How to get started with your ForumUp forum.

Once you have registered and received your temporary password go to your Profile and change the password to one you will remember and use.

Press the Go to Administration panel link at the bottom of the page, and enter your password again, to be sent to the Administration Panel.



- From here you will be customizing your forum to your liking.


First you will make sure the title of your forum is correct along with the description.

- From the admin panel go to General Admin > > Configuration.

- Fill in the desired forum name and the description* of your forum, in the Site name and Site description fields.

- Press Submit at the bottom of the General Configuration page.

*The description will only be visible on Style Templates that have the text Preview all themes for your ForumUp forum on the Demos.

Now it's time to make the forum and forum categories.

- A category is the “holder” or “subject” of the forums within it. For example if you want to have a category dedicated to only cars you may have the sub forums (forums within the category) named Honda, Ford, etc..

- From the admin panel go to Forum Admin > > Management.

- Make the forums and categories to your liking of what your forum is about.

- There should already be a test forum and category made. You can edit these to what you want them to be called.

- To create a category go to the bottom of the Forum Administration page and fill in the title in the input box with title next to Create New Category, and click that button.

- To make a subforum within the category find the wished category and fill in the forum name in the input box under it titled Create New Forum, and click that button.

- On the Create new forum page that comes up, you can fill in a more detailed description, and click the Create new forum button at the bottom.

If you have accidentally added this forum to the wrong category you can change the category from the drop down box.

You can also move Forums up and down within the Category, as well as move the Categories (with all their forums included) up and down on the Index page, until everything is in the order you want it to be. They move one step at the time, with each click on the Move Up / Move Down links.

Now you are going to pick a Theme, or Style Template. (If you like the default theme already skip this step.)

- From the admin panel go to Styles Admin > > Styles Administration.

Or use the Style Template Directory in the Reference Section on your ForumUp Support forum, to get full size demos.

- Browse through the themes until you find the one desired. Remember the name of it!

- From the admin panel go to Styles Admin >> Add.

Open Add in a new tab/window, and you can use the "Search on this page" function on your browser, to find the desired template.

- Search through the names and find the one you wanted. You can use CTRL+F. Type in part of the name.

- Press Install to the left of the Template name.

- From admin panel go to General Admin >> Configuration.

- Make sure that the override is on yes and from the scroll menu pick the theme you installed. A user can select any of the templets you have installed to have the forum look a certain way for them. To disable this you must override so that they cannot change what the forum looks like for them. If it is on you and other users can change what the forum looks like in your profile.

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(Use the zoom tool in link to have better look.)

With the Theme in place, you may want to add your personal logo or banner.

Visual guide to change the logo.

This is the easiest and most reliable way, on most templates.

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Changing the Logo with a Javascript.

This Javascript enables you to change the logo on more than one template simultaneously, if you have a choice of templates for the members.

The script also enables you to change the logo on some of the templates where the ForumUp Theme "tool" in the Admin Panel does not work.

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You will want some Moderators to help moderate your forum. There are a couple of ways to make a member a Moderator.

Individually Assigning Members as Moderators.

- In the Admin Panel, go to User Admin > > Permissions.

- In the User Permissions area that shows up, type in that person's name in the blank field, and click on Look up user.

- On the User Control Permissions page that shows up, next to each forum area that you want that person to have moderator abilities for, click on the arrow next to the words "Not Moderator." Select from that drop down box, "Is Moderator". The click on the "Submit" button at the bottom of the page.

The member's name will show on the index page under each forum section for which you made the member a Moderator.

Now the Moderator needs a Moderator Rank.

- To make ranks (Moderator, Jr. Moderator, ECT.) go to User Admin > > Ranks.

- From here you can make and edit ranks. Make sure on all moderating and special ranks given out that the Special Rank box is checked to Yes.

- You can add rank images to the ranks made by going to User Admin > > Add New Rank. You will be sent to a list of rank images you can choose from.

- Once you have found the wanted image copy the code next to it.

- In User Admin > > Ranks paste that code on the correct rank in the Rank Image field.

- Press Submit.

To give the Rank to the Moderator:

- Go to the Admin Panel > > User Admin > > Management.

- Type in the name of the person you want to give moderator tag to in the blank field on the User Administration page. Then click Look up User.

- That user's Profile page is now seen. Go to the bottom section called Special Admin Only fields and locate the Rank Title area.

- Click on the arrow next to the rank currently showing, which would normally be "no special rank assigned". When the other rank choices are now in view after the arrow was clicked on, select the Moderator rank. (You will have had to have created that rank previously.) Then click on the Submit button.

There is also the option to make Moderators by Adding members to a Moderator Group.

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You are now set to go public. Tell friends, family, etc. about your forum to get more people to register. Update your forum with new features to keep it alive.


Add your forum to search engines!

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Written by PirateScoobs
Helped by FoxLeonard