Craft CMS is a flexible, developer-friendly content management system known for its clean content modeling and customizable templates. But it doesn't include a built-in community forum or discussion feature.
That's where Website Toolbox comes in. You can embed a fully featured discussion forum directly into your Craft CMS site, or simply link to your forum from your site's navigation. Either way, you get user accounts, moderation tools, and real-time conversations.
This works really well for:
- Membership and subscription sites
- Customer support forums
- Business and brand communities
- Online course discussions
- Documentation and help communities
- Feedback and feature request boards
- Creator and hobby communities
This step-by-step guide walks you through the process:
Step-by-Step: Add Your Forum
Option A: Embed the Forum
This quick tutorial video can guide you through the embedding process:
- Visit craftcms.com and log in to your Craft CMS Control Panel. If you don't have a Craft CMS site yet, create one.
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Get your Website Toolbox embed code:
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account or create a new forum if you don't already have one.
- Go to Integrate Embed → Embed your forum and copy the embed code.
- In your Craft CMS Control Panel, open Settings → Plugins.
- Go to the Plugin Store and search for Website Toolbox Community.
- Click Install to install the plugin, or install it via Composer with
composer require websitetoolbox/websitetoolboxcommunity. - Click Settings in the menu on the left side, then click Website Toolbox Community.
- Add the Login Credentials received from Website Toolbox and review the plugin settings, then click Save.
- Add the forum to a page of your Craft CMS site using the plugin's embed code, then publish your changes.
- Copy the URL of your published Forum page.
- Go back to the Website Toolbox Integrate → Embed → Embed Your Forum section and paste your Craft CMS Forum page URL into the Where is the forum embedded? field.
Option B: Link to the Forum
- Visit craftcms.com and log in to your Craft CMS Control Panel. If you don't have a Craft CMS site yet, create one.
-
Get your Website Toolbox forum URL:
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account or create a new forum if you don't already have one.
- Copy your forum URL.
- In your Craft CMS Control Panel, open the entry or page where you want to add the forum link.
- Add a link to your forum URL in the page content, or add a menu item in your site's navigation.
- Publish your changes.
Single Sign On
Craft CMS has its own dedicated Website Toolbox Community plugin. The plugin handles Single Sign On automatically, so users who sign in to your Craft CMS website are automatically signed in to your forum. You don't need to configure a separate SSO integration.
To use it, install the plugin from the Plugin Store (search for Website Toolbox Community), enter the Login Credentials from Website Toolbox in the plugin settings, and your forum will be connected.
What Your Members Can Do
Once your forum is connected, your members get a full-featured community experience. Website Toolbox includes many more features beyond what's listed here. Visit the Features Tour to see everything that's available.
💬 For Members
- Create and reply to discussion threads
- Like posts
- Upload images and files
- Receive email notifications
- Customize their profile
🛡️ For Admins
- Moderate posts and comments
- Ban users
- Create categories and pin topics
- Customize the forum's appearance
- Manage member permissions
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Craft CMS have a built-in forum feature?
No, Craft CMS does not include a native forum feature. However, you can easily add a forum to your site using Website Toolbox, either by embedding it directly into a page or by linking to it from your navigation.
Should I embed the forum or link to it?
Both work well. Embedding keeps users on your Craft CMS site and integrates the forum seamlessly into your page layout. Linking is simpler to set up and opens the forum in its own page, which can be a better experience on mobile devices. Choose whichever fits your workflow.
Can I customize the look of my embedded forum?
Yes. Website Toolbox provides a theme editor with a variety of themes you can choose from to match your Craft CMS site's design. You can customize colors, fonts, layout settings, and more to create a seamless look.
Can I make the forum private or members-only?
Absolutely. You can restrict forum access to logged-in users, create invite-only communities, or charge for access with subscription plans. Combined with the SSO integration, you can seamlessly connect your Craft CMS site's user system with the forum.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. While Craft CMS is popular with developers, adding a forum is straightforward. You can install the Website Toolbox Community plugin and use its settings to embed the forum, or paste the embed code into a page, all without writing any code.
Will the forum work on mobile devices?
Yes. Website Toolbox forums are fully responsive and work great on phones, tablets, and desktops. If you embed the forum, the iframe adapts to the container size automatically. Website Toolbox also offers a mobile app so your members can participate from their phones.