V Bulletin 4.2.5 Manual
User Manual: Pdf
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vBulletin Manual
This manual is based off vBulletin version 4.2.5
vBulletin
System Requirements
Installing vBulletin
Downloading the vBulletin Package
Preparing the vBulletin Files for Upload
Creating your Database
Editing the vBulletin Configuration Files
config.php
MySQLi
Uploading vBulletin Scripts to Your Web Server
Running the vBulletin Install Script
Cleaning up after the Install
Upgrading vBulletin
Preparing the vBulletin Files for Upload
Updating the vBulletin Scripts on Your Web Server
Running the vBulletin Upgrade Script
Using the Command Line Upgrade
Common Issues While Upgrading.
Cleaning up after your Upgrade
Checking for Updated Templates
vBulletin Template Diff/Merge System
Checking for Updated Phrases
How to Patch Your Site
The Admin Control Panel
Logging-in to the Control Panel
Getting Around the Admin Control Panel
Settings
Options
Turn Your vBulletin On and Off
Site Name / URL / Contact Details
Content Management
General Settings
Facebook Options
Enabling Facebook
Image Settings
Human Verification Options
Date and Time Options
Cookie and HTTP Header Options
Server Settings and Optimization Options
Friendly URLS
Style and Language Settings
Email Options
Sending email via SMTP
Censorship Options
User Registration Options
User Refractions & Post Reporting Options
User Profile Options
User Profile: Album Options
User Profile: Style Customization Options
User Profile: Visitor Messaging Options
Social Group Options
User Picture Options
User Reputation Options
User Notes Options
User Listing Options
User Banning Options
BBCode Options
Message Posting and Editing Options
Message Posting Interface Options
Poll and Thread Rating Options
Message Searching Options
Tagging Options
Forum Home Page Options
Forum Listings Display Options
Forum Display Options (forumdisplay)
Thread Display Options
Threaded / Hybrid Mode Options (showthread)
Private Messaging Options
Who's Online Options
Identifying Spiders in Who's Online
Search Engine Friendly Archive
Admin Control Panel Options
External Data Provider
Implementing the External Data Provider
Error Handling & Logging
Paid Subscriptions
Plugin/Hook System
Spam Management
XML Sitemap
Search Type
Changing Minimum Search Characters
Changing MySQL's Stopwords.
Human Verification Manager
Social Bookmarking Manager
The Social Bookmarking Manager
Adding or Editing a Social Bookmarking Site
vBulletin Blog
Blog Moderators
Update Counters
Permissions
vBulletin CMS
Content Manager
Section Manager
Category Manager
Grid Manager
Download/Upload Grids
Clear CMS Cache
Layout Manager
Layout Form
Widget Manager
Add Widgets
Widget Types
Configure Widgets
Example: Configuring the General Search widget
Permissions
Advertising
Google Adsense Integration
Manage Ads
Add New Ad
Google AdSense Integration
Styles & Templates
vBulletin Style Reference
Templates
How do Templates Work?
Template Syntax
Link Syntax
Template Conditionals
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Using PHP Functions in Template Conditionals
The Legacy Postbit Template
Including External Files
CSS
CSS Templates
Additional.css
Style Variables
How Style Variables Interact with CSS
Types of Stylevars
Adding Stylevars
Stylevar Dictionary
Ads
Album
AssetManager
Attachments
BBCode
Blocks
Global
Buttons
Calendar
Comments
Common
Editor
Footer
Forms
Forums
Groups
Header
ImagePaths
Navbar
Notices
Mobile
Page Title
Pagination
Polls
PopupMenus
Postbit
Profile
SecondaryContent
Sidebar
ThreadBit
ToolsMenu
UserCP
Blog
vbcms
Widgets
Replacement Variables
Preventing Visitors from Activating Replacement Variables
Where are the Replacement Vars from vB2?
Style Inheritance
Inheritance Example
Inheritance Mechanics
The Style Manager
Creating New Styles
Creating Child Styles
Editing Style Settings
Deleting a Style
Editing the Templates
Adding or Editing a Single Template
Comparing Templates
Mobile Style
Installing the vBulletin Mobile Style
Disabling the Mobile Style
Enabling the Mobile Style
Frequently Asked Questions
Search in Templates
Search Templates
Find and Replace in Templates
Replacement Variable Manager
Add New Replacement Variable
Customizing a Replacement Variable
Download / Upload Styles
Downloading a Style
Uploading a Style
Find Updated Templates
Languages and Phrases
An Introduction to Languages and Phrases
Languages vs. Phrases
The 'Master Language' and 'Custom Master Language'
Phrase Syntax
Using Phrases in Templates
Managing Languages
Adding or Editing a Language
Translating a Language
Language Quick Reference
Rebuilding All Languages
Managing Phrases
Adding or Editing a Phrase
Orphan Phrases
Search in Phrases
Downloading and Uploading Languages
Data Format
Find Updated Phrases
Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
FAQ Manager
Adding or Editing a FAQ Item
Notices
The Notices Manager
Adding and Editing Notices
Announcements
Announcement Manager
Adding or Editing an Announcement
Forums & Moderators
An Introduction to Forums
Forum Manager
Adding or Editing a Moderator
Adding or Editing a Forum
Forum Permissions
Show All Moderators
View Permissions
Podcast Settings
Thread Prefixes
Calendars
An Introduction to Calendars
Managing Calendars
Creating a New Calendar
Custom Fields
Modifying Existing Calendars
Calendar Moderators
Adding a New Moderator
Modifying Calendar Moderators
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Calendar Permissions
Usergroup Level Calendar Permissions
Calendar Level Permissions
Holiday Manager
Adding a New Holiday
Modifying Existing Holidays
Practical Examples of Calendar Permissions
A Birthdays Only Calendar
A Private Events Calendar
Threads & Posts
Mass Prune Threads
Mass Move Threads
Unsubscribe Threads
Strip Poll from Thread
Who Voted in Poll
Tags
Front-End Inline Moderation Tools
Inline Thread Moderation
Inline Post Moderation
Prune Post Edit History
Thread Prefixes
The Thread Prefix Manager
Adding or Editing a Prefix Set
Adding or Editing a Prefix
Moderation
Moderate Threads / Posts
Moderate Attachments
Moderate Events
Moderate Visitor Messages
Attachments
An Introduction to Attachments
General Attachment Settings
Message Attachment Options
Attachment Manager
Managing Extensions
Attachment Permissions
Managing Attachment Permissions
Attachment Storage Type
Moving Attachments to the Filesystem
Moving Attachments to the Database
Users
Adding or Editing a User
Quick User Links
Editing Access Masks
User Change History
Search for Users
Quick Search
Advanced Search
Search Results
Merge Users
Ban User
View Banned Users
Prune / Move Users
Private Message Statistics
Referrals
Search IP Addresses
Send Email to Users
Generate Mailing List
Access Masks
Additional Functions
Usergroups and Permissions
An Introduction to Usergroups and Permissions
Basic Concept: Inheritance
Basic Concept: Membership to Multiple Groups
Access Masks: The Overriding Permission and Another Method for Creating Exceptions
How Permissions are Applied (in a Nutshell)
Managing Usergroups
Adding or Editing a Usergroup
Join Requests
Usergroup Promotions
Adding or Editing a Promotion
Managing Forum Permissions
Additional Forum Permission Tools
Permission Duplication Tools
Permissions Quick Editor
Quick Forum Permission Setup
Practical Examples of Permission Schemes
An Announcement Forum
A Private Forum
Registration-Required Board
User Titles
An Introduction to User Titles
User Title Manager
Adding or Editing a User Title
User Infractions
An Introduction to User Infractions
Modifying User Infraction Levels
Modifying User Infraction Groups
Modifying Automatic Bans
Viewing User Infractions
Issuing User Infractions
User Ranks
An Introduction to User Ranks
Modifying User Ranks
User Ranks Example 1
User Reputation
An Introduction to User Reputation
Modifying User Reputation Levels
Viewing Reputation Comments
User Albums
Album Picture Storage Type
Rebuild Thumbnails
Custom Profile Fields
An Introduction to Custom Profile Fields
Adding a New Custom Profile Field
Single-Line Text Box
Multiple-Line Text Box
Single-Selection Radio Buttons
Single-Selection Menu
Multiple-Selection Menu
Multiple-Selection Checkbox
Modifying Existing Custom Profile Fields
Paid Subscriptions
An Introduction to Subscriptions
Payment API Manager
PayPal
NOCHEX
Worldpay
Authorize.Net
2Checkout
CCBill
Moneybookers
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Adding or Editing a Paid Subscription
Practical Example of a Paid Subscription
Subscription Manager
Manually Adding A Subscribed User
Transaction Log
Transaction Stats
Subscription Permissions
Avatars
An Introduction to Avatars
Implementing Avatars on vBulletin
Adding Avatars
Adding a Single Avatar
Adding Multiple Avatars
Avatar Management
Avatar Mass Move
Avatar Category View
Avatar Category Edit
Avatar Category Delete
Avatar Category Permissions
Uploading Avatars
User Picture Storage Type
Move User Pictures from Database to File System
Move User Pictures in a file system to the database
Move Avatars to a Different Directory
Move Profile Pictures to a Different Directory
Post Icons
Introduction to Post Icons
Implementing Post Icons on vBulletin
Adding Post Icons
Adding a Single Post Icon
Adding Multiple Post Icons
Post Icon Management
Post Icon Mass Move
Post Icon Category View
Post Icon Category Edit
Post Icon Category Delete
Post Icon Category Permissions
Uploading Post Icons
Smilies
Smilie Manager
Add New Smilie
Smilie Display Order
Upload Smilie
Custom BB Codes
An Introduction to BB Codes
BB Code Manager
Adding or Editing a BB Code
RSS Feed Posting Robot
Managing RSS Feeds
Editing RSS Feeds
Posting RSS Items as Threads
Posting RSS Items as Announcements
Saving and Previewing RSS Feeds
Scheduled Tasks
Introduction to Scheduled Tasks
Managing Scheduled Tasks
Adding or Editing a Scheduled Task
Scheduled Task Log
Plugin System
The Product Manager
Importing / Installing a Product
Temporarily Deactivating a Product
Removing / Uninstalling a Product
The Plugin Manager
Adding or Editing a Plugin
Plugin Summary View
Help! I've broken my board!
Creating a Product
Adding a Product
Writing Plugin Code
Optimizing Plugin Memory Usage
Product Dependencies
Installation & Uninstallation Code
XML-based Control Panel Navigation
XML-based Bitfield Definitions
Exporting a Product
Statistics & Logs
Statistics
Control Panel Log
Moderator Log
Scheduled Task Log
Maintenance
Repair / Optimize Tables
Update Counters
Diagnostics
Execute SQL Query
View PHP Info
Podcasting
Troubleshooting and Common Solutions
Upgrade Issues
Email Issues
Image Manipulation Issues
Blank or 'White' Pages
MySQL Issues
Common MySQL Error Messages
Link ID == False
Failure to Connect
Duplicate entry 'XXX'
Lost connection to MySQL server during query
Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket
Branding Free Instructions
Restoring the Required Copyright Notice
Appendix: Terminology
vBulletin-Related Terms
Access Mask
Admin Control Panel
Administrator
Avatar
BB Code
Buddy List
Bulletin Board
Category
Conditionals
Customer Number
Customer Password
Data APIs
Forum
Guest
Hook
Ignore List
Inline Moderation
Member
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Members' Area
Moderator
Moderator Control Panel
Plugin
Post
Post Icon
Product
Prune
Replacement Variable
Smilies
Sticky Thread
StyleVar
Super Administrator
Super Moderator
Thread
User
User Control Panel
Usergroup
General Internet-Related Terms
AJAX
Cookie
CSS
Domain
FTP
HTML
HTTP
IP Address
Javascript
Search bot
Server
Spider
SSH
Telnet
URL
XHTML
XSS
XML
Miscellaneous Terms
AIM
ASCII
CGI Shebang
COPPA
DST
FAQ
Firewall
ICQ
Import
Localhost
MSN
MySQL
PHP
phpMyAdmin
RSS Enclosure
Thumbnail
WYSIWYG
Yahoo
Appendix: Feature List
General Features
General Forum Features
Calendar Features
User Control Panel Features
Admin Control Panel Features
Appendix: Technical Documents
Securing Your vBulletin Installation
Securing Your Server
Accessing Your Server and Files
Restricting Access to Your Files
Securing your Config.php File
Moving Servers
1) Backing Up and Moving the Files
2) Backing-Up the Current Database
3) Transferring to the New Server
4) Restoring the Database on the New Server
5) Bringing it Back Online
Installing PHP and Apache
1) Downloading PHP and Apache
2) Preparing to Install Apache
3) Compiling and Installing PHP
4) Compiling and Installing Apache
5) Completing the Installation
Installing PHP under IIS using FastCGI
Installing MySQL
1) Compiling and Installing MySQL
2) Setting Up a New User for MySQL
3) Starting the MySQL Server
4) Making MySQL Start Up with Your Server
Creating a New MySQL Database for vBulletin to Use
Setting-up a MySQL Database on the Command Line
Setting-up a MySQL Database in cPanel
Setting-up a MySQL Database in Plesk
Setting-up a MySQL Database in Ensim
Backing-up your MySQL Database Manually
Backing Up The Database via SSH/Telnet
Backing Up The Database via phpMyAdmin
Restoring your MySQL Database Manually
Restoring The Database via SSH/Telnet
Restoring The Database via phpMyAdmin
The vBulletin Datastore
Using Forum, Blog or CMS in a Subdirectory.
