Frequently Asked Questions
BuddyPress Member Blog overviewFree + ProGet BuddyPress Member Blog →
Answers for site owners, members and Pro customers. Settings live under WB Plugins > Member Blog unless stated otherwise.
General
Section titled “General”Does WB Member Blog need BuddyPress?
Section titled “Does WB Member Blog need BuddyPress?”No. It works on plain WordPress with a dashboard page and a submission page. BuddyPress, BuddyBoss Platform and PeepSo are optional: with one of them active, members also get a Blog tab on their profile. See Standalone WordPress, BuddyPress and BuddyBoss and PeepSo.
What are the requirements?
Section titled “What are the requirements?”WordPress 6.5 or later and PHP 8.0 or later. PeepSo sites need PeepSo 9.0 or later. See Installation and Requirements.
What is the difference between Free and Pro?
Section titled “What is the difference between Free and Pro?”The free plugin is a complete member blog: composer, three editors, review, the member home, writer profiles, topic hubs, follow, claps, reading list, shortcodes and blocks. Pro adds modules for posting limits, custom fields, co-authors, scheduling, series, analytics, notification emails, post credits and group blogs. See Free and Pro.
Will updating change how my site looks?
Section titled “Will updating change how my site looks?”No. An update keeps your saved settings, and new features that change your own pages (writer profiles, topic hubs, the clap and save bar under articles) arrive switched off. Turn them on under Features when you want them.
For site owners
Section titled “For site owners”Where are the pages members use?
Section titled “Where are the pages members use?”Activation creates Add new post (the composer, [bp-member-blog]) and My Blog Dashboard (the member home, [member-blog-dashboard]). Check or replace them under Pages. Auto Create Page creates a missing page or repairs one that lost its shortcode. See Required pages.
Who can write posts?
Section titled “Who can write posts?”The roles ticked under Access > Allowed User Roles. A new site allows Administrator, Editor, Author and Subscriber. On BuddyPress and BuddyBoss you can also allow Member types: a member can write with an allowed role or an allowed member type. See Who can create posts.
Do member posts need approval?
Section titled “Do member posts need approval?”That depends on one switch, Access > Publish immediately, not on the member’s role.
- Off (the default on a new site): every member post waits in Posts > Member submissions until an administrator or editor approves it. Administrators and editors publish directly.
- On: member posts go live when submitted.
How do I approve or send back a post?
Section titled “How do I approve or send back a post?”Open Posts > Member submissions. Click Approve to publish, or Reject and give a reason. A rejected post goes back to the author’s Drafts with your reason; it is never deleted. The Overview tab shows how many posts are waiting. See Moderation.
Why are posts stuck in Pending?
Section titled “Why are posts stuck in Pending?”Because review is on. That is the default for new sites. Approve them in Posts > Member submissions, or turn on Publish immediately if you do not want to review.
Can I stop members using certain categories?
Section titled “Can I stop members using certain categories?”Yes. Under Content > Categories, tick categories in Blocked categories; members cannot assign them, including through Quick Edit. Allow custom categories controls whether members can create new categories, and is off on a new site.
How big can uploads be?
Section titled “How big can uploads be?”Content > Maximum upload size sets the limit, 20 MB by default, and it can never exceed your server’s own limit. Allowed image types controls the formats.
What happens to members’ data if I delete the plugin?
Section titled “What happens to members’ data if I delete the plugin?”Posts are never deleted. Reading lists, follows, claps, view history and writer statistics are kept unless you tick Also delete all Member Blog data under Content > Danger zone. One setting covers both Free and Pro.
Can I rename the profile Blog tab?
Section titled “Can I rename the profile Blog tab?”Yes, under Pages > Profile Tab Customisation: Blog Tab Label and Blog Tab URL Slug. This applies on BuddyPress, BuddyBoss and PeepSo.
For members
Section titled “For members”Where do I write and manage my posts?
Section titled “Where do I write and manage my posts?”On your blog home: the My Blog Dashboard page, or the Blog tab on your profile if the site uses BuddyPress, BuddyBoss or PeepSo. Both show the same tabs. Click Create Post to write. See Creating your first post and Managing your posts.
Can I edit a post after it is published?
Section titled “Can I edit a post after it is published?”Yes. Editing a live post shows Update, Unpublish and Preview. Updating never takes the post off the site.
What if I close the browser mid-post?
