Setting Up Your First Board

Learn how to create and customize your feature request board to match your product and brand. This comprehensive guide covers all the settings and options available when setting up your FeatureShark board.

Board Creation Process

Initial Setup Wizard

When you create a new board, FeatureShark guides you through a setup wizard:

1. Basic Information

   • Board name and description
   • Project category selection
   • Target audience definition

2. Visual Configuration

   • Theme selection
   • Color scheme customization
   • Logo and branding upload

3. Functional Settings

   • Voting mechanisms
   • User permissions
   • Content moderation rules

Board Configuration Options

General Settings

Board Information

• Board Title: The main heading users see (keep it clear and branded)
• Subtitle: Brief description of your product or purpose
• Welcome Message: Engaging text that explains how users can help shape your product

URL and Access

• Custom Subdomain: Choose your unique URL (e.g., yourapp.featureshark.com)
• Custom Domain: Upgrade to use your own domain (e.g., feedback.yourapp.com)
• Board Visibility: Public, private, or password-protected

Voting Configuration

Voting Types

1. Upvote Only: Simple positive feedback system

   • Best for: Product roadmap voting
   • User experience: Clean, positive-focused

2. Upvote/Downvote: Full voting spectrum

   • Best for: Community-driven features
   • User experience: More detailed feedback

3. Weighted Voting: Different vote values based on user type

   • Best for: B2B products with tiered customers
   • User experience: Stakeholder influence

Vote Settings

• Vote Limit: Set maximum votes per user (recommended: unlimited)
• Vote Weight: Assign different weights to user types
• Vote Visibility: Show/hide vote counts and voter lists

Content Organization

Categories Setup

Create logical groupings for feature requests:

Essential Categories:

🚀 New Features
🔧 Improvements  
🐛 Bug Fixes
🎨 UI/UX Changes
📱 Mobile App
🖥️ Web App
🔌 Integrations

Advanced Categories:

⚡ Performance
🔒 Security
📊 Analytics
🌐 Localization
♿ Accessibility
🎯 Targeting

Custom Tags

Create tags for better organization:

• Priority levels (High, Medium, Low)
• Departments (Engineering, Design, Marketing)
• Effort estimates (Quick Win, Medium, Complex)
• Business impact (Revenue, Retention, Growth)

User Management

Access Levels

1. Public Access

   • Anyone can view and submit
   • No registration required
   • Best for: Consumer products

2. Registration Required

   • Users must create account to participate
   • Better spam protection
   • User tracking capabilities

3. Invitation Only

   • Curated user base
   • Higher quality feedback
   • Best for: B2B or beta products

User Roles

• Admin: Full board management
• Moderator: Content management and user support
• Power User: Enhanced submission privileges
• Regular User: Standard voting and submission rights

Submission Guidelines

Content Rules

Define what makes a good feature request:

## Submission Guidelines

### Good Feature Requests Include:
✅ Clear, specific titles
✅ Detailed use cases
✅ Business justification
✅ User stories format
✅ Supporting screenshots/mockups

### Please Avoid:
❌ Vague or generic requests
❌ Duplicate submissions
❌ Bug reports (use our bug tracker)
❌ Requests outside our product scope

Automatic Moderation

• Profanity filtering
• Spam detection
• Duplicate prevention
• Content length requirements

Advanced Board Features

AI-Powered Insights

Smart Categorization

• Automatic category suggestions
• Content analysis for better tagging
• Duplicate detection algorithms

Priority Scoring

FeatureShark's AI analyzes multiple factors:

• Vote velocity (how quickly votes accumulate)
• User engagement (comments, shares)
• Business impact assessment
• Technical complexity estimation

Integration Setup

Essential Integrations

1. Slack/Discord: Real-time notifications
2. GitHub/Jira: Development workflow integration
3. Analytics: Google Analytics, Mixpanel integration
4. Email: Automated user communications

Webhook Configuration

Set up custom webhooks for:

• New feature submissions
• Vote milestones reached
• Status changes
• Comment notifications

Customization Options

Visual Branding

Logo and Images

• Header Logo: 200x60px recommended, PNG/SVG preferred
• Favicon: 32x32px, ICO format
• Background Images: Custom headers or patterns
• Category Icons: Custom SVG icons for each category

Color Scheme

• Primary Color: Main brand color for buttons and links
• Secondary Color: Accent color for highlights
• Text Colors: Ensure proper contrast ratios
• Background Colors: Light/dark theme support

Typography

• Heading Font: Choose from Google Fonts library
• Body Font: Optimize for readability
• Font Sizes: Responsive scaling options
• Font Weights: Bold, regular, light variations

Custom CSS

For advanced users, add custom CSS:

/* Custom button styling */
.feature-submit-btn {
  background: linear-gradient(45deg, #667eea 0%, #764ba2 100%);
  border-radius: 8px;
  box-shadow: 0 4px 15px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
}

/* Custom card styling */
.feature-card {
  border-left: 4px solid var(--primary-color);
  transition: transform 0.2s ease;
}

.feature-card:hover {
  transform: translateY(-2px);
}

Board Launch Checklist

Pre-Launch Setup

• [ ] Board information completed
• [ ] Categories and tags configured
• [ ] User permissions set
• [ ] Branding and colors applied
• [ ] Submission guidelines written
• [ ] Integration connections tested

Content Preparation

• [ ] Sample feature requests created
• [ ] FAQ section populated
• [ ] Help documentation linked
• [ ] Contact information added
• [ ] Legal pages linked (Terms, Privacy)

Testing Phase

• [ ] Submit test feature requests
• [ ] Verify voting functionality
• [ ] Test user registration flow
• [ ] Check email notifications
• [ ] Validate responsive design

Go-Live

• [ ] Remove test content
• [ ] Announce to existing users
• [ ] Add board links to website
• [ ] Update social media profiles
• [ ] Send launch email to subscribers

Best Practices

Board Management

1. Regular Maintenance

   • Review and respond to submissions weekly
   • Update feature statuses promptly
   • Clean up duplicate or outdated requests

2. Community Engagement

   • Respond to comments and questions
   • Provide regular updates on development
   • Celebrate implemented features

3. Data-Driven Decisions

   • Use analytics to understand user behavior
   • Track feature request trends
   • Monitor voting patterns

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Over-categorization: Too many categories confuse users
• Sparse Content: Launch with some sample content
• Ignored Feedback: Always acknowledge user submissions
• Complex Guidelines: Keep submission rules simple and clear

What's Next?

After setting up your board:

1. Invite Team Members - Add collaborators
2. Understanding Voting - Learn the voting system
3. Slack Integration - Get real-time notifications

Need Help?

• 📧 Email Support: support@featureshark.com
• 💬 Live Chat: Available in your dashboard
• 📚 Video Tutorials: Watch setup videos
• 🎯 1-on-1 Setup: Schedule personal assistance

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Setup Time: 15-30 minutes
Difficulty: Beginner
Last Updated: September 2025