Creating Your Own Forum on WordPress: A Guide for Beginners

There's a common belief that online forums have lost their relevance. However, reality proves otherwise—forums continue to be valuable and in-demand platforms for user interaction, even with the rise of social media and messaging apps. Their enduring popularity is driven by the ability to dive deep into specialized topics and exchange experiences within various niches. To illustrate this point, here are some key statistics:

• A 2024 study found that over 60% of companies use forums at least once a month to discuss business-related issues.
• In the U.S., 97% of shoppers read reviews before making a purchase, highlighting forums as a crucial source of information on products and services.

Forums remain especially popular among technical professionals who discuss software, hardware, troubleshooting, and industry news. Experts across different fields exchange knowledge, debate trends, and establish professional connections. They are also widely used by online shoppers. These platforms allow users to share product feedback and seek advice, fostering brand loyalty through open discussions.

Why Third-Party Platforms Aren’t the Best Alternative to Your Own Forum

Social media and messaging apps like Telegram and Discord have become popular channels for engaging with audiences—one of the primary reasons forums exist. However, if you're looking to expand your reach and control, you’ll inevitably face several limitations with these platforms:

• Limited content control. On third-party platforms, you're subject to their rules, algorithms, and moderation policies. Social networks can restrict the visibility of posts or remove content if it violates their guidelines. While Telegram and Discord offer some administrative tools, they lack the customization and detailed discussion structuring that forums provide.
• Risk of account suspension and audience loss. If a platform decides to suspend your account, group, or channel, you could lose all of your content and community overnight. With your own forum, you have full control over access and moderation.
• Poor search engine indexing, limiting SEO potential. Content in social media groups and messaging apps is often poorly indexed—or not indexed at all—by search engines. This makes it harder for new audiences to discover your discussions through Google or other search platforms. In contrast, a well-optimized forum can generate steady organic traffic.
• You don’t truly own the content. Any content posted on social media technically belongs to the platform. For instance, Facebook or Twitter can use, modify, or remove your posts at their discretion. With a self-hosted forum, all data is under your control.
• Limited customization options. On external platforms, you're stuck with their interface, branding, and advertising. A forum allows full customization to match your brand's needs.
• Challenges in organizing discussions. In Telegram, conversations quickly get buried, making it hard to find relevant information. Discord is better suited for informal chats but lacks structured long-form discussions. Social media comment sections aren’t ideal for in-depth conversations. Forums, on the other hand, make it easy to search, categorize topics, and maintain a long-term knowledge archive.
• Dependence on platform algorithms. Social media platforms frequently update their algorithms, affecting content visibility. Facebook and Instagram, for example, may hide posts that don’t align with their priorities. On your forum, visibility is entirely in your hands.
• Monetization and advertising control. With your own forum, you can implement ads, affiliate links, and other monetization strategies. Social media platforms limit your options and impose their own advertising policies.

While third-party platforms are useful for quick updates and announcements, a self-hosted forum is a far better choice for long-term community building. It offers full control, structured discussions, freedom from algorithm changes and bans, and significant SEO advantages.

How a Forum Benefits Your Business

Owning a forum is more than just a way to bring your audience together—it’s a powerful business tool that delivers multiple practical advantages. Let’s take a closer look at the key benefits.

1. Reduces the Load on Customer Support

Launching a forum for your product or service allows users to find solutions on their own, reducing the need to contact customer support. Instead of reaching out for help, customers can simply browse existing discussions and find answers. Example: A software company creates a dedicated forum—like this one—where users share their questions and solutions. New customers can search for similar issues and resolve them without submitting a support ticket. This not only saves company resources but also streamlines customer service.

2. Boosts Business Transparency

A forum serves as a public space where users can see how a company handles complaints, feedback, and suggestions. This openness builds trust and demonstrates a proactive approach to customer engagement. Example: An online store sets up a forum where customers leave product reviews and ask questions. Company representatives respond to negative feedback, offer solutions, and share plans for improving their services. This transparency fosters a positive brand image and reassures customers that their opinions matter.

