communities.join()

Joins the authenticated user to a specified community.

Syntax

async join(communityId: number): Promise<CommunityResponseModel>

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
communityId	number	Yes	The unique identifier of the community to join

Return Value

Returns a Promise<CommunityResponseModel> containing the updated community information including the new member. See the get() method documentation for details on the CommunityResponseModel structure.

Examples

Basic Usage

import { StackOverflowSDK } from 'so-teams-sdk';

const sdk = new StackOverflowSDK({
  accessToken: 'your-access-token',
  baseUrl: 'https://[your-site].stackenterprise.co/api/v3'
});

// Join a community
const community = await sdk.communities.join(123);
console.log(`Successfully joined "${community.name}"`);
console.log(`Community now has ${community.memberCount} members`);

Join with Confirmation

async function joinCommunityWithConfirmation(communityId: number) {
  try {
    // Get community details first
    const communityInfo = await sdk.communities.get(communityId);

    console.log(`About to join: "${communityInfo.name}"`);
    console.log(`Description: ${communityInfo.description}`);
    console.log(`Current members: ${communityInfo.memberCount}`);

    if (communityInfo.tags && communityInfo.tags.length > 0) {
      console.log(`Tags: ${communityInfo.tags.map(tag => tag.name).join(', ')}`);
    }

    // Confirm joining (in a real app, you'd show a dialog)
    const confirmed = true; // Replace with actual confirmation logic

    if (confirmed) {
      const joinedCommunity = await sdk.communities.join(communityId);
      console.log(`✅ Successfully joined "${joinedCommunity.name}"`);
      console.log(`You are now one of ${joinedCommunity.memberCount} members`);
      return joinedCommunity;
    } else {
      console.log('Join cancelled');
      return null;
    }
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to join community:', error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}

const joinResult = await joinCommunityWithConfirmation(123);

Strategic Community Joining

async function joinCommunitiesStrategically(targetCommunityIds: number[]) {
  const joinResults = [];

  for (const communityId of targetCommunityIds) {
    try {
      // Analyze community before joining
      const communityInfo = await sdk.communities.get(communityId);

      // Define joining criteria
      const shouldJoin = evaluateJoiningCriteria(communityInfo);

      if (shouldJoin.join) {
        const joinedCommunity = await sdk.communities.join(communityId);
        joinResults.push({
          communityId,
          name: joinedCommunity.name,
          status: 'joined',
          reason: shouldJoin.reason,
          newMemberCount: joinedCommunity.memberCount
        });
        console.log(`✅ Joined: ${joinedCommunity.name} (${shouldJoin.reason})`);
      } else {
        joinResults.push({
          communityId,
          name: communityInfo.name,
          status: 'skipped',
          reason: shouldJoin.reason
        });
        console.log(`⏭️  Skipped: ${communityInfo.name} (${shouldJoin.reason})`);
      }
    } catch (error) {
      joinResults.push({
        communityId,
        status: 'failed',
        error: error.message
      });
      console.error(`❌ Failed to process community ${communityId}:`, error.message);
    }
  }

  return joinResults;
}

function evaluateJoiningCriteria(community: any): { join: boolean; reason: string } {
  // Custom business logic for deciding whether to join
  const memberCount = community.memberCount || 0;
  const hasRelevantTags = community.tags?.some((tag: any) =>
    ['javascript', 'typescript', 'react', 'node', 'development'].includes(tag.name?.toLowerCase())
  );

  if (memberCount < 5) {
    return { join: false, reason: 'too small - less than 5 members' };
  }

  if (memberCount > 10000) {
    return { join: false, reason: 'too large - may be impersonal' };
  }

  if (!community.description || community.description.length < 20) {
    return { join: false, reason: 'insufficient description' };
  }

  if (hasRelevantTags) {
    return { join: true, reason: 'relevant tags match interests' };
  }

  if (memberCount > 50 && memberCount < 500) {
    return { join: true, reason: 'good size for engagement' };
  }

  return { join: false, reason: 'does not meet criteria' };
}

const strategicJoins = await joinCommunitiesStrategically([123, 456, 789, 101]);
console.log(`Joined ${strategicJoins.filter(r => r.status === 'joined').length} communities`);

Join Multiple Communities

async function joinMultipleCommunities(communityIds: number[]) {
  const results = [];

  for (const communityId of communityIds) {
    try {
      const community = await sdk.communities.join(communityId);
      results.push({
        communityId,
        name: community.name,
        status: 'joined',
        memberCount: community.memberCount
      });
      console.log(`✅ Joined: ${community.name}`);

      // Add delay to avoid rate limiting
      await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000));
    } catch (error) {
      results.push({
        communityId,
        status: 'failed',
        error: error.message
      });
      console.error(`❌ Failed to join community ${communityId}:`, error.message);
    }
  }

  const successful = results.filter(r => r.status === 'joined');
  const failed = results.filter(r => r.status === 'failed');

  console.log(`\nSummary: Joined ${successful.length} communities, ${failed.length} failed`);

  return results;
}

const multiJoinResults = await joinMultipleCommunities([123, 456, 789]);

Join Based on Recommendations

async function joinRecommendedCommunities() {
  try {
    // Get all communities to analyze
    const allCommunities = await sdk.communities.getAll({
      pageSize: 100,
      sort: 'size',
      order: 'desc'
    });

