XF 2.2 To change the usergroup newly validated members are put into.

derpyhooves

derpyhooves

Active member
Hi! Happy 2026! Hope it's a lovely one for everyone.

I'm on Xenforo 2.2.16 at the moment. It'll be a bit until we can update that.

The short and simple question is, is there a way to change what usergroup people will arrive at once they've just registered and validated their account? Away from "Registered" and onto some other usergroup?

So we've got a lot of users who join who are very suspiciously possibly a bot, and we're never quite sure. We want to set a system up where once you register, the only forum you're able to see is a single forum that says "Post anywhere here to be validated." - Because we just want to make sure that either you're not a bot so we'll see non-bot-like post content from you, OR, if you ARE a spambot, the only forum you'll spam up is that one, and the mods can catch it really early and ban the user.

So this requires setting up a new User Promotion where if a person posts at all (Because the only place they CAN post is in that one forum, so it doesn't matter where that one post is.) they're promoted to a new usergroup, or receive a secondary usergroup that can post in all the usual places.

But the second method is far messier, because it involves making all of the forums non-postable for the regular usergroup. That's a lot of forums to modify the permissions of.

The better option is to tell Xenforo which usergroup to put all new users into after they validate their account. So instead of "Registered" where everyone else is they'd be put into the newly created usergroup "Must Post Once" which can only see that single validation forum.

Get what I'm saying? We think it's a clever way of doing it, but this one obstacle is in our way. I thank you for your opinions!
 
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Absolutely. The group promotion idea is the goal.

The main question is how to alter the Usergroup that newly registered and validated users arrive at.

It needs to be changed away from "Registered" (The Xenforo default, and the usergroup where almost every user currently is.) and to some other usergroup that is freshly formed that can only see that one new forum so they can post in it and then be Group-Promoted to that very Registered usergroup.

The goal is to not need to change any currently valid users away from the Registered usergroup, I suppose. It's to only affect newly registered users so they'd end up in a different usergroup from everyone else.

This is one of those things that sounds easy in concept, but when we have to look at the actual gears that make the machine work, it suddenly becomes complex because every little thing is something.
 
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beerForo said:
That can also be done via promotions. You can add and remove with the rules.

Disclaimer: Removing from Registered is not recommended.
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Interesting idea. So, if a person is newly registered, (Or even not that new.) the act of having BELOW one postcount total moves them into a new primary usergroup? That would certainly do it. So this really is possible? And the background forum operation occurs once a day or something?
 
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Yes. I'm looking at that area of the AdminCP right now. The problem is, it's only additive, and not subtractive or toggleable, in terms of what usergroups it can affect.

That means newly joined users will be forced into the "Registered" usergroup, the same as everyone else, and the only option is to have a User Promotion to add a secondary usergroup to them upon certain conditions being met. That condition can only be "Has at most zero posts."

Then when they post again, there is no User Promotion to subtract that restrictive usergroup from them, or any other secondary usergroup. It can only add another one.

If the default "Registered" usergroup had no permissions to post anywhere but that one validation forum, then it wouldn't be a problem. Making a single post anywhere (Because the validation forum is the only forum they can see and post in at that point.) would give them a secondary usergroup "Can now post anywhere like a regular user" to let them do exactly that. Because permissions and usergroups are additive and not subtractive.

"Yes" overrides "No" but nothing overrides a "Never."

---------

So maybe the answer really is to just change the permissions of the very default "Registered" usergroup to "No" for absolutely everything except the new Validation forum, and on making a new post, ("Post count is at least "1"" as the criteria. ) give them a secondary usergroup of "Can now post everywhere." ... and that sounds like a very dangerous thing to do.
 
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derpyhooves said:
So maybe the answer really is to just change the permissions of the very default "Registered" usergroup to "No" for absolutely everything except the new Validation forum, and on making a new post, ("Post count is at least "1"" as the criteria. ) give them a secondary usergroup of "Can now post everywhere." ... and that sounds like a very dangerous thing to do.
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Why dangerous? I think that’s what I would do.
 
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derpyhooves said:
So maybe the answer really is to just change the permissions of the very default "Registered" usergroup to "No" for absolutely everything except the new Validation forum, and on making a new post, ("Post count is at least "1"" as the criteria. ) give them a secondary usergroup of "Can now post everywhere." ... and that sounds like a very dangerous thing to do.
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This is what I wanted to do:
beerForo

XF 2.1 Thread 'User group promotion (demotion), assistance needed'

This is what I am looking to do.

When someone registers, they are added to a secondary group.
When they make post #1 they are removed from this secondary group.
The whole time, they are in Registered as the parent.

I can't figure out the way, but am told it is possible.

Thanks!
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And it worked:
beerForo

XF 2.1 Post in thread 'User group promotion (demotion), assistance needed'

beerForo said:
I'm going to try unchecking the Valid user state. This way when they are awaiting email confirmation it will work and after as well, maybe that's the loophole.
Click to expand...

This actually worked! In the logs it shows them accepting the terms and the group change at the exact same time.

Today at 4:17 AM
Secondary user groups (group name)
Accepted terms and rules Feb 6, 2020 at 4:17 AM
Accepted privacy policy Feb 6, 2020 at 4:17 AM

And when they make post #1 it shows the removal.

Not sure I need the add-on but will keep an eye on.
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