Programs are the core building block of your Campground organization. Every member belongs to at least one program, and programs determine what your members can see and access. Within each program, you define seasons — named time periods like “Spring 2025” or “Cohort 3” — to track membership across different cycles. Members join programs by submitting an application; once accepted, they gain access to that program’s content and tasks.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.campground.fyi/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
What is a program?
A program is a container for your community’s members, content, and tasks. Think of it as a membership tier or cohort category. For example, you might have programs named “Fellows”, “Alumni”, or “2025 Bootcamp”. Each program has:- Seasons — time-bound periods within the program (e.g., “2024”, “Spring 2025”)
- Members — profiles who have been accepted via an application
- Task lists — assigned automatically when a member joins
- Visibility settings — controls who can see the program’s content
- Email templates — customized notifications for application events
What is a season?
A season is a named time period within a program, with an optional start and end date. Seasons let you run the same program across multiple cycles without losing historical membership data. For example, a “Fellows” program might have seasons “2024” and “2025”, each with its own set of accepted members.A season cannot be deleted if it is the only destination for an active application form. Create a new season first, then reassign the form before removing the old one.
How members join programs
Members join programs by submitting an application through a form. When you accept an application, the profile is added as a member of that program’s season. Any task lists linked to the program are automatically assigned to the new member at that point. If a member leaves a program, only task lists that were assigned through the program are removed — tasks assigned manually stay in place.Program access levels
Each program has a visibility level that controls who can see it and how members gain access.| Level | What it means |
|---|---|
| All access | Visible to everyone in the organization; no application required to join |
| Private | Members must submit an application and be accepted |
| Hidden | Not listed publicly, but accessible via direct URL |
Platform access control
Campground determines platform access using this rule:- Your organization has at least one all_access program → Any profile can sign in and access the platform
- No all_access program exists → A profile must have an accepted application to at least one program to sign in
Common setup patterns
Choose the pattern that fits your community model:| Scenario | How to set it up |
|---|---|
| Open community | Create one program with all_access enabled (e.g., “Community”). Anyone who signs up can immediately access the platform. |
| Application-only | Don’t create any all_access programs. All access is gated by an accepted application to a specific program. |
| Hybrid | Create one all_access “Community” program for general access, plus separate private programs for cohorts or exclusive content. |
Open community
Open community
Create a program named something like “Community” or “Members” and enable the all access setting. Every profile that signs up to your organization will automatically be able to log in and view content visible to that program — no application required.This is the best choice if you want a low-friction onboarding experience or run an open membership network.
Application-only
Application-only
Leave all programs set to private (do not enable all access on any program). New users who sign up will not be able to access the platform until an admin accepts their application.This is the best choice for selective programs like accelerators, fellowships, or cohort-based communities where you want full control over membership.
Hybrid
Hybrid
Create one all_access program (e.g., “Community”) alongside one or more private programs (e.g., “2025 Fellows”). All signed-up members can access the platform through the community program, while exclusive content and tasks are restricted to accepted fellows.This is the best choice for organizations that want both a public-facing community and a selective inner program.