Community Forum Checklist

Essential Community Forum Tasks for Administrators

Foundation Setup

☐ Understanding the Community Forum Module Familiarize yourself with the comprehensive discussion board capabilities including topic-based organization, question and answer format, category classification, email notification system, and user interaction features. Understand how forums support customer support, partner collaboration, and internal communication needs.

☐ Module Setup and ConfigurationEnsure the Community Forum module is properly enabled by adding the Forum Tab to appropriate Apps and configuring Security Role permissions for different user types. Configure entity permissions (Forum: Read, Forum Post: Read/Create/Edit) and Tab/App visibility settings to enable user access to forum functionality.

Core Forum Configuration

☐ Creating and Configuring Community Forum Topics Create forum topics to organize discussions by subject matter and configure topic settings including Name, API Name, Status (Draft/Published), Category assignment, Social Sharing options, and custom ordering. Set up special announcement topics for employee-only updates and configure topic descriptions for administrative purposes.

☐ Creating Community Forum CategoriesEstablish topic categories to organize forum content and improve user navigation. Create, edit, and reorder categories using the drag-and-drop interface, understanding that categories help users find relevant topics and provide logical content groupings within the forum structure.

Advanced Forum Features

☐ Configuring Community Forum Settings Customize the forum home page with banner settings (image, heading, message, text color, buttons), configure email notification templates for new posts, solved questions, and replies, set up administrative notifications, and select appropriate home page layouts. Configure custom module naming and multi-language support as needed.

☐ Sharing Community Forum TopicsConfigure topic-level sharing permissions to control user access, understanding that topics default to private (owner only) access. Set up sharing for all users, specific groups, or public web access through Guest Security Roles, and manage granular access control for different user communities.

Critical Implementation Considerations

User Experience Design

• Topic Organization: Topics should align with user needs and business objectives
• Category Strategy: Use categories strategically for content organization and discoverability
• Email Notification Balance: Configure notifications to maintain engagement without overwhelming users
• Visual Customization: Leverage banner settings and layout options for branded user experience

Security and Access Control

• Permission Management: Forum access requires proper entity permissions, tab settings, and app visibility
• Topic-Level Security: Individual topics can have different sharing configurations
• Role-Based Access: Integration with Security Roles enables granular permission control
• Guest Access Planning: Public forum access requires careful Guest Security Role configuration

Content Moderation

• Thread Management: Users with appropriate permissions can sticky and lock threads
• Status Control: Draft/Published status controls topic visibility and user access
• Announcement Configuration: Employee-only topics for official updates and announcements
• Solution Marking: Question/answer format with community-driven solution identification

Integration Points

• Security Role System: Forum permissions integrate with overall portal security framework
• User Groups: Topic sharing can leverage User Groups for efficient access management
• Email Templates: Forum notifications use customizable email templates for consistent communication
• Theme Integration: Forum appearance integrates with portal themes and branding
• Multi-Language Support: Custom labels and localized content for international communities

Best Practices Summary

Planning Phase

• Design topic structure that reflects user information needs and organizational objectives
• Plan category hierarchy for logical content organization and easy navigation
• Establish content moderation guidelines and thread management procedures
• Plan email notification strategy to balance engagement with user preferences

Implementation Phase

• Start with core topics and expand based on user engagement and needs
• Test sharing permissions thoroughly across different user types and scenarios
• Configure banner and visual elements for professional, branded appearance
• Validate notification workflows and email template effectiveness

Ongoing Management

• Monitor forum activity and adjust topic organization based on usage patterns
• Regular review of sharing permissions and access control effectiveness
• Community engagement analysis to optimize forum structure and features
• Periodic cleanup of outdated topics and category reorganization as needed

<< About the Community Forum Module | Creating and Configuring Community Forum Topics >>