Getting Started
Welcome to Civio! Let’s get started with the basics.
Using Civio Engage
Our step-by-step guides to creating projects with Civio Engage.
Engagement mastery
Brush up your skills and master best practice digital engagement with our how-to guides.
Roadmap
Check out our product roadmap to see the future of digital engagement.
Latest releases
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Release 1.25 introduces a Save and Continue Later feature for surveys, new security controls for embedded tools, referrer URL tracking, accessibility enhancements, and a refreshed icon library throughout the platform.
Major Features ⭐️
Save and Continue Later for Surveys
Participants can now save their progress when completing surveys and return to finish them at a later time.
For participants with an account
When a participant is signed in, their survey progress is saved automatically. A message confirms that progress is saved and can be accessed from their profile at any time.
For participants without an account
Participants who are not logged in can click Finish later to save their progress. They receive a unique link that allows them to return and continue the survey on any device. Any changes made in future sessions are automatically saved when the browser is closed.
Saved drafts remain active for 60 days
Drafts are removed when the survey closes
Collaborative Development
This feature was developed through a collaborative co-design process with Country Fire Authority (CFA). We thank them for their contribution to enhancing the Civio Engage platform for all users.
Learn more in our full article so you can understand how your participants can finish incomplete submissions.
Referrer URL Tracking for Embedded Tools
Engagement managers can now track where submissions originate from when using embedded participation tools, making it easier to compare engagement across different embedded locations.
View the Referrer Domain and Referrer Path for each submission in the submissions table
Referrer data is included in submission exports
New Submission Referrer URLs widget available in participation tool reports
Embed Security Settings
Administrators now have greater control over where participation tools can be embedded with new domain restriction settings.
Global allowed domains: Configure site-wide permitted domains in Settings > Embed
Per-tool allowed domains: Override global settings for individual participation tools in the tool's embed settings
Domain validation prevents invalid entries (no protocols, no trailing slashes)
Tools cannot be embedded on domains that are not in the allowed list
Important
If no allowed domains are configured, participation tools cannot be embedded on external websites. Ensure you add your permitted domains before sharing embed codes.
Learn more about embedding tools in our embedding guide.
Minor Features ✨
Refreshed Icon Library
We've updated the icons throughout Civio Engage with a modern, consistent, and more accessible icon set:
Cleaner outlined style for improved legibility
Consistent sizing across all interface elements
More familiar iconography for common actions
Improved Heading Accessibility
We've updated the heading structure of content blocks to improve accessibility and SEO:
Block and group titles now render as H2 headings for proper document hierarchy
The Rich Content editor now supports H3 through H6 headings for use within your content
These changes help ensure your content meets accessibility standards without requiring additional configuration. Learn more in our Rich Content editor guide.
Support for Additional Image File Types
You can now upload additional image formats throughout the platform:
WebP for optimised web images
SVG for scalable vector graphics
GIF for animated images
These formats are supported for primary images, content images, and all areas where image uploads are available.
Bug Fixes 🔧
Fixed an issue where clicking internal links would not scroll to the top of the destination page
Resolved an issue preventing image uploads on surveys with a large number of form fields
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Released October 2025
Release 1.24 introduces powerful new capabilities for community engagement, including our new participatory budgeting tool, enhanced user reporting dashboards, and AI-assisted features for submission analysis. These additions provide organisations with more flexible ways to engage communities and gain deeper insights into participation patterns.
Introducing Civio: Our New Brand Identity 🎉
We're excited to announce that District has evolved to become Civio! This rebrand reflects our strengthened commitment to civic engagement and community empowerment across Australia and beyond.
What's Changing
District Engage is now Civio Engage
Our company name transitions from District to Civio
Fresh new colour scheme: We've updated our platform's visual appearance with a modern, accessible colour palette that enhances readability and user experience
New visual identity and branding across all touchpoints
Updated domain and email addresses (with automatic forwarding from old addresses)
What Stays the Same
Same trusted team supporting your engagement initiatives
All existing functionality and features remain unchanged
Your contracts and agreements continue without interruption
Same commitment to excellence in community engagement technology
Continuous platform improvements and dedicated support
The Civio name better represents our mission to strengthen civic participation and democratic processes. It embodies our vision for more connected, engaged communities where every voice matters.
