Glossary
Key Forumera terms and concepts explained.

Role

A role is a named bundle of permissions assigned to members that controls what they can see and do in a forum, such as 'Student', 'Teacher' or 'Moderator'.

Last updated: 1/2/2026

Role

A role is a named bundle of permissions that controls what a member can see and do in a forum. Instead of adjusting permissions for each person individually, admins assign roles that apply consistent rules across groups of members.

What is a role in Forumera?

In Forumera, roles are the primary way to manage permissions:

  • Base member role – the default permissions for anyone who joins.
  • Custom roles – named sets like "Student", "Teacher", "Mentor" or "Support Staff".
  • Special roles – built‑in roles like Moderator and Admin that have predefined powers.

Each role can grant or restrict:

  • Which boards and threads a member can see.
  • Whether they can create threads or posts.
  • Whether they can edit or delete content.
  • Whether they can invite others or manage settings.

How roles work

When a member joins a forum, they receive a base role with standard permissions. Admins can then assign additional roles that grant extra capabilities or restrict access to specific areas.

Roles are additive – if someone has both "Student" and "Mentor" roles, they get the permissions from both. This makes it easy to give people access to multiple areas without creating complex permission rules.

Common role patterns

Different forums use roles in different ways:

  • Course forums might have "Student", "Teaching Assistant" and "Instructor" roles.
  • Support forums might have "Customer", "Support Agent" and "Admin" roles.
  • Internal forums might have "Employee", "Manager" and "Executive" roles.

The key is to define roles that match your community's actual structure and needs.

Best practices for roles

  • Start simple. Begin with just a base member role and add more as you discover real needs.
  • Name roles clearly. Use names that members will recognize, like "Student" rather than "Role_Type_A".
  • Document what each role can do. Help members understand why they have certain permissions.
  • Review roles periodically. Remove roles that are no longer used or merge overlapping ones.
  • Member – a person who belongs to a forum and has roles assigned.
  • Admin – a special role with full control over forum settings and structure.
  • Moderator – a special role focused on content moderation and community health.