Please see SMF1.1:Registration or SMF2.0:Registration depending on the version of SMF you are using.

In the Registration section you can Register a new user, and edit the registration agreement that members need to agree to when registering on your forum, unless it is disabled. You can also set reserved names that no one can register, along with basic settings to handle new members, such as disallowing members of a certain age, whether to require admin approval, email confirmation or nothing at all. You can also disable registration altogether.

Register New Member

This page allows you to register a new member. You get to select the following information.

• Username - The username. (Required)
• Email Address - The email address of the user. (Required)
• Password - The password the user will use. (Required)
• Primary Membergroup - The Member group this user will be in. (Not Required)

You also have the following options:

• Email new password to user - This option will send an email to the email account you specified.
• Require user to activate the account - This option will require the user to activate this account before they can use it.

Registration Agreement

If you want to turn on Registration Agreement you must put a check the box for, "Show and require agreement letter when registering." This makes every new member agree to your terms before allowing them to register. If this is disabled no registration agreement will be shown on the registration page.

To edit the registration agreement for your forum, place whatever you want to be in the agreement for your forum in the large box at the top of the page. You may use both HTML and BBC in the registration agreement.

Set Reserved Names

With reserved names you can enter certain names that you would like to disallow people to be able to use. The names you put in the reserved name box will disallow the use of these names for a username or Display name of a member. Only type in one reserved name per line.

On the Set Reserved Names page there is a text box for you to enter names. The default reserved names are:

• Admin
• Webmaster
• Guest

Other Options In addition to modifying the names in the list there are a few other options you can use:

• Match whole name only. If unchecked, search within names. - This allows you to choose whether or not you would like your forums to match the name exactly to what you have typed, or have it search for what you have typed within a username or display name.
• Match case. If unchecked, search will be case insensitive. - This allows you to choose whether or not your Forum will match words even if it has different capitalizations. Check this to have it match the case and ignore reserved names with different cases.
• Check username. - This allows you to choose whether or not your forum will reserve usernames for the names you put in the reserved name list.
• Check display name. - This allows you to choose whether or not your forum will reserve display names for the names you put in the reserved name list.

The Asterix character * became a hard coded reserved letter in SMF 2.0, that cannot be used in usernames to help avoid issues with wildcard searches, personal messaging, and other forum functions.

Settings

The Settings page of the registration section of the Administration Panel allows you to configure settings related to visitors registering for an account to your forum.

The following settings are found on this page:

• Method of registration employed for new members - The type of registration that is set for the forum. The following options are available:
  • Immediate Registration - New members can login and post immediately after registering on your forum.
  • Email Activation - When this option is enabled any members registering to the forum will have an activation link emailed to them which they must click before they can become full members.
  • Admin Approval - This option will make it so all new members registering on your forum will need to be approved by the admin before they become members.
  • Registration Disabled - Disables the registration process, which means that no new members can register to join your forum.

• Allow users to register using OpenID - Activate the registration through OpenID (activate the OpenID registration requires special server configuration, see Server Recommendations for details).
• Notify administrators when a new member joins - Checking this will email the administrators of your forum every time a new member registers.
• Send welcome email to new members - Checking this will send a welcome email to the member, welcoming them to the community.

• Age below which to apply registration restrictions - The value specified in this box will determine the minimum age that new members must be to gain immediate access to the forums. During registration, they will be prompted to confirm whether they are over this age, and if not will either have their application rejected or suspended awaiting parental approval, depending on the type of restriction chosen. If a value of 0 is chosen for this setting then all other age restriction settings shall be ignored.
• Action to take when a user below minimum age registers - If age restrictions are enabled, then this setting will define that happens when a user below the minimum age attempts to register with your forum. There are two possible choices:
  • Reject Their Registration - Any new member below the minimum age will have their registration rejected immediately.
  • Require Parent/Guardian Approval - Any new member who attempts to register and is below the minimum permitted age will have their account marked as awaiting approval, and will be presented with a form upon which their parents must give permission to become a member of the forums. They will also be presented with the forum contact details entered on the settings page, so they can send the form to the Administrator by mail or fax.

• Postal address to which approval forms should be sent - The contact boxes are required so that forms granting permission for under age registration can be sent to the forum administrator. These details will be shown to all new minors, and are required for parent/guardian approval. At the very least a postal address or fax number must be provided.
• Fax number to which approval forms should be faxed - The contact boxes are required so that forms granting permission for under age registration can be sent to the forum administrator. These details will be shown to all new minors, and are required for parent/guardian approval. At the very least a postal address or fax number must be provided.
• Contact number for parents to contact with age restriction queries - The contact boxes are required so that forms granting permission for underage registration can be sent to the forum administrator. These details will be shown to all new minors, and are required for parent/guardian approval. At the very least a postal address or fax number must be provided.

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