Enable and configure anonymous mode

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:bookmark: This guide details how-to enable and configure anonymous mode in Discourse for users who want to post without revealing their identity.

:person_raising_hand: Required user level: Administrator

Anonymous mode allows logged-in users to switch from their normal account to an anonymous account. This allows users to create topics and replies without any details being displayed in the Discourse user interface to connect the anonymous user with its associated account.

:information_source: See also: Using anonymous mode to reply or create topics

Enabling anonymous mode

For self-hosted sites, enable anonymous mode by selecting the allow anonymous mode site setting.

:sparkles: For sites on our hosting, these settings are hidden. Please send a message to our support team at team@discourse.org, and we can enable anonymous mode on your site for you.

Configuring anonymous mode

Anonymous mode has a few related site settings:

  • The anonymous posting allowed groups site setting allows you to limit the use of the feature based on the user’s group membership.
  • The anonymous account duration minutes site setting sets the period of time that an anonymous account will remain in place after a user has entered and then exited anonymous mode.
    • This setting defaults to 10080 minutes (7 days.) With the default value for this setting, if a user exits anonymous mode and then re-enters it within 7 days, they will be logged back into their previous anonymous account. If the user waits longer than 7 days before re-entering anonymous mode, a new anonymous account will be created for them.

Allowing different actions

By default, someone using anonymous mode can only post anonymously. You can also allow anonymous mode for other user actions:

  • allow likes in anonymous mode will allow people using anonymous mode to like posts anonymously.
  • allow chat in anonymous mode will allow people using anonymous mode to use chat anonymously.

These two settings will only work if allow anonymous mode is enabled.

Finding an anonymous user’s regular account

While anonymous mode provides anonymity in the Discourse user interface, the Discourse database can still associate anonymous accounts with their regular user accounts. Use the following Data Explorer query to find the association:

SELECT a.username AS anonymous_username, u.username AS original_username
FROM users u
       JOIN anonymous_users au ON (u.id = au.master_user_id)
       JOIN users a ON (a.id = au.user_id)

Last edited by @hugh 2025-03-30T23:42:36Z

Last checked by @hugh 2025-02-19T21:58:58Z

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