo is used by the top clubs and communities around the world.
Do I have to download an app?
Nope! You can use Heylo from your computer, mobile app or phone browser. We have our own dedicated space on Heylo, so you’ll only get communications from our group.
How do I join?
You’ll receive an email invitation to join our group on Heylo. It’s a magic link with all info pre-loaded. Just accept the invitation via link, and join our group!
What if I already use Heylo?
No problem! If you accept the invitation, you’ll be added to our group. You can use the same existing account without impact to your other groups on Heylo.
What happens to my paid membership?
Your membership renewal date has already been added to Heylo. When your date comes up, you can complete your renewal payment right in the Heylo platform. You can use major credit card or debit card, including Apple or Google Pay, from your phone or computer. You can get receipts or update your payment info anytime.
What if I have questions?
No problem! Every member of our group has a direct line of communication to the Heylo team. You can message a real person directly via Support Chat in Heylo or email at support@heylo.com.
If you have your member roster or directory with member emails or phone numbers from another platform, Heylo has personalized onboarding for your members! Share your member roster with the Heylo team via support chat or support@heylo.co, and Heylo onboards each member individually and automatically uploads all the applicable existing information from the roster. It's easiest for your members - they only need to accept!
See all member onboarding best practices and sample communications.
How it works:
- Gather member info. It can include everything from their email, name, attendance, and emergency contact to their membership plan, renewal date, and payment info; however, only name and email are required.
- Add member info to a Google Sheet or CSV file (see sample - make a copy!)
- Submit to the Heylo team at support@heylo.com, Heylo Support chat or here and include a launch date. The Heylo team reviews the submission and replies within 24 hours
- Upon launch, members info is imported and members are invited by a personalized email. The email contains a custom link unique to that member with all their information from the member roster
- When members accept the invitation and click the link, the information is automatically added to their account. They can confirm their information is correct when they join. Existing members in the group are automatically matched and require no action.
See a sample member info fields for import.
Benefits:
- Members do not need to complete information when onboarding - their details are already completed!
- Any existing paid membership renewal dates will remain intact
- All members receive announcements and event updates by email, even if they have not yet joined your group on Heylo
- Add or remove any members from your member directory before members accept their invitation
- Export your member roster with all your member info, before members accept their invitation
When members join Heylo, not only do they confirm their info, but they also see all the group's events, communications, and members! Heylo de-duplicates multiple accounts automatically.
Onboarding your members is seamless with Heylo. Whether you have a group chat, email list, or another platform, onboarding your members to Heylo is as easy as copying and pasting. Members do not need to download a new app and can sign up with one tap.
Migrating from a group chat with a link
If your members use a group chat like Whatsapp, text, or GroupMe, simply use your link! You can copy your link and paste it into your existing group chat. Members who click the link will be directed to join your group upon signing up.
Every day, more and more community leaders are choosing to move off Meetup to deliver a better experience for their members. Meetup has made the experience harder for members — unwanted ads inside groups, paywalls to see who’s attending, and forced subscriptions just to participate. Heylo is building with community leaders to make it easier to bring your people together.
This guide is for groups moving from Meetup to Heylo, based on what’s worked for leaders who’ve already made the switch. For more, see our general onboarding best practices.
First: The Reality Check You Need
Meetup groups typically have a huge number of people who are "in the group" but haven’t attended or engaged in months (or ever). Heylo focuses on managing your active community and avoiding this climbing number. In fact, Heylo archives members who are inactive for 90 days, keeping your community lean and real.
One leader who ran a group for 9 years on Meetup put it perfectly:
"Expect an initial drop ‘in total members’, but know that your active members will follow."
Translation: You're not losing your community. You're losing the dead weight.
Set Up Your Heylo Group
Before you start migrating your members, make sure your Heylo group is ready to receive them. If you haven't already, take a few minutes to:
- Set up your Heylo group
- Choose if your group is private or public
- Set auto approval or manual approval for new members
- Customize your group profile
- Add events to your calendar
Once that's done, you're ready to move your members to Heylo.
The Migration Strategy That Actually Works
Despite what you might think, a gradual transition between platforms does not work well. Leaders who tried to run both platforms simultaneously found it created confusion and killed engagement. Here's what works:
1. Start With Inviting Your Core Team
Don't invite everyone at once. Share your Heylo link first with your co-organizers, volunteers, and most engaged members. Ask them to jump into chats, share photos, and get comfortable with the platform. This early activity warms up the space and gives you advocates who can help answer questions when the full group arrives.