Debug Mode
Appendix: Developer Tools
Graphics Developer Kits
vBulletin 3 Graphics Kit
Table of Sizes and Matte Classes
vBulletin 2 Graphics Kit
vBulletin Code Standards
Braces
Indenting
Loops and Branches
Use of Spaces
Quoting Strings
Quoting Array Keys
$_GET / $_POST / $_REQUEST
Boolean Function Return Values
AND/and/&& OR/or/|| etc.
Commenting Code
Variable Comparison etc.
SQL Query Syntax
'Do' Branch Naming
Function Naming
Data Managers
Programming with a Data Manager
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Data Manager Example
Advanced Data Manager Techniques
Appendix: ImpEx Import System
Planning the import
Before the import
Setting up
Attachments
Installing ImpEx
Downloading the ImpEx Package
Preparing the ImpEx files for upload
Editing the ImpEx Configuration File
ImpExConfig.php
Uploading ImpEx Scripts to Your Web Server
How to Use ImpEx
Introduction to the ImpEx core System
Importing a board
Re-running modules
Final Import Steps
Password
Now what ?
Cleaner.php
Help.php
Medium / Large imports
Quick Guide
Multiple imports.
Terminology
ImpEx systems
Tier systems list
EVE & Groupee
IPB 1.3
IPB 2
phpBB 1
phpBB2
phpBB 3
SMF
Snitz
ubb.threads 6.5
ubb.threads 7
vBulletin 2.3.11
vBulletin 3.0.17
vBulletin 3.6.4
WoltLab Burning Board 2.3.3
Ikonboard (MySQL) 3.x
List of all systems modules
CMS Importers
ImpEx FAQ
Appendix: vBulletin 2 Manual
Installing vBulletin
Downloading the vBulletin Package
Preparing the vBulletin Files for Upload
Editing the vBulletin Configuration File
config.php
Uploading vBulletin Scripts to Your Web Server
Running the vBulletin Install Script
Introduction
The Control Panel
Control Panel Options
Forum Announcements
Forums and Moderators
Adding Forums
Modifying Forums
An Introduction to Threads
Pruning Threads
Moving Threads
An introduction to User Management
Adding Users
Finding Users
Find Users by IP Address
User Referrals
Emailing Users
Generate Mailing List
An Introductions to User Titles
Adding User Titles
Modifying / Removing User Titles
User Profile Fields
Adding User Profile Fields
Modifying / Removing User Profile Fields
User Groups and Permissions
Modifying User Groups
Modifying Forum Permissions
Adding User Groups
Avatars
Adding Avatars
Uploading Avatars
Adding an Avatar
Modifying / Removing Avatars
Styles & Templates
Adding a Style Set
Icons
Smilies
Custom BB Codes
Single-Parameter BB Codes
Modifying BB Codes
Testing BB Codes
Importing data into vBulletin 2
The Import Process
Updating Counters
Stats
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System Requirements Back to Top
Note:
vBulletin does not operate on your local computer without special software being installed. Please see a tutorial on
How to run vBulletin on your PC for more information.
Minimum Requirements
vBulletin is a web-based application and as such has a few minimum requirements. To run vBulletin, you need a web
hosting provider that includes the following things:
PHP version 5.6.0 through PHP 7.1
MySQL version 5.5.0 or greater
A pre-registered domain name
200 Megabytes of hard drive space
Most hosting providers already have these applications on their servers. With the above requirements meant, the
vBulletin software will run on any operating system using any modern web server software.
Recommended Requirements
The following settings and software packages are not required but will make your vBulletin experience more
enjoyable. Your hosting provider can tell you whether these are available on your server.
cURL or OpenSSL support – Allows secure connections to third-party services like Facebook Connect.
MySQLi support – MySQLi is a more robust software library to connect to the database that vBulletin uses.
Iconv support – A library that provides extra language and character set support.
OpCode Cache – An OpCode Cache like APC or XCache will enhance the performance of your vBulletin
software. An OpCode Cache is a caching mechanism that can significantly increase the performance of
vBulletin by pre-parsing the PHP files and keeping commonly used data in memory for rapid retrieval.
Rewrite Engine – A rewrite engine is needed to use Friendly URLS. Popular rewrite engines include
mod_rewrite on Apache and URL Rewrite for IIS 7 or greater.
Once you have a web hosting package meeting the minimum requirements, you are ready to proceed with vBulletin.
For help in finding an appropriate webhosting company, please view our Hosting Options forum.
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Installing vBulletin Back to Top
The first step towards running vBulletin after you have purchased a license is to download the latest vBulletin
package, upload it to your web server and run the installer script.
The following documents will take you through this process step-by-step.
Note:
Before installing vBulletin you will need to ensure that your webhost or webserver meet the minimum system
requirements for the software.
Downloading the vBulletin Package Back to Top
The first thing you will need to do when installing vBulletin is to download the latest version from the Members'
Area.
You will need to log-in to the Members' Area using the Customer Number and Customer Password that was emailed
to you when you purchased your license.
Once logged in, you will see a list of Current Licenses. For each active license that you own, there will be a
Download vBulletin link that you can click.
Click the link for the license you want to use and you will be taken to the download page, where you will be given
options for how to download the latest vBulletin package.
By default compression is performed on the JavaScript files included within the clientscript directory in order to
reduce the size of the files. YUI Compressor is used to do this but you can choose uncompressed JavaScript files
using the option described below.
You can choose from the following options:
PHP File Extension
As a general rule, web servers will use .php as the extension for PHP scripts, but some servers may use a
different extension, or you may simply wish to use a different extension out of your own preference. Various
extensions are available here for you to choose.
Download File Format
This option allows you to choose the compression format of the package you are about to download. Most
people will want to download the .zip package as Windows® has in-built support for zip files. However, if you
are downloading the package directly to a Linux server you may prefer to use the tarball (.tar.gz) format.
CGI Shebang
This option will only be of use to you if your server runs PHP as a CGI rather than as a web server module. If
your server runs PHP as a CGI and requires a shebang (such as #!/usr/bin/php) then you can enter the required
text here and it will automatically be inserted into whichever PHP files in vBulletin require its use.
Download File
Use this option to control the contents of the package you are about to download. For example, if you have
previously installed vBulletin you will probably not need to download the images again, so you can use this
control to specify that the package you download does not contain the images directory. You can also download
the uncompressed JavaScript package with this option.
When you have set the download options you can click the Download button to start the download. When the
download prompt window appears, you should choose the Save option and choose a directory on your computer in
which to save the package.
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The package will then be downloaded and saved to the location you specified.
Preparing the vBulletin Files for Upload Back to Top
To extract the files from the package, open the folder on your computer where you saved the vBulletin package and
right-click on its icon, then choose Extract All from the pop-up menu.
This will open a wizard to guide you through the unzipping progress. Accept the default options suggested and the
system will decompress the files from the zip package.
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When the unzipping progress is complete, you will find that the process has created a new folder called upload and
another called do_not_upload.
upload - This folder contains the vBulletin files that need to be uploaded to your web server.
However, before you upload the files you must make some changes to the vBulletin configuration file. This file is
located in the includes folder (within the upload folder) and is called config.php.new.
The first thing you must do is to rename this file from config.php.new to config.php (removing the temporary .new
extension).
The second folder is do_not_upload - This folder contains tools to perform various tasks on your board
searchshell.php - This file will allow you to rebuild the search index.
vb_backup.sh - This file will allow you to run a database backup via SSH/Telnet or a scheduled backup
through cron.
tools.php - This file must be uploaded to the admincp folder and allows you to perform certain tasks should
your board go down or you accidentally lock yourself out of the Admin Control Panel. This file must be deleted
immediately after use or it will cause a SEVERE security problem.
Creating your Database Back to Top
When you install vBulletin, you are asked what database to connect to. This is where all your information is actually
stored. There are many different ways to create a database and which method you use depends on how your server is
set up. We've provided some links to common methods.
cPanel
cPanel provides a MySQL Database Wizard and this is the easiest way to create a database. You can find the
instructions for this in the cPanel Documentation here:
http://docs.cpanel.net/twiki/bin/view/AllDocumentation/CpanelDocs/DatabaseWizard
cPanel also has functionality for general care and maintanence of your database. You can find that documentation
here:
http://docs.cpanel.net/twiki/bin/view/AllDocumentation/CpanelDocs/MySQLDatabases
Plesk
Another popular web hosting control panel, Plesk aims to provide all database management within a GUI style
interface. To create a new database you would follow the instructions here:
http://download1.parallels.com/Plesk/PP11/11.0/Doc/en-US/online/plesk-customer-guide/65157.htm
Webmin
A third popular hosting control panel is Webmin. You can find basic instructions here:
http://linuxconsultant.info/tutorials/webmin-tutorial/webmin.html#mysql
GoDaddy
GoDaddy is a popular hosting service and they have their own unique control panel system. The current instructions
on how to create a database on your website is located here:
http://support.godaddy.com/help/article/36/creating-mysql-or-sql-server-databases-for-your-hosting-account
Warning:
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GoDaddy servers do not meet the minimum requirements for vBulletin 5 at this time. Also we recommend not using
GoDaddy's Windows servers with vBulletin 5.
Editing the vBulletin Configuration Files Back to Top
Before uploading the vBulletin files to your web server, you must edit the vBulletin configuration file
(includes/config.php) to tell vBulletin how to communicate with your database.
To edit the config.php file, you will need to open the file in a text editor such as Windows® WordPad. (Note that we
do not recommend that you use Windows® Notepad to edit config.php, as Notepad has problems displaying the line
breaks in some file types.)
Editing the config.php file is one of the few times in vBulletin where you will need to edit raw PHP code. The file is
heavily commented in order to help you fill in the necessary information.
Of the settings in this file, only a few need to be edited in order to create a working vBulletin configuration file. These
settings are:
$config['Database']
['dbname']
This value should be altered to state the name of the database that will contain your
vBulletin installation on the database server.
$config['Database']
['technicalemail']
An email address should be entered here. All database error messages will be forwarded to
the email address provided.
$config['MasterServer']
['servername']
This sets the address of your database server. On most installations the database server is
located on the same computer as the web server, in which case the address should be set to
'localhost', otherwise use the address of the database server as supplied by your web host.
$config['MasterServer']
['username']
This variable contains the username provided to you by your host for connecting to your
database server.
$config['MasterServer']
['password']
The password that accompanies the database username should be entered here.
Note:
Please note that Jelsoft / vBulletin Support can not provide the values you require for $config['Database']['dbname'],
$config['MasterServer']['servername'], $config['MasterServer']['username'], and $config['MasterServer']['password'].
These variables are only available from the web host providing your web/database server.
If you need to create a new database for vBulletin to use, instructions for doing so in a variety of systems are available
here.
Also note that you only edit the info to the right of the equal sign. Do NOT edit the names in the brackets to the left of
the equal sign. For instance in this line:
$config['MasterServer']['username'] = 'root';
You change 'root' to the appropriate database username and leave everything else as is.
This is correct:
$config['MasterServer']['username'] = 'your_dbusername';
This is NOT correct:
$config['MasterServer']['your_dbusename'] = 'root';
Never edit anything to the left of the equal sign.
On Yahoo Small Business Server, $config['MasterServer']['servername'] should be set to 'mysql'.
The remaining variables in config.php do not need to be edited in order to make a working vBulletin configuration.
For most, it is recommended that you do not alter them until after the installation process is complete, unless you are
confident that you know what you are doing beforehand. A description of these remaining variables follows.
$config['Database']
['dbtype']
If you are using PHP5 in combination with MySQL 4.1.x you may want to change this
variable to 'mysqli' to take advantage of the MySQL Improved engine
$config['Database']
['tableprefix']
In order to easily identify the tables related to vBulletin in your database, you may prefix
the names of all tables with a few letters or a word. For example, if you specify the
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$config['Database']['tableprefix'] as 'vb_' then all tables will be prefixed with vb_, making
vb_forum, vb_user etc.
