Help and information

Find your market, your role, and your next step.

Answers for visitors, businesses, clients, local city teams, editors, and people working across the SurfLocal network.

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Find the right path forward.

Choose the sign-in that matches your account.

Use the access issued to you. A sign-in link does not create an account or grant a new role.

Client Login

For existing CityEngine clients and the multi-market access assigned to their business.

Client Login

Network Control

For staff authorized to work in network operations.

Network Control

If your business account belongs to a city website, use that city's business-login link. If you are unsure which account applies, contact the team with the city and business name.

Understanding CityEngine

What is CityEngine?

CityEngine connects complete SurfLocal city websites with content management, private owner workspaces, customer tools, and The Wire newspaper. The central platform coordinates shared business identities, market assignments, publishing, and network operations.

Who operates and publishes CityEngine.pro?

CityEngine.pro is operated and published by SurfLocal Media LLC under the SurfLocal network brand. CityEngine provides the shared network operating system, and the city domains provide the independently operated local destinations.

How is CityEngine different from a local city site?

CityEngine owns relationships and orchestration. Cities own their local operation. The central platform coordinates the wider business, client, campaign, lead, booking, media, and network relationships; each city remains independently operable by its local operator.

Does being connected take control away from a city?

CityEngine’s architecture keeps each city independently operable by its local operator. Network relationships and orchestration belong to CityEngine, while the city retains responsibility for its local operation. Confirm specific project responsibilities and authorized access with the team.

Markets, businesses, and campaigns

What does a market’s website status mean?

A live website can be visited publicly. Its business account access, campaigns, and Wire stories follow their own permissions and publication status. Open a city site or its newspaper to see what is currently available there.

Can my business participate in more than one market?

Yes. CityEngine’s client model is one business, one login, one office, many markets. Master business identity and market assignments connect that relationship to participating destinations. Tell us where your business actually operates or serves customers so the appropriate markets and scope can be confirmed.

What can I manage in my business workspace?

Your assigned workspace brings page and media editing, promotions, customer inquiries, and appointment requests together. Connected email conversations let you continue follow-up from your phone where email is enabled. Your city account and central multi-market account can have different permissions.

What information should I include in a business inquiry?

Include the business name, current website, contact person, locations or service area, and what you want to accomplish. Identify whether the request concerns business identity, market assignments, client access, leads, bookings, a campaign, media, or Wire distribution.

How do I ask about a campaign or media opportunity?

Describe the business or organization, message, intended audience, markets, timing, and available materials. Identify who can review the work. Scope, publication arrangements, pricing, and responsibilities are confirmed for the specific request.

How do I ask about a lead or booking?

Unified leads and bookings are part of CityEngine’s operating scope. Include the business, relevant market, date, page or service, and the action or response you expected. Share enough context to identify the matter without including passwords or unnecessary private customer information.

What is The Wire local newspaper?

The Wire is the newspaper side of the city platform. It has separate editor and publisher workspaces for preparing stories, reviewing content, and managing publication in selected editions. Each public edition shows the material released there; selecting an edition for a story is not a promise that the story has already been published.

Does CityEngine promise search rankings or a certain number of leads?

Accurate local pages, clear service details, and structured website information support discovery in search and AI tools. Search providers decide what they display, so CityEngine does not guarantee a ranking, audience size, sales result, or number of inquiries.

Accounts, editors, and city teams

Which login should I use?

Existing CityEngine clients use Client Login, authorized editors use Editor Login, and authorized network staff use Network Control. A business account issued by a city site may have a separate city login. Use the account and entry point assigned to you; contact the team if the distinction is unclear.

How should a local city team contact the network?

Include the city domain, your role, the business relationship or project involved, and the coordination you need. Each city remains independently operable; the network owns shared relationships and orchestration. Questions may concern market assignments, registry or health, leads, bookings, campaigns, media, Wire, or operations.

Where do editors go for access or assignment questions?

Use Editor Login for existing authorized editorial access. CityEngine’s publishing scope includes media coordination and Wire/content distribution. For a question, identify the city, publication, business, or item involved and explain the intended work. The team can confirm the appropriate assignment and access.

What belongs in a network operations or audit request?

Identify the affected city, business or client relationship, the time of the issue, and the action or record you need help understanding. Network operations and audit support the platform’s operational role. Use Network Control only when authorized; other users can contact the team with the same context.

What should I include when something is not working?

Send the affected page address, business or city, what you tried to do, what you expected, and what happened instead. Include the device and browser if the issue concerns display or interaction. Do not send your password or an access key.

Does a city listing give someone access to my account?

A public listing and permission to use an account serve different purposes. Use only the access issued for your role, and ask the team to confirm authorized people when a business, city, or project relationship changes.

Information, materials, and contact

Can I provide my own logo, photographs, or other media?

Provide material you own or are authorized to use. Include the relevant business or project and any restrictions, credits, or permissions that should accompany it. Confirm the intended use with the team before publication.

How do I correct public information?

Identify the exact page and the information to be corrected. Explain your connection to the business or city and supply the proposed correction. The team may need to verify the request before changing someone else's information.

Does the contact helper send my message?

The email-draft helper prepares a message in your browser. Open it in your email application, review it, and send it from there. Preparing the draft does not send it or create a support ticket. You can also use the direct email link on the Contact page.

Where can I find privacy and terms information?

Use the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use links in the footer. For a question about a particular city, client service, or interaction, identify that service in your request so the team can address the relevant practices.

Map and directory

How does the interactive map load?

The map normally loads when its section comes into view and requests map images from OpenStreetMap. Panning and zooming may request more images. The directory’s text listings and links remain available if the map cannot display. The Privacy Policy explains the information involved in map requests.

Why do some markets have no map pin?

Padre Island and Texas Panhandle need a confirmed coverage area before a representative point is selected. Both remain in the directory. Other pins show representative community locations, not business addresses or exact service boundaries.

Still need direction?

Tell us your role, the business or city involved, and the next step you need help with.

Contact CityEngine