Forum categories are intended to contain a selection of related Discussions that your users can add and contribute to.


  1. Categories can be added from the initial Forum Page by clicking the + Add Category button  above the list of existing forum categories.

    This will then bring up a page where you can enter details of the category you wish to create.



  2. Fill in the form with the details of your new category:

    Title
    The title of your category as it will appear on the main forum page.
    For example, you may wish to have a category to discuss council finances, and so may choose to call it 'Finances', and all financial discussion can take place within the topics inside.

    Message Type
    The Message Type is a further identifier for the category If you wish to group categories together so you can filter them in the main forum page, then you can assign them the same Message Type.
    Message Types can be created within the Message Types Editor.

    Description
    The category description will be displayed below its Title on the main Forum Page.

    Enabled
    This checkbox determines whether the category is active or not. Inactive categories cannot have new discussions posted to them, but they can still be viewed.
    This feature can be useful if you want to archive a particular category and come back to it for reference.

    Access Groups
    Select which User Groups you would like to be able to access the discussions within a particular category. Users who are not part of the groups you select here will see an 'Access Denied' message if they try to access the category.
    For example, you may wish to have a category only accessible by Councillors for their own private discussions.

  3. Once filled in, simply click the Add Category button  below the form and you should see a confirmation message that your category has been successfully added.