Rank Automation Rules
Go to WB Gamification > Rules in your admin sidebar.
Rank Automation rules trigger actions automatically when a member reaches a specific level. Use them to onboard members into groups, grant role upgrades, or send congratulatory messages — all without writing any code.
How rules work
Section titled “How rules work”Each rule has:
- A trigger — which level the member must reach
- An action — what happens when they reach it
Rules fire once per member per level. If a member already passed a level before you created a rule for it, they will not receive the action retroactively.
You can add multiple rules for the same level. Each rule triggers independently.
Adding a New Rule
Section titled “Adding a New Rule”Fill in the Add New Rule form at the bottom of the page.
Step 1: Choose the trigger level
Section titled “Step 1: Choose the trigger level”Select the level from the When member reaches level dropdown. This list shows all levels you have configured in the Levels tab.
Step 2: Choose the action type
Section titled “Step 2: Choose the action type”Select one of the three action types from the Perform action dropdown. The form shows only the fields relevant to your selection.
Action type: Add to BuddyPress group
Section titled “Action type: Add to BuddyPress group”Automatically adds the member as a member of a BuddyPress group.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| BuddyPress Group ID | The numeric ID of the group. Find this in BuddyPress > Groups — hover over a group name and look for gid= in the URL. |
Use case: Add members who reach “Veteran” level to a private “VIP Members” group, giving them access to exclusive content.
Action type: Add WordPress role
Section titled “Action type: Add WordPress role”Adds a WordPress role to the member’s account. This adds the role — it does not replace their existing roles.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Role slug | The lowercase WordPress role slug, e.g. contributor, editor, or a custom role slug registered by another plugin. |
Use case: Grant contributor access to members who reach the “Regular” level, allowing them to submit posts for review.
Action type: Send BuddyPress message
Section titled “Action type: Send BuddyPress message”Sends a private BuddyPress message to the member from a specified user.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Message sender user ID | The user ID of the account that appears as the sender. Defaults to 1 (the site admin). |
| Message subject | The subject line of the private message. |
| Message content | The body of the message. Plain text. |
Use case: Send a congratulations message when a member reaches “Gold” level, including instructions for their new benefits.
Click Add Rule to save. The rule appears in the rules table immediately.
Viewing and deleting rules
Section titled “Viewing and deleting rules”The rules table shows:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| When member reaches | The level name that triggers the rule |
| Action | The action type |
| Parameters | The configuration values (group ID, role, or message details) |
Click Delete next to any rule and confirm the prompt to remove it. Deleting a rule does not undo actions already performed for members who previously reached the level.
Use case examples
Section titled “Use case examples”| Goal | Trigger level | Action type | Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welcome new members to a starter group | Newcomer (0 pts) | Add to BP group | Group ID of your “All Members” group |
| Unlock content for engaged members | Regular (500 pts) | Add WP role | subscriber-plus (custom role) |
| Personally congratulate top contributors | Legend (10,000 pts) | Send BP message | Sender = admin, personalized message |
| Give editors posting rights at Veteran level | Veteran (2,000 pts) | Add WP role | contributor |