ProcessWire is a flexible, developer-friendly open-source content management system (CMS) and content management framework (CMF) built on PHP. It gives developers powerful tools to model and manage content, 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 ProcessWire 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:
- Developer and product communities
- Membership and subscription sites
- Customer support forums
- Internal team discussions
- Feedback and feature request boards
- Education and training communities
- Documentation and help 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 ProcessWire site's admin panel. ProcessWire is self-hosted, so you'll use the administrator account for your own site.
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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 the ProcessWire admin, go to Setup → Fields and click New to create a new field for the embed code. Give it a name like forum_embed and choose the Textarea field type.
- Add the field to the template that renders the page where you want the forum. Go to Setup → Templates, open your template, and on the Fields tab add the new field.
- Output the field in your template file. Open the template's PHP file in site/templates and add a line like
<?php echo $page->forum_embed; ?>where you want the forum to appear. - Open or create the page where you want the forum, paste the Website Toolbox embed code into the forum_embed field, and save or publish the page.
- Copy the URL of your published Forum page.
- Go back to the Website Toolbox Embed section and paste your ProcessWire Forum page URL into the Where is the forum embedded? field.
Option B: Link to the Forum
- Log in to your ProcessWire site's admin panel.
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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.
- Add a link to your forum URL in your site's navigation or in a page's content. You can add it directly in your template file, or add a text link on an existing page using a rich text field.
- Save or publish your changes.
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 ProcessWire have a built-in forum feature?
No, ProcessWire does not include a native forum or community discussion 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 ProcessWire 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 ProcessWire 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 ProcessWire site's user system with the forum.
Do I need to know how to code?
Not much. ProcessWire is a developer-oriented CMS, so embedding the forum does involve creating a field and adding a single line of output to your template. If you'd rather avoid touching template code, the linking option lets you simply add a link to your forum without any coding.
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.