2. Pick a Date and Make Heylo the Source of Truth
Choose a date when Heylo becomes your primary platform and commit to it. From this date forward, RSVPs, check-ins, and conversations happen on Heylo only — avoid running active chats and accepting check-ins on two platforms at once, as it splits engagement and kills momentum. A great way to make the shift feel natural is to tie it to a big upcoming event and use that moment as the official handoff your whole community can rally around.
3. Make It Impossible to Miss on Meetup
Plaster your Heylo link everywhere. Create a final standing event with "OFFICIAL SIGN UP ON HEYLO" in the title, put your Heylo link at the very top of the description, and keep it live temporarily to catch stragglers.
4. Say It In Person
Don't underestimate this one. If you host IRL events, a quick announcement and a QR code builds buy-in faster than any message ever will.
5. Make an Announcement on Social Media
On Instagram or other platforms, add your Custom Heylo Group Link to your bio, create a post announcing the move (Heylo has Canva templates) and pin it to your profile.
Extra Tips
If you have WhatsApp or another chat app, turn on announcements-only and send a final message letting members know you're moving to Heylo, with your link included. This keeps the old channel from staying active while people are still finding their way over.
Host a Demo for Your Members
"Having a demo day really helped with buy-in," one leader shared. Either host a live event showing how Heylo works or record a quick video walkthrough.
The Biggest Mistakes We See
Trying to run multiple platforms at once.
Keeping Meetup, WhatsApp, email, and Heylo active creates confusion. Members don’t know where to RSVP or engage, so participation drops. One clear source of truth drives way higher engagement.Not setting a hard transition date.
Slow rollouts kill momentum. Groups that move everyone over at once — and officially stop using Meetup — see a much cleaner transition and a spike in early engagement.Over-explaining instead of being clear.
Members skim. Put the most important info at the top, use bold text and bullets, and keep it short. Clear > thorough every time.
If You Have an Email List
If you have an email list of your members, we can Import your members into Heylo.
But let's address the elephant in the room first: Meetup doesn't let you export your members' email addresses anymore.
Unless you're on Meetup Pro (and even then, members must RSVP and consent to share their email), you can't just grab a list and import it. This has been a major pain point for organizers trying to leave.
If you have any member contact info (even partial lists), you have two options.
Option 1: Heylo support can import your members
Best if you have more than name + email.
If you have additional member data (emergency contacts, phone numbers, renewal dates, etc.), send your list to support@heylo.com. The Heylo team will run a custom import and email each member a personalized, one-time invite link. When they join, all their info is pre-filled automatically.
Option 2: Copy + paste the emails into Heylo
Best if you only have an email list.
Paste your member emails directly into Heylo to send personalized invites in bulk. Fast and simple.
Good to know
Members imported using either method will receive event notifications and blasts.
If they don’t join within 90 days, they’re marked as inactive.
Why Leaders Say It's Worth It
After all the challenges, here's what keeps people on Heylo:
"It's night and day once you have people at an event and are building connections and community around it."
"You all have somehow made a complex app with lots of capabilities into a really easy to use piece of tech."
"I left Meetup a year ago after ten years organizing an outdoor group. It's sad really, all the confusion in this space. I am really thankful for Heylo at this point."
And from a leader whose group made the switch: "Our group made the switch in August and people love Heylo. For us, I'd say the biggest difference is the lower barrier to entry for both our Ambassadors (event planners) and event participants/users."
You're Not Alone
Heylo is leader-first. There's an entire community of organizers from around the world who've made this transition and are happy to help: Join the Heylo Leaders Community
They give input that drives the product forward. Your feedback shapes the platform.
Need help with your migration? A Heylo team member is available to assist at no cost. Reach out via support chat in Heylo or email support@heylo.com.
Sample FAQs to Share With Your Members
Copy and paste these to answer common questions:
What's Heylo and why are we moving?
Heylo is a group platform that helps organize our events, communications, and benefits. It's the best way to see our full upcoming events calendar and connect with other members. Heylo is used by the top clubs and communities around the world.
Do I have to download an app?
Nope! You can use Heylo from your computer, mobile app, or phone browser. We have our own dedicated space on Heylo, so you'll only get communications from our group.
What if I have questions?
Every member has a direct line to the Heylo team. Message a real person via Support Chat in Heylo or email support@heylo.com.
Ready to make the move?