If you choose to change your $config['Database']['tableprefix'] at some point after you have
installed your vBulletin, tools are provided to do this.
$config['Database']
['force_sql_mode']
New versions of MySQL (4.1+) have introduced some behaviors that are incompatible with
vBulletin. These behaviors are enabled by default with MySQL 5. Setting this value to
"true" disables those behaviors. You only need to modify this value if vBulletin
recommends it.
$config['MasterServer']
['usepconnect']
Setting this variable to 1 will cause PHP to use persistent connections to the MySQL
server. For very large vBulletin installations, using persistent connections may result in a
slight performance boost but in most cases leaving it set to 0 (off) is the best option. If you
are unsure, leave it set to 0
Slave Database
Configuration
These variables only apply if you have a Slave Database configured. If you are not sure,
you should leave these variables alone. This is an advanced setting!
$config['Misc']
['admincpdir']
By default, vBulletin will install the files for the Administrators' Control Panel into a folder
called admincp, but you may wish to rename this folder this for security purposes. If you
rename the folder, enter the new name here. Note that you can only rename the folder, if
you move the folder to a new location the system will be unable to function.
$config['Misc']
['modcpdir']
This variable is similar to the $admincpdir setting, with the exception that $modcpdir refers
to the Moderators' Control Panel rather than the Administrators' Control Panel.
$config['Misc']
['cookieprefix']
When vBulletin sets cookies on users' computers they will all be prefixed with a few
characters in order to be easily identified as cookies set by vBulletin. By default this prefix
is bb but you can change it to be whatever you like. This option is particularly useful if you
have many vBulletin installations running on the same domain.
$config['Misc']
['forumpath']
Some systems may require a full path to the forum files. If vBulletin does not tell you that
you need this, leave this blank.
$config['SpecialUsers']
['canviewadminlog']
All actions performed in the vBulletin Administrators' Control Panel are logged in the
database. This variable controls the permissions for which users are allowed to view this
log. The variable takes the form of a list of user IDs separated by commas. For example, if
you would like the users with user IDs 1, 15 and 16 to be able to view the Admin Log, this
variable would be set like this:
$config['SpecialUsers']['canviewadminlog'] = '1,15,16';
$config['SpecialUsers']
['canpruneadminlog']
In the same way as $config['SpecialUsers']['canviewadminlog'] controls which users can
view the Admin Log, $config['SpecialUsers']['canpruneadminlog'] controls which users are
permitted to prune (delete items from) the Admin Log. Use the same user IDs separated
with commas system as with the $config['SpecialUsers']['canviewadminlog'] setting.
$config['SpecialUsers']
['canrunqueries']
The vBulletin Administrators' Control Panel contains a simple interface for running queries
directly on the database. This variable contains the IDs of the users with permission to do
this. For security reasons you may wish to leave this list totally empty.
$config['SpecialUsers']
['undeletableusers']
If your vBulletin installation is going to have multiple users with administrative privileges,
you may wish to protect certain users from accidental (or even malicious) deletion or
editing. Any user IDs entered into this list will not be editable or deletable from the
Administrators' Control Panel by anybody.
$config['SpecialUsers']
['superadministrators']
Any users whose user IDs are specified within the $config['SpecialUsers']
['superadministrators'] setting will be automatically granted full access to all vBulletin
features, including the ability to set the permission levels of other administrators.
$config['Mysqli']
['charset']
If you need to set the default connection charset because your database is using a charset
other than latin1, you can set the charset here. If you don't set the charset to be the same as
your database, you may receive collation errors. Ignore this setting unless you are sure you
need to use it.
$config['Mysqli']
['ini_file']
PHP can be instructed to set connection parameters by reading from the file named in
'ini_file'. Please use a full path to the file. This is generally used to set the connection's
default character set. This setting should also be ignored unless you are sure you need to
use it.
Note:
The variables $config['SpecialUsers']['canviewadminlog'], $config['SpecialUsers']['canpruneadminlog'],
$config['SpecialUsers']['canrunqueries'], $config['SpecialUsers']['undeletableusers'] and $config['SpecialUsers']
['superadministrators'] should all contain a single userid number, a comma-separated list of user id numbers, or
nothing at all. For example:
$config['SpecialUsers']['canviewadminlog'] = '1,15,16';
$config['SpecialUsers']['canpruneadminlog'] = '1';
$config['SpecialUsers']['canrunqueries'] = '';
$config['SpecialUsers']['undeletableusers'] = '1,15';
$config['SpecialUsers']['superadministrators'] = '1';
Note: When editing config.php, make sure there is no whitespace or extra lines either before the <?php or after the ?>.
If there are any extra lines or space, you will see an 'Unable to add headers' error when accessing your forums.
Note:
Later versions of vBulletin may not have the ?> at the end. This is to help prevent this kind of error from happening.
Once you have finished editing your config.php file you should save it again and prepare to upload the file to your
web server.
config.php Back to Top
<?php
/*======================================================================*\
|| #################################################################### ||
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|| # vBulletin 3.6.6 - Licence Number 1a2b3c4
|| # ---------------------------------------------------------------- # ||
|| # All PHP code in this file is ©2000-2007 Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. # ||
|| # This file may not be redistributed in whole or significant part. # ||
|| # ---------------- VBULLETIN IS NOT FREE SOFTWARE ---------------- # ||
|| # http://www.vbulletin.com | http://www.vbulletin.com/license.html # ||
|| #################################################################### ||
\*======================================================================*/
/*-------------------------------------------------------*\
| ****** NOTE REGARDING THE VARIABLES IN THIS FILE ****** |
+---------------------------------------------------------+
| If you get any errors while attempting to connect to |
| MySQL, you will need to email your webhost because we |
| cannot tell you the correct values for the variables |
| in this file. |
\*-------------------------------------------------------*/
// ****** DATABASE TYPE ******
// This is the type of the database server on which your vBulletin database will be located.
// Valid options are mysql and mysqli, for slave support add _slave. Try to use mysqli if you are using PHP 5 and MySQL 4.1+
// for slave options just append _slave to your preferred database type.
$config['Database']['dbtype'] = 'mysql';
// ****** DATABASE NAME ******
// This is the name of the database where your vBulletin will be located.
// This must be created by your webhost.
$config['Database']['dbname'] = 'forum';
// ****** TABLE PREFIX ******
// Prefix that your vBulletin tables have in the database.
$config['Database']['tableprefix'] = '';
// ****** TECHNICAL EMAIL ADDRESS ******
// If any database errors occur, they will be emailed to the address specified here.
// Leave this blank to not send any emails when there is a database error.
$config['Database']['technicalemail'] = 'dbmaster@example.com';
// ****** FORCE EMPTY SQL MODE ******
// New versions of MySQL (4.1+) have introduced some behaviors that are
// incompatible with vBulletin. Setting this value to "true" disables those
// behaviors. You only need to modify this value if vBulletin recommends it.
$config['Database']['force_sql_mode'] = false;
// ****** MASTER DATABASE SERVER NAME AND PORT ******
// This is the hostname or IP address and port of the database server.
// If you are unsure of what to put here, leave the default values.
$config['MasterServer']['servername'] = 'localhost';
$config['MasterServer']['port'] = 3306;
// ****** MASTER DATABASE USERNAME & PASSWORD ******
// This is the username and password you use to access MySQL.
// These must be obtained through your webhost.
$config['MasterServer']['username'] = 'root';
$config['MasterServer']['password'] = '';
// ****** MASTER DATABASE PERSISTENT CONNECTIONS ******
// This option allows you to turn persistent connections to MySQL on or off.
// The difference in performance is negligible for all but the largest boards.
// If you are unsure what this should be, leave it off. (0 = off; 1 = on)
$config['MasterServer']['usepconnect'] = 0;
// ****** SLAVE DATABASE CONFIGURATION ******
// If you have multiple database backends, this is the information for your slave
// server. If you are not 100% sure you need to fill in this information,
// do not change any of the values here.
$config['SlaveServer']['servername'] = '';
$config['SlaveServer']['port'] = 3306;
$config['SlaveServer']['username'] = '';
$config['SlaveServer']['password'] = '';
$config['SlaveServer']['usepconnect'] = 0;
// ****** PATH TO ADMIN & MODERATOR CONTROL PANELS ******
// This setting allows you to change the name of the folders that the admin and
// moderator control panels reside in. You may wish to do this for security purposes.
// Please note that if you change the name of the directory here, you will still need
// to manually change the name of the directory on the server.
$config['Misc']['admincpdir'] = 'admincp';
$config['Misc']['modcpdir'] = 'modcp';
// Prefix that all vBulletin cookies will have
// Keep this short and only use numbers and letters, i.e. 1-9 and a-Z
$config['Misc']['cookieprefix'] = 'bb';
// ******** FULL PATH TO FORUMS DIRECTORY ******
// On a few systems it may be necessary to input the full path to your forums directory
// for vBulletin to function normally. You can ignore this setting unless vBulletin
// tells you to fill this in. Do not include a trailing slash!
// Example Unix:
// $config['Misc']['forumpath'] = '/home/users/public_html/forums';
// Example Win32:
// $config['Misc']['forumpath'] = 'c:\program files\apache group\apache\htdocs\vb3';
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$config['Misc']['forumpath'] = '';
// ****** USERS WITH ADMIN LOG VIEWING PERMISSIONS ******
// The users specified here will be allowed to view the admin log in the control panel.
// Users must be specified by *ID number* here. To obtain a user's ID number,
// view their profile via the control panel. If this is a new installation, leave
// the first user created will have a user ID of 1. Seperate each userid with a comma.
$config['SpecialUsers']['canviewadminlog'] = '1';
// ****** USERS WITH ADMIN LOG PRUNING PERMISSIONS ******
// The users specified here will be allowed to remove ("prune") entries from the admin
// log. See the above entry for more information on the format.
$config['SpecialUsers']['canpruneadminlog'] = '1';
// ****** USERS WITH QUERY RUNNING PERMISSIONS ******
// The users specified here will be allowed to run queries from the control panel.
// See the above entries for more information on the format.
// Please note that the ability to run queries is quite powerful. You may wish
// to remove all user IDs from this list for security reasons.
$config['SpecialUsers']['canrunqueries'] = '';
// ****** UNDELETABLE / UNALTERABLE USERS ******
// The users specified here will not be deletable or alterable from the control panel by any users.
// To specify more than one user, separate userids with commas.
$config['SpecialUsers']['undeletableusers'] = '';
// ****** SUPER ADMINISTRATORS ******
// The users specified below will have permission to access the administrator permissions
// page, which controls the permissions of other administrators
$config['SpecialUsers']['superadministrators'] = '1';
// ****** DATASTORE CACHE CONFIGURATION *****
// Here you can configure different methods for caching datastore items.
// vB_Datastore_Filecache - for using a cache file
// $config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Filecache';
// vB_Datastore_Memcached - for using a Memcache server
// It is also necessary to specify the hostname or IP address and the port the server is listening on
/*
$config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Memcached';
$i = 0;
// First Server
$i++;
$config['Misc']['memcacheserver'][$i] = '127.0.0.1';
$config['Misc']['memcacheport'][$i] = 11211;
$config['Misc']['memcachepersistent'][$i] = true;
$config['Misc']['memcacheweight'][$i] = 1;
$config['Misc']['memcachetimeout'][$i] = 1;
$config['Misc']['memcacheretry_interval'][$i] = 15;
*/
// ****** The following options are only needed in special cases ******
// ****** MySQLI OPTIONS *****
// When using MySQL 4.1+, MySQLi should be used to connect to the database.
// If you need to set the default connection charset because your database
// is using a charset other than latin1, you can set the charset here.
// If you don't set the charset to be the same as your database, you
// may receive collation errors. Ignore this setting unless you
// are sure you need to use it.
// $config['Mysqli']['charset'] = 'utf8';
// Optionally, PHP can be instructed to set connection parameters by reading from the
// file named in 'ini_file'. Please use a full path to the file.
// Example:
// $config['Mysqli']['ini_file'] = 'c:\program files\MySQL\MySQL Server 4.1\my.ini';
$config['Mysqli']['ini_file'] = '';
// Image Processing Options
// Images that exceed either dimension below will not be resized by vBulletin. If you need to resize larger images, alter these settings.
$config['Misc']['maxwidth'] = 2592;
$config['Misc']['maxheight'] = 1944;
/*======================================================================*\
|| ####################################################################
|| # Downloaded: 12:00, Sun Nov 26th 2007
|| # CVS: $RCSfile$ - $Revision$
|| ####################################################################
\*======================================================================*/
MySQLi Back to Top
MySQLi is an improved database layer for PHP 5 and MySQL 4.1+. It is strongly recommended that MySQLi be
used if your MySQL server is at version 4.1 or higher.
