Creating and managing events

[Discourse]

This guide explains how to create and manage events using the Calendar (and Event) plugin in Discourse. It covers how to create events, set event options, interact with events, and view the upcoming events calendar.

Required user level: All users (with appropriate permissions)

Enabling events

Events are a feature of the Calendar (and Event) plugin. To use this feature:

1. Enable the Calendar (and Event) plugin
2. Configure related settings

For detailed instructions on enabling and configuring the plugin, read the Discourse Calendar and Event plugin guide.

It’s highly recommended to keep the local dates feature enabled when using events.

Creating an event

To create an event:

1. Start creating a new topic or edit the first post of an existing topic
2. Click the + icon in the toolbar
3. Select “Create Event” from the dropdown menu
   
   

This action adds an editable markdown block to your composer. You can position this block anywhere in your post. Here’s a simple example:

[event start="2024-02-28 20:00" status="public"]
[/event]

While editing, you’ll see an event placeholder in the preview:

Event options

When creating an event, you can set various options:

• Start and end dates and times: An event must have a start date; end date is optional
• Event name: Optional; defaults to the topic title if not specified
• Location: Add a location for the event
• URL: Add a link to display in the event information
• Description: Provide more details about the event (supports new lines and links)
• Maximum attendees: Set a cap on the number of attendees who can mark themselves as “Going”
• Timezone: Set the timezone for the event (times in the markdown are interpreted in the specified timezone; defaults to UTC if no timezone is set)
• Show local time: Display event times in the event’s timezone rather than the viewer’s timezone — useful for in-person events at a specific location
• Status: Choose from:
  • Public: Can be joined by anyone
  • Private: Can only be joined by members of invited groups
  • Standalone: Cannot be joined
• Reminders: Set optional reminders to notify participants or bump the topic
• Recurrence: Set if this is a recurring event (with an optional end date for the recurrence)
• Minimal Event: Hide the ‘Going/Not Going’ buttons and invitee status in the display
• Chat integration: (Staff only, when Chat is enabled) Create a dedicated chat channel for the event

After setting these options, your event topic will look similar to this:

Event menu

Once an event is created, a menu in the top right corner provides additional options:

Options for all users (with appropriate permissions):

• Add to calendar (download .ics file or add to Google Calendar)
• Send a PM to the event creator
• Upcoming events (visible on recurring events)

Options for users who can manage events:

• Notify user (invite a user to the event; public events only)
• Show participants (view the full participant list)
• Export event (download a list of RSVPs)
• Bulk invite (invite people through UI or by uploading a CSV)
• Edit event
• Close event / Open event (reopen a previously closed event)

Interacting with an event

Users can mark their expected attendance using the Going/Interested/Not Going buttons. Their avatars will appear in the event display.

Admins can configure which participation buttons are available via the event participation buttons site setting.

For popular events, users can view a full list of responses by clicking the “Show all” button:

If an event has an end date, the event details will also display in topic lists and the topic header when scrolled:

Upcoming events calendar

All created events are listed on the Upcoming Events calendar. You can add a link to this calendar in your sidebar or header dropdown navigation menu.

The calendar is available at the /upcoming-events page, where users can see a summary of events in calendar form. Clicking on an event opens the related topic for RSVPs or to view the conversation:

FAQs

Q: Why does the “Create Event” button sometimes disappear?
A: Some users have reported that the “Create Event” button intermittently disappears. If this happens, try refreshing the page.

Q: Can I change who can create events?
A: Yes, this is controlled by the discourse post event allowed on groups site setting, which specifies which groups are allowed to create events.

Additional resources

• Discourse Calendar (and Event)
• Creating and managing calendars
• Event modal doesn't add code to composer in Firefox?
• Move Create Event (and others) out of the cog icon?

Last edited by @Lilly 2025-09-15T21:08:34Z

Last checked by @hugh 2024-07-02T09:35:13Z

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