You can show visitors a page before they enter your forum. Guests see your message first and click Continue to enter the forum, while members who are already logged in are never shown the page and go straight to the discussions.
The page is built with the Custom Page option of your forum home page, which you edit from the Home page in your Pages area. It is a good place for an age notice, a content warning, your community rules, an announcement, or any other message a first time visitor should read.
How it works
- The page appears at your forum's main web address, for example
https://forum.example.com/. - Only guests see it. A visitor who is logged in to a forum account is never shown the page and lands directly in the forum.
- A Continue button appears below your content and takes the visitor into the forum.
- You can use styled text, images, videos, links, and your own HTML on the page.
- The page covers the whole forum. A visitor who arrives at a direct link to a category, topic, or page goes straight to that page instead.
- It is a notice rather than a lock, since the visitor chooses Continue to enter. The restricting access section below lists the options to use when visitors must be kept out.
Common uses
- Age notices for age sensitive content, such as alcohol, tobacco, or gambling discussions
- Content warnings for sensitive, graphic, or spoiler material
- A summary of your community rules that visitors read before they post
- Terms of use that visitors read before entering
- Announcements about a new community, an upgrade, or scheduled maintenance
- A private community notice that invites visitors to register
- Disclaimers for professional advice, such as legal, financial, or health topics
Steps to set it up
- Log in to your Website Toolbox account.
- Click the Pages link.
- Click Home.
- From the Page menu, select Custom Page.
- Enter the content you want guests to see. You can type and format text, insert images or videos, or click the Source code button to paste your own HTML code.
- Click Save.
To check it, open your forum's main web address in a private or incognito browser window so that you are not logged in. You should see your message and the Continue button. Click Continue to enter the forum, then log in and reload the page to confirm that members skip it.
Sample messages
You can use these as they are or edit them to match your forum. The Continue button is added for you, so you do not need to add your own button.
Age notice for content meant for visitors 21 and over
This forum discusses alcohol related topics and is intended only for visitors of legal drinking age (21 or older). By clicking Continue, you confirm that you are of legal drinking age where you live. If you are not, please leave this site now.
Age notice for content meant for visitors 18 and over
Warning: this community is for members aged 18 and over, and some discussions may not be suitable for younger visitors. By clicking Continue, you confirm that you are at least 18 years old. If you are not, please close this page.
Content warning
Please note: some discussions on this forum cover sensitive subjects and may contain strong language or disturbing descriptions. Click Continue if you wish to enter, or close this page if you would prefer not to see this material.
Community rules
Welcome! Before you enter, please note our community rules. Treat other members with respect, stay on topic, do not spam, and never post another member's private information. Click Continue to enter the forum and take part in the discussions.
Private community notice
This is a private community for our members. Click Continue to look around, or use the Sign Up link at the top of the page to create an account and join the discussions.
Opening or maintenance notice
Our forum is being upgraded and will be back to normal shortly. Click Continue to browse the discussions that are already available.
Restricting access
The custom home page is shown at your forum's main address and covers the whole forum, and the visitor can still click Continue to enter. Use it when you need to display a notice. If you need to control who can see the content itself, use one of these options instead.
- Password protecting a category requires a password before a single category can be viewed.
- Forcing guests to login before allowing access to a category requires a visitor to sign in or sign up before a single category is shown.
- Forcing guests to login before allowing access to the forum requires a visitor to sign in before any forum page is shown.
- Making your forum private limits your forum to members who have signed up.
- Specifying Terms & Rules for your forum asks new members to agree to your terms while they register.
If your forum carries adult content, please also read Do you allow adult content? Adult content is allowed on forums with a paid subscription and is not allowed on free forums.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will logged in members see this page?
No. The page is only shown to visitors who are not logged in to a forum account. Members go straight to the forum.
Does the page appear on every page of my forum?
No. It appears at your forum's main web address only. A visitor who follows a link to a specific category, topic, or page goes directly to that page. To show a message near the top of the main page for everyone, including members, see Showing a welcome message to users.
Can I stop visitors from entering the forum until they do something?
This page cannot block a visitor, since it ends with the Continue button. To keep visitors out of your content until they sign in, sign up, or pay, use the options listed in the restricting access section above.
Can I use images, videos, or my own HTML?
Yes. The editor lets you format text, add images and videos, and insert links. Click the Source code button in the editor to paste your own HTML code.
Will the page work on mobile devices?
Yes. It uses the design of your forum, so it displays correctly on phones and tablets.
How do I turn the page off?
Return to Pages, click Home, and either select Topics or Categories from the Page menu or clear the content box, then click Save. The page is shown only when Custom Page is selected and the content box contains content.
Can I change which page visitors enter the forum from?
Yes. The Topics, Categories, and Custom Page options are all part of the home page setting. See Changing the forum home page for a description of each option.