Setting Security Parameters: Log-In, Read-Only, Protected Groups

Product Support

AI-generated summary

In a support discussion titled “Setting Security Parameters: Log-In, Read-Only, Protected Groups,” cristina.threlkeld seeks guidance on configuring security settings for her organization’s Discourse forum. She asks how to make First Name, Last Name, Organization, and Job Role mandatory fields during user registration; how to restrict posting to registered users only (making the forum read-only for guests); and how to create private categories or groups—such as one for stakeholders—using trust levels or other access controls.

jomaxro responds with direct solutions: for mandatory fields, refer to this guide and enable “Required at signup?”; for read-only access, confirms that Discourse inherently prevents posting without an account; and for restricted categories, consult this documentation on category security settings. The advice is practical and links to official resources for implementation.

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For my organization’s Discourse forum, I am wondering how to set parameters on security. Namely:

-How to make required fields when people register, so that they have to submit their First Name, Last Name, Organization, and Job Role

-I want people to not be able to post unless they create an account. Essentially, the forum should be read-only until you create an account.

-I would like to create groups/rooms/categories that are only for certain people. I noticed the “trust levels” but I am unsure how to leverage these so that I can categorize the users. (For example: we’d love to have a room just for stakeholders.)

Any help/guidance is appreciated!

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See Creating and configuring custom user fields. Be sure to check off “Required at signup?” if you want the fields to be mandatory.

All good, that’s how Discourse works. There is no way to post, create a topic, like, etc without an account.

See Understanding groups and category permissions.