Forum Restrict is a WordPress plugin that provides a user management interface for WordPress sites that also employ bbPress bulletin board software. Forum Restrict allows site administrators to pick and choose which users can use which bbPress forums.

It is not based on WordPress Roles and Capabilities. Instead, an administrator chooses which forums are restricted and which users can use which forum. It also allows users to apply or admission to a forum and for administrators to respond to the applications.

Forum Restrict requires bbPress in order to work. Install and activate bbPress before activating Forum Restrict.  Forum restrict works on WordPress network sites as well.

Changes to your WordPress installation are visible in four areas:

1. Forum edit screens.
2. Forum views on the site.
3. A page in the dashboard for users to manage their own applications to join forums.
4. A page in the dashboard for administrators to manage users, called “Members”.

Forum Edit Screens

The screen where administrators define and edit individual forums will now have a checkbox that asks if the forum should be controlled by Forum Restrict.

Internally, a flag is set in the database for that forum that says it is restricted by Forum Restrict.

Forum View Screens

Forum widgets are changed so that if a forum is not restricted or the user is a member of the forum, the forum and its topics are visible and useable as before.

If the user is not a member of the forum, the forums widget shows that fact and offers a link to for the user to apply for admission.

In the topics widget, for unrestricted forums or forums that the user is a member of, a link to the topic appears as usual. Otherwise, the user is notified that there is a topic there, but it is not available to them (maybe serves as a teaser to perhaps join).

User Application Page

There are two ways for a user to get into the user’s forum application screen.

From the Forums Widget

Clicking on the Apply link for a forum takes the user to an application form where he or she can enter the reason for wanting to apply to be a member of a forum.

Once saved, it will show up in a list of other pending applications that user has made. From the list, the user can edit applications or delete them.

From the Dashboard

The user can go to his dashboard and look under the Profile menu. A new menu item, “Forum Application” will be there. Clicking it will bring up a list of pending applications the user has made. The user can edit or delete them individually.

Forum Restrict Administration

The final piece is the forum is the page for administering which users join which forums. This is done one forum at a time. The first thing an administrator does upon entering the page is select which forum to administer.

For each forum, there are five potential sections that might appear, although they may not all appear, depending on what the administrator does.

Member Filter

You can enter a search filter that will limit the members and non-members lists to only user names, nice names, email addresses, and display names that fit the filter.

Members List

This will be a list of the user name, nice name, email address, and display name of members of the current forum whose name matches the search term.

Non-Members List

This will be a list of any user whose user name, nice name, email address, or display name fits the search filter and is not a member of the current list. Note that the Non-Members list will only show if there is a current filter.

Member Applications

This section will be a list of users who have unresolved member applications. Here you can approve, deny, reconsider applications you have previously denied, or ban them.

Remember that all four of these sections appear for one forum at a time. To switch between forums, select the forum in the drop down list at the top. Only restricted forums are in the list.

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