A guest is any person or spider that is not logged into a forum. Once a person registers they become a member, however, they will still show up as a guest until they log in.

Guests do not have access to the profile or notification options that are available to members. Therefore, people who plan to visit a forum consistently will usually choose to register. If desired, it is possible to setup SMF to require registration in order to view any part of the forum.

The number of guests an SMF forum can support is limited only by the web server on which it is installed.