Hey there! Welcome to our weekly mini series where we, the Connect Moderators, share tips and tricks on how to enjoy the redesigned Connect to the fullest. Every Thursday, we will focus on one new feature or functionality to help you feel more at home.
Let’s get started with a short intro! My name is Adrian 
, I’m a Local Guide Level 9 from Malaysia, and I split my time between Malaysia 
and the United Kingdom 
. I enjoy photography and videography, so I’ve been running an unofficial YouTube channel, loosely related to the Local Guides program, called Go Loco Guides. I also love organising fun projects focused on building communities such as Community Live (2020) and EuroMeetup (2024)!
Local Guides wouldn’t exist without the amazing community. And the community is made up of people like you and I. All of us bring something special to this wonderful group so it’s important that what makes you unique, is represented accurately on Connect. So, this week, I will talk about setting up your user profile.
A Connect user profile is basically a page about you! It contains information provided by you as well as details pulled together automatically by Connect, such as your Local Guides level, activity statistics and earned badges. Personalising your user profile will certainly enhance your presence within the Connect community!
Firstly, let’s go find your user profile! You can click on this link or you can tap on your profile picture in the top right hand corner. In the pop up menu, select View your profile located just beneath your username.
On your user profile page, you can:
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change your Username
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upload a Profile Picture
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upload a Profile Header; this is the banner image at the top of your user profile
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add information to the About Me section on your profile
The Edit button will allow you to change your Username and Profile Picture. The About Me button will allow you to add a Profile Header and some text to your profile.
For a guided demonstration, please watch the video below:
Here are some quick tips/suggestions:
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Username: you don’t need to use any personal identifiers such as your first and last name but do make it memorable/recognisable (avoid using a random series of letters and numbers as they are really hard to remember!)
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Profile picture: choosing a smiling face will go a very long way in brightening a person’s day
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Profile header: not sure what to use? Why not try a picture of your city, or a photo from your last meet-up? Just make sure to use an image that is yours or is copyright free.
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About me: Tell us a bit more about you; where you are from, your hobbies, your favourite Local Guides contribution, your most memorable Local Guides moment or what you are most excited for in this awesome Connect site! Keep it short and sweet! Emojis are welcome!
As always, please make sure that the information provided (including your choice of username and images/pictures) follow the community guidelines.
If you want to customise your user profile even further such as selecting a topic to feature, setting your Timezone, and choosing to display your Google Maps profile link, then I would highly recommend checking out this post from the Transition Tutorials series.
I hope you found this quick introduction to your user profile useful in getting you started on your brand new experience here on Connect. I look forward to seeing amazing user profiles that highlight the fabulous yous and connecting 
with all of you, right here on Connect!
Find more information about how to use Connect in the Community guidelines section where this mini series also lives. If there’s a specific feature you want to learn more about, let us know below, or check out the rest of the topics in the series:
- Make your Connect profile shine (this post)
- Translate what others share into your language
- Get answers from the community with polls
- Stay updated on the content you care about
- Reach Local Guides on and off Connect
- Style your posts to make them stand out
- Host successful virtual meet-ups
- Host successful in-person meet-ups
- Write engaging meet-up recaps
