# Post without signup?

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405
**Category:** Feature
**Created:** [October 4, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405 "2017-10-04T15:15:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![Raphael\_Haase\_NL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Raphael\_Haase\_NL](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Raphael_Haase_NL)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2017, 3:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/1 "2017-10-04T15:15:41Z")

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Is there a way to allow posting anonymously without users signing up in Discourse?

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### Author: ![Noah751](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/noah751/32/82274_2.png) [@Noah751](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Noah751)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/2 "2017-10-04T15:57:27Z")

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Not while signed out, only users that have an account, you can enable " Allow Users to switch to anonymous mode" site setting in your forum, for users to be able to switch to a completely anonymous account.

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### Author: ![hellekin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/hellekin/32/51636_2.png) [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [October 4, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/3 "2017-10-04T16:06:15Z")

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If you use `email-in`, you can setup an email address for a category that will enable “anonymous users” to participate. This requires “[staged users](https://meta.discourse.org/t/start-a-new-topic-via-email-e-mail/62977)”, then in a category :

 ![2017-10-04-180514_726x617](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/3X/0/1/0110645bbe606a61767c071060c5ce0228fc7e79.png)

You need to setup the `engage@example.org` email address to **forward** to your installation’s discourse email (the one you POP.)

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### Author: ![Raphael\_Haase\_NL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/41988e/32.png) [@Raphael\_Haase\_NL](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Raphael_Haase_NL)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2017, 9:20am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/4 "2017-10-05T09:20:08Z")

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That looks like a good idea! I followed your link to staged users and do not understand the connection. Could it be that you linked the wrong URL?

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### Author: ![hellekin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/hellekin/32/51636_2.png) [@hellekin](https://meta.discourse.org/u/hellekin)
#### Post date: [October 5, 2017, 9:35am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/5 "2017-10-05T09:35:04Z")

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Yes, you’re right. I corrected the link.

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### Author: ![VNVJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/vnvjeep/32/61887_2.png) [@VNVJeep](https://meta.discourse.org/u/VNVJeep)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 4:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/6 "2017-11-07T16:01:00Z")

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I have enabled this setting, however, I’m not seeing how you can switch to an anonymous account? How do you do this?

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### Author: ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 11:04pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/7 "2017-11-07T23:04:39Z")

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Click or tap your user avatar at the upper right, then the spy / anonymous glyph.

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### Author: ![HAWK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/hawk/32/86627_2.png) [@HAWK](https://meta.discourse.org/u/HAWK)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 11:07pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/8 "2017-11-07T23:07:02Z")

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I think they’re talking about staged users here though…

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### Author: ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 11:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/9 "2017-11-07T23:16:13Z")

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Staged users haven’t logged in so that doesn’t make sense to me? You must log in to be able to switch to anonymous.

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### Author: ![HAWK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/hawk/32/86627_2.png) [@HAWK](https://meta.discourse.org/u/HAWK)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 11:17pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/10 "2017-11-07T23:17:39Z")

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Agreed. I think there is some confusion stemming from this:

> [@hellekin](#):
>
> If you use email-in, you can setup an email address for a category that will enable “anonymous users” to participate.

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### Author: ![VNVJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/vnvjeep/32/61887_2.png) [@VNVJeep](https://meta.discourse.org/u/VNVJeep)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 11:18pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/11 "2017-11-07T23:18:09Z")

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Yes! Thanks for that. Didn’t notice that inconspicuous little icon before. 😉

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### Author: ![HAWK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/hawk/32/86627_2.png) [@HAWK](https://meta.discourse.org/u/HAWK)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 11:28pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/12 "2017-11-07T23:28:20Z")

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> [@VNVJeep](#):
>
> Yes! Thanks for that. Didn’t notice that inconspicuous little icon before.

Do you understand that a staged user won’t be able to do that though? They are only interacting with the site via email.

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### Author: ![VNVJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/vnvjeep/32/61887_2.png) [@VNVJeep](https://meta.discourse.org/u/VNVJeep)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2017, 11:43pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/13 "2017-11-07T23:43:35Z")

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Yeah… Not a problem. The only users I’m concerned about are registered users on my site.

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### Author: ![Remah](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/remah/32/70590_2.png) [@Remah](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Remah)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2019, 6:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/15 "2019-09-08T06:28:15Z")

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AFAIK, this is not a core feature, is not available in a plugin, and is not planned in core:

> [@Allow unregistered users to post as anonymous](https://meta.discourse.org/t/allow-unregistered-users-to-post-as-anonymous/50866/8):
>
> This is still not on our roadmap. I do not expect it to be added to the roadmap, but things could certainly change in future years.

FYI, three anonymous posting features have been requested multiple times. Only one is implemented:  
✔ allow a **registered** user to post anonymously (while signed in)  
❌ allow an **unregistered** user to post anonymously  
❌ allow a **category** that only has anonymous posts, i.e. even registered users can only make anonymous posts

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### Author: ![Faizan\_Zahid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Faizan\_Zahid](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Faizan_Zahid)
#### Post date: [April 27, 2020, 10:28am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/post-without-signup/71405/17 "2020-04-27T10:28:33Z")

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> [@Remah](#):
>
> ❌ allow an **unregistered** user to post anonymously  
> ❌ allow a **category** that only has anonymous posts, i.e. even registered users can only make anonymous posts

would love to see these 2 features also be implemented as well,

- allow an **unregistered** user to post anonymously
- allow a **category** that only has anonymous posts, i.e. even registered users can only make anonymous posts
