# Anonymous posting not available even when enabled
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625
**Category:** Support
**Tags:** anonymous-mode
**Created:** [June 22, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625 "2020-06-22T22:01:44Z")
**Posts on this page:** 8
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Wall-E](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Wall-E)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2020, 10:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625/1 "2020-06-22T22:01:44Z")
On my self-hosted discourse instance, I have enabled anonymous posting at trust level 1. Yet I am not seeing how to switch to that mode as a user with level \> 1 when I click under the user logo as explained here: [Anonymous posting](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting/60258)
The screenshot shows how I enabled it in my settings. What am I missing?
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### Author:  [@HAWK](https://meta.discourse.org/u/HAWK)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625/2 "2020-06-22T22:11:28Z")
Are you saying that TL1 users aren’t seeing the anonymous posting icon?
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### Author:  [@Wall-E](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Wall-E)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2020, 10:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625/3 "2020-06-22T22:16:09Z")
Correct. I’m actually not sure what one is supposed to see. I was following along what this post said:[Anonymous posting - #2 by codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting/60258/2)
but when testing from any user level from 1 to 4 (i have different test accounts at different levels in my Discourse instance), despite the option enabled from leve 1:basic user, I am not seeing this button where that post said it should be.
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### Author:  [@HAWK](https://meta.discourse.org/u/HAWK)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2020, 10:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625/4 "2020-06-22T22:21:28Z")
That post is still correct. TL1 users should see the anonymous icon when they click on their avatar. Have you tried hard refreshing?
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### Author:  [@Wall-E](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Wall-E)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2020, 10:23pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625/5 "2020-06-22T22:23:57Z")
Yes, I tried hard refresh. Also tried to log out and log back in. \>= TL1 users not seeing the spy icon.
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### Author:  [@Wall-E](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Wall-E)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2020, 10:26pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625/6 "2020-06-22T22:26:06Z")
I was reading that anonymous posting creates new accounts, could this be something blocking it in my GCP virtual machine where I host my Discourse instance? I did the default install.
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### Author:  [@simon](https://meta.discourse.org/u/simon)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625/7 "2020-06-22T23:28:34Z")
> [@Wall-E](#):
>
> I’m actually not sure what one is supposed to see. I was following along what this post said:[Anonymous posting](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting/60258/2)
That post is out of date. I’ll create a proper #howto topic for anonymous mode. Here’s a basic outline of how it is expected to work:
When the `allow anonymous posting` site setting is enabled, trust level 1 and above users (configurable with the `anonymous posting min trust level` site setting) will see an “Enter Anonymous Mode” link in their user menu:
Users can exit anonymous mode by clicking the “Exit Anonymous Mode” link from their anonymous user’s menu:
When a user enters anonymous mode, a username is automatically generated for them. The username will be `anonymous` plus a number. For example `anonymous1` . The only anonymous user that will not have a number appended to their username is the first anonymous user to be created on your site.
The length of time that an anonymous account will remain in place for a user after they have logged out of anonymous mode and back into regular mode is 7 days. This period of time can be configured with the `anonymous account duration minutes` site setting. If after having exited anonymous mode, a user waits longer than that period of time before re-entering anonymous mode, a new anonymous account will be created for them.
Let us know if you’re not finding the “Enter Anonymous Mode” link on your site.
Edit: I’ve created a #howto topic here: [Enable and configure anonymous mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/enabling-and-using-anonymous-mode/155638). Let me know if anything is unclear after having read that topic.
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### Author:  [@Wall-E](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Wall-E)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2020, 12:07am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/anonymous-posting-not-available-even-when-enabled/155625/8 "2020-06-23T00:07:16Z")
I wasn’t seeing it there either but after disabling/enabling anonymous posting again in the settings, and reducing limit level to 0, i finally see it in that menu, although all my test user accounts had at least level 1. Not sure what blocked me from seeing it the first time. If i can replicate that glitch i’ll report back.