3. Empowers Users

When users can create content, answer questions, and assist others, they feel like part of a real community. It’s not just a corporate forum—it becomes a space where customers actively contribute to its growth. Example: An automotive forum allows car enthusiasts to discuss modifications, share repair tips, and exchange experiences. Over time, it evolves into a thriving community where veterans help newcomers, and the brand gains dedicated supporters.

4. Generates Authentic, User-Driven Content

User-generated content (UGC) is often more valuable than promotional material. People tend to trust reviews, recommendations, and advice from other users more than traditional marketing copy. Example: A home appliance forum is filled with real customer reviews. One user shares the best ways to customize a coffee machine, while another compares different refrigerator models. This kind of organic content is incredibly useful for potential buyers and serves as a natural promotional tool.

5. Provides a Goldmine of Ideas

Forums are an endless source of inspiration—not just for marketing but also for product development. Customers openly discuss what they love and what could be improved, helping businesses adapt and grow. Example: A game development company monitors discussions on its forum and notices a growing demand for a new game mode. The developers take this feedback into account, release an update, and are met with an enthusiastic response from the community. As a result, engagement increases, and game sales rise.

6. Can Become a Business on Its Own

A well-run forum can evolve into a profitable business. It creates a community around a specific topic, where users actively exchange knowledge, ask questions, and engage in discussions. If managed properly, it can generate consistent revenue. Successful Examples:

• Stack Overflow (for programmers) – earns through ads and premium memberships.
• Reddit – monetizes via promoted posts and subscriptions.
• Automotive forums – generate income through affiliate programs, sponsored articles, and car parts advertising.

Forum owners have several monetization options. One of the easiest is contextual advertising, where ad banners or text ads are automatically tailored to forum topics. Affiliate marketing is another avenue—recommending products or services through links that earn a commission per sale. Some forums even offer exclusive content or premium memberships for a monthly fee. A forum is much more than just a discussion platform—it’s a powerful business tool. It reduces customer support workload, enhances transparency, fosters a sense of community, generates valuable content, and fuels business growth with user-driven insights. If your goal is to build not just a customer base but a loyal community around your brand, launching a forum is a strategic move.

How to Create an Independent Forum on WordPress

When setting up a forum, the first decision to make is whether it will exist on a separate domain (e.g., myforum.com), be part of your existing website (e.g., mysite.com/forum), or be hosted on a linked subdomain (forum.mysite.com). Each option has its own advantages and drawbacks, particularly in terms of management and search engine optimization (SEO). Let's explore these differences:

• A forum on myforum.com offers complete independence. You have full control over the name, hosting, structure, and promotional strategy. There is no risk of negatively affecting the SEO of your main website if the forum experiences poor indexing or search engine penalties. This approach is ideal for standalone brands or projects meant to be promoted separately. However, a new domain lacks authority in search engines and among users, requiring more time and effort for promotion. Additionally, it comes with extra costs for hosting, maintenance, and SEO.
• A forum on forum.mysite.com benefits from the main site's authority, making it more trustworthy to users. However, search engines often treat such a subdomain as an independent website, requiring separate SEO efforts.
• A forum on mysite.com/forum is an integral part of your existing website. This setup offers an overall SEO boost, as forum traffic can positively impact the main site. For instance, the forum can attract an audience that later visits commercial pages. Additionally, the user-generated content in the forum enhances the SEO of the entire website. However, if the forum becomes overloaded with spam or low-quality content or gets penalized by search engines, the entire domain could suffer. Furthermore, if the forum’s topic deviates too much from the main site's content, search engines may not recognize it as a relevant extension.

This article focuses on setting up a forum on WordPress using the third approach (mysite.com/forum), ensuring seamless integration with an existing website.

Best Plugins for Creating a Forum on WordPress

If you want to add a forum to your WordPress site, there’s no need to build it from scratch. Several powerful plugins allow you to quickly launch a fully functional community. Below are the best solutions, along with their features, pros, and cons:

bbPress

• Simple interface and seamless integration with WordPress.
• Developed by the creators of WordPress, ensuring stability and compatibility.
• Fully integrates with WordPress themes and plugins.
• Supports topics, forums, replies, subscriptions, and moderation.
• Minimalistic design with fast performance that doesn’t overload the server.
• Free and open-source.
• Includes user roles and permissions.
• Cons: Limited to basic features; requires customization for a more polished look.