The refreshed colour scheme brings a more contemporary look to the platform whilst maintaining excellent accessibility standards. You'll notice these visual updates throughout the interface, designed to create a more engaging and professional experience for both administrators and community members.
Major Features ⭐️
Introducing Budgets!
We're excited to launch our new Budgeting participation tool, designed specifically for participatory budgeting exercises. This powerful feature allows communities to meaningfully engage with budget allocation decisions in a transparent and user friendly way.
Key Features
Flexible budget types: points, money ($), or custom units to suit your engagement needs
Create and manage budget proposals with rich descriptions and imagery
Budget allocation reporting to understand community preferences and make well informed priority decisions
Whether you're running a traditional participatory budgeting program, allocating community grants, or seeking input on priorities, the Budgets tool provides an intuitive way for community members to make their voices heard.
Budget Tool Documentation Coming Soon. Detailed documentation for creating and managing budget tools will be available in our Knowledge Base shortly.
Enhanced User Reporting Dashboards
We've significantly expanded user reporting capabilities, giving engagement officers comprehensive insights into individual participant activity across your platform.
New User Report Dashboard
Access detailed reporting for any registered user through a dedicated dashboard that includes:
Submissions made across all participation tools
Events they've registered for
Projects they follow
Email communications sent to them
To access a user's report dashboard, navigate to Users > Public Members, then click on any user's name. User dashboards also support the same flexible widget system as project and site dashboards. You can:
Add, remove, and rearrange widgets to focus on the metrics that matter
Configure widgets to show specific timeframes or content types
Export data for further analysis
AI-Assisted Analysis Tools
Release 1.24 includes AI-powered features designed to streamline submission analysis and help engagement teams work more efficiently with community feedback. These experimental tools offer new ways to surface insights from community input.
Natural Language Submission Search
Filter and find submissions using natural language queries instead of manual filter building:
Ask questions in plain English like “people who support the new park“ or “submissions from residents aged 25-40“
AI interprets your query and applies relevant filters automatically
Refine results by adjusting filters as needed
Works across all survey question types
This feature helps engagement teams quickly locate relevant feedback without navigating complex filter interfaces.
Automated Submission Tagging
AI can automatically categorise open-ended text responses, making it easier to identify themes and sentiment:
Define custom tags relevant to your engagement topics
AI automatically tags long-text responses based on content
View sentiment analysis (positive, negative, neutral) for responses
Manually adjust tags and sentiment as needed
Bulk review and tag responses through the Questions view
Automated tagging helps surface key themes from large volumes of community feedback, whilst still maintaining human oversight and control.
Interested in AI Tools?
These features are available for Civio Engage customers. To learn more about AI-assisted analysis tools and how they might benefit your engagement projects, please reach out to the Civio Engage team.
General Improvements
We've made various improvements to platform stability, performance, and user experience based on customer feedback and ongoing optimisation efforts.
Looking Ahead
We're committed to continuously improving Civio Engage based on your feedback and evolving community engagement needs. The Budget tool and enhanced reporting capabilities in this release reflect features requested by our customers, and we're excited to see how organisations use them to deepen community participation.
If you encounter any issues with this release, have questions about the new features, or would like to learn more about the AI tools, please reach out to the Civio Engage Support Team.
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Released 30th September 2025
We're excited to announce District Engage version 1.23, featuring a refreshed admin interface with enhanced visual design, improved accessibility, and better dark mode support. This release focuses on elevating the user experience for administrators with modern styling updates while maintaining all existing functionality and workflows.
Major Features ⭐️
Modernised Admin Interface Design
We've completely refreshed the visual design of the District Engage admin interface to provide a cleaner, more modern, and accessible experience for all users. This comprehensive update brings consistency and polish to every aspect of the dashboard while maintaining the familiar layout and navigation structure you're accustomed to.