To enable MySQLi, view Editing the vBulletin Configuration File.
config.php contains two advanced settings that you may need when MySQLi is in use. These settings are to be
ignored as long as you are not having issues of the following type:
MySQL Error : Illegal mix of collations (latin1_swedish_ci,COERCIBLE) and (utf8_general_ci,IMPLICIT) for operation
Generally, this error only happens when your database's character set has been changed from the default of latin1. To
begin to resolve this problem, you must first determine what character set is being used for your database.
From the Administrator Control Panel, go to Admin CP->Maintenance->Execute SQL Query. If you receive a no
permissions message, please refer back to Editing the vBulletin Configuration File on how to grant the appropriate
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permissions so that you may execute queries.
Enter the following query in the Manual Query input box and press [Continue]
SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'char%'
The results screen will show your current character set settings:
If the values character_set_database and character_set_connection are different then this can be resolved by
continuing this solution.
Note:
If the values are the same, then your problem will not be solved by this solution. Please contact vBulletin Support in
this case. You may have tables in your database that are configured to use a different character set than your database
is. All of your tables will need to be updated to use the same character set. This condition can be caused by changing
the character set of your database after vBulletin has been installed. Upgrades may create tables that are in your new
character set, which will cause problems.
Your character_set_connection needs to be updated to be the same as your character_set_database.
Create a new file in your forums include directory named mysqli.ini. Inside of this file place:
[client]
default-character-set=utf8
The value utf8 will need to be the same value that appeared as your character_set_database in the previous step.
Generally, this will be utf8 but you may have a special case that requires a different setting.
Edit the vBulletin Configuration File file by following the instructions in the previous section.
Uncomment the following line by removing the two slashes from the beginning
// $config['Mysqli']['ini_file'] = 'c:\program files\MySQL\MySQL Server 4.1\my.ini';
Change the line to point to the location of the mysqli.ini file that you created in the previous step. Example:
$config['Mysqli']['ini_file'] = 'c:\program files\apache group\apache\htdocs\forums\includes\mysqli.ini';
If you have enabled MySQLi and entered the correct path to your new mysqli.ini file, then this problem should be
resolved.
Uploading vBulletin Scripts to Your Web Server Back to Top
After your config.php file has been edited and saved it is time to upload the vBulletin scripts to your web server ready
for installation.
The uploading process should be familiar to anyone who has published pages to a web site before, but a brief
description of the process is given here.
Although there are several methods available to transfer the vBulletin files from your computer to your web server, by
far the most common method in use is transfer via FTP. Most operating systems have built-in tools for opening FTP
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connections although they are often limited in their usefulness and many people opt to use a third party FTP client
application. For this example we will use Smart FTP.
Note:
We do not recommend using the built-in file transfer features in WYSIWYG editors such as Adobe Dreamweaver,
Adobe GoLive!, Microsoft Frontpage, or Microsoft Expressions. These programs often add information to vBulletin's
files or do not maintain their structure properly which will cause problems while installing or upgrading the software.
We also do not recommend using any web-based file managers that your hosting service may provide as a solution.
For best performance and reliability you are recommended to use a stand alone FTP client like SmartFTP or Filezilla.
The easiest way to transfer the files is to upload the entire upload folder to the server. Using Smart FTP we do this by
dragging the upload folder from its location on your computer's hard disk to the web publishing folder on the server.
Most FTP client applications will handle the file transfers automatically, but if for some reason your application does
not, you should make a note of the following:
All text files to be transferred in ASCII mode
All non-text files to be transferred in Binary mode
The remaining files, which are mostly images, should be transferred to your web server in Binary mode.
Binary file types used in vBulletin include: .gif, .png, .jpg, .ico.
Note:
The web publishing folder is usually called public_html, www or htdocs and is located within your home directory. If
you are unsure of where to find your own web publishing folder, your host will be able to help you.
Depending upon the speed of your internet connection, uploading all the files could take several minutes to complete.
After completion, you should see that the web server now contains a folder called upload containing a perfect copy of
the files in the upload folder on your computer's hard disk.
When all the files have been uploaded successfully you should rename the upload folder on the web server to the
name you want to use for your forums directory. We will be calling it forums for the purposes of this manual.
If all has gone well, you are now ready to run the installation script to prepare your database to run vBulletin.
Running the vBulletin Install Script Back to Top
The installation wizard has been rewritten in vBulletin 4.0.9. The new installation process provides a more seamless
experience without requiring as much intervention from the operator. Once all the vBulletin files have been
successfully uploaded to your web server, you will need to run the vBulletin Installation Script in order to prepare
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your database.
The Installer runs as a PHP script using your web browser. To start the installation process, open your browser and
type the HTTP address of your forums directory, followed by /install/install.php, then hit the <Enter> key or press the
[Go] button to open the script.
The first thing you will see from the install script is a log in prompt, asking you to enter your customer number. This
is done to prevent other users from accidentally stumbling across your install script and running it. Only you should
know your customer number.
Note:
Your customer number is the string of numbers and letters used as the login user name for the vBulletin Members'
Area. You should type your customer number carefully to avoid errors. Note that your customer number is not the
same as your vBulletin license number.
When you have entered your customer number, hit the [Enter Installer] button and you should be taken to the first step
of the install script. If after hitting the [Enter Installer] button you are brought back to the customer number entry
dialog, there was an error verifying your customer number. Please check for mistakes and try again.
After entering your customer number, the install wizard will begin. Press Start Install to begin.
The installer from this point is mostly automatic. You will see the progress bar progress as it goes through the steps.
During the install process, the install script will require user input. At this point it will present you with a dialog box
and ask for the information. It will ask for information up to four times. The first dialog box looks like the image
below.
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The first dialog box will ask you information about your forums. This includes the name of the forums, the name of
your homepage and the URLs that you would like to use. It will also ask for the webmaster email address. The system
will try to pre-fill some of this information for you based on the location of the script and the domain name it is
accessed from.
The second dialog box will ask for your cookie path and cookie domain. These are advanced installation parameters.
If you do not know what to enter here, leave them as the default suggestions and continue.
The third dialog box will ask for your administrator username, password, and email address. Make sure to keep record
of these as there is no way to retrieve the password in the future.
The last dialog box will only occur if you are installing the vBulletin Publishing Suite. This will ask if you want to
install the default data for the Content Management System. It is a good idea to do this if you are just getting started.
You can delete the data later.
During the installation process, you may opt to have a more detailed output view. You can view each step as it
processes by clicking the "Show Details" button while the install wizard is running. It will present you with a view
like this:
Once the installation process is complete, and you will be presented with a link to your Admin Control Panel. Before
clicking this link, you should open up your FTP client application again and browse to the install folder inside your
forums directory.
You should delete the install directory, and all of its files now as a security precaution. Once you have deleted these
files/folders you can return to the installer script and click the link to enter the Administrator Control Panel of your
freshly installed vBulletin!
Note:
You will not be able to enter the Admin Control Panel until you have deleted the install folder.
Installing the Mobile Style
Cleaning up after the Install Back to Top
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After a few pages the installation process will complete, and you will be presented with a link to your Admin Control
Panel. Before clicking this link, you should open up your FTP client application again and browse to the /install
folder inside your forums directory.
You should delete all files and subdirectories here as a security precaution. Doing so will not impact vBulletin's
operation on your site. Once you have deleted these files you can return to the installer script and click the link to
enter the Administrator Control Panel of your freshly installed vBulletin!
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Upgrading vBulletin Back to Top
From time to time it will be necessary to upgrade your vBulletin installation to the latest version, either to gain new
features or to fix newly discovered bugs in PHP, MySQL or vBulletin itself.
You can upgrade to the latest version of vBulletin 4 from the following vBulletin versions:
Any previous version of vBulletin 4, from version 4.0.0 Beta 1 to the current version.
Any version of vBulletin 3 from version 3.6.0 and newer. If your vBulletin version is older than 3.8.7, it is
recommended that you upgrade to at least vBulletin 3.8.7 before you can upgrade to vBulletin 4.
The upgrade process differs depending upon the version of vBulletin currently installed on your web server.
When upgrading, the first step is always the same, in that you must log in to the vBulletin Members' Area and
download the latest vBulletin package available, as described in the installation instructions.
Warning:
We strongly recommend that you back up your database prior to any upgrade. This will allow you to restore your data
should anything happen during the upgrade. The chance of a catastrophic failure is very remote but it can happen.
A document detailing how to back up your database is available in the Technical Documents section of the vBulletin
Manual's Appendices, here.
Preparing the vBulletin Files for Upload Back to Top
After you have successfully downloaded the vBulletin package to your computer you will need to prepare the scripts
to be uploaded to your web server.
The first thing to do is to decompress the package into its constituent files. If you downloaded the .zip package and
your computer is running a recent version of Windows® all the tools you need to do this are available as part of
Windows®. This section will assume that you have downloaded the .zip package and that your computer is running
Windows XP.
To extract the files from the package, open the folder on your computer where you saved the vBulletin package and
right-click on its icon, then choose Extract All from the pop-up menu.
This will open a wizard to guide you through the unzipping progress. Accept the default options suggested and the
system will decompress the files from the zip package.
When the unzipping progress is complete, you will find that the process has created a new folder called upload and
another called do_not_upload.
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upload - This folder contains the vBulletin files that need to be uploaded to your web server.
You should now rename the 'upload' folder to match whatever name you gave to the directory containing your
vBulletin files on your web server. In this example, the folder containing the vBulletin files is called 'forums'.
NOTE: If you have changed the names of the 'admincp' and 'modcp' directories in your config.php file, be sure to
make the same change to these subdirectories prior to uploading.
The second folder is do_not_upload - This folder contains tools to perform various tasks on your board
searchshell.php - This file will allow you to rebuild the search index.
vb_backup.sh - This file will allow you to run a database backup via SSH/Telnet or a scheduled backup
through cron.
tools.php - This file must be uploaded to the admincp folder and allows you to perform certain tasks should
your board go down or you accidentally lock yourself out of the Admin Control Panel. This file must be deleted
immediately after use or it will cause a SEVERE security problem.
Note:
As you already have a vBulletin installation running on your web server, you should delete the install.php file in the
install directory before you proceed to upload the files.
Note:
These instructions are for 3.5.0 and higher. If you are upgrading from vBulletin 3.0.x to 3.5.0, you will also need to
recreate your includes/config.php file based on the new version of includes/config.php.new. Please see this page in the
installation section on how to edit the config file. This step is not necessary for individual upgrades within the 3.0.x or
3.5.x series.
If you are upgrading from vBulletin 3.5.x to vBulletin 3.6.x or newer you do not need to edit the config.php file.
Updating the vBulletin Scripts on Your Web Server Back to Top
Having downloaded the latest vBulletin package and unzipped it to a folder, you must now prepare your web server to
accept the updated files. Before you do this you should close your forums. This will help eliminate any potential db
errors as people attempt to access your forums before the upgrade is complete.
For uploading there are two ways that this can be done.
The first method involves overwriting all the files that were previously uploaded to your web server, while the second
method involves deleting all the old files and directories, and then uploading the new scripts. In this tutorial we will
use the overwrite method.
Having renamed the upload folder as specified in the previous step, you should load up your FTP client of choice. In
this example we will use Smart FTP.
Connect to your FTP server and with the new vBulletin files in the local pane and the existing old files in the remote
pane, drag the forums directory into the parent directory of your remote vBulletin installation as shown here:
You will most likely be prompted by the FTP client at this point to ask if you want to overwrite the existing files. You
should confirm this prompt, telling the FTP client that yes, you do want to overwrite the existing files. If the prompt
gives you the option to overwrite all existing files without prompting again, use this option.
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Most FTP client applications will handle the file transfers automatically, but if for some reason your application does
not, you should make a note of the following:
All text files to be transferred in ASCII mode
All files containing plain text from the vBulletin package should be transferred in ASCII mode.
Text file types you will find in vBulletin are: .html, .php, .js, .xml, .css.
All non-text files to be transferred in Binary mode
The remaining files, which are mostly images, should be transferred to your web server in Binary mode.
Binary file types used in vBulletin include: .gif, .png, .jpg, .ico.
Warning:
It is extremely important that you upload all the files from the latest vBulletin package, including the entire contents
of the install directory.
Failure to upload all the files may result in the upgrade script being unable to successfully complete the upgrade
process.
Running the vBulletin Upgrade Script Back to Top
Once you have uploaded the files to upgrade your vBulletin installation, point your browser to
http://www.yourdomain.com/pathtoforums/install/upgrade.php. The screen will look like this:
When you have entered your customer number, hit the [Enter Installer] button and you should be taken to the first step
of the install script. If after hitting the [Enter Installer] button you are brought back to the customer number entry
dialog, there was an error verifying your customer number. Please check for mistakes and try again.
