ForumWP Setup

Overview

This guide will walk you through setting up and using the ForumWP extension, that allows you to seamlessly connect ForumWP plugin with Ultimate Member, offering an enhanced experience for managing users and forum interactions. The guide explains the core features, user roles, permissions, ForumWP notifications feature, and the "Site Health" tool.

ForumWP features #

The extension integrates the ForumWP plugin with the Ultimate Member, allowing for a seamless user experience. Once activated, it extends settings for forums and topics you may find in the Forums WordPress menu, making it easier to manage forum content and settings directly from the WordPress dashboard.

Activating the ForumWP modules #

To enable Likes, Bookmarks, and Subscriptions or other modules:

  1. Go to Forums > Settings > Modules > Enabled Modules/Subscriptions.
  2. Toggle the options to activate these features, then click the Save changes button.

Pro Features: Some advanced features (like Likes, Bookmarks, and Subscriptions) require the ForumWP Pro plugin.

Users can manage their forum subscriptions (unsubscribe) and likes (unlike topics/replies) directly from their Ultimate Member profile.

ForumWP integration with the Ultimate Member profile #

One of the key features of the ForumWP extension is the integration of ForumWP statistics directly into the Ultimate Member profile. The default ForumWP profile is replaced with the Forums tab that contains user statistics and lists of user topics, replies, and other interactions: likes, bookmarks, subscriptions.

How to configure the Forums tab #

Navigate to Ultimate Member > Settings > Appearance > Profile Menu. From here, you can enable the Forums tab for user profiles and customize who can see it. This allows you to control which members have access to view forum activity directly from their profiles.

Settings include:

  • Enable Forums Tab - Toggle this option to display the "Forums" tab on user profiles.
  • Who Can See Forums Tab? - Choose which user can access the tab: anyone, guests only, members only, only the owner, only specific roles, or owner and specific roles.

Sub-tabs displayed in the Forums Tab #

  • Topics - Shows the total number of topics the user has created.
  • Replies - Displays the number of replies the user has posted.
  • Likes - Displays topics or replies the user has liked. (Requires ForumWP Pro)
  • Bookmarks - Shows topics or replies the user has bookmarked. (Requires ForumWP Pro)
  • Subscriptions - Displays topics or forums the user is subscribed to. (Requires ForumWP Pro)

Important: Likes, Bookmarks, and Subscriptions will only appear if these features are enabled in ForumWP settings and require ForumWP Pro.

Managing the User Roles for ForumWP #

The ForumWP extension gives you the flexibility to manage which users can access certain forums, topics, and reply to existing topics, based on their roles. This is particularly useful for restricting content and controlling access to specific forums.

Configuring the User Roles permissions #

  1. Go to wp-admin > Ultimate Member > User Roles.
  2. Click on Edit Role for the role you want to configure.
  3. Scroll down to the ForumWP section to manage the role's forum permissions.

Available permissions:

  • Disable forums tab - This option hides the Forums tab from users with the selected role. This is useful if you want to hide forum content from certain user roles.
  • Disable create new topics - Prevent users in this role from creating new topics in forums.
  • Disable create new replies- Restrict users from replying to existing topics.

You can also configure permissions on a per-forum basis, allowing you to control who can create new topics and replies in specific forums.

Configuring the User Roles capabilities #

Grant capabilities required to use the ForumWP functionality to your existing user roles. See lists of ForumWP capabilities in the article Roles & Capabilities. Set required capabilities in the WP Capabilities section. This section is available for roles you created with the Ultimate Member plugin.

Forum Writing Permissions and Access Control #

The extension enables granular control over forum participation by allowing you to specify which roles can write or view content in specific forums.

Limiting the creation of topics and replies #

Use the UM Permissions widget to control who can create topics and replies in the forum.

  1. Go to wp-admin > Forums, select your desired forum and click Edit.
  2. On the editing screen, look for the UM Permissions widget. From here, you can specify or select:
    • Which user roles can create new topics in this forum.
    • Which user roles can post replies in this forum.


Access Control for Forums #

Use the Ultimate Member: Content Restriction tool to block access to a forum for certain roles.

  1. Activate the "Content Restriction" tool for forums and topics. Go to wp-admin > Ultimate Member > Settings > Access > Content Restriction and enable the "Content Restriction" settings for post types "Forum" and "Topic".
  2. Configure who can view the forum and topic within it. You can even redirect unauthorized users to a custom URL (such as the main forums page or another URL).

ForumWP email notifications in Ultimate Member #

The ForumWP Notifications feature allows users to manage their forum-related notifications directly from their Ultimate Member account, giving them control over which activities trigger email notifications (e.g. new replies, new topics, subscriptions).

Managing ForumWP notifications

ForumWP notifications are integrated with Ultimate Member's existing notifications system. Users can control what forum activities they want to be notified about through the Notifications tab in their account.

To configure notifications:

  1. Navigate to Account > Notifications or click the gear icon on the user profile page and go to My Account > Notifications.
  2. Under the Notifications tab, users can enable or disable notifications. Choose whether to receive email notifications for the following forum-related activities.

ForumWP

  • Enable notification for mentions: Get notified when another user mentions you in a topic or reply.

Subscriptions module of ForumWP-Pro

  • New Topic: Get notified when a new topic is posted in the forums.
  • New Reply: Choose to receive notifications when someone replies to a topic you are participating in.

Post moderation module of ForumWP-Pro

  • Topic has been approved: Get notified when a new pending topic has been approved.
  • Topic has been declined: Get notified when a new pending topic has been declined.
  • Reply has been approved: Get notified when a new pending reply has been approved.
  • Reply has been declined: Get notified when a new pending reply has been declined.

Conclusion

The ForumWP extension provides powerful features for managing forum interactions and user roles within Ultimate Member. Integrating forum statistics, permissions, and notifications, it enhances the user experience for both admins and members. The ability to manage and restrict access to forums, control forum writing permissions, and send notifications makes this integration ideal for community-driven sites and membership-based forums.

With the added ForumWP Notifications feature, users can now fully customize their notification preferences for forum activities directly within the Ultimate Member account, ensuring they never miss important updates.

Important: To use advanced features like Likes, Bookmarks, and Subscriptions, you will need the ForumWP Pro plugin.