In a private Discourse instance where login is required and public registration is disabled, users report that visiting /login does not automatically open the login modal — instead, it displays a full login page, requiring a manual click on the login button. P16 notes this behavior changes when public signups are enabled or the forum is made public, where the modal appears as expected. techAPJ explains this is intentional: for login-required forums, /login serves as the homepage to inform anonymous users about the community and access requirements, and allows admins to customize the page with background images or text — making a forced modal inappropriate. Examples include circleforum.squarespace.com/login, community.pleasecreate.com/login, and parley.rubyrogues.com/login. P16 suggests adding an admin setting to toggle the modal behavior, while watchmanmonitor requests a /signin route to trigger the modal for email links. The core issue revolves around balancing usability, customization, and expected behavior in private forums.
I have an instance where public registration is not allowed and new members must be invited by other members. When you go to forum.com/login, the login modal window doesn’t open automatically and you have to click on the login button to open it.
However, if I enable signups, but still keep the forum private, then forum.com/signup opens the signup modal window but forum.com/login doesn’t open the login modal window.
If i make it a public forum, allowing public registrations and anonymous access, then both modal windows open, on forum.com/login as well as forum.com/signup
I have tried removing css customizations. Any tips? Is this a bug?
@techAPJ Isn’t that strange? If I have a private forum, shouldn’t the homepage be a login page where you can login directly (through a modal) instead of having to click the login button?
Because in case of login required forums /login page is their homepage which is there to give anonymous users more information about the community they want access to, and how to get access.
In case of public forums since the forum is open, anonymous user directly sees what the community is all about via /latest or /categories page, so /login page doesn’t makes sense and we show login modal instead.
Also, in case of login required forums, some Admins want to further customize their /login page by adding background image, customized text, etc. So it doesn’t make sense to force login modal there. Some examples of such communities: