Enabling request-to-join in a private community

In private communities, access is typically restricted to users who are directly invited or who can authenticate via Single Sign-On (SSO). However, to diversify and increase your member base while maintaining security and exclusivity, community administrators can enable a self-sign-up option. This feature allows potential members to apply for access, subject to moderator approval.

Activating the Request-to-Join Feature

To enable prospective members to request access:

1. Go to Admin > Settings > Moderation.
2. In the Approve Members section, find and enable the "Request to Join" option.

Upon activation, users who are interested in joining must:

• Complete the sign-up process, which includes filling out any custom profile fields you have specified and verifying their email address.
• After they verify their email, their request to join will be in a pending state, during which they cannot access the community.

Manage Join Requests

• Navigate to Admin > Users, where pending requests can be reviewed.
• Choose to "approve" or "reject" each request. Approved users are granted access and notified via email, while rejected users are not notified and remain outside the community.

Pre-Approving Members

To streamline the joining process for certain users, community administrators can use two methods to pre-approve members:

1. Direct invitations: Adding or inviting users will bypass the need for approval, directly granting access to the community.
2. Domain-based approval: To automatically approve users with email addresses from specified domains, create a Domain Group in Admin > Users > Groups and add one or more domains. This is particularly useful to automatically allow access for your company employees or members of partner organizations.