Get started with Heylo or reach out to support@heylo.com for migration help.
Groups mean many people! Invite others to the group, even when getting started. They can see how communications, events, chats, profiles, and waivers work, in real time.
To invite someone to join the group, navigate to the members tab and select the invite action button on the top right. Invites are personalized by group and by the sender. The recipient will see the profile photo of the inviter when joining. Personalization improves onboarding conversion.
There are several ways to invite someone to join a group:
Note, admins of a group can restrict invitations to admin-only in the permissions.
- Link. Copy the link and paste it into any other messaging tool or social media platform.
- Email. Recipients receive a personalized email invitation. See a sample in the email invite dialogue box. Also, invite all members by email.
- Contact book [Mobile only]. Grant access to contacts and select contacts to invite.
- QR code [Mobile only]. Scan the QR code to join your group
- Share Sheet [Mobile only]. Invite via another app on your phone
- Last, just tell them to get Heylo and search for your group (note, your group must be discoverable in permissions.)
Admins can also invite other admins. As an admin, you can toggle the invite to be “member” or “admin” once you select the invite button from the members tab.
Onboarding Members with Bulk Email Invites
If an admin has access to all member emails, they can use bulk email invites to onboard all members seamlessly. Members invited by email will be able to receive all group announcements and upcoming event communications through Heylo’s email integration, even before they sign up for Heylo.
Invitation Schedule
When members are invited by email, they immediately receive a personalized invitation email from the group invite email account. If a member does not join after the first invitation, Heylo automatically sends a follow-up invitation after 3 days, and another one after 7 days, ensuring multiple touchpoints to encourage them to join.
How to Send Email Invites
Navigate to the Members tab.
Select Invite, then choose Email.
Copy all members’ email addresses and paste them into Heylo, separated by a comma, semicolon, or new line.
Heylo will automatically organize them and send out the personalized email invitations.
To preview the email invitation, simply select the “Sample” button in the email invite menu.
Managing Pending Invites
Once everyone is invited, admins still have control over who receives email communications from the group. At the bottom of the Members tab, there’s a Pending section showing members invited by email. From here, admins can:
Resend an invitation.
Remove a member from the group if needed.
Additionally, anyone invited can always opt out by unsubscribing from the emails.
Heylo can help people who know each other connect and find groups on Heylo!
Mutual Contact Consent
Contact relationships on Heylo are mutual, meaning both you and the other person must opt in for the connection to be recognized. This ensures that no one can access your profile or message you unless you both agree to share contact information.
Benefits of Syncing Contacts
When you sync your phone’s contact list with Heylo, you gain the ability to see who in your contacts is on Heylo. If both you and a contact have each other’s number saved—and both of you have chosen to sync your contacts—Heylo recognizes you as mutual contact. Then, you can:
- See your contacts in your Heylo group in the members directory
- View the profile of mutual contacts, even if they are not in your Heylo group
- Send direct messages to mutual contacts, even if they are not in your Heylo group
- Discover groups that your mutual contacts are in, and allow them to discover your groups too
- Get recommendations of new members to invite to your group based in part on mutual contacts
Opt-in, opt-out
When you use Heylo, by default, you do not have contacts synced. If you opted-in to contact syn and would like to opt back out, no problem! Please get in touch with the Heylo team. Once turned off, mutual contacts lose the ability to see you as a contact and therefore cannot see your profile outside of your group, direct message with you, or see groups you are in. Heylo will never message or spam contacts.
Contact Privacy
Heylo places a high priority on privacy. Your phone number is not visible to mutual contacts. If you choose not to sync your contacts, people outside your group cannot see your profile or any groups you belong to.
Once you have signed up with Heylo, you can log in from any device by logging in. Be sure to use your same authentication method. Google Authentication sign-ups, for example, must select the Google option and cannot log in via email.
To log in
- Visit https://app.heylo.co/login
- Enter phone number. Or, if you used email, Google Authentication, or Apple authentication previously, select "Try another way"
- Provide your credentials
To prevent duplicative accounts, verify your phone number! Or, to switch a sign-up method, get in touch with the Heylo team.
There is no limit to the number of groups on Heylo. Anyone can belong to multiple groups, and anyone can create multiple groups.
If there are multiple groups within the same organization, like chapters, get in touch with the Heylo team about our organizational tools. We can help you set up organization-level features such as wwaivers, memberships, and pages to streamline the organization across multiple chapters.