Hidden Settings on Discourse Hosted Sites

In Discourse, Hidden Site Settings are site configuration options that are not available in the standard admin interface. These settings can provide additional customization over the behavior and appearance of your Discourse instance, however, they are hidden because they are technically complex, can impact stability and security if misconfigured, and are infrequently needed by most Discourse instances.

As a hosted Discourse customer, you do not have direct access to modify hidden settings via the rails console or through backend configuration files like app.yml, however, you can request the Discourse team to adjust these settings on your behalf. This ensures that the settings are changed correctly and responsibly, maintaining the overall health and performance of your community.

Below is a table of hidden site settings that the Discourse team can adjust for you. The table includes the setting name, description, and which hosted plans (Standard, Business, Enterprise) the setting is available on.

Hidden Settings on Hosted Sites

Site Setting Available On Description
allow_anonymous_posting All Plans Enable the option for users to switch to anonymous mode to reply or create topics.
watched_words_regular_expressions All Plans Allows Admins to Use Regex with Watched Words.
can_permanently_delete All Plans Allows permanent deletion of posts, topics, and post history (ie. complete removal from the database, rather than the typical soft-delete mechanism).
enable_badge_sql Enterprise Only Allows admins to Create Custom Triggered SQL Badge Queries.
max_category_nesting Enterprise Only The maximum number of nested levels allowed for categories. The default is set at 2, and it can be adjusted according to the needs of the site but typically does not exceed 3 to maintain structure clarity.

Requesting Changes

To request changes to any of the above site settings, contact the Discourse support team at team@discourse.org. To help us better understand your needs, please include the following information in your request:

  1. Site setting name.
  2. Desired value or change.
  3. The context surrounding the request.

FAQs

Q: Why are some settings not available on my plan?
A: Some settings require advanced configurations and are only available on plans that offer more extensive support.

Q: How long does it take for changes to take effect?
A: After the Discourse team adjusts a setting, changes typically take effect immediately, but some might require a brief period to propagate.

Q: I need to adjust a setting that isn’t listed here. What should I do?
A: If you need to change a setting that isn’t listed above, please reach out to the Discourse support team.

Last edited by @JammyDodger 2024-06-05T02:03:49Z

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