Key improvements include:
Updated colour system: A refined colour palette that improves readability and reduces visual fatigue
Improved navigation: Streamlined left-hand navigation with better visual hierarchy and full keyboard accessibility and mobile support
Modern component styling: Updated buttons, forms, inputs and cards with contemporary design patterns
Consistent iconography: Unified icon set with improved contrast and clarity
Clearer visual hierarchy: Better organisation of information across all admin screens
WCAG Accessibility Compliance
This release brings significant accessibility improvements to ensure the admin interface meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards:
Enhanced colour contrast: All text and interactive elements now meet or exceed WCAG contrast ratio requirements for better readability
Full keyboard navigation: Keyboard accessibility throughout the entire admin interface
Improved focus indicators: Clear visual cues for keyboard navigation
Screen reader optimisation: Better compatibility with assistive technologies
“Enhanced accessibility“ mode: Optional setting in Settings > Appearance for users requiring additional visual cues
Light and Dark Mode Enhancements
The admin interface now features a sophisticated theming system that seamlessly switches between light and dark modes:
Optimised contrast ratios meeting WCAG standards in both modes
Refined colour transitions that maintain visual consistency
Improved focus states for better keyboard navigation
Updated hover states across all interactive elements
What Hasn't Changed
Important
This update is purely visual. All your existing workflows, functionality, and content remain exactly the same
All functionality remains unchanged
Your workflows stay exactly as they are
Content, projects, and settings are unaffected
Public-facing frontend remains unchanged
Everything is exactly where you expect it – just cleaner and more accessible
These visual updates represent our ongoing commitment to providing an exceptional and accessible user experience for all District Engage administrators. The refreshed interface not only looks more modern but also significantly improves usability and accessibility, ensuring that everyone can use District Engage effectively regardless of their abilities or assistive technology needs.
The changes have been carefully implemented to maintain your familiar workflows while providing a cleaner, more accessible interface. We believe these enhancements will make your daily work in District Engage more pleasant and productive.
As always, we welcome your feedback on these improvements. If you have any questions or need assistance with the new interface, please don't hesitate to contact our support team.
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Released 28th August 2025
This styling and theming release transforms how you can customise your District Engage site's appearance. Release 1.22 introduces extensive new styling options, homepage controls, and accessibility improvements to create more engaging and inclusive experiences for your community.
Major Features ⭐️
New Styling and Theming System
We've expanded District Engage's appearance customisation capabilities with a comprehensive suite of new styling options that give you more control over your site's visual identity.
Key Styling Options
Spacious Theme Style: A modern, clean aesthetic that provides more breathing room between elements and follows contemporary government website design patterns.
Flexible Navigation: Position your main navigation to the left, centre, or right to match your organisation's brand guidelines and user expectations.
Enhanced Content Groups: New background colour options for highlighted content groups using your site's palette colours, with intelligent text contrast adjustment for optimal accessibility.
Advanced Homepage Customisation
Your homepage is often the first impression visitors have of your engagement site. We've introduced powerful new controls to help you create compelling homepage experiences:
Hero Style Options: Choose between default hero layouts or wide image formats that make visual impact with full-width imagery.
Search Integration: Toggle homepage hero search forms on or off to match your engagement strategy.
Registration CTAs: Configure custom call-to-action text for user registration directly in the hero section.
Title Positioning: Control how relationship block titles appear across your content with flexible positioning options (top, left, right).
These homepage enhancements work seamlessly with all existing District Engage themes and can be configured through Settings > Home page in your admin dashboard.
Complete Styling Guide Now Available
We've created a comprehensive guide to all styling and appearance configurations. Check out our new Complete Guide to Site Styling and Appearance to learn how to make the most of these powerful new theming options.
