Use this guide to:
- connect Nearby Now inside LaunchSMS
- send Nearby Now
checkin.createdevents into LaunchSMS - turn those events into service-area pages
- show Nearby Now reviews and check-ins on AI Website Builder pages
Overview
Nearby Now touches three different areas in the app. They do different jobs:
| Area | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Integrations → Nearby Now | API keys, webhook URL, automation filters, invoice/review rules |
| Integrations → Local Content Engine | Whether Nearby Now webhooks are allowed to generate service-area pages |
| AI Website Builder → Service Area Pages – Global Settings | URL pattern, page rendering, and Nearby Now widget display on the website |
If one of these is skipped, the setup will feel incomplete.
What the integration can do
1. Create Nearby Now check-ins and review requests from automations
LaunchSMS can send ServiceTitan, Housecall Pro, and Jobber automation payloads to Nearby Now.
2. Generate AI service-area pages from Nearby Now check-ins
LaunchSMS can receive Nearby Now checkin.created webhooks and use the job location to create or refresh city pages.
3. Render Nearby Now content on AI websites
AI Website Builder can display Nearby Now reviews and check-ins on:
- the service-area index page
- individual city/service-area pages
Prerequisites
Before starting, make sure you have:
- access to the Integrations module
- access to AI Website Builder
- your Nearby Now Agency API Key
- your Nearby Now Storefront API Key
- an AI Website Builder site already created for the company
Important:
- For AI Website Builder widget rendering, LaunchSMS only needs at least one Nearby Now API key.
- For automation-driven check-ins/review requests, LaunchSMS currently expects both the Agency API Key and the Storefront API Key to be saved.
Step 1: Connect Nearby Now in LaunchSMS
Go to Integrations → Nearby Now.
Enter:
- Agency API Key
- Store Front API Key
Optional settings on this page:
- Trigger Filter Phrase: only send jobs that include this phrase in notes, such as
#ci - Suppression Filter Phrase: skip jobs that include this phrase, such as
#no - Identification Filter Phrase: use the tagged note as the check-in text, such as
#use - Require Paid Invoice: only send when the invoice is paid in full
- Do not send reviews: create check-ins only and skip review requests
Click Save Nearby Now Settings.
After saving, LaunchSMS generates a Webhook URL for the company.
Step 2: Add the LaunchSMS webhook inside Nearby Now
Copy the Webhook URL from Integrations → Nearby Now and add it inside Nearby Now as the destination for check-in events.
Use Nearby Now event type:
checkin.created
LaunchSMS expects the webhook payload to include a usable location, especially:
data.location.citydata.location.state
If the payload does not contain a valid location, LaunchSMS will ignore it for service-area page generation.
Step 3: Allow Nearby Now to generate service-area pages
Go to Integrations → Local Content Engine.
Turn on:
- Enable Local Content Engine
- Use Queue Processing (Recommended)
- Nearby Now under Enabled Providers
This step matters because the Nearby Now webhook by itself does not control provider ingest. The Local Content Engine page is what allows Nearby Now events to create or refresh service-area pages.
Step 4: Connect Nearby Now to AI Website Builder
Go to AI Website Builder and open:
- Service Area Pages – Global Settings
Configure the service-area page settings you want for all providers, including Nearby Now:
- Service Area URL Pattern
- Enable AI mini-post cards on city pages
- Enable service area heat maps
The URL pattern supports:
{service-slug}{city}{state}
Then turn on:
- Enable Nearby Now reviews/check-ins
If the company has a Nearby Now key saved, the builder will show the integration as connected.
Optional advanced Nearby Now widget settings:
- Include Google Reviews
- Review Count
- Check-in Count
- Map Zoom Level
- Facebook Like Button
- Map Scroll Wheel
Save the AI website changes. Publish the site if you want the live website to reflect the new settings immediately.
How AI Website Builder uses Nearby Now
When Nearby Now is enabled in the builder:
- the service-area index can render a general Nearby Now heatmap/review block
- city pages can render city/state-specific Nearby Now content
For city pages to render correctly, the page must have a city and state context. That normally comes from the Nearby Now webhook location data used to create the page.
Optional: Use Nearby Now in Automations
If you want LaunchSMS to send completed-job data to Nearby Now:
- Go to Automations
- Create or edit an automation using one of these trigger types:
- ServiceTitan completed job
- Housecall Pro completed job
- Jobber closed job
- Jobber invoice created
- Add the Nearby Now check-in action
- Choose whether to send a customer review request with the check-in
Notes:
- company-level Do not send reviews overrides the per-step review checkbox
- if contact info or address is incomplete, LaunchSMS falls back to check-in only
- if latitude/longitude are missing, LaunchSMS cannot create the check-in
- if technician email is missing, the action is skipped
Recommended setup order
- Save Nearby Now API keys in Integrations → Nearby Now
- Copy the generated webhook URL into Nearby Now
- Enable Local Content Engine and the Nearby Now provider
- Turn on Enable Nearby Now reviews/check-ins in AI Website Builder
- Save and publish the AI website
- Send a test Nearby Now check-in
Testing checklist
Use this quick validation flow after setup:
- Save the Nearby Now integration and confirm a webhook URL appears
- Confirm Nearby Now is enabled under Local Content Engine → Enabled Providers
- Confirm Enable Nearby Now reviews/check-ins is turned on in AI Website Builder
- Trigger a Nearby Now
checkin.createdevent with a valid city and state - Verify a service-area page is created or refreshed for that location
- Open the service-area page preview or live page and confirm the Nearby Now block renders
If you are also using automations:
- Run a supported completed-job automation
- Confirm the job has the required notes, contact data, and coordinates
- Verify LaunchSMS sends the Nearby Now check-in or review request
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| No webhook URL is shown | Settings have not been saved yet | Save the Nearby Now integration once to generate the webhook key |
| Nearby Now widget does not appear in AI Website Builder | Nearby Now is not enabled in builder settings, or no API key is saved | Turn on Enable Nearby Now reviews/check-ins and confirm at least one API key is saved |
| City pages are not being generated | Local Content Engine or provider ingest is off | Enable Local Content Engine and the Nearby Now provider |
| Webhook is received but page is skipped | Payload does not contain a usable location | Confirm the Nearby Now payload includes data.location.city and data.location.state |
| Automation action does nothing | Both API keys are not saved | Save both the Agency API Key and Storefront API Key |
| Review request is skipped | Missing customer email/SMS or incomplete address, or reviews are suppressed | Add customer contact info and address, or disable review suppression |
| Check-in is skipped | Missing coordinates or technician email | Make sure the payload includes latitude, longitude, and technician email |
External Nearby Now References
- Check-in API docs:
https://servicepros.nearbynow.co/plugins/api-integration/create-check-in/ - Review request docs:
https://servicepros.nearbynow.co/plugins/api-integration/requesting-review/