getting-started-new

🚀 Quick Start Guide

This guide walks you through launching your group on MentalHappy.

Follow the steps in order — and don’t skip Stripe setup (your group can’t accept payments until Stripe is connected and verified).

⚠️ Important — before you start

Your group starts in Draft and is not publicly visible.
Your group won’t be visible or accept payments until Stripe is connected and verified.
Only one pricing model can be active at a time.
Group lifecycle follows a clear path (shown below).
Payment failures follow a grace period (~3 days).
You can edit your group anytime.

Draft→ Listing→ Active→ Deleted

🔒 Hidden logic (important)

A Member can also create a group by clicking “Start a Group”.
A Group Leader can join other groups as a participant.
Switching roles doesn’t remove existing access, but permissions change based on your active role context.

📌 End-to-end flow

Register→ Role Selection→ Onboarding→ Plan Selection→ Payment→ Group Setup→ Pricing→ Preview→ Launch→ Stripe Setup→ Announce→ Invite→ Verify

✅ Step-by-Step Guide

Each step explains what to do, what happens behind the scenes, and why it matters.

Register or Log In

Creating or accessing your account so the platform can identify you.

👉 What to do

Click “Start a Group”
Sign up or log in
Verify your email

⚙️ What happens in the system

Your account is authenticated
OTP is validated (time-sensitive)
Your intent to create a group is saved

🎯 Why this matters

This ensures your identity is verified and your progress is not lost.

✨ Tips

Use the same email for Stripe to avoid payout issues
Complete OTP quickly before it expires

Mental Happy Knowledge Base login page screen

Mental Happy Knowledge Base otp verification page screen

Choose Your Role

Selecting how you want to use the platform.

👉 What to do

Select Group Leader

⚙️ What happens in the system

You get access to:

Create and manage groups
Set pricing
Manage members
Receive payouts

🎯 Why this matters

Without selecting Group Leader, you won’t see group-creation features.

🔒 Hidden logic

Even if you start as a Member, clicking “Start a Group” enables Group Leader capabilities.

✨ Tips

Double-check your role to avoid missing features later

Mental Happy Knowledge Base welcome screen for group leader onboarding

Complete Onboarding

A guided setup experience where MentalHappy learns about your goals, experience, and intended group type. It appears right after role selection for first-time group creators.

👉 What to do

Answer short questions (experience, goals, audience)

⚙️ What happens in the system

Your profile is configured
The platform may personalize recommendations
You’re routed to the Plan Selection page

🎯 Why this matters

Helps tailor your experience
Speeds up group setup
Improves trust signals for members

✨ Tips

Answer honestly — it can influence how your group is positioned
This step happens only once

MentalHappy onboarding screen for selecting experience level including licensed professional and peer supporter

MentalHappy onboarding screen asking about audience size for support group invitations

Choose Hosting Plan

Selecting how you want to run your group on MentalHappy.

👉 What to do — choose a plan

Group Listing Free

Test your idea
Build member interest

Active Group $19 / month

Run sessions
Accept payments
Manage members

Multi-Group $49 / month

Manage multiple groups
Add facilitators

⚙️ What happens in the system

Listing Plan: group is visible as a Listing; users can follow; no sessions or payments
Active Plan: full functionality enabled — sessions + payments available
Multi-Group Plan: multiple active groups allowed; advanced features unlocked

🎯 Why this matters

Your plan directly controls what your group can do.

🔒 Hidden logic

You can upgrade later without losing your group data
Listing groups are visible but not monetizable

✨ Tips

Start with Listing if you’re validating demand
Upgrade when you’re ready to monetize

MentalHappy hosting plan selection screen showing options for group listing, active group, and multi-group plans

Complete Payment (If Required)

Activating your selected plan.

👉 What to do

Enter payment details
Confirm subscription

⚙️ What happens in the system

On success: a Draft group is created
On failure: you remain on the payment screen

🎯 Why this matters

Without successful payment, paid features remain locked.

✨ Tips

Do not refresh during payment
Retry if payment fails

Create Group Details

Building your group’s public identity.

