Requiring moderator approval of member join requests
In a public community, users can typically sign up on their own to become members. However, you can configure your settings to require moderator approval for all new join requests.
To activate this feature, navigate to Admin > Settings > Moderation. Within this menu, find the Require Sign-up Approval section and select the All new sign-ups option.
With this setting enabled, users must first complete the sign-up process, which includes verifying their email address. After verification, their request to join will be marked as pending. During this period, they will not have the ability to participate in community activities or access areas exclusive to members until their request has been approved.
To approve or reject a join request, go to Admin > Users. Here, you will see pending requests, alongside options to "approve" or "reject" each one.
Approving a request grants the user membership status and triggers an email notification informing them of their approved status. If a request is rejected, the user is not notified, and their access remains restricted.
Methods to Bypass the Approval Process
If you have sign-up approval enabled, yet would still like to allow specific users to join the community without requiring approval, you can use the following methods:
- Directly Add or Invite Users: You can manually add users or send them an invitation to join the community.
- Use Domain Groups: Navigate to Admin > Users > Groups and add email domains to a Domain Group. By adding a domain, all users with verified emails from that domain are automatically pre-approved. For instance, adding your company's domain enables employees to join the community without needing prior approval.
- Implement Single Sign-On (SSO): By integrating SSO, authentication is streamlined through an external application, bypassing the community's internal approval mechanisms. This method ensures that users logging in via SSO—often using corporate or organizational credentials—are granted immediate access.
These settings provide flexibility in managing how new members join your community, ensuring a balance between open access and maintaining control over membership.