After entering your customer number, the install wizard will begin. Press Start Install to begin.
The installer from this point is almost automatic. You will see the progress bar progress as it goes through the steps.
If the upgrade script needs to retrieve any information from you, it will stop and show a dialog box requesting the
information. Follow the instructions on the screen. These dialog boxes will look similar to this -
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During the installation process, you may opt to have a more detailed output view. You can view each step as it
processes by clicking the "Show Details" button while the install wizard is running. It will present you with a view
like this:
Once the installation process is complete, and you will be presented with a link to your Admin Control Panel.
Enter the Admin Control Panel to verify that your settings, content and other details are still correct.
Installing the Mobile Style
Using the Command Line Upgrade Back to Top
Starting with vBulletin 4.0.9, you can run the upgrade script from the command line and remove the overhead of your
browser and HTTP calls. The command line interface is designed to specifically help big boards with the upgrade
process and to eliminate the time caused by HTTP interaction. To run this interface go to your install directory and
execute:
php -f upgrade.php
If you are logged in as the root user, you will need to run the upgrade as the user that the webserver runs under. This
will prevent permission problems from occurring later if you store CSS as files. Use this command:
sudo -u <user> php -f upgrade.php
Where <user> is the user that the webserver is run with. On most systems, this is the user nobody.
Your CLI version of PHP may not have been compiled with or configured to use the same modules as your web
version. If you encounter problems in command line mode, switching to the web mode should be able to process
through them. You can see your command line configuration by typing:
php -i > phpinfo.txt
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You can then review the output in any text editor. You should inspect this configuration to make sure that it has mysql
and/or mysqli available so you can connect to the database. You would also need to make sure that the command line
version of PHP has XML support. If it does not, then you would need to run the XML imports from the Browser.
Common Issues While Upgrading. Back to Top
Q. I tried to run the upgrade wizard from the command line and got an error that MySQLi is not installed.
A. Your CLI version of PHP may not have been compiled with the same modules as your web version. If you are
missing mysqli and have set your config.php to use mysqli, you will receive an immediate error. Either add mysqli
support to your CLI php or switch to mysql in config.php. You can switch back to mysqli after the upgrade process.
Q. When running the upgrade wizard from the command line, it will not import the standard XML files for the
style and languages. What do I do?
A. Your version of PHP may have the default XML support disabled for some reason. Run the upgrade wizard in your
browser. It will skip to the XML import steps and import your files for you and complete the upgrade.
Q. I have a lot of posts and rebuilding the search index takes forever. Is there a faster way?
It is recommended that large community sites use our Sphinx Search to index and search their content. This is a fast
and robust search solution. If for some reason, you cannot use this search option, you can rebuild your search index
from the command line using the searchindex.php in your Do Not Upload folder. You would run the searchindex.php
file from the command line using this command:
php searchindex.php
Follow the steps on the screen.
Q. What is the Query Status button that appears in Browser Mode?
A. The "Query Status" button is something that appears after a step has taken more than 20 seconds. Its purpose it to
send a query back to the server and retrieve the status of the executing query. It provides a method for the admin to see
what is going on with big queries.
Q. I receive an error similar to the following how do I fix it?
Warning: chdir(): SAFE MODE Restriction in effect. The script whose uid is 0 is not allowed to access ./../ owned by uid 10001 in /var/www/vhosts/domain.co
A. This can appear if the command line configuration of PHP is using safemode. Either disable safemod or run the
upgrade wizard in browser mode.
Q. I previously used the Command Line Upgrade and now I receive an error when I try to save my CSS as files.
What is wrong?
The permissions on your clientscript/vbulletin_css folder are incorrect. They may be set to 0755 and should be set to
0777. Recursively update the permissions to 0777 using your FTP client or chmod.
Cleaning up after your Upgrade Back to Top
After the upgrade process is complete, you will be presented with a link to your Admin Control Panel. Before clicking
this link, you should open up your FTP client application again and browse to the installl folder inside your forums
directory.
You should delete all files and subdirectories here as a security precaution. Doing so will not impact vBulletin's
operation on your site. Once you have deleted these files you can return to the installer script and click the link to
enter the Administrator Control Panel of your freshly installed vBulletin!
Checking for Updated Templates Back to Top
If you have closed your forums for the upgrade you can now open them, or you can wait until you have gone through
the next two steps checking for updated templates and phrases.
When a new version of vBulletin is released, it is common for some of the default templates to have been updated to
accommodate new features or fix bugs.
If you have not customized any of your templates, this need not concern you, but if you have customized some of the
default templates there are a few steps you will need to follow after you have finished running all the appropriate
upgrade scripts.
Note:
When running vBulletin upgrade scripts, one of the final steps imports the newest version of the default style.
Any templates that you have not customized will automatically be updated to use the newest versions.
However, any templates that you have customized will not be altered or overwritten by importing the latest style,
hence the need for the following steps.
1 Firstly, you should visit the Styles & Templates > Find Updated Templates page to find out which (if any) of your
customized templates may have updated default versions.
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2 If you find that some of your customized templates do have updated default versions, you have three choices. You
can either
Do nothing and hope that your customized templates will still work properly with the new vBulletin
version. This is often not a problem, but sometimes a variable may have been renamed or else some other
change may have been made that will render your customized template dysfunctional.
Click the [Revert] link for each template, removing your customizations to ensure that your templates are
fully compatible with the new vBulletin version.
Click on the [Edit Template] link for each template, and compare the contents of your customized template
with the version available by clicking the [View Original] in order to manually update your customized
templates to reflect the changes made in the default templates.
On the release of a new vBulletin version, the release announcement posted in the Announcements Forum at
vBulletin.com will usually contain a list of updated templates.
This list will often tell you whether or not the changes made to each template were purely cosmetic, in which case you
will have no need to perform the steps above for that template, or if the changes require you to revert or manually edit
your customized templates to maintain full working order.
vBulletin Template Diff/Merge System Back to Top
One of the most common complaints about vBulletin's upgrade process is applying the template changes. While the
template history feature helped a little bit, it didn't go far enough. vBulletin 4.0 will introduce a feature to make
applying template changes much easier: automatic merging and 3-way comparison.
Whenever you upgrade, we will automatically look for templates that have changed and see if you customized those
templates. If you have, we will automatically try to merge the changes in. If this succeeds, you won't have anything
else to do (in most cases). If it fails, your customized template won't be updated--like in vBulletin 3--and you'll have
to apply the changes yourself. However, that process is improved as well. More on that later.
Roughly, the merging process goes like this:
[*]Find the differences between the old default and the new default. ("old-new")
[*]Find the differences between the old default and your customized version. ("old-custom")
[*]Start walking through the template. If we find a changed spot in old-new but it's not changed in old-custom, use the
old-new version. If we find a change in old-custom but not old-new, use the old-custom version. If neither changed,
use either. If both changed, that's a conflict and we can't do the merge.
Most of this happens behind the scenes. However, you'll see some changes to the "Find Update Templates" screen:
The "View Highlighted Changes" link will take you to this page:
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This lets you view the 3-way merge results visually. The yellow lines indicate areas changed by merging, while the
red blocks indicate conflicts. The conflicting areas show you the values in all 3 versions of the template (old, new,
customized) to let you choose how to resolve it.
Of course, trying to do the edit from this page would be a challenge, so if you click the "Edit Merged Text" link, you'll
be taken to a normal looking template editor:
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However, the text that you're editing is slightly different from the norm. Any unchanged or merged areas are as you'd
expect, but the output from a conflict is very different. All 3 possible values for a conflict will be shown, so you can
resolve it correct. And don't worry, if you try to save it while there's still a conflict, it will warn you.
It should be noted that the automatic merging is pretty conservative. "Adjacent updates" (when a customized version
adds a line immediately after a line that was changed) will trigger a conflict. In some cases, it'd be ok for this merge to
go through, but there are other situations where things would break if the change were applied. Regardless, the new
conflict management system should allow you to resolve the problem more quickly.
Checking for Updated Phrases Back to Top
When a new version of vBulletin is released, it is common for some of the default phrases to have been updated to
accommodate new features or fix bugs.
If you have not customized any of your phrases, this need not concern you, but if you have customized some of the
default phrases, there are a few steps you will need to follow after you have finished running all the appropriate
upgrade scripts.
Note:
When running vBulletin upgrade scripts, one of the final steps imports the newest version of the default phrases.
Any phrases that you have not customized will automatically be updated to use the newest versions.
However, any phrases that you have customized will not be altered or overwritten by importing the latest phrases,
hence the need for the following steps.
1 Firstly, you should visit the Languages & Phrases > Find Updated Phrases page to find out which (if any) of your
customized phrases may have updated default versions.
2 If you find that some of your customized phrases do have updated default versions, you can either:
Do nothing and hope that your customized phrases will still work properly with the new vBulletin version.
This is often not a problem, but sometimes the phrase may have added text to describe new functionality or
have made changes that break the values in the old version.
Click on the [Edit] link for each phrases, and compare the contents of your customized phrase with the
version available. From this page, you may either update your customized version or revert to the default
version by emptying the translation field.
How to Patch Your Site Back to Top
What is a Patch Level? How does it differ from a full release?
A patch level release contains fixes for only the most critical issues in the previous release. In most cases, these are
released to address a security issue. However they can be released for data integrity issues as well.
A patch level is designed to be installed directly over top of your existing installation, with no other action. You do
not need to run any upgrade scripts.
How to Upgrade
This is not a full upgrade. You do not need to run any upgrade scripts to complete the upgrade.
Patch: Download a patch file discussed in this thread and upload them to your web server, overwriting the existing
files. All patches are available from the Members' Area patch page.
Patch Packages are cumulative so you only need the latest one available for your version. You cannot use a Patch to
upgrade your site.
Full Package: Alternatively you can download the full package in the vBulletin Members Area and again upload the
affected files mentioned in the release thread.
Note:
Patch Level Releases are only supported for their targeted version. If you are using a previous version, you will need
to perform a complete upgrade for full functionality and support. Patch Levels will only be released for the latest
version in an active vBulletin series.
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The Admin Control Panel Back to Top
The Administrator Control Panel is the area of your board that only administrators and super moderators can access.
From here you can control almost all factors of your board.
Logging-in to the Control Panel Back to Top
The vBulletin Admin Control Panel can be accessed by pointing your browser at
http://www.example.com/forums/admincp/.
The first thing you will see when you access the Control Panel is a prompt to log in. You will be presented with this
login prompt even if you are already logged into the public area of the board. This is an additional level of security.
To log in, simply enter the username and password of a user account with administrator privileges, such as the one
you created towards the end of the installation script process.
There are a couple of extra options that can be set on the login form. To see them, click the [Options] button to expand
the form to its full size.
The two options you can set from the login form are:
Style Choice
vBulletin comes with a selection of styles in which you can view the control panel. Try them out and see which
one you like best, or if you are feeling adventurous, create your own!
Save Open Groups Automatically
This option allows you to have the system automatically save your preferences for which options in the Admin
CP navigation panel are opened and which are collapsed by default, without you having to manually save the
preferences.
Clicking the [Log in] button will submit the login details and options you have set, and log you in to the board.
Note:
If you changed the value of $admincpdir in the config.php file and have renamed the admincp directory, the location
at which you access the control panel will have changed accordingly.
Getting Around the Admin Control Panel Back to Top
The first thing you will see when you log into the Admin Control Panel is the welcome page. This page contains a
quick method to search for users, some useful links and the vBulletin credits.
You will notice that the Admin Control Panel is divided into three distinct areas. The first and most obvious of these is
the main panel, which currently shows the welcome page. This area (the main panel) is where the majority of your
attention will be focused when administering your board.
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At the top of the page is a narrow strip that contains information about the vBulletin version you are currently running
and the latest version available to download. To the right of the strip are links allowing you to click through to the
Forum Home Page (the starting point of the public area of the board), and a link allowing you to log out of the control
panel.
To the left of the page is the navigation panel. This long, thin area is the key to getting
around the Admin CP. When you first visit the Admin CP, you will notice that all the
sections of this panel are in a collapsed state.
You can click the gadget on each section to expand it and show its contents, and click
the gadget again to collapse that section again. Double-clicking a section's title will
also toggle its state and either expand or contract it.
You can expand and collapse any sections at any time. You are not limited to having
just a single group expanded at any one time.
When you have a section or sections expanded, hovering your mouse over the included
links will highlight that link. You can then click to open the corresponding page in the
main panel.
You can use the expanding and contracting sections to build a customized control panel
layout for yourself. For example, you may find that you regularly use the 'Styles &
Templates' tools, but very infrequently use the FAQ manager.