Section titled “What if I close the browser mid-post?”With Autosave drafts on (the default), the composer saves as you write. A new post or a draft is saved in place and stays on your Drafts tab; unsaved changes to a published post are offered back when you reopen it. Autosave never changes a post’s status or overwrites what readers already see.
Why was my post sent back?
Section titled “Why was my post sent back?”A reviewer rejected it with a reason. The reason appears on the post’s card in Drafts and at the top of the composer. Make the changes and submit again.
I cannot write, but I have a blog home. Why?
Section titled “I cannot write, but I have a blog home. Why?”Your role is not allowed to write on this site. You still get a reading home with Saved posts and the writers and topics you are Following. See Your reading home.
How do I follow a writer or save a post?
Section titled “How do I follow a writer or save a post?”Use the Follow button on the writer’s author box or profile, and the save button under a post or on a post card. Signed-out readers see a Log in to clap and save link. These features depend on what the site owner has switched on.
Platforms
Section titled “Platforms”Who can see a member’s Blog tab?
Section titled “Who can see a member’s Blog tab?”On BuddyPress and BuddyBoss, everyone, including logged-out visitors; they see Published posts only. On PeepSo the tab is hidden on another member’s profile until that member has published a post.
Why are there two Blog tabs on PeepSo?
Section titled “Why are there two Blog tabs on PeepSo?”PeepSo has its own Blog tab, which Member Blog hides by default. If you see two, a bpmb_hide_peepso_blogposts_tab filter somewhere is returning false.
Do notifications work without BuddyPress?
Section titled “Do notifications work without BuddyPress?”Emails work on every platform. The on-site notification bell needs BuddyPress or BuddyBoss.
Do I need the free plugin as well?
Section titled “Do I need the free plugin as well?”Yes. Pro extends the free plugin and will not load without it. Install both at the same version and update them together.
How do I activate my licence?
Section titled “How do I activate my licence?”Go to License, paste your key into License key and click Activate License. See License and updates.
How do I turn a module on?
Section titled “How do I turn a module on?”Go to Manage Modules and flip its switch; it saves immediately. The module’s settings tab then appears. Post Restrictions, Custom Fields, Notifications, Author Dashboard and Post Analytics start on; Co-Authors, Group Blogs, Post Credits, Post Scheduling and Post Series start off. See the Pro index.
Why can’t I see a module’s settings tab?
Section titled “Why can’t I see a module’s settings tab?”The module is off. Tabs appear only for modules that are on. Group Blogs also needs BuddyPress or BuddyBoss with the Groups component.
A member says they cannot post. What do I check?
Section titled “A member says they cannot post. What do I check?”In order: their role (Access tab), a posting limit (Restrictions), their credit balance (Post Credits). A member at a posting limit keeps the composer and sees a banner naming the limit and when it resets; only publishing a new post is blocked, and editing live posts still works. See Troubleshooting permission issues.
How do posting limits count?
Section titled “How do posting limits count?”By calendar period: this hour, today, this week, this month or this year. Administrators and users in Exempt Users are never limited, and you can set limits for one member on their user profile under Blog Posting Limits (Override). See Restrictions.
How do post credits work?
Section titled “How do post credits work?”With Post Credits on, publishing costs Credits per post (1 by default). New members get Default Credits (25 by default). With Block at Zero Balance on, a member who cannot cover the cost is told so and cannot publish. Credits are charged only when a post is actually published, and administrators and editors are never charged. See Post Credits.
Which membership and shop plugins work with credits?
Section titled “Which membership and shop plugins work with credits?”WooCommerce for selling credit packs, and Paid Memberships Pro, MemberPress and WooCommerce Memberships for granting credits with a membership.
Why are scheduled posts not publishing?
Section titled “Why are scheduled posts not publishing?”Scheduled posts rely on WP-Cron. On a low-traffic site, or one with DISABLE_WP_CRON set, add a real server cron job. When review is on, a scheduled post also has to be approved first; it then publishes at its date. See Scheduling.
Can I change the text of Pro’s emails?
Section titled “Can I change the text of Pro’s emails?”Yes. Every notification email’s subject and text can be edited under Notification Emails. See Notifications.
Still need help?
Section titled “Still need help?”- Common Issues and Solutions
- Free plugin: the support forum where you downloaded it.
- Pro: contact Wbcom Designs support from your account.