FreeForums.org Knowledge Base

phpBB3 has changed slight from its predecessor, phpBB2, in that while it allows for much more in-depth customization and control over your forum, permissions are no longer applied to forums automatically as they are created. There are several ways to fix this, the first is to Copy Permissions from another forum when you make the forum (it is an option on the edit page) or to apply customizable permissions after the forum is created. Here we will go over Basic Permissions to help you understand it more.

The Set-Up of this Tutorial:

1.How to get to 'Forum Permissions'
2.Guests Permissions
3.Registered Users Permissions
4.Global Moderators Permissions
5.Administrators Permissions
6.Owner Permissions
7.Bots Permissions

1. How to get to 'Forum Permissions'

[1] Go to your Board Index.

[2] Click on Administrators Control Panel (ACP).

[3] You're asked to Re-Authenticate yourself, please do so. Click on Proceed to the ACP.

[4] Switch to the advanced ACP then go to the 2nd TAB, called FORUMS, on the Left you get another Menu, under Forum Based Permissions you see the option Forum Permissions. Click on it

[5] Shown as here:


[6] In the first box you can select forums, you can also check All Forums, Then press Submit

[7] Now we're going to use the Second box, called Groups

[8] Now you've succesfully found Forum Permissions


2. Guests Permissions

[1] Select Guests from the Add Groups box. Then press Add Permissions.

[2] We now have to set a Role for this group, on every forum. For Guests it's most common to use Read Only Access.

[3] "Read Only Access"-Role means: Can read the forum, but cannot create new topics or reply to posts.

[4] Set this Role to All Forums, then press Apply all permissions.

[5] You get a green box, with the link called: « Back to Previous Page. Click on it.

[6] Check All Forums Again and press Submit

[7] You've now succesfully added Guests Permissions

[8] Shown here:


[COMMENT] It's best you give Guests permissions to read/see the forums, otherwise they think there aren't any forums and won't register.


3. Registered Users Permissions

[1] Select Registered Users from the Add Groups box. Then press Add Permissions

[2] We now have to set a Role for this group, on every forum. For Registered Users it's most common to use Limited Access + Polls or Standard Access + Polls.

[x]"Limited Access + Polls"-Role means: Can use some forum features including starting a poll, but cannot attach files or use post icons.
[x]"Standard Access + Polls"-Role means: Can use most forum features including attachments and deleting own topics, but cannot lock own topics. Can also start Polls.

[3] Set this Role to All Forums, then press Apply all permissions

[4] You get a green box, with the link called: « Back to Previous Page. Click on it.

[5] Check All Forums Again and press Submit

[6] You've now succesfully added Registered Users Permissions

[7] Shown here:


[COMMENT] It is best to use Limited Access + Polls otherwise normal users are allowed to delete their own topics. There is a way of removing this, which we might explain in an other tutorial.


4. Global Moderator Permissions

[1] Select Global Moderators from the Add Groups box. Then press Add Permissions

[2] We now have to set a Role for this group, on every forum. For Global Moderators it's most common to use Full Access.

[3] "Full Access"-Role means: Can use all forum features, including posting of announcements and stickies. Can also ignore the flood limit.

[4] Set this Role to All Forums, then press Apply all permissions

[5] You get a green box, with the link called: « Back to Previous Page. Click on it.

[6] Check All Forums Again and press Submit

[7] You've now succesfully added Global Moderators Permissions

[8] Shown here:


[9] Then click on the TAB called PERMISSIONS and select Groups' Permissions.

[10] Select Global Moderators and press Submit.

[11] Set the Select Type: Global Moderators permissions and press Go.

[12] Set the Role to Standard Moderator and press Apply All Permissions

[13] "Standard Moderator"-Role means: Can use most moderating tools, but cannot ban users or change the post author.

[14] Shown here:


[15] Go back to the Forum Permissions.

[COMMENT] Global Moderators are able to do anything with topics and posts (e.g. locking, splitting, moving, deleting) but are not able to access the Administrators Control Panel.


5. Administrator Permissions

[1] Select Administrators from the Add Groups box. Then press Add Permissions

[2] We now have to set a Role for this group, on every forum. For Administrators it's most common to use Full Access.

[3] "Full Access"-Role means: Can use all forum features, including posting of announcements and stickies. Can also ignore the flood limit.

[4] By adding people to the Administrators Group they will also automatically receive an Administrators Role, which automatically is Standard Admin.

[5] "Standard Admin"-Role means: Has access to most administrative features but is not allowed to use server or system related tools.

[6] Set this Role to All Forums, then press Apply all permissions

[7] You get a green box, with the link called: « Back to Previous Page. Click on it.

[8] Check All Forums Again and press Submit

[9] You've now succesfully added Administrators Permissions

[10] Shown here:


[COMMENT] Administrators are able to do everything with your Forum, topics and posts. They can modify everything. They only cannot remove/delete the Founder of the board. Very trust-worthy people!


6. Owner Permissions

[1] Owner is almost the same as Administrator. The only difference is the rank called "Founder"

[2] Founder means: Founders have all administrative permissions and can never be banned, deleted or altered by non-founder members.

[3] The Rank Founder can be set in the Profile of the users.

[4] Go to the TAB called USERS AND GROUPS, you're automatically in Manage Users. Select the user you also want to be a Founder.

[5] You're automatically in the "Overview"-Page with as 7th Option the Founder Option.

[6] Set it to Yes and Press Submit.

[7] Shown here:


[8] You've now succesfully added a Founder.

[COMMENT] It's best to never give out the Founder right, this person can fully take over your board.


7. Bots Permissions

[1] Select Bots from the Add Groups box. Then press Add Permissions

[2] We now have to set a Role for this group, on every forum. For Bots it's most common to use Bot Access.

[3] "Bot Access"-Role is specially made for Bots and Spiders.

[3] Set this Role to All Forums, then press Apply all permissions.

[4] You get a green box, with the link called: « Back to Previous Page. Click on it.

[5] Check All Forums Again and press Submit.

[6] You've now succesfully added Bots Permissions.

[7] Shown here:


This tutorial was originally taken from a tutorial made on our Support Forum by the user "po$eydoNNN*"