    // Find recommended communities based on criteria
    const recommendations = allCommunities.items.filter(community => {
      const memberCount = community.memberCount || 0;
      const hasDescription = !!community.description && community.description.length > 30;
      const hasTags = !!community.tags && community.tags.length > 0;

      // Ideal community size and completeness
      return memberCount > 20 && memberCount < 1000 && hasDescription && hasTags;
    });

    console.log(`Found ${recommendations.length} recommended communities`);

    // Join top recommendations
    const topRecommendations = recommendations.slice(0, 5);
    const joinResults = [];

    for (const community of topRecommendations) {
      try {
        console.log(`Joining recommended community: ${community.name}`);
        const joinedCommunity = await sdk.communities.join(community.id);
        joinResults.push({
          id: joinedCommunity.id,
          name: joinedCommunity.name,
          memberCount: joinedCommunity.memberCount,
          status: 'joined'
        });
      } catch (error) {
        console.error(`Failed to join ${community.name}:`, error.message);
        joinResults.push({
          id: community.id,
          name: community.name,
          status: 'failed',
          error: error.message
        });
      }
    }

    return {
      totalRecommendations: recommendations.length,
      attempted: topRecommendations.length,
      results: joinResults
    };
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to join recommended communities:', error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}

const recommendationResults = await joinRecommendedCommunities();
console.log('Recommendation Results:', recommendationResults);

Join with Follow-up Actions

async function joinCommunityWithFollowup(communityId: number) {
  try {
    // Join the community
    const community = await sdk.communities.join(communityId);
    console.log(`✅ Joined: ${community.name}`);

    // Perform follow-up actions
    const followupActions = [];

    // Log membership
    followupActions.push({
      action: 'logged_membership',
      timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
      community: community.name
    });

    // Analyze new community
    if (community.tags && community.tags.length > 0) {
      followupActions.push({
        action: 'analyzed_tags',
        tags: community.tags.map(tag => tag.name),
        relevantTags: community.tags.filter(tag =>
          ['javascript', 'typescript', 'development'].includes(tag.name?.toLowerCase())
        ).length
      });
    }

    // Check for introduction opportunities
    if ((community.memberCount || 0) < 50) {
      followupActions.push({
        action: 'small_community_noted',
        suggestion: 'Consider introducing yourself to build connections'
      });
    }

    // Schedule engagement reminder
    followupActions.push({
      action: 'engagement_reminder_scheduled',
      reminderDate: new Date(Date.now() + 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000).toISOString(),
      message: 'Check community activity and participate'
    });

    console.log('Follow-up actions completed:', followupActions.length);

    return {
      community,
      followupActions,
      joinDate: new Date().toISOString()
    };
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Failed to join community with follow-up:', error.message);
    throw error;
  }
}

const joinWithFollowup = await joinCommunityWithFollowup(123);

Error Handling

This method can throw the following errors:

Error Type	Status Code	Description
AuthenticationError	401	Invalid or missing authentication token
TokenExpiredError	401	Authentication token has expired
ForbiddenError	403	Cannot join community (already a member, restricted access, etc.)
NotFoundError	404	Community with the specified ID does not exist
SDKError	Various	Other API or network errors

Example Error Handling

import StackOverflowSDK, { NotFoundError, ForbiddenError } from 'so-teams-sdk';

const sdk = new StackOverflowSDK({
  accessToken: 'your-access-token',
  baseUrl: 'https://[your-site].stackenterprise.co/api/v3'
});

try {
  const community = await sdk.communities.join(123);
  console.log(`Successfully joined "${community.name}"`);
  console.log(`Welcome! You are now member #${community.memberCount}`);
} catch (error) {
  if (error instanceof NotFoundError) {
    console.error('Community not found - it may have been deleted');
  } else if (error instanceof ForbiddenError) {
    if (error.message.includes('already')) {
      console.error('You are already a member of this community');
    } else {
      console.error('Cannot join community - access restricted or invitation required');
    }
  } else {
    console.error('Failed to join community:', error.message);
  }
}

Safe Join with Status Check

async function safeJoinCommunity(communityId: number) {
  try {
    const community = await sdk.communities.join(communityId);
    return {
      success: true,
      community,
      message: `Successfully joined "${community.name}"`
    };
  } catch (error) {
    if (error instanceof ForbiddenError) {
      if (error.message.includes('already')) {
        return {
          success: false,
          reason: 'already_member',
          message: 'You are already a member of this community'
        };
      } else {
        return {
          success: false,
          reason: 'access_denied',
          message: 'Access denied - community may be private or require invitation'
        };
      }
    } else if (error instanceof NotFoundError) {
      return {
        success: false,
        reason: 'not_found',
        message: 'Community not found'
      };
    }
    return {
      success: false,
      reason: 'error',
      message: error.message
    };
  }
}

const joinResult = await safeJoinCommunity(123);
if (joinResult.success) {
  console.log('✅', joinResult.message);
} else {
  console.log('❌', joinResult.message);
}

Notes

• This method adds the authenticated user as a member of the specified community
• The returned community object includes updated member information
• Communities may have joining restrictions (private, invitation-only, etc.)
• Attempting to join a community you’re already a member of will result in a ForbiddenError
• The method operates on the Main Site (Enterprise only)
• Member count is automatically updated when users join
• Some communities may require approval before membership is confirmed
• Consider using joinAsMember() for clearer semantic meaning in your code
• The updated community response includes the new member in the members array if detailed member data is available