# A new "default homepage" site setting
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291
**Category:** Announcements
**Created:** [July 22, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291 "2026-07-22T20:32:39Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2026, 8:32pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/1 "2026-07-22T20:32:39Z")
Currently to change the homepage of your Discourse site, you have to configure the site setting `top menu` and put your desired homepage as the first option in the list. This is a behavior that’s fairly unclear to new admins.
Today we’re merging a change that adds a new `default homepage` site setting to make this a clearer and easier process.
Existing sites won’t need to do anything, as the default for this new setting is `first item in top menu` which is the same functionality we’ve always had. The same options are present in the new setting as well. If you choose a homepage that is only available to logged-in users, like `new`, we’ll still fall back to the first `top menu` item available to anonymous visitors.
One change this new setting unlocks is that you can now have a homepage that isn’t present in the top menu. So for example, you can set `categories` as your homepage and remove that from the `top menu` setting, as the link to all categories is also available in the sidebar.
In the future we may add some new options for homepages, so keep an eye out for more updates!
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### Author:  [@gormus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gormus)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2026, 6:20am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/2 "2026-07-23T06:20:10Z")
This is a very nice addition Kris! 👏
Since we’re about to introduce a new homepage via the `custom-homepage` outlet, I’m curious if this new setting will include the custom homepage when a plugin or a theme-component introduces one. As I was planning to update user preferences to reset the homepage setting to default `-1`.
So, following up on that will this new setting update the options in user preferences’ homepage setting as well?
Lastly, if `default homepage` is set to `first item in top menu`, and there is a custom link added via `api.addNavigationBarItem()` and placed as the first item, will it actually be treated as the first item?
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### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [July 23, 2026, 10:42pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/3 "2026-07-23T22:42:17Z")
> [@gormus](#):
>
> I’m curious if this new setting will include the custom homepage when a plugin or a theme-component introduces one
No, this is still the same. The theme modifier for custom homepages overrides the site setting entirely. Navigating this is a little complicated because if a site has multiple themes available, and one doesn’t have a custom homepage, we’d have to manage fallback. Something for us to consider.
> [@gormus](#):
>
> So, following up on that will this new setting update the options in user preferences’ homepage setting as well?
Not yet… the options are still the same as top menu anyway, but one thing that did change is that `default` will always be available in user preferences now (previously it was conditional). “Default” in user preferences will follow the site setting.
> [@gormus](#):
>
> Lastly, if `default homepage` is set to `first item in top menu`, and there is a custom link added via `api.addNavigationBarItem()` and placed as the first item, will it actually be treated as the first item?
Also a “not yet” here too — outside of a custom homepage in a theme, the homepage of a Discourse site still has various requirements about being a topic list page (or /categories) and `api.addNavigationBarItem()` has much looser requirements.
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### Author:  [@gormus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gormus)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2026, 5:42am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/4 "2026-07-24T05:42:42Z")
Thanks Kris. I’m very much invested in this, and curious how it’ll progress.
One observation I can share is that when a theme-component introduces a custom homepage, the users with personalized homepage settings will never get to see it.
Unlike the top menu items, the custom homepage doesn’t have a path that I can create a custom menu item for it.
This is the very reason, even though it feels like an extreme decision, I was planning on resetting user preferences to use the default `-1` value. AFAICT, this will be my only option to give all users to see the new homepage. After that they can still personalize it on their preferences.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2026, 6:59am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/5 "2026-07-24T06:59:32Z")
> [@gormus](#):
>
> Unlike the top menu items, the custom homepage doesn’t have a path that I can create a custom menu item for it.
I think the path is `/custom`.
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### Author:  [@gormus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gormus)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2026, 7:27am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/6 "2026-07-24T07:27:45Z")
TIL. Thanks @Moin that works indeed.
Though, `/custom` wouldn’t be my first choice for a homepage path :))
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2026, 7:31am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/7 "2026-07-24T07:31:12Z")
You can use #permalinks to use something like `/home`
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### Author:  [@gormus](https://meta.discourse.org/u/gormus)
#### Post date: [July 24, 2026, 7:35am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/8 "2026-07-24T07:35:02Z")
yes, thanks, but that “redirects” the request, and still lands on `/custom`
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### Author:  [@nathank](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nathank)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2026, 8:39pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/9 "2026-07-27T20:39:02Z")
I’d like to be able to make my anon users land on a custom homepage, but have logged in users land on latest. Or at least have the option to do so.
The use case is in having Discourse serve up a single front page / landing page tailored to casual visitors, while still having our regular users drop into the full forum experience without friction.
While typically achieved by having a separate website and Discourse on a subdomain, that adds significant admin and cost overhead. I’d like to simplify things and have it all in one instance.
Is this possible with the new setting at the moment?
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### Author:  [@awesomerobot](https://meta.discourse.org/u/awesomerobot)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2026, 8:53pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/10 "2026-07-27T20:53:21Z")
yeah that’s an interesting case, but it’s not possible with site settings at the moment
a couple alternatives come to mind:
- build a custom homepage for both, and branch on the user check (obviously a little more maintenance required rather than just using something out of the box)
- the user interface preference for “default home page” will override the custom theme homepage, so a little customization to utilize that could work… something like
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### Author:  [@nathank](https://meta.discourse.org/u/nathank)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2026, 9:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/a-new-default-homepage-site-setting/408291/11 "2026-07-27T21:01:24Z")
Thanks Kris!
I’m a little reticent to lose the ability of users to choose their own homepage. But then again, few actually ever do so.
> [@awesomerobot](#):
>
> - the user interface preference for “default home page” will override the custom theme homepage
That is good to know!
So then in that case our venerable [Custom Homepage for Groups](https://meta.discourse.org/t/custom-homepage-for-groups/199623) Theme Component might work:
> [@Custom Homepage for Groups](https://meta.discourse.org/t/custom-homepage-for-groups/199623):
>
> Overview When installed and added to the active theme, this theme component enables you to control the ‘homepage’, allowing it to be different from the set of pages Discourse allows by default, as well as having different groups have different “homepages” (e.g., group members care only or mostly about a particular category). This can be for all users, anon (non-logged in), mobile users, or according to a user’s primary group. Initially developed by @pfaffman. See [User-specific Discourse home pag…](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-specific-discourse-home-page/160229)
It might require a tweak to work with the (newish) core custom-homepage though.