BuddyPress

• More than just a forum—it functions like a social network within WordPress.
• Allows users to create profiles, send private messages, and form groups.
• Integrates well with bbPress.
• Cons: More complex than a standard forum; requires powerful hosting for high traffic.

wpForo

• Modern design with three core forum styles: classic, simplified, and Q&A.
• Built-in support for custom ratings and reactions.
• SEO-optimized for search engine visibility.
• Offers flexible customization and advanced features.
• Free version includes basic features.
• Cons: Some advanced features (like private messaging) require a paid version; may consume more server resources.

For beginners, we recommend bbPress, as it integrates smoothly with premium WooCommerce themes on WordPress and offers a straightforward setup process. By carefully selecting the right forum structure and plugin, you can create a thriving online community that enhances user engagement and contributes to your website’s growth.

How to Create a Forum Using bbPress for WordPress

Just to clarify, you need to have a website set up before you can use this plugin. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the entire process of setting up a forum from scratch—starting with installing bbPress and moving through creating categories, topics, and users.

1. Install and activate the bbPress plugin:
   • Log in to your WordPress admin panel (mysite.com/wp-admin).
   • Go to Plugins → Add New.
   • Search for bbPress.
   • Click Install, then Activate. Once activated, bbPress will add three new sections to your site:
   • Forums (for managing forums and categories)
   • Topics (for discussions within the forums)
   • Replies (for comments on topics)
2. Create the forum structure:
   • In the WordPress admin panel, go to Forums → Add New.
   • Enter a name for the forum (e.g., "General Section").
   • In the Description field, briefly describe the topic of the forum.
   • In the right-hand column, under Parent Forum, select "None" (if this is the main section).
   • In the Status section, set the status to "Open" to allow users to post.
   • Click Publish. An example of a forum structure might be the "General Section" with subforums like:
   • News and Announcements
   • Questions and Answers
   • Member Communication To create subforums, simply repeat steps 1-6 and select the parent forum in step 4.
3. Customize the forum display on the site:
   • Go to Appearance → Menu.
   • In the Add links section, select Forums.
   • Check the forums you want to include and click Add to Menu.
   • Save your changes. Your forum will now appear in the main site menu.
4. Set up access rights and user registration: To allow user registration:
   • Go to Settings → General.
   • Enable the "Anyone can register" option.
   • Set the default role to Member (so new users can post messages).
   • Click Save Changes. Note that bbPress doesn’t automatically create login pages, but you can create them manually:
   • Go to Pages → Add New.
   • Name the page "Login" and insert the shortcode bbp-login.
   • Publish the page. Create a Register page the same way, using the shortcode bbp-register. Now users can register on your forum.
5. Enhance forum functionality: The bbPress plugin allows users to subscribe to threads and receive notifications:
   • To enable subscriptions, go to Settings → Forums and check "Allow topic subscription."
   • For email notifications, install the bbPress Notify (No Spam) plugin. To let users add avatars and personalize their profiles, install the Simple Local Avatars plugin (avatars can be uploaded from their computers). If you want your forum to have a more social-network-like feel, use BuddyPress.
6. Moderation and spam protection: This is a critical step that should not be skipped:
   • Under Users → All Users, you can assign moderators.
   • Select a user, click Edit, and assign them the "Forum Moderator" role. Since bbPress is prone to spam, it’s a good idea to install Akismet (to filter spam comments), Stop Forum Spam (to block suspicious users), and Google’s reCAPTCHA (to add captcha during registration). Now, your forum is up and running on WordPress!

What’s next?

• Actively moderate your forum to ensure it stays user-friendly and secure.
• Add valuable content, such as threads with frequently asked questions.
• Attract members by sending out invitations or promoting your forum on social media.

Ready to dive in? Visit WordPress and start customizing bbPress for your website today! And if you’re still considering creating your own platform, be sure to check out our collection of user-friendly, visually appealing, and effective WordPress templates for any eCommerce niche.