Accessibility Improvements ✨
Continuing our commitment to inclusive design, Release 1.22 delivers significant accessibility enhancements across both frontend and backend interfaces:
Frontend Accessibility UpdatesEnhanced focus states for better keyboard navigation visibility
Improved contrast ratios for password field icons and interactive elements
Better screen reader support with proper ARIA labelling
Accessible dropdown menu navigation with focus trapping
Keyboard-accessible mobile hamburger menu with proper focus management
Enhanced “show more/show less“ link functionality with visual direction indicators
Improved image gallery controls with consistent focus states
Corrected postcode field labelling (no longer displays as “Location“)
Enhanced filter dropdown accessibility with keyboard navigation
Better autocomplete attributes for registration forms
Improved breadcrumb link visibility and interaction
Bug Fixes 🔧
Emails now properly display your organisation's name instead of “District Engage“
Fixed visual issues with the Kiwi theme when using wide hero layouts
Resolved background colour display problems with tabs and accordion group layouts
Corrected hamburger menu icon alignment across different themes
Addressed focus state inconsistencies in image gallery fullscreen controls
Improved navbar positioning when site-wide messages are active
Theme Compatibility
All new styling options are opt-in and won't affect your existing site appearance until you choose to enable them. Your current theme and customisations remain unchanged.
Many of these enhancements and fixes have been requested by our customers and represent our ongoing commitment to providing flexible, accessible, and visually appealing community engagement tools.
If you encounter any issues with this release or have questions about the new styling features, please reach out to the District Engage Support Team.
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Released August 2025
Release 1.21 introduces improvements to content reporting, API capabilities, and user customisation options, along with various improvements and bug fixes to enhance your community engagement experience.
Minor Features ✨
Event RSVP Customisation
Event organisers now have greater control over attendee registration:
New “Allow RSVP“ option when creating or editing events
Automatic hiding of attendee limits and registration tabs when RSVPs are disabled
Enhanced RSVP attendee details showing user profile information including contact details and postcodes
Learn more about creating and editing events and viewing your Event's registrations
Authentication Improvements
We've expanded single sign-on capabilities with several enhancements:
New Okta SSO provider support for enterprise authentication
Customisable SSO login text and button labels
Learn more about configuring your settings and customising user sign-up forms.
New Page Reporting Widget
We've improved our content reporting capabilities with a new dashboard widget to report on top pages:
New “Published date“ column shows when content was first published
Separate widgets for different content types: “Top pages“, “Top updates“, and “Top timeline stages“
Each widget displays Total Visits, Unique Visitors, and Published status
Improved sorting by Total visits in descending order with 5-item limits for focused insights
Learn more about dashboard widgets and how to customise your dashboard.
API Enhancements
We've expanded our API capabilities with new endpoints for better integration with external platforms. Administrators can create API keys and access comprehensive documentation at
/docs/apiwhen logged into your site.Learn more about using the District Engage API
Bug Fixes & Administrative Improvements 🔧
Fixed registration form suffix field not saving changes properly
Resolved SSO authentication errors
Improved stability and error handling across API endpoints
Translation settings now accessible via the dashboard menu
Need Help?
Many of these enhancements and fixes have been requested by our customers. If you encounter any issues with this release or have questions about the new features, please reach out to the District Engage Support Team.
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Released July 2025
Release 1.20 delivers significant accessibility improvements to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, introduces powerful new content features including the Image Comparison Slider block, and enhances survey capabilities with better revision tracking and progress control options.
Major Features ⭐️
Introducing Image Comparison Slider!
We've added a new interactive content block that allows you to showcase before and after images with a sliding comparison tool:
Perfect for demonstrating project transformations, development proposals, or environmental changes
Multiple display modes including original, 1:1, 16:9, and 4:3 in both landscape and portrait
Includes full keyboard accessibility with arrow key navigation
Add an Image Comparison Slider
To use this feature, look for “Image comparison slider“ under the “Images“ category when adding content blocks to your pages. Learn more about content blocks and groups, and check our Image Dimensions Cheat Sheet for optimal image sizing recommendations.
Map Address Search
Users can now search for specific addresses on maps, making it easier to find location-based information relevant to them:
Search functionality available on map pages, map blocks, idea boards with maps, and map feedback tools
Auto-complete suggestions help users find addresses quickly
Maps automatically centre and zoom to searched locations
Toggle option in map settings to enable or disable search per map
Find out more about setting up this feature in our guides for creating project maps and creating map feedback tools.