👉 What to do — fill in

Group name
Description
Schedule
Guidelines
Tags / categories
Cover image
Intro video (optional)
Host details

⚙️ What happens in the system

Group is saved as Draft
Not visible publicly

🎯 Why this matters

This is what users see before joining.

🔒 Hidden logic

Incomplete groups may reduce visibility in discovery

✨ Tips

Use clear, benefit-driven descriptions
Add visuals to increase trust

MentalHappy create group details form screen for filling in information about your support group including name, description, schedule, guidelines, tags, cover image, intro video, and host details

Add Professional Bio

Showcasing your credibility as a group leader.

👉 What to do

Add your experience and background

⚙️ What happens in the system

Displayed on your group page

🎯 Why this matters

Builds trust and increases conversions.

✨ Tips

Highlight relevant experience
Keep it concise but credible

MentalHappy professional bio section on active group page for adding information about your background and experience as a support group leader

Set Membership Pricing

Defining how members will access your group.

👉 What to do — choose one

Free

Donation

Monthly subscription

One-time payment

⚙️ What happens in the system

Only one pricing model is active
Applies to new members
Platform fee applied

🎯 Why this matters

Pricing impacts conversion and retention.

🔒 Hidden logic

Changing pricing affects new users only, not existing members

✨ Tips

Start simple (Free / low-cost)
Avoid frequent pricing changes

MentalHappy membership pricing options screen for setting how members will access your support group including free, donation, monthly subscription, and one-time payment options

Preview Your Group

Reviewing your group before going live.

👉 What to do

Check all details

⚙️ What happens in the system

Validates setup
Shows final preview

🎯 Why this matters

Prevents errors before launch.

✨ Tips

Double-check pricing and schedule

MentalHappy preview your group screen for reviewing all details of your support group before launching including name, description, schedule, guidelines, tags, cover image, intro video, host details, and pricing

Launch Your Group 🚀

Making your group live on the platform.

👉 What to do

Click “Launch Group”

⚙️ What happens in the system

Draft → Listing / Active
Group becomes visible
Shareable link generated

🎯 Why this matters

Your group is now discoverable.

Connect Stripe (Required)

Setting up payouts and payment processing.

👉 What to do

Go to Profile → Earnings
Connect Stripe
Complete verification

⚙️ What happens in the system

Enables payouts
Enables payment collection

🎯 Why this matters

Without Stripe, you cannot receive payments.

🔒 Hidden logic

Your group may appear live, but payments won’t work until Stripe is verified

✨ Tips

Complete this early to avoid delays

MentalHappy connect Stripe payment integration screen

Announce Your Group

Promoting your group to attract members.

👉 What to do

Use “Announce Group”
Share your link

🎯 Why this matters

Drives traffic and visibility.

✨ Tips

Share in communities, email, and social media

MentalHappy leader space group live banner

Invite Members

Bringing your first users into the group.

👉 What to do

Send invites
Share your link

⚙️ What happens in the system

Users can follow or join

✨ Tips

Invite at least 5–10 initial members

MentalHappy manage group join requests screen

Verify Your Group

Testing your setup as a user.

👉 What to do

Visit your group page
Test the join flow
Check pricing

🎯 Why this matters

Ensures everything works before scaling.

📌 What Happens Next

Public groups become discoverable
Private groups remain invite-only
You can schedule sessions and post content

✅ Best Practices

Post a welcome message immediately
Schedule your first session within 48 hours
Stay consistent with activity

⚠️ Common Mistakes

Not connecting Stripe
Weak group description
No sessions scheduled
No promotion

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Group not visible

Complete your setup and connect Stripe — both are required for your group to appear.

Payment failed

Retry the payment or check your payment method. Failures follow a grace period of about 3 days.

Low engagement

Improve your content and schedule regular sessions to keep members active.

Users not joining

Review your pricing for clarity — confusing pricing is a common drop-off point.

💬 Final Note

Launching your group is just the first step. Growth comes from consistency, clarity, and engagement. Start simple, stay active, and improve based on feedback.

📌 Need more help?

Visit our help center or reach out to support — we’re here to help you launch.

In-app chat support Start a Group