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Quick Setup Guide

BuddyPress Member Blog overviewFree + ProGet BuddyPress Member Blog →

A new install of WB Member Blog works as soon as it is activated: the pages exist, members can write, and every post waits for your review. This guide shows what a new site starts with and the four things to check before you tell your members.

What a new site starts with

Section titled “What a new site starts with”

These are the starting values on a fresh install. A site that is updating from an earlier version keeps the settings it already had.

Setting Where Default
Blog Post Submission Page Pages Add new post, created on activation
Member Blog Dashboard Page Pages My Blog Dashboard, created on activation
Allowed User Roles Access Administrator, Editor, Author, Subscriber
Publish immediately Access Off - member posts wait for review
Active editor Editor Editor.js (Block-style)
Autosave drafts Editor On
Allow custom categories Content Off
Posts per page Content 10
Maximum upload size Content 20 MB, capped at your server’s limit
Writer profiles, Topic hubs, Clap and save under the article Features Off
Related posts, Digest email Features Off
Follow writers, Claps, Reading list, Clap and save on post lists Features On

Writer profiles and topic hubs replace your theme’s author, category and tag archives, so they never switch themselves on. The Turn on card on the Overview tab offers them in one click when you want them.

Step 1: Check the pages

Section titled “Step 1: Check the pages”
  1. Go to WB Plugins > Member Blog > Pages.
  2. Confirm Submission page and Dashboard page each show Mapped to: a page.
  3. If a page is missing, or shows Shortcode missing, click Auto Create Page. It creates the page with the right shortcode, or repairs the mapped page, and saves the setting.

The submission page holds [bp-member-blog] and the dashboard page holds [member-blog-dashboard].

On BuddyPress, BuddyBoss and PeepSo sites the same member home also appears as a Blog tab on each member’s profile. You can rename that tab and its URL slug under Profile Tab Customisation on the same screen. See Platforms.

Step 2: Decide who can write

Section titled “Step 2: Decide who can write”
  1. Go to WB Plugins > Member Blog > Access.
  2. Under Allowed User Roles, tick the roles that may write posts. Administrators can always write.
  3. On BuddyPress or BuddyBoss sites you can also tick Allowed Member Types. A member can write if they have an allowed role or an allowed member type.
  4. Click Save Settings.

Members whose role is not allowed still get a reading home with their Saved posts and the writers they follow.

Step 3: Decide whether posts need review

Section titled “Step 3: Decide whether posts need review”

Publish immediately is off on a new site, so every member post waits in Posts > Member submissions until an administrator or editor approves it. Administrators and users who can edit others’ posts (editors) always publish directly.

  • Leave it off while you get to know your members. The Overview tab shows a Needs review card with a Review now button whenever posts are waiting.
  • Turn it on under Access > Post Publication Rules when you trust your members to publish without a check.

See Moderation for approving and sending posts back.

Step 4: Choose features

Section titled “Step 4: Choose features”
  1. Go to WB Plugins > Member Blog > Features.
  2. Switch on the features you want. Features under On your site’s own pages change pages you already have; features under In Member Blog appear on the member home and wherever you place a Member Blog block or shortcode.
  3. Click Save Features. Turn everything on switches on every feature except the digest email, which mails your members and is left for you to turn on.

Switching a feature off removes it everywhere and closes its REST route. Existing claps and saved posts are kept.

Test it as a member

Section titled “Test it as a member”
  1. Log in as a test user with an allowed role (not an administrator).
  2. Open My Blog Dashboard, or the Blog tab on your profile, and click Create Post.
  3. Write a short post and submit it. With review on, it appears under Pending.
  4. Log in as an administrator, open Posts > Member submissions and approve it.
  5. As the test user, check the post is now under Published.

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”