Accessibility Improvements
We've made comprehensive accessibility enhancements across the admin dashboard to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards:
Full keyboard navigation support for all menus, dropdowns, and interactive elements
Improved screen reader announcements for buttons, multi-select dropdowns, and navigation elements
Clear focus indicators on all interactive elements
Standardised dropdown behaviour with
escapekey supportProper labelling for all form elements and controls
Minor Features ✨
Survey URL Analytics Widget
Track where your embedded surveys are being viewed and submitted from:
New “Form analytics urls“ widget available in reporting dashboard
View submission counts by URL for embedded surveys
Track views and submissions from external websites
To use this feature, go to any survey's report page and add the “Form analytics urls“ widget from the Survey widget category. Learn more about participation tool widgets.
Survey Progress Control
A new toggle option for participation tools gives you control over whether user progress is automatically saved:
Find “Save progress automatically“ checkbox in participation tool settings
Particularly useful for embedded surveys where page context matters
Learn more about configuring this setting in our survey creation guide.
Enhanced Survey Revisions
Survey revision logs now provide much clearer information about changes:
Clear indication of questions added, updated, or removed
Changes to question options are tracked and displayed
Survey settings changes included in revision history
Bug Fixes 🐞
Fixed incorrect caching of form analytics widgets that was causing data to appear on wrong surveys
Resolved focus trap issues in dropdown menus preventing keyboard navigation
Fixed missing labels on various admin dashboard buttons for screen readers
Corrected keyboard navigation behaviour in search/filter components
Fixed focus issues when adding reporting widgets with table columns
Many of these enhancements have been driven by customer feedback and our commitment to accessibility. If you encounter any issues with this release or have questions about the new features, please reach out to the District Engage Support Team.
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Released April 2025
Release 1.19 introduces major enhancements to our platform, including the highly anticipated Q&A board tool, streamlined authentication, and significant improvements to the backend dashboard layout for better accessibility and usability.
Major Features ⭐️
Introducing Q&A Boards!
We've introduced a powerful new participation tool that enables direct question-and-answer interactions between community members and project administrators:
Allow community members to ask specific questions and receive official answers
Focus on providing clear, authoritative responses rather than hosting discussions
Configure question moderation, voting options, and participant permissions
Built-in notification system keeps all parties informed of activity
Get Started with the Q&A Board
Ready to try out the new Q&A Board? Check out our detailed guide to learn how to set up and manage this powerful new engagement tool.
Magic Code Authentication
We've simplified the way users can engage with your platform through our new Magic Code authentication system:
Enables users to follow projects or RSVP to events without creating an account first
Simple email verification process using one-time codes
Reduces participation barriers while maintaining security
Supports returning users with existing accounts
Learn more in our detailed feature announcement article Magic Code Authentication: Quick and Easy Access
Improve Backend Dashboard Layout
We've refreshed the admin interface layout for ease of use and accessibility:
More intuitive tabbed navigation and information hierarchy
Improved keyboard navigation throughout the interface
See and learn more about these navigational changes here.
Minor Features ✨
Improved Word Count Analysis
We've enhanced our text analysis capabilities by filtering out common stop words, making it easier to interpret word frequency analysis in reports.
Participation Tool CTA
We've enabled you to set the call-to-action text on any participation tools in the system! When editing a tool such as a survey, you will find the option on the right hand side.
Improved backend Accessibility
Continuing our commitment to accessibility, we've made some minor improvements to keyboard navigation in the rich text editor.
Clickable Footer Logo
Site administrators can now configure the footer logo to link to their organisation's main website:
Provide users with an easy way to learn more about your organisation
Create a more integrated digital experience across your web properties
To configure this setting, navigate to Settings > Appearance > Footer logo > link.
Bug Fixes 🐞
Fixed an issue where idea boards would always display in map view when paginating, even when list view was selected
Removed the unique account name requirement, allowing multiple users to have the same display name
Resolved a broken image display issue in the Hotspot tools
Many of these enhancements and fixes have been requested by our customers. If you encounter any issues with this release or have questions about the new features, please reach out to the District Engage Support Team.
