💡 Request a Group (Participants)

🌱 Overview

Sometimes the group you’re looking for doesn’t exist yet — and that’s where the Request a Group feature comes in. You can suggest a new support group idea or upvote an existing request, helping group leaders know what’s most needed.

By submitting or voting, you’re shaping the community and ensuring new groups launch around the topics that matter most to you.

🔑 Access & Visibility

• You must be logged in to submit a request or upvote.
• The feature is not visible to logged-out users.
• You’ll find it in two places:
• Inline (search flow): When you search for a group and no results appear.
• Standalone page: Accessible anytime via the navigation menu, or through links in emails, banners, and promotions.

[SCREENSHOT – Entry points to Request a Group]

🖥️ How It Works (No Results Search State)

1. Search for a group (e.g., “Anxiety in College Students”).
2. If no existing group matches, you’ll see:

• Sorry statement:
  “We’re sorry — this group doesn’t exist yet. But you can help change that! Upvote a requested group below or make your own request.”
• Most Requested Groups list (alphabetical).
• Request a Group form at the bottom.

[SCREENSHOT – No results screen with Most Requested Groups list]

📋 Using the Most Requested Groups List

• Browse existing requests (each shown as a Group Idea Card with title, category, upvote count, and number of active groups in that category).
• Upvote any request that matches your interest (1 vote per request).
• The more upvotes a group gets, the higher it appears on the leaderboard— increasing the chance leaders will launch it.

[SCREENSHOT – Example Group Idea Card]

📝 Submitting a New Request

If you don’t see your group idea in the list:

1. Scroll to “Didn’t find your group? Request it here.”
2. Fill in the form:

• Group Name: Auto-suggestions will appear to prevent duplicates.
• Category: Choose from dropdown options like Parenting, Addiction, or Chronic Illness.
• Optional Description: “What would you like this group to cover?”
• Tap [Request Group].

After submitting, you’ll see a confirmation message like:
“Thanks! 12 people also want this group. We’ll notify you when it launches.”

[SCREENSHOT – Request a Group form]

🔔 What Happens Next

• Your request is added to the Most Requested Groups leaderboard.
• Other participants can upvote your idea.
• Group Leaders can view and may choose to start a group directly from your request.
• You’ll receive notifications when your requested group launches:
• In-App + Email Notifications:
• “Good news! A group you requested is starting soon.”
• “Your requested group is live: [Group Name]. Join now!”

[SCREENSHOT – Example participant notification]

🌿 Why It Matters

• By requesting or upvoting a group, you make your voice heard in shaping the MentalHappy community.
• You help leaders know where support is most needed.
• You ensure that when new groups launch, they already have built-in interest and momentum.

Together, these requests create a living roadmap of what matters most to our members — and bring new support communities to life faster.