Group-Based Category Access Not Working as Expected

Support
1

Context

We have configured our Discourse forum to restrict category visibility based on groups. Our setup is as follows:

  • All categories are linked to specific groups.
  • New users (Trust Level 0) cannot see any categories until they join a group.
  • When a user joins a group, they are automatically set to track the associated categories.
  • Muted categories should be collapsed by default, and watched/tracked categories should appear above muted categories.
  • Logged-in users should only see categories for the groups they have joined.
  • Non-logged-in users should see all categories for SEO purposes so Google can crawl them.
  • Users should be able to read public threads, but when they sign up, they should be required to pick a group.

Problems We’re Facing

:one: Joined Categories Not Showing Correctly

  • When a user joins a group, the expected behavior is that they start tracking the related categories.
  • Instead, categories are not appearing in the regular view.
  • Instead of seeing tracked/watched categories, users are only seeing a list of muted categories (which should be collapsed but appear open).

:two: Search Results Showing Unrelated Categories

  • Users who are logged into a group should not see search results from other groups’ categories.
  • However, the search is still returning results from all categories, even ones they do not have access to.
  • We want search results to be restricted to categories the user has permission to see.

:three: SEO & Google Crawling vs. Restricted Access

  • We want Google to index all posts so that people can discover content via search.
  • However, we don’t want everyone (logged-in users) to see all categories by default.
  • Users should be able to read public threads, but when they sign up, they should be required to pick a group before proceeding.
  • Right now, if we hide a category from logged-in users, it also disappears from Google, which prevents indexing.

Questions for the Community

  • How can we ensure that tracked categories appear above muted categories and are visible when a user joins a group?
  • Is there a way to isolate search results so that logged-in users only see posts from categories they have access to?
  • How can we allow Google to crawl and index restricted categories while still keeping them hidden from logged-in users until they join a group?
  • What’s the best way to enforce group selection on signup without blocking public readers?

Has anyone else encountered similar issues with group-based category visibility? Are there any workarounds or Discourse settings we might have missed?

Thanks in advance for any guidance! :folded_hands:

2 Likes
3

I noticed that when I remove at least one category from the mute list, the rest of the joined group categories start appearing properly.

Could there be a conflict between muted categories at Trust Level 0 and the tracking settings applied when a user joins a group? Would appreciate any insights on this!

1 Like
4

What is the reason for that? Random one sees everything, logged in user doesn’t, easily.

This is now the second time in short time when I see this policy and I just don’t get it.

A user finds something from Google, comes in and likes what is seeing. Registrates, logs in, but choose wrong batch, and doesn’t see it anymore. That would be… a very confusing situation.

5

Thanks for your response @Jagster

everyone has permission to see. So when someone come through google the user will see the topic. To make new topic, reply user need to sign up and join the group.

1 Like
6

But random visitors see all categories, and then suddenly logged in ones don’t. That is the strange part here I don’t get.

1 Like
7

Actually the community will be large. So we would like to keep it clean. User should see related content according to their subscribed groups.

1 Like
8

@Jagster A good example would be any number of large sites you might join, for example Pinterest. All their information is available to google for indexing. When you find something you like (through google) you signup and go through an onboarding process to refine what you see on Pinterest as a logged in user. Chances are you will pick things you are interested in…to curate your experience going forward. Does that make more sense?

1 Like
9

I’ve noticed an issue with group-based category visibility, particularly with newer categories. Here’s what’s happening:

  • When I join the Bailiff group, its related categories do not appear on the homepage or category page.
  • Instead, only muted categories are visible.
  • However, when I join another group (Phlebotomists, which was created earlier), both Bailiff’s and Phlebotomists’ categories appear as expected.
  • Bailiff’s categories take longer to show up and only appear when I attempt to scroll down.

Steps I’ve Tried So Far:

  • Manually unmuting one category from TL0, which helped reveal other joined categories.
  • Refreshing the page and waiting, but Bailiff’s categories still took time to load.

Has anyone else encountered a similar issue with newly created categories not appearing immediately for joined groups? Any insights or fixes would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance! :blush:

:video_camera: Here’s a video showing the issue: Loom Video