At Social News Desk, we're constantly listening to the agencies that rely on us every day to connect with their communities. Two new features are now live in SND that were built specifically with government communicators in mind - and if your agency uses Nextdoor, you'll want to know about both of them.
Send Emergency Alerts Directly from SND
When a critical situation unfolds, every second counts. Nextdoor's agency post API has long supported the ability to broadcast emergency alerts to every neighbor within your jurisdiction - and now SND does too.
You'll find a new Emergency Alert toggle directly in the Nextdoor tab of the Post Composer. When you're preparing a post for a Nextdoor agency account, simply enable the toggle to flag your message as an emergency alert. It's off by default to prevent accidental use, and the interface is intentionally designed to feel distinct from a routine post - because an emergency alert is anything but routine.
This feature is for agency accounts only and is ideal for public safety teams, sheriff's offices, emergency management agencies, and any government communicator who needs to reach residents fast during an evolving situation.
Add Alt Text to Nextdoor Images - Right Inside SND
Accessibility isn't optional for government agencies - it's a compliance requirement. That's why we've added alt text support for images posted to Nextdoor through SND's Post Composer.
When you're composing a post for a Nextdoor agency account and attach an image, a new alt text field is available in the Nextdoor tab. You can write a brief description of the image so that residents using screen readers or assistive technology can fully understand your content. The field will be available when an image is uploaded to a Nextdoor post, under the Edit button.
Government communicators are already seeing how these updates save time and simplify their workflow.
Thank you for the update. That is awesome. Definitely a time saver! I just went through all my scheduled post from over the weekend and manually edited the alt text for Nextdoor! I appreciate everything SND is doing to make my life easier at work!
Alt text also surfaces in the All tab of the Post Composer when a Nextdoor agency account is selected - keeping it visible and easy to fill out no matter how you prefer to work.
This update supports agencies working toward ADA and Section 508 compliance in their digital communications.
Built for the Work You Do
These updates reflect something we hear from government customers again and again: the tools you use to communicate with the public need to be as reliable, accessible, and mission-ready as the work you're doing. We're committed to building features that meet that standard.
Both updates are live now. Log in to SND and head to the Post Composer to try them out. As always, reach out to your Customer Success Manager if you have questions or feedback.
