# Configuring Discourse for a closed or private community
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-discourse-for-a-closed-or-private-community/27014
**Category:** Site Management
**Tags:** how-to, invites
**Created:** [March 31, 2015, 8:15am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-discourse-for-a-closed-or-private-community/27014 "2015-03-31T08:15:33Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Discourse](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Discourse)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2015, 8:15am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-discourse-for-a-closed-or-private-community/27014/1 "2015-03-31T08:15:33Z")
> đ This guide explains how to configure Discourse for a closed or private community, including setting login requirements, user approval processes, and invite-only access.
>
> đ Required user level: Administrator
Discourse offers several options to create a closed or private community. This guide will walk you through the different settings you can use to control access to your Discourse site.
## Setting up login requirements
To make your Discourse site completely private, requiring users to log in to see any content:
1. Go to your site settings
2. Find the âlogin requiredâ setting and select it
## Implementing user approval
If you want to allow anyone to sign up but require staff approval before new accounts become active:
1. Navigate to your site settings
2. Locate the âmust approve usersâ setting and select it
## Creating an invite-only community
To restrict new account creation to only those who have been invited:
1. Access your site settings
2. Find the âinvite onlyâ setting and select it
## Setting up private categories
You can also make specific categories private:
1. Visit the category page
2. Click the _Advanced settings_ toggle switch in the upper right corner
3. Go to the âSecurityâ tab
4. Adjust the permissions as needed
In this example, only users with accounts can access the category. Anonymous users are restricted from viewing it.
You can further customize category access by making certain categories readable or writable only to specific groups of users. These groups can be either public or private.
## Additional resources
- [Configuring and managing the sign-up flow with user approval](https://meta.discourse.org/t/sign-up-flow-when-must-approve-users-is-configured/112128)
> Last edited by @yigit 2026-05-05T11:02:25Z
>
> > **Check document**
> >
> > Perform check on document:
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [May 5, 2026, 8:17am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-discourse-for-a-closed-or-private-community/27014/5 "2026-05-05T08:17:06Z")
> [@Discourse](#):
>
> 
>
> In this example, only users with accounts can access the category. Anonymous users are restricted from viewing it.
This is wrong. In the example screenshot, âeveryoneâ can see the category. The prior image used the trust\_level\_0 group.
Also, it might not be ideal to have a screenshot in the documentation where the checkmarks for the permissions are not shown below their headings.
Taking the screenshot without the âModernize Foundation themeâ upcoming change would work (or waiting for a fix).
I also wonder why the guide doesnât mention the new visibility option in the âGeneralâ tab of category creation or the fact that you need to enable the advanced settings to be able to see the âSecurityâ tab.
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### Author:  [@dowlass](https://meta.discourse.org/u/dowlass)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2026, 12:39pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-discourse-for-a-closed-or-private-community/27014/7 "2026-08-22T12:39:51Z")
> [@Discourse](#):
>
> ## Creating an invite-only community
>
> To restrict new account creation to only those who have been invited:
>
> 1. Access your site settings
> 2. Find the âinvite onlyâ setting and select it
> 
How do trusted users or staff invite new users? Do they walk up to their friends and say âhey, why donât you join our discourse forum!â If so, how is the invitee to go about it?
Or are new users invited by email with a signup link? Are the invitation emails sent out from within Discourse? If so, how is that done?
Iâm just curious to know the method or process of âexplicit invitationâ.
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### Author:  [@Moin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Moin)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2026, 2:19pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/configuring-discourse-for-a-closed-or-private-community/27014/8 "2026-08-22T14:19:56Z")
It means that there is no âsign upâ option available when looking at your forum. Users need an invite link to sign up.
You can send that via email but also share the link elsewhere.
You can also invite users to this forum. You can find the link in the more menu of the sidebar, in your profile and the avatar menu.
The invite modal for admins offers a few more options, but the one here might work as an impression. Otherwise, just sign up for a free forum and start testing.