Where are you users coming from when they arrive at your Discourse instance?
If you use WordPress there’s a plugin which handles single sign-on and can be tweaked to provision users into groups automatically after they pay for a subscription or product. If you use Patreon or Memberful there are also plugin options there.
Basically, the form for invite requests is published directly at my-discourse-website.com/login page
Users need to fill out a short questionnaire and specify why they want to join our platform (we are a group engaged with community outreach, public legislation proposals etc.)
There is also a form on an inner custom page accessible by members where they can request an invite for a friend. All invite requests are reviewed by moderators.
Actually, I’ve also got a reply from Jeff Atwood with regards to adding a file to web root:
So I will be seeking other options. Thank you for the tips about Memberful and WP plugins, I’ll explore them further.
This is an old thread but just wanted to close the loop. Formspree doesn’t require this root level text file verification any longer.
So how exactly can one create a file in the web root in a Docker install? 4 years later, it’s still unclear.
I agree that creating a DNS record is much easier.
The use case is that I manage a forum and have full access to the server, but I hate having to bug the person who controls our DNS settings, and it takes them a long while to get around to it.
You can’t. The DNS method is the only way.