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This minor release includes several interface improvements and bug fixes following our major 1.18 release, continuing our commitment to enhancing platform usability and accessibility.
Features ✨
Events Block Enhancement
We've added new functionality to the Events content block. A new “Show upcoming events only“ checkbox in Additional Options lets you filter out past events. This option makes it easier to highlight upcoming events on your homepage or project pages without manually removing past events.
Backend Dashboard Mobile Compatibility
We've improved the mobile responsiveness of the backend dashboard, making it easier to manage your projects on the go. The interface is now compatible for smaller screens, with optimised navigation and improved touch interactions for mobile devices.
Usability Improvements
We've made several usability enhancements across the platform:
Improved breadcrumbs for better site navigation
Alt text fields are now available for all site images and logos, enhancing accessibility
Events lists are now ordered by upcoming date by default, making it easy to see what's coming next
Fixes 🐛
Fixed an issue where the Map builder would zoom in unexpectedly
Fixed an issue where team members would get an error when exporting submissions
Drafting outbound notifications will now no longer cause errors
If you encounter any issues with this release or have questions about the new features, please reach out to the District Engage Support Team.
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2024-11-17
This release marks a significant milestone in our accessibility journey, introducing improvements that bring us closer to full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance. These enhancements demonstrate our commitment to creating an inclusive platform that works for everyone.
Features ⭐️
Accessibility Improvements
We've implemented significant accessibility improvements across both the frontend and backend of District Engage, aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. These enhancements ensure our platform is more inclusive and usable for everyone, with particular attention to users of assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard navigation.
Survey Tool AccessibilityEnhanced keyboard navigation for ranking questions
Improved screen reader support for Likert Scale questions
Better announcement of question text and descriptions
Keyboard-accessible multi-select dropdowns
Optimised mobile rendering of survey content
Keyboard navigation for all map elements such as pins and shapes
Enhanced ARIA labelling for map pins and shapes
Keyboard-accessible map-based project search
Improved focus states across the platform
New “Skip to main content“ shortcut in the backend
Enhanced popup behaviour with immediate focus
Accessible dashboard advanced filters
Keyboard-accessible block builder
Keyboard-accessible Rich Text Editor
New Card List Block
We've introduced a new Card List block feature that provides more flexibility in displaying content in a card format. This addition offers new layout options for showcasing your content. Read more about content blocks and groups here.
Fixes 🐛
Fixed an issue where the Enter key would refresh the page instead of triggering the intended action
Resolved keyboard navigation issues with the splash overlay
Improved ARIA elements for video and embedded content
Fixed survey content rendering issues on mobile devices
Fixed a notification count discrepancy where initial project publication was not correctly filtering for users who had opted in to receive category notifications
What's Next?
We're continuing our commitment to accessibility and user experience improvements. Look out for more enhancements in upcoming releases.
If you encounter any issues with this release or have feedback about the new accessibility features, please reach out to the District Engage Support Team.
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Released 3rd February 2025
Release 1.17 introduces major enhancements to team management and reporting capabilities, along with various improvements and bug fixes.
Minor Features ✨
Advanced Team Management Features
We're excited to introduce comprehensive team management capabilities, giving organisations more control over collaboration and content access:
Key Improvements
New Regular and Restricted team types
New team related user roles
Granular permission controls
Learn more about setting up and managing teams in our guide: Understanding Team Management
Reporting Widget Enhancements
We've made several improvements to reporting widgets to provide better insights:
New “Project Followers Count“ widget showing subscriber numbers across site or individual projects
Enhanced question reporting to display all response options, including those with zero responses
Response options now display in their original input order for clearer data presentation
Added percentage column to data tables showing relative response distribution
Learn more about District Engage's widgets here!
Performance Improvements
We've optimised front-end loading times across the platform.
Bonus new article: Learn More About Dashboard Widgets
Check out our new comprehensive guide to Understanding Dashboard Widgets to learn how to make the most of these new reporting features and widgets.