Nextdoor for public agencies

No. Users cannot initiate conversations with you directly via the Nextdoor platform. There are no conversations to engage in or moderate on Nextdoor, outside of what you initiate yourself. You can close a conversation at any time, such as after a period of time or if the discussion goes off topic.
Think of posting on Nextdoor like walking into and then out of a community meeting. Say what you need to say, answer questions if appropriate, then close the door.
Public services have the ability to remove posts or replies to their posts if the reply is not relevant to the topic of the post or violates Nextdoor's Member Agreement. You can also close discussions on posts (i.e. "disabling replies") at any time, which prevents comments from being added. You can also reopen discussions at any time.

Staff have complete control over how much time they spend on Nextdoor. Nextdoor is extremely quick and easy to use. It takes just a few minutes to create or reply to posts.
Nextdoor is a lower frequency platform than other channels. We recommend posting one or two times per week with relevant content. The Nextdoor audience is already highly engaged and people are most interested in what is relevant to their local area.
Some agencies choose to post more often, since they communicate with one or more neighbourhoods about specific issues. Overall, Nextdoor reduces the total time required to communicate with residents by eliminating duplicate tasks associated with managing multiple accounts or email lists.
Your Nextdoor account can be set up to allow multiple users across the organisation to utilise the platform such as community development, comms/engagement or emergency management staff.

The most effective way to use Nextdoor is to deliver relevant, personal and localised engagement, using a different voice and style from normal corporate communications.

You can only view reactions or see replies to your own posts or private messages that users send directly to the agency. Private messaging is available to everyone on Nextdoor including resident users, local businesses, and public service agencies.
You do not have access to users’ information, nor can they see user posts or profiles or any other content on Nextdoor.
Once signed up to the platform, you can also view metrics and generate reports on user numbers, public service content and engagement levels. When users comment on your posts, you can see the persons’ name and the suburb they live in e.g. “Sam K. • Coogee“.

The control of information and provision of services is operated and provided by Nextdoor Australia Pty Ltd.
Nextdoor collects member information including first name, last name, email address and physical address. Only users who are able to verify their identity and home address can sign up.
None of the neighbourhood content, member information or conversations are indexed by Google and cannot be found in any search engine or available publicly.
Nextdoor prioritises our users’ privacy and does not share or sell information to third parties, advertisers or anyone else. Nextdoor complies with Australian Government Privacy Legislation and also adheres to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the world’s strictest rules to protect people’s online data.
For more information on our Privacy Policy visit: legal.nextdoor.com/au-privacy-policy-2020.

Nextdoor is a trusted, private and secure network and Nextdoor is committed to the safety of our users. We take active measures to ensure the safety of people using the platform and the information shared.
Nextdoor has clear Community Guidelines that stop negative behaviour like trolling, aggressive language or the spread of misinformation. Every Nextdoor user must be a verified local resident using their real name and address.
Nextdoor does not tolerate violations of privacy or threats to someone's physical safety. Content is moderated and posts can be reported for violating Nextdoor's Community Guidelines. Friction points on the platform also ensure safe and positive behaviour, such as kindness reminders aimed at slowing people down as they post and automated tools which detect when key words are used and prompts users to rephrase their posts. Nextdoor also works closely with the Australian e-Safety Office to implement some of the best practices in online safety by design.
For more information on our Community Guidelines and Policies for users, public service agencies and businesses visit: help.nextdoor.com/s/article/community-guidelines.

Nextdoor is an international, privately-held company with headquarters in San Francisco, California and backing from prominent investors.
Nextdoor has been operating in the United States for over ten years with one in every three people (50+ million) using Nextdoor. Prior to 2016, Nextdoor was entirely funded by venture capital firms. Recently, Nextdoor has introduced a low-cost revenue model in the US which allows businesses to advertise local deals to the communities they serve. The US operations support Nextdoor in Australia.

Nextdoor launched in Australia in October 2018. Awareness has been growing rapidly via grassroots community campaigns, word of mouth and media coverage. There are now 3,200+ Nextdoor neighbourhoods established across every state and territory.
During the bushfires and the COVID19 pandemic, Nextdoor experienced unprecedented adoption by people across Australia seeking to connect and offer help within their local neighbourhoods. Since January 2020, Nextdoor experienced a 91% increase in daily active users across Australia and continues to maintain a #3 ranking on the App Store in Australia.
Over 5,000 public services worldwide are using Nextdoor. Local councils, state and federal government agencies, and community service organisations across Australia are signing up to use Nextdoor to share critical, real-time information at the neighbourhood level from fire alerts to power outages, road closures, community meetings and service changes or increase their local engagement in new and creative ways.