When you have established a set of expanded and collapsed sections that suits your
way of working, you can save the state of the sections by clicking the [Save Prefs] link.
When you reload the Admin CP, you will find that the sections in the left navigation
panel will have automatically expanded and collapsed in the manner that they were
when you clicked the [Save Prefs] link.
You can expand and collapse any section in your administration session, and at any
time you can click the [Revert Prefs] link, which will revert the expanded/collapsed
state of all the sections to how they were when you saved your preferences.
If at any time you want to return to the welcome page of the Admin CP, clicking the [Control Panel Home] link at the
top of the navigation panel will do this.
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Settings Back to Top
This part of the documentation will go over the individual options and settings in vBulletin section by section.
Options Back to Top
Turn Your vBulletin On and Off Back to Top
This setting group from the Settings > Options will allow the Administrator to close the forums to the public with a
custom message or set it active. This is a usefull feature when performing serious forum or database maintenance,
version updates or bug fixing.
Only users in the Administrator usergroup will be able to browse the site, visitors will be presented with a closed
message which you can set in this setting group.
Forum Active
From time to time, you may want to turn your forum off to the public while you perform maintenance, update
versions, etc.
Selecting 'Yes' will set the forum Active.
Selecting 'No' will set the forum Inactive (turns it off for the public).
When the forum is set Inactive users in the Administrator usergroup will be able to browse the forum. They will
see a notice displayed in the header and footer of each page stating that the forum is closed. Visitors who
browse any page on the forum will receive a message that states that the forum is temporarily unavailable. You
could set a custom message.
Do not forget to set the forum active again when you are done with your maintenance.
Reason For Turning Forum Off
When you have set your forum to inactive, this is the message that a visitor will receive when they browse any
page on the forum.
Note:
This field expects the use of HTML code.
You can not use BBCode here.
Site Name / URL / Contact Details Back to Top
Settings > Options > Site Name / URL / Contact Details
After a fresh installation or upgrade, server or site move it is advised to walk through these site details setting group to
ensure they are up to date.
Forum Name - Name of your forum. This appears in the title of every page.
Forum URL - URL of your forum.
Note: do not add a trailing slash. ("/")
Homepage Name - Name of your homepage. This appears at the bottom of every page.
Always use Forum URL as Base Path
If this is set to 'Yes' the Forum URL will always be used for links instead of the current URL. This ensures that
links are consistent but may not be desirable if you use multiple domains or a mix of http and https.
Show Forum Link in Menu
If this is set to 'Yes' a link to the Forum will be displayed in the navigation menu on every page.
Homepage URL -URL of your home page. This appears at the bottom of every page.
Contact Us Link - Link for contacting the site admin. To use the built-in email form, specify sendmessage.php
otherwise use something such as 'mailto:webmaster@example.com' or your own custom form. This appears at
the bottom of every page.
Allow Unregistered Users to use 'Contact Us' - The last option only applies if you specify 'sendmessage.php'
in the previous option. You may require guests to pass Human Verification in order to use this form by enabling
the option found in the Human Verification Options.
Contact Us Options - You may pre-define subjects (and corresponding recipients) for users to pick from when
using the default Contact Us form listed above. Please place one subject per line. An 'Other' option will be
automatically added to the end when the form is viewed. For more information on how to set this up, view the
inline help within the Admin Control Panel
Webmaster's Email - Email address of the webmaster. This can be different than the technical contact listed in
the includes/config.php. This is the person who will receive all emails from vBulletin itself except for database
errors.
Privacy Statement URL - Enter the URL of your privacy statement, if you have one.
For more information on Privacy Policies check out http://www.truste.org.
Copyright Text - Copyright text to insert in the footer of the page.
Company Name - The name of your company. This is required for COPPA compliance.
Company Fax - Fax number for your company. COPPA forms will be faxed to this number.
You may wish to check out http://www.efax.com.
Company Address - Address of your company. COPPA forms will be posted to this address.
Content Management Back to Top
Settings > Options > Content Management
Here you can set the values for the content management portion of your site. Please note that this section will only
appear if you have the Publishing Suite installed.
CMS URL
Optional URL for your CMS.
If this is specified it will override the Forum URL setting for CMS pages. You may specify an absolute URL or
a URL relative to your Forum URL
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Examples:
http://www.example.com
http://www.example.com/cms
../
Note:
This may be specified to change the base URL for all CMS links. This is useful if you run the CMS from a
location that differs from your Forum URL.
You may specify an absolute URL such as http://www.example.com/, or a URL relative to your Forum URL. If
your forum is in /forum and your CMS is at the root of your webserver then you may use ../. If you use an
absolute URL the option Always use Forum URL as Base Path will have no effect for CMS pages, and the
CMS url specified will always be used. If you wish to run your CMS from a location other than your Forum
URL then you must ensure that the appropriate entry scripts have been set up.
Create the following files. Be sure to replace 'your_forum_path' with the actual path to your vBulletin
installation. For example, if your CMS will be at http://www.example.com/ and your forums at
http://www.example.com/forums/, then replace 'your_forum_path' with 'forums'.
content.php
<?php
define(VB_RELATIVE_PATH, 'your_forum_path');
chdir('./' . VB_RELATIVE_PATH);
require('content.php');
editor.php
<?php
define(VB_RELATIVE_PATH, 'your_forum_path');
chdir('./' . VB_RELATIVE_PATH);
require('editor.php');
list.php
<?php
define(VB_RELATIVE_PATH, 'your_forum_path');
chdir('./' . VB_RELATIVE_PATH);
require('list.php');
widget.php
<?php
define(VB_RELATIVE_PATH, 'your_forum_path');
chdir('./' . VB_RELATIVE_PATH);
require('widget.php');
index.php PLEASE NOTE: The index.php file uses require('content.php'), not require('index.php')
<?php
define(VB_RELATIVE_PATH, 'your_forum_path');
chdir('./' . VB_RELATIVE_PATH);
require('content.php');
Default Page
If a user visits your CMS site without specifying a page, they will view this page. It should consist of the page
number, dash, then the seo url you assigned that page. For example: '1-home-page'. An incorrect value here can
prevent CMS from functioning.
CMS Name
Name of your CMS. This appears in the title of every CMS page.
Site Tab URL
The URL used by the CMS Tab in the main navigation menu.
Associated Forum for Comments
The forum to use for CMS item comment threads. Note, if you change this value to a different Forum then you
will need to manually move any existing threads to the new forum.
General Settings Back to Top
Use the Settings > Options > General Settings setting group to control several general aspects of your board.
This ranges from meta tags to the use of forumjump, enabling access masks to the display of IM icons.
Meta Keywords
Enter the meta keywords for all pages. These are used by search engines to index your pages with more
relevance.
Meta Keywords are used by some search engines to determine what your pages are about and to rank them.
Other search engines such as Google do not take keywords into account.
All keywords you enter here will be put in the keywords meta tag in the header of every page. Separate
keywords or phrases with a single comma and no space.
Example: vbulletin,forum,bbs,discussion,jelsoft,bulletin board
Meta Description
Enter the meta description for all pages. This is used by search engines to index your pages more relevantly.
The Meta Description is used by some search engines to determine what your pages are about and to rank them.
Other search engines such as Google do not take the description into account.
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Enter a short description of your site here and it will be placed in the meta description tag in the header of every
page. Most engines will accept a maximum of 255 characters for the description.
Example: This is a discussion forum powered by vBulletin. To find out about vBulletin, go to
http://www.vbulletin.com/ .
Use Forum Jump Menu
The Forum Jump menu appears by default on most pages and provides a quick jump to any of the forums on
your forum as well as several other places (search, private messaging, etc.). While it can have a marginal impact
on performance, typically you will only want to disable this if you have an extremely large number of forums as
it will generate a large amount of HTML in that case, which will increase the size of pages and bandwidth
usage.
Set this option to 'no' if you want to turn it off.
Number of Pages Visible in Page Navigator
On thread and forum pages, as well as private messaging lists and other places, if there are multiple page
number links to be displayed, this setting determines how many are shown on either side of the page currently
being viewed. Setting this to 0 will cause all page links to be displayed.
Example: 3
Enable Access Masks
Access masks allow you to enable or disable access to a particular forum for individual user(s). To use them,
you must enable this option. This option also affects whether or not users will be able to see forums they do not
have access to on forumhome and forumdisplay. (If this is off, they will see them in forum listings but not be
able to enter them. If this is on, they will not see them at all.)
Set this option to 'no' if you want to turn it off.
Show Instant Messaging Program Icons
Setting this option to yes will show the images for ICQ, AIM, MSN, and Yahoo! Messenger if the user has
entered the correct information in his/her profile. These links are shown in various places through out the
forum, on posts, who's online, memberlist, profile, etc. When set to no the information will be displayed in their
profile in the form of text.
Add Template Name in HTML Comments
Setting this to 'yes' will add the template name at the beginning and end of every template rendered on any page.
This is useful for debugging and analyzing the HTML code, but turn it off to save bandwidth when running in a
production environment.
When modifying templates, it is often helpful to have this setting enabled so you can view the source of a page
to determine what template(s) control it. In the course of normal usage, however, you will usually want this
disabled as it will increase your page sizes and therefore bandwidth usage.
When you are done, click the [Save] button to apply the changes.
Facebook Options Back to Top
vBulletin allows people to connect with your site and register using their Facebook credentials. This is called
Facebook Connect. To set the options for this you would go to Settings > Options > Facebook Options
Enable Facebook Platform
Enabling this option will allow users to connect their vBulletin account with their Facebook account. This will
also populate your site with Open Graph meta data. Note: users must have Javascript enabled for this feature to
work.
Facebook Application ID
Enter the Application ID for your Application (see the Facebook Developer page for more information).
Facebook Secret
Enter the Facebook Secret for your Application (see the Facebook Developer page for more information).
Facebook Usergroup
If you want, you may specify a secondary usergroup for Facebook users. Note: All users who connect with
facebook from this point on will be members of this usergroup. This will not be applied retroactively to users
who have previously connected to facebook.
Enable Auto-Register
Enabling this option will allow user to skip the registration form, and register through a simplified two-click
process. Note: Using this feature will disable Forum Rules Agreement, Coppa registration, email verification, as
well as any custom required fields from the registration form.
Image URL
Specify a URL for an image that you want to represent your site. This image will appear next to published
content in a user's newsfeed, as well as be used to represent your site in the Open Graph schema. Leave this
blank if you do not want to have an image.
Publish to Facebook - New Thread
Enabling this feature will allow users to publish a notification to their Facebook wall when they start a new
thread.
Publish to Facebook - Post Reply
Enabling this feature will allow users to publish a notification to their Facebook wall when they reply to a
thread.
Publish to Facebook - Blog Entry
Enabling this feature will allow users to publish a notification to their Facebook wall when they post a new blog
entry.
Publish to Facebook - Blog Comment
Enabling this feature will allow users to publish a notification to their Facebook wall when they comment on a
blog post.
Publish to Facebook - New Article
Enabling this feature will allow users to publish a notification to their Facebook wall when they publish a CMS
article.
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Publish to Facebook - Article Comment
Enabling this feature will allow users to publish a notification to their Facebook wall when they comment on a
CMS article.
Like Button - Threads
Enabling this option will make a "Like" button appear on all threads. Users will then be able to "Like"
individual threads. Note: users do not have to have Facebook linked accounts to use this feature.
Like Button - Blog Entries
Enabling this option will make a "Like" button appear on all blog entries. Users will then be able to "Like"
individual blog posts. Note: users do not have to have Facebook linked accounts to use this feature.
Like Button - CMS Articles
Enabling this option will make a "Like" button appear on all CMS Articles. Users will then be able to "Like"
individual CMS Articles. Note: users do not have to have Facebook linked accounts to use this feature.
Enabling Facebook Back to Top
Create new application on facebook.com (Required for each vB installation)
1. Goto: http://developers.facebook.com/apps, and login
2. Click “Create New App” (top-right)
3. Enter an appropriate App Name, click “Continue”
4. Do their Security Check, click “Submit”
5. On the page that comes up, click “Web Site” from the list on the bottom
6. In the “Site URL” input, enter the URL of the forum root for your vB installation. This should be exactly the same
as your Forum URL setting in the Admin CP.
7. Click “Save Changes”
8. Make a note of the “Application ID,” and “Application Secret,” we will need these later.
Enable Facebook Connect on your vB installation
1. Goto your vB site, and login to the admincp
2. Goto “Settings”->”Options”->”Facebook Options” and click “Edit Settings"
3. Check “Yes” for “Enable Facebook Connect”
4. Enter “Application ID” and “Facebook Secret” from the Facebook Developer page
5. Click “Save”
6. Facebook should now be enabled and working
Image Settings Back to Top
The Settings > Options > Image Settings setting group allows you to control how vBulletin processes images for
uploading and handles image verification.
