Movable Type is an enterprise publishing and content management system used by organizations to manage blogs, community sites, and large content-driven websites. It provides flexible templates and full control over page layouts, but it does not include a built-in forum or discussion feature.
That's where Website Toolbox comes in. You can embed a fully featured discussion forum directly into your Movable Type site, or simply link to your forum from your navigation. Either way, you get user accounts, moderation tools, and real-time conversations.
This works really well for:
- Corporate and organizational knowledge bases
- Customer support forums
- Product and service communities
- Member and partner portals
- Internal team discussion boards
- Feedback and feature request boards
- Blog and editorial reader communities
This step-by-step guide walks you through the process:
Step-by-Step: Add Your Forum
Option A: Embed the Forum
- 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.
- Log in to your Movable Type dashboard as an administrator or a user with permission to edit templates and pages.
- Select the website or blog where you want to add the forum.
- Open Pages from the sidebar and click Create Page to create a new Forum page, or open an existing page.
- In the page editor, set the Text Format dropdown to HTML (or a format that does not reformat your code) so Movable Type keeps your embed markup intact.
- Paste your Website Toolbox embed code into the page body where you want the forum to appear.
- Click Save, then Publish to rebuild and publish your page.
- Copy the URL of your published Forum page.
- Go back to the Website Toolbox Integrate → Embed → Embed Your Forum section and paste your Movable Type Forum page URL into the Where is the forum embedded? field.
Option B: Link to the Forum
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account or create a new forum if you don't already have one.
- Copy your forum URL.
- Log in to your Movable Type dashboard as an administrator or a user with permission to edit templates and pages.
- Select the website or blog, then open Pages from the sidebar.
- Open the page where you want the link to appear, or create a new page.
- Add a link or button that points to your forum URL.
- Click Save, then Publish to rebuild and publish your page.
Single Sign On
Website Toolbox offers a custom SSO integration service starting at $199.
How to purchase custom SSO integration:
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account.
- Go to Integrate → Single Sign On.
- Under Your Website Builder, select Other from the dropdown.
- Follow the prompts to complete your purchase.
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 Movable Type have a built-in forum feature?
No, Movable Type does not currently have 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 Movable Type 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 Movable Type 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 site's user system with the forum.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Movable Type gives you full control over page layouts and lets you paste custom HTML blocks. You just insert the embed code from Website Toolbox into a page, and your forum appears. No custom programming is required.
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.