Run a Members-Only Community
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Run a Members-Only Community
Section titled “Run a Members-Only Community”Use this guide when your discussions should not be readable by the public. You can lock the whole community behind sign-in, or lock only some spaces. When you finish, you will know exactly what a visitor sees at each level.
What you will set up
Section titled “What you will set up”- Either a fully private community, or private and hidden spaces inside a public one
- A way for the right people to get in
- A check from a logged-out browser window
Before you start
Section titled “Before you start”- You can open Jetonomy → Settings as an administrator.
- You have a private (incognito) browser window to act as a guest.
- You know how new people will join: open sign-up, approval, invite links, or a paid plan.
Step 1: Choose how much to lock
Section titled “Step 1: Choose how much to lock”| You want | Use |
|---|---|
| Nothing readable until sign-in | Private community (Step 2) |
| Most spaces public, a few locked | A space Visibility of Private or Hidden (Step 3) |
| A whole section out of sight | A category Visibility of Hidden (Step 4) |
You can combine these.
Step 2: Make the whole community private
Section titled “Step 2: Make the whole community private”- Go to Jetonomy → Settings → General.
- Find the Access Control card.
- Under Community Access, choose Private community. Its description reads: “Only logged-in members can view any forum content. Everyone else is redirected to the login page.”
- Click Save Settings.
The choice applies on the next page load. The default is Public community.
Guests who open any community address are sent to the WordPress sign-in page and brought back after they log in. The WordPress sign-in, registration and password-reset pages are not part of the community, so they stay open. See Access Control for the full detail.
Tip: Switching to private makes existing public links into sign-in redirects. Search engines will slowly drop your pages. That is the point, but do it before you promote the community.
Step 3: Lock individual spaces
Section titled “Step 3: Lock individual spaces”- Go to Jetonomy → Spaces and click Edit under the space.
- On the General tab, set Visibility:
- Public: anyone can find and read it.
- Private: anyone signed in can find it, but only members can read it.
- Hidden: only members can find it. Everyone else gets “Space not found.”
- Set Join Policy: Open, Requires Approval or Invite Only.
- Click Update Space.
Pick the join policy with care. A Private space with an Open policy is readable by any signed-in person who clicks Join Space. For a real lock, use Requires Approval or Invite Only.
Hidden always means Invite Only. If you pick Hidden, Jetonomy switches the join policy for you and tells you so.
Step 4: Hide a whole category (optional)
Section titled “Step 4: Hide a whole category (optional)”- Go to Jetonomy → Categories and click Edit under the category.
- Set Visibility to Hidden, then click Update Category.
A hidden category and every space inside it are out of sight for people who are not members of those spaces. Private on a category means signed-in members only.
Step 5: Let the right people in
Section titled “Step 5: Let the right people in”- Open registration: turn on Anyone can register under WordPress Settings → General. To make new members confirm their address first, tick Email verification in Jetonomy → Settings → General.
- Approval or invite links: see Invite Your First Members.
- Paid plan: see Restrict a Space to Paying Members.
Check that it works
Section titled “Check that it works”Open a private browser window where you are not signed in.
| Setup | What the guest sees |
|---|---|
| Private community | The WordPress login page |
| Public community, Private space | The space is missing from the lists. A direct link shows “This space is private. Please log in to request access.” with a Log In button |
| Public community, Hidden space | “Space not found.” |
Then sign in as a test member who is not in the space:
- Requires Approval: “This space requires approval to join. Submit a request below.”
- Invite Only: “This space is invite-only. You need an invitation to join.”
- Open (but Private): “This space is private. Join to access its topics and discussions.”
Common questions
Section titled “Common questions”What is the difference between a private community and a private space? Private community is one switch that blocks every page for guests. A private space blocks only that space, while the rest stays public.
Can guests still register? Yes. Registration is a WordPress page, so it works as long as Anyone can register is on. If you keep it off, create accounts yourself or use invite links.
Are posts in private spaces safe from search and widgets? Posts in private or hidden spaces are left out of search, tag pages, trending lists and recent-post widgets for non-members.
Will plan holders still get in? Yes. An access rule lets people in even when the space is private. See Restrict a Space to Paying Members.