# Configuring anonymous posting for specific categories
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-anonymous-posting-for-specific-categories/271583
**Category:** Site Management
**Tags:** how-to, anonymous-mode
**Created:** [July 13, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-anonymous-posting-for-specific-categories/271583 "2023-07-13T22:43:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)
#### Post date: [July 13, 2023, 10:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-anonymous-posting-for-specific-categories/271583/1 "2023-07-13T22:43:45Z")
> đź”– This guide explains how to create a group for anonymous users and configure category-specific permissions for anonymous posting.
>
> 🙋 Required user level: Administrator
Before proceeding with this guide, ensure that you have [enabled anonymous mode](https://meta.discourse.org/t/enable-and-configure-anonymous-mode/155638) on your site.
## Creating a group for anonymous users
When anonymous posting is enabled, new anonymous users are created with a fake email address. The email domain for these users is formed by prepending `anon` to your site’s domain. For example, if your Discourse site’s domain is `discourse.example.com`, anonymous users will have email addresses with the domain `anon.discourse.example.com`.
> ℹ To view the email domain for anonymous users on your site, check the admin page of any anonymous user and click the “Primary Email” button.
To automatically assign anonymous users to a specific group:
1. [Create a new group](https://meta.discourse.org/t/create-a-group-in-discourse/197220) for anonymous users, or use an existing group.
2. Navigate to the group’s `Manage` → `Membership` page.
3. Add your site’s anonymous user email domain to the “Automatic” domains list.
After completing these steps, all anonymous users on your site will be automatically added to this group.
## Configuring anonymous posting for specific categories
Now that anonymous users are associated with a group, you can allow or restrict their ability to reply to or create topics in specific categories. This is done through the `Security` page of each category.
### Example: Allowing anonymous posting
To allow only anonymous users to see, reply, and create topics in a category:
### Example: Restricting anonymous posting
To allow `trust_level_3` and `trust_level_4` users to post in a category, but not anonymous users:
> â„ą For more examples of using the Security tab to control category visibility and user permissions, see [Understanding groups and category permissions](https://meta.discourse.org/t/understanding-groups-and-category-permissions-security-settings/87678).
## Additional notes
- By default, anonymous posting is allowed in all categories.
- Depending on your desired site structure, you may need to adjust the `Security` settings for all categories to explicitly allow or restrict access for your anonymous group.
- This feature is specifically for users using the “anonymous posting” feature, not for unregistered visitors to your site.
> Last edited by @hugh 2024-08-02T05:14:39Z
>
> Last checked by @hugh 2024-08-02T05:14:45Z
>
> > **Check document**
> >
> > Perform check on document:
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### Author:  [@RBoy](https://meta.discourse.org/u/RBoy)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2023, 7:40pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-anonymous-posting-for-specific-categories/271583/2 "2023-08-28T19:40:01Z")
Does this work for truly anonymous users? i.e. users who just landed in the website but don’t log in, they don’t have an account setup.
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [August 28, 2023, 8:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-anonymous-posting-for-specific-categories/271583/3 "2023-08-28T20:01:01Z")
No, I’m afraid this is for the anonymous users created as part of the `allow anonymous posting` feature. You still need an account to be able to post.