Forum Content Visibility and Participation Guide

[ProBoards Help Guide]

Forum Content Visibility and Participation Guide

In setting up your forum you can choose the level of visibility for your forum's content as well as the participation level for your users. This is just a basic guide to get you started. You may use any combination of visibility and participation options that best suits your forum.

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Content Visibility

Standard
All content is visible to guests.

• All users (members and guests) can view the forum's content

No action necessary. All new forums allow this level of visibility.

Moderate
Some content is visible to guests.

• Guests can only view specific content. 
• Registered members can view all content if logged in

To specify which boards are viewable by members only (hidden from guests):

1. Go to Admin > Structure > Categories & Boards
2. Select each board to be hidden from guests (ctrl+left_click to select multiple boards)
3. Click the Edit Properties button, then the Permissions tab
4. For "Who can view" and Who can access" change the dropdown selector to "Members & Staff"
5. Click the Save Changes button

Strict
No content is visible to guests.

• Guests must register as a member to view the forum's content
• Only registered members can view the forum's content after they log in

1. Go to Admin > Settings > Forum Settings, Login & Registration tab
2. Enable "Guests Must Login"

Note: The Moderators category that is present by default in a new forum is already preset for staff only viewing. Guests and non-staff members cannot access or view the category and its boards unless the permissions are changed.

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User Participation

Standard
All users can participate freely.

• All users (members and guests) can create new threads and reply to existing threads

No action necessary. All new forums allow this level of participation.

Moderate
Some content is reserved for member participation only.

• Guests can only create new threads and reply to existing threads on specified boards 
• Registered members can create new threads and reply to existing threads on all boards

To specify which boards are reserved for member participation only (non-guest participation):

1. Go to Admin > Structure > Categories & Boards
2. Select a board (ctrl+left_click to select multiple boards)
3. Click the Edit Properties button, then the Permissions tab
4. For "Who can create threads" and Who can reply to threads" change the dropdown selector to "Members & Staff"
5. Click the Save Changes button

Strict
Only registered members can participate.

• Guests must register as a member to create new threads and reply to existing threads
• Registered members can create new threads and reply to existing threads

There are two options that restrict participation to members only. Choose the option that works best for your forum. It is not necessary to use both options.

Option 1: Enabling Guests Must Login
Forum content is hidden from guests and guests must register to participate.

1. Go to Admin > Settings > Forum Settings, Login & Registration tab
2. Enable "Guests Must Login"

Option 2: Using Board Permissions
Forum content is visible to all users (members and guests), but guests must register to participate.

1. Go to Admin > Structure > Categories & Boards
2. Select ALL boards (ctrl+left_click to select multiple boards) 
3. Click the Edit Properties button, then the Permissions tab
4. For "Who can create threads" and Who can reply to threads" change the dropdown selector to "Members & Staff"
5. Click the Save Changes button

Note: The Moderators category that is present by default in a new forum is already preset for staff participation only. Guests and non-staff members cannot participate on the boards in this category unless the permissions are changed.

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Related Help Guide Articles

Understanding Board Permissions

Managing Membership - Registration Options and Settings