12 Localist Feature Face-Offs 

Below you’ll find “face-offs” between some of the most popular Localist features!

1. Groups vs. Departments

Group and Department Pages provide users with context around who is hosting your events. Using them will add a directory to your calendar homepage so users can search via a particular Group or Department, or as a quick way to obtain extra information about the host. 

• When to use Groups: For student organizations, community clubs, etc.
• When to use Departments: For academic or internal departments.

2. Tags vs. Keywords

Tags are used to group like-events that don't warrant an entire unique Filter. Keywords are effectively hidden Tags as they are only used for internal purposes. 

• When to use Tags: For short-term or ultra-specifically categorized events. For example, a lecture series, Homecoming, NYE Gala, etc.
• When to use Keywords: For common misspellings or internal curation efforts—i.e. marking specific events for a Widget/Channel.

3. Featured vs. Sponsored

Featured Events are events that you would like to give a prime spot on your calendar homepage or Channels in the Featured Carousel. Sponsored Events will have unique styling to make them pop and get a boost in the Trending algorithm 

• When to use Featured: For important events that are endorsed by your organization.
• When to use Sponsored: For events that need a softer endorsement from your organization.

4. Digest vs. Bulletin

Bulletin and Digest allow you to send event newsletters from your Localist platform. Bulletins are sent by Admins and have a higher level of layout and content flexibility. Digests are a self-serve way for users to send events to themselves.

• When to use Bulletin: For official newsletters sent by your organization.
• When to use Digest: For users to curate a personalized newsletter of their favorite events. 

Bulletin is available to Bulletin Managers. Digest is publicly available to all users.

5. Conferences vs. Recurring Events

Conferences are a “moment in time” event spanning multiple days in a row and/or include scheduled sessions within the main “conference.” A Recurring Event is any event that happens more than once.

• When to use Conferences: For a one-time event that requires sessions, an overnight event, or handling tickets and registration as a whole.
• When to use Recurring: For an ongoing event with the same agenda and location or handling tickets on a per-instance basis.

6. EventReach vs. EventScore

EventReach is a metric to measure the expected “reach,” or audience awareness, of an event. EventScore is Localist’s trending algorithm which looks at dozens of factors to discover the most popular and interesting events.

• When to use EventReach: For every event—a healthy score for a typical event will fall above 70%.
• When to use EventScore (Trending): As your default event list. 

7. Photo Library vs. Fallback Chain

The Photo Library enables you to curate a collection of photos for Admins and users to select within the event submission form. The Photo Fallback Chain ensures that an event never shows up on the calendar without a photo.

• When to use the Photo Library: For any event where you do not have a unique photo on hand. 
• When to use the Photo Fallback Chain: If a unique photo has not been assigned to an event. 

8. Bulk Add vs. Feeds

Localist’s Bulk Add feature allows you to build a Excel (.xls) or CSV (.csv) spreadsheet and upload all of the events at once. Feeds are used to either import event content into Localist or export event content from Localist.

• When to use Bulk Add: If you’re looking to upload a bunch of events at once or bulk-update existing events in Localist. 
• When to use Feeds: If you want to import/export event content from another system—but keep in mind that data will be limited.

9. Feeds vs. the API

 Feeds are used to either import event content into Localist or export event content from Localist. The Localist API will return JSON data that your application can use.

• When to use Feeds: If you want to import/export event content from another system—but keep in mind that data will be limited.
• When to use the API: If you’re looking to integrate Localist content into another system’s internal interface with JSON data.

Feeds are available to Platform Admins, Calendar Managers, and Event Managers. The API is publicly available to all users.

10. The API vs. Widgets

The Localist API will return JSON data that your application can use. A Widget enables you to create events once in Localist and publish everywhere with a simple embed code. 

• When to use the API: If you’re looking to integrate Localist content into another system’s internal interface with JSON data.
• When to use Widgets: If you are only looking to display content on other pages as it’s quicker and generates styled data.

Both the API and Widget Builder are publicly available to users. 

11. Widgets vs. Channels

A Widget enables you to create events once in Localist and publish everywhere with a simple embed code. Channels are a promotion tool that pulls your events based on already existing Classifications (or date ranges) to showcase them in one place.

• When to use Widgets: If you’re looking to display Localist events on your website’s homepage, a department landing page, or community partner’s website.
• When to use Channels: If you’re looking to create a dedicated “homepage” to a specific collection of events within Localist. 

Channels are available to Channel Managers. The Widget Builder is publicly available. 

12. SSO vs. Local accounts

Single Sign On (SSO) enables users to login and create an account using the credentials they use for your organization. Local accounts are created directly through Localist.

• When to use SSO: If your organization uses SSO for account management.
• When to use Local: Unless you’re using LDAP SSO, you can always have Local logins available so people outside your organization can create accounts.