Allow Image Size Checking Failure
On some servers, calls to getimagesize() to check image dimensions may fail for currently unknown reasons. If
you are affected by this, you will want to set this option to 'Yes', otherwise you will not be able to upload
images (avatars or attachments). However, users may be able to get around your image dimension limits!
Image Processing Library
vBulletin provides two options for manipulating attachment thumbnails, custom avatars, and profile pictures.
The first is GD, which is bundled with PHP 4.3.0 and later and often available with earlier releases. The GD
v2+ library is preferable to the v1+ library so always choose v2 if you're given the opportunity by your host. GD
supports the following file types: GIF, JPEG, and PNG.
Note:
The GD Libraries may have to be manually activated when using PHP installed on Windows.
The second supported library is ImageMagick v6 by ImageMagick Studio LLC. ImageMagick is an executable
binary that must be installed at the server level to be called by PHP. Only the identify and convert binaries from
ImageMagick are required by vBulletin. ImageMagick supports the following file types: GIF, JPEG, PNG,
BMP, TIFF, and PSD. ImageMagick also has better support for handling animated GIF.
Image Verification Library
This is similar to the option above but it chooses the Image Manipulation Library for inline image verification.
These verification images can be enabled for registration and the Contact Us forms. ImageMagick requires a
valid font to be listed in the option below.
GD Version
Version of GD installed on your server. You can find the version by searching for 'GD' on your phpinfo() output.
GD Font
You can specify a true type font for the GD image verification to use. Use the full path to the file if you have
problems, including the .ttf extension.
ImageMagick Binary Path
Path to the ImageMagick 6 binaries (convert and identify). Example:
Unix: /usr/local/bin/
Windows: C:\imagemagick\
ImageMagick Font
This shows a list of fonts that were identified on your system. . Please choose one font for usage by the Image
Verification system. If no fonts are listed, then a list of fonts could not be obtained. Please verify your
ImageMagick path in this event.
Note: Not all listed fonts may work so keep choosing a font until you find one you like. ImageMagick must
have freetype support compiled in.
Generate PNG Thumbnails
On some installations, the creation of PNG thumbnails (with GD) will fail due to incompatible libraries.
This only applies if GD is your chosen image library.
When you are done, click the [Save] button to apply the changes.
Human Verification Options Back to Top
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Use the Settings > Options > Human Verification Options setting group to control where human verification is
required on your forum in conjunction with the Human Verification configuration settings.
Verify at Registration
New users will be required to pass the Human Verification test during registration.
Verify Guest Posts
Guest posters will be required to pass the Human Verification test before their messages are posted.
Verify Guest Searches
Searches by guests will be required to pass the Human Verification test before searching is executed.
Verify Guest Contact Us
Guests will be required to pass the Human Verification test before leaving feedback. This only applies if
sendmessage.php is being used as the Contact Us Link and Guests are allowed to use Contact Us in Site Name /
URL / Contact Details
When you are done, click the [Save] button to apply the changes.
Date and Time Options Back to Top
The vBulletin Options > vBulletin Options > Date and Time Options setting group is used to define the way dates and
times are displayed on certain sections of the board in what way and how they should behave.
Datestamp Display Option
This option controls the display of dates throughout your forum
'Normal' uses the date and time formats below this option.
'Yesterday / Today' will show 'Yesterday' and 'Today' for dates that fall in those periods.
'Detailed' will show times such as '1 Minute Ago', '1 Hour Ago', '1 Day Ago', and '1 Week Ago'.
Default Time Zone Offset
Time zone offset for guests and new users. Do not take DST into consideration, rather use the next option to
enable/disable DST.
Enable Daylight Savings
If Daylight Savings Time is currently in effect for the above time zone, enable this option so that guests will see
the correct times on posts and events. This has no effect on registered users as they control their DST options in
the User CP. This setting is not automatic and it will need to be changed when the timezone changes twice a
year.
Format For Date
Format in which the date is presented on vBulletin pages.
Examples:
US Format (e.g., 04-25-98): m-d-y
Expanded US Format (e.g., April 25th, 1998): F jS, Y
European Format (e.g., 25-04-98): d-m-y
Expanded European Format (e.g., 25th April 1998): jS F Y
Format For Time
Format in which the time is presented on all vBulletin pages.
Examples:
AM/PM Time Format (eg, 11:15 PM): h:i A
24-Hour Format Time (eg, 23:15): H:i
Format For Registration Date
This is used to format dates shown with users' posts. In the left hand column of a topic display, under the
username and title, there is some text showing when the user registered.
Format For Birthdays with Year Specified
Format of date shown in profile when user gives their birth-year.
Format For Birthdays with Year Unspecified
Format of user's birthday shown on profile when the user does not specify their birth-year. DO NOT put in a
code for the year.
Log Date Format
Format of dates shown in Control Panel logs.
Note:
Date and Time formats follow PHP formatting rules. You can find out more about these rules by visiting the PHP
manual.
For information on date and time formats in PHP please visit the following page: http://www.php.net/manual-
lookup.php?function=date
When you are done, click the [Save] button to apply the changes.
Cookie and HTTP Header Options Back to Top
The Settings > Options > Cookies and HTTP Header Options setting group allows you to control the cookie settings,
gzip compression, HTTP headers and redirect messages options.
Time-Out for Cookie
This is the time in seconds that a user must remain inactive before any unread posts are marked read. This
setting also controls how long a user will remain on Who's Online after their last activity.
Path to Save Cookies
The path to which the cookie is saved. If you run more than one forum on the same domain, it will be necessary
to set this to the individual directories of the forums. Otherwise, just leave it as / .
Please note that your path should always end in a forward-slash; for example '/forums/', '/vbulletin/' etc.
Warning:
Entering an invalid setting can leave you unable to login to your forum. Only change this setting if you
absolutely need to do so.
Cookie Domain
This option sets the domain on which the cookie is active. The most common reason to change this setting is
that you have two different urls to your forum, i.e. example.com and forums.example.com. To allow users to
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stay logged into the forum if they visit via either url, you would set this to .example.com (note the domain
begins with a dot.
Warning:
You most likely want to leave this setting blank as entering an invalid setting can leave you unable to login to
your forum.
GZIP HTML Output
Selecting yes will enable vBulletin to GZIP compress the HTML output of pages, thus reducing bandwidth
requirements. This will be only used on clients that support it, and are HTTP 1.1 compliant. There will be a
small performance overhead.
Note:
This feature requires the ZLIB library.
If you are already using mod_gzip on your server, do not enable this option.
GZIP Compression Level
Set the level of GZIP compression that will take place on the output. 0=none; 9=max.
We strongly recommend that you use level 1 for optimum results.
Add Standard HTTP Headers
This option does not work with some combinations of web server, so is off by default. However, some IIS
setups may need it turned on.
It will send the 200 OK HTTP headers if turned on.
Add No-Cache HTTP Headers
Selecting yes will cause vBulletin to add no-cache HTTP headers. These are very effective, so adding them may
cause server load to increase due to an increase in page requests.
Remove Redirection Message Pages
Enabling this option will remove the update pages that are displayed after a user makes a post, starts a search,
etc. These pages provide assurance to the user that their information has been processed by the forum. Disabling
these pages will save you bandwidth and may lessen the load of the forum on your server.
Note:
Some pages will still use the redirection page when cookies are involved to prevent some potential problems.
When you are done, click the [Save] button to apply the changes.
Server Settings and Optimization Options Back to Top
The Settings > Options > Server Settings and Optimization Options setting group lets you control the server settings
to optimize display of posts through post cache, your email sending options and several other options and settings that
is definitely worth to walk through and setup.
Public phpinfo() Display Enabled
If you enable this option, anyone can view your phpinfo() page by adding &do=phpinfo to a forum URL.
vBulletin Support may ask you to temporarily enable this to help diagnose problems if you request technical
support. Otherwise, we recommend turning it off.
Cached Posts Lifespan
Posts are normally stored with bbcode tags etc. in the same form as the user posted them with so that it may be
edited later, and then parsed at display time. By caching them, they are parsed at post time (instead of display
time) into the HTML they will be displayed in and stored separately from the pre-parsed posts. This results in a
faster display on topics, since the posts do not have to be parsed at display time.
This option determines how long posts are stored. While a post is cached, it will take approximately twice as
much storage space since it is essentially being stored twice. If you have a busy site, and topics typically don't
last very long, you can probably set this to a lower value such as 10 days. If you have a slower site, and topics
typically last longer, 20 to 30 days might be a better choice. If you have the disc space, you can set this to a
higher value for better performance.
Update Thread Views Immediately
If you enable this option, the thread view counter for a thread will be updated in realtime as threads are viewed.
Otherwise, they will be stored and updated every hour (by default) en masse. We recommend disabling this
option for larger or busier forums as updating them in realtime can have a performance impact.
Update Attachment Views Immediately
If you enable this option, the attachment view counter for an attachment will be updated in realtime as
attachments are viewed. Otherwise, they will be stored and updated every hour (by default) en masse. We
recommend disabling this option for larger or busier forums as updating them in realtime can have a
performance impact.
Simultaneous Sessions Limit
Set this to the maximum number of simultaneous sessions that you want to be active at any one time. If this
number is exceeded, new users are turned away until the server is less busy.
Set this to 0 to disable this option.
*NIX Server Load Limit
vBulletin can read the overall load of the server on certain *NIX setups (including Linux).
This allows vBulletin to determine the load on the server and processor, and to turn away further users if the
load becomes too high. If you do not want to use this option, set it to 0. A typical level would be 5.00 for a
reasonable warning level.
Safe Mode Upload Enabled
If your server has Safe Mode enabled, you should set this to Yes. You can determine if Safe Mode is enabled by
viewing your phpinfo page and searching for Safe Mode.
Safe Mode Temporary Directory
If your server is running in PHP Safe Mode, you'll need to specify a directory that is CHMOD to 777 that will
act as a temporary directory for uploads. All files are removed from this directory after database insertion.
Note:
Do NOT include the trailing slash ('/') after the directory name.
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Duplicate Search Index Information on Topic Copy?
It is not strictly necessary to index a copied topic since the original topic is already indexed. However, you may
wish to index copied topics for the sake of completeness. Setting this option to yes will cause search index
information to be copied with each post in the topic. This allows the copied version of the topic to be searchable
as well. However, on larger boards, this may cause significant delays in copying a topic. If this is a problem for
you, we recommend disabling this option.
When you are done, click the [Save] button to apply the changes.
Friendly URLS Back to Top
Enabling friendly URLs can increase your site's ranking in search engines and can be useful for users to understand
the URL's that they follow.
URL Type
Type Example
Standard URLs showthread.php?t=12345
Basic Friendly URLs showthread.php?1234-Thread-Title
Advanced Friendly URLs showthread.php/1234-Thread-Title
Mod Rewrite Friendly URLs threads/1234-Thread-Title
Note:
Note: In order to use the Mod Rewrite Friendly URLs the appropriate rewrite rules must be defined for your server.
You can find a basic .htaccess file containing these rules for an Apache 2.X server in htaccess sub-folder within the
the Do Not Upload folder of your download package. Upload this file to your forum root.
Default Value: Basic Friendly URLs
Enforce Canonical URL
This options defines how canonical URLs are enforced for guest users (including search engines).
If Standard is selected then guest users will be redirected to the correct URL if they request a page using the wrong
Friendly URL format.
If Strict is selected then guest users will also be redirected to the correct URL if they request a page using the wrong
text. This may also include requesting URLs in the wrong character set.
Default Value: Standard
Enforce Canonical URL for Registered Users
Setting this value to 'Yes' will set the 'Enforce Canonical URL' setting to also apply to registered users. Default Value:
Yes
Friendly URL Unicode
This option determines how to handle unicode in URLs.
If your content generally differs from your language charset then converting to UTF-8 may provide the best results
while ignoring unicode may result in the majority of your URLs displaying incorrectly.
If the majority of your content matches your language charset then stripping unicode may provide the best results.
Ignoring unicode may cause some URLs to display incorrectly.
Default Value: Ignore
NCR Encode UTF-8 URLs for IE
This option determines whether to NCR encode URLs for Internet Explorer when Friendly URL Unicode is set to
Convert to UTF-8.
This will ensure that UTF-8 URLs display correctly in Internet Explorer. However it will add some performance
overhead and if Enforce Canonical URL is set to Strict may cause guest users to be redirected to a URL that cannot be
displayed correctly in Internet Explorer's address bar.
Note: This option can only be used if the mbstring extension is enabled, or if your PCRE has unicode support.
Default Value: No
Standard URL Routing Variable
The variable to use in the URL when using Standard URLs. Ensure that this is not set to a variable used elsewhere by
vBulletin. Default Value: r
Style and Language Settings Back to Top
The Settings > Options > Style & Language Settings setting group lets you set the default style and language for your
site.
Here you can setup the behaviors for the CSS file (store as file), Popup menus (hide or show) and postbit (new or
legacy).
Email Options Back to Top
Use the vBulletin Options > vBulletin Options > Email Options setting group to setup the behaviour of your email
features throughout the board.
Here you can setup:
Enable and Disable your Email Features as a global switch
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Allow users to Email other Members
How Email addresses are displayed (public or private)
Email Flood Control
Sending email via SMTP Back to Top
Relying on the PHP internal mail function has always caused problems with a few configurations. The PHP internal
mail function is simply a wrapper for the systems own mail program such as sendmail or procmail. The problems
occur when certain configurations have extra authentication settings or confusing with line endings. This has been
resolved by the introduction of our mail class to correct any problems that may occur with the internal mail function
and also to allow the use of SMTP which will completely bypass PHP's own internal mail function.
The SMTP server options can be edited via the Email Options in the vBulletin Options, this will be enabled via the
SMTP Email switch and then the appropriate settings must be completed.
It should be noted that the majority of servers do not require a username and password to send SMTP as they are
limited by IP address. Also the use of your ISP email is not recommended as this is usually limited to the network of
the ISP and will result in a failure to send email.
Censorship Options Back to Top
Use the Settings > Options > Censorship Options setting group to manage the words you specify to be placed with
characters.
All message titles and messages will be affected.
Note:
To use the censor feature on your site, don't forget to activate it!
User Registration Options Back to Top
These options allow you to control how new user registrations are handled on your forums.
Settings > Options > User Registration Options
Allow New User Registrations - If you would like to temporarily (or permanently) prevent anyone new from
registering, you can do so. Anyone attempting to register will be told that you are not accepting new
registrations at this time.
Use COPPA Registration System - Use the COPPA registration system. This complies with the COPPA laws
and requires children under the age of 13 to get parental consent before they can post.
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For more info about this law, see here: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/coppa.htm
COPPA Registration System Cookie Check - This option will save a cookie onto the user's computer if an age
under 13 is entered. Subsequent registration attempts will be failed, no matter what age is entered. This only
applies if the previous option is set to either Enable COPPA or Deny registration for users under 13 years.
Moderate New Members - Allows you to validate new members before they are classified as registered
members and are allowed to post.
Send Welcome Email - Enabling this option will send a welcome email to new users using the email
body/subject phrases for 'welcomemail'.
Note: If you require emails to be verified, this email will be sent after the user has activated his or her account.
If you moderate new memberships, no welcome mail will be sent as the user will already be receiving an email.
Welcome Private Message - Enabling this option will send a welcome private message to new users. Please
input the username of the user that this PM is to be sent from. To alter or translate this message, use the email
body/subject phrases for 'welcomepm'.
Note: If you require emails to be verified, this message will be sent after the user has activated his or her
account. Also ensure that Receive Private Messages is enabled in the Default Registration Options.
Email Address to Notify About New Members - This email address will receive an email message when a
new user signs up. Leave the option blank to disable this function.
Allow Multiple Registrations Per User - Normally, vBulletin will stop users signing up for multiple names by
checking for a cookie on the user's machine. If one exists, then the user may not sign up for additional names.
Note: This does not stop users from logging out and then registering new accounts.
If you wish to allow your users to sign up for multiple names, then select yes for this option, and they will not
be blocked from registering additional usernames.
Verify Email address in Registration - If you set this option to 'Yes' new members will not be allowed to post
messages until they visit a link that is sent to them in an email when they sign up.
If a user's account is not activated by the user visiting the link, it will remain in the 'Users Awaiting Activation'
usergroup.
Require Unique Email Addresses - The default option is to require unique email addresses for each registered
user. This means that no two users can have the same email address. You can disable this requirement by setting
this option to 'No'.
Minimum Username Length - Enter the minimum number of characters in a valid username, for the purpose
of ensuring that new members create valid usernames.
Maximum Username Length -
Enter the maximum number of characters in a valid username, for the purpose of ensuring that new members
create valid usernames.
Illegal User Names - Enter names in here that you do not want people to be able to register. If any of the names
here are included within the username, the user will told that there is an error. For example, if you make the
name John illegal, the name Johnathan will also be disallowed. Separate names by spaces.
Username Regular Expression - You may require the username to match a regular expression (PCRE). The
admin help provides some examples that may be useful. To disable this function leave the option blank.
User Referrer - If you enable the User Referrer system, then a user who visits your forum through a link that
contains 'referrerid=XXX' will give referral credit to the owner of the referrerid when they register (where XXX
is the userid of the referring user).
Default Registration Options - The user options on the New User creation form in the Admin Control Panel,
as well as the New User registration form will default to the following settings.
You can control the following settings:
Receive Admin Emails
Invisible Mode
Display Email
Receive Private Messages
Send Notification Email When a Private Message is Received
Pop up a Notification Box When a Private Message is Received
Enable Visitor Messaging
Limit usage of Visitor Messages to Contacts and Moderators
Allow vCard Download
Display Signatures
Display Avatars
Display Images
Display Reputation
Automatic Thread Subscription Mode
Message Editor Interface
Thread Display Mode
Require Birthday
Username Reuse Delay - When a username is changed, you may wish to prevent users from registering with
that name for a certain length of time. Use this setting to determine the time before a deleted or previous
username can be reused, or set it to 0 to disable this function.
User Refractions & Post Reporting Options Back to Top
Use the Settings > Options > User Infractions & Post Reporting Options setting group to manage user infraction and
post reporting notifications.
User Infraction Discussion Forum
A discussion thread can be created for each user infraction for moderators to discuss the infraction further.
Choose a forum for the discussion threads to be created in.
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If you do not wish a discussion thread to be created for user infractions, set this to Select Forum
Require Infraction Message
This option requires that the user sending an infraction include a PM or Email, depending on your forum
settings.
Post Reporting Discussion Forum
A discussion thread can be created for each reported post for moderators to discuss the post further. Choose a
forum for the discussion threads to be created in.
Note:
Reported Visitor Messages, Social Group Messages and Album Pictures & Messages also are posted in the
forum set here.
If you do not wish a discussion thread to be created for reported items, set this to Select Forum
Post Reporting User
Reported post discussion threads default to being posted under the username of the reporter. To have the threads
reported under another username, enter an existing username.
Post Reporting Email
This option sends an email to the specified users when a post is reported. It can be sent to moderators, super
moderators and administrators, moderators only, or no email sent.
Note:
If the Post Reporting Email is set to No Email and the Post Reporting Discussion Forum is set to Select Forum
then no notifications of any kind will be issued for reported items.
User Profile Options Back to Top
With these options you can control how the way your users edit their profile.
Settings > Options > User Profile Options
Enabled User Profile Features
Use this option to globally enable or disable the various user profile-related features. Additional options are available
for each feature in their respective sections.
Require Date of Birth
Require users to provide a valid date of birth (1902 to current year).
[note]When this is set to Yes users cannot edit their date of birth once it has been set.
User Title Maximum Characters
This is the maximum number of characters allowed for a user's custom title.
Censored Words for Usertitle
Type all words you want censored in the Usertitle in the field below. Do not use commas to separate words, just use
spaces. For example, type "dog cat boy", rather than "dog, cat, boy."
If you type "dog", all words containing the string "dog" would be censored (dogma, for instance, would appear as
"***ma"). To censor more accurately, you can require that censors occur only for exact words. You can do this by
placing a censor word in curly braces, as in {dog}. Signifying "dog" in the curly braces would mean that dogma
would appear as dogma, but dog would appear as "***". Thus your censor list may appear as: cat {dog} {barn} barn
Do not use quotation marks and make sure you use curly braces, not parentheses, when specifying exact words.
Exempt Moderators From Censor
Do you want to exempt your forum Moderators from the censor words? You will want to set this to yes if you censor
anything that is part of a moderator's title like 'moderator' as they have custom titles by default and will get censored.
Number of friends to display in the small friends block
The Number of Friends to display in the Small Friends Block on the Users' Profile Pages
Friends Per Page on Full Friends List[b]
The Amount of Friends to show "per page" on the large friends list.
[b]Maximum Visitors to Show on Profile Page
Set an upper limit for the number of recent visitors to show. Recent visitor records are cleaned out on a regular basis,
so keep this to a reasonably small number. Somewhere between 5 to 30 is ideal.
Show Last Post on Profile Page
Showing the last post on a member profile can cause large table scans which leads to table locking. This may increase
load time on your forums as well as the load of your server. This option should only be enabled for smaller forums.
Signature Soft-Linebreak Character Limit
When counting the number of lines in a signature, this setting controls the number of characters that can be displayed
before text wraps in the browser and is displayed as multiple lines. Once this value is surpassed, the run of text will be
counted as multiple lines.
The value in this setting should be based on the number of normal-sized characters. Other sized characters will be
scaled appropriately to this setting.
Allow Users to 'Ignore' Moderators
Allow users to add Moderators and Administrators to their ignore list?
User Profile: Album Options Back to Top
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With these options you can control the settings for User Albums.
Settings > Options > User Profile: Album Options
Albums Per Page
When listing multiple albums on one page, this controls how many will be displayed before pagination occurs.
Number of Albums to display in the Users Profile
The Maximum Number of Albums to Display on the Users' Profile Pages
Pictures Per Page
When viewing an album, this controls how many pictures are displayed before pagination occurs.
Picture Moderation
When enabled, all new pictures are placed into moderation. This can also be enabled in usergroup permissions.
Album Thumbnail Size
The maximum height and width of thumbnails in the album system. Each picture's aspect ratio will be maintained
when it is thumbnailed.
Caption Preview Length
The amount of characters from a picture's caption that will be shown when a user hovers over the picture.
Number of Pictures that can be Uploaded Simultaneously
This controls the number of pictures users can upload simultaneously. They will not be able to violate any album- or
usergroup-implied size limits if you set this value too large.
Maximum Pictures per Album
You may choose to limit the number of pictures that a user can have in one album. This is primarily useful for
encouraging your users to have albums for smaller topics, but it does have minor performance considerations as well.
Setting this to 0 disables the limit.
Enable Picture Comments
Set this option to yes if you would like to enable commenting on album and group pictures. Comments are associated
with the picture itself, so comments will be shown anywhere the picture is shown.
Moderate Picture Comments
When enabled, all new picture comments are placed into moderation. This can also be enabled in usergroup
permissions.
Default Picture Comments Per-Page
This setting allows you to define the default number of picture comments displayed per-page with a picture.
Maximum Picture Comments Per-Page
This setting allows you to limit the number of picture comments users may display per page with a picture.
Allowed BB Code Tags in Picture Comments
This setting allows you to enable and disable the use of various BB codes in picture comments.
User Profile: Style Customization Options Back to Top
With these options you can control the options for users customizing their profile page style.
Settings > Options > User Profile: Style Customization Options
Allowed Fonts
The list of allowed fonts for profile style customizations. Each font must be on its own line.
Allowed Font Sizes
The list of allowed fonts size for profile style customizations. Put each font size on its own line. You may use any size
that is valid in CSS.
Allowed Border Widths
The list of allowed border width sizes for profile style customizations. Put each border width size on its own line.
Allowed Padding
The list of allowed padding sizes for profile style customizations. Put each padding size on its own line.
User Profile: Visitor Messaging Options Back to Top
With these options you can control visitor messages on users profiles.
Settings > Options > User Profile: Visitor Messaging Options
Maximum Characters Per Visitor Message
Maximum characters to allow in a visitor message. Set this to 0 for no limit.
Default Visitor Messages Per-Page
This setting allows you to define the default number of messages displayed per-page in the user profiles.
Maximum Visitor Messages Per-Page
This setting allows you to limit the number of messages users may display per page in the user profiles.
Visitor Message Moderation
When enabled, all new visitor messages are placed into moderation. This can also be enabled in usergroup
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permissions.
Allowed BB Code Tags in Visitor Messages
This setting allows you to enable and disable the use of various BB codes in visitor messages.
Social Group Options Back to Top
With these options you can control the use of social groups.
Settings > Options > Social Group Options
Social Group Name Maximum Length
Enter the maximum number of characters allowed in social group names. Names longer than this limit will be
rejected.
Social Group Message Moderation
When enabled, all new group messages are placed into moderation. This can also be enabled in usergroup
permissions.
Enable Social Group Messages
If you select this options, members of each group will be able to post messages in the group. Users who are not part of
the group will still be able to read the messages.
Allow Groups Owners to Force New Group Messages into Moderation Queue
This option allows a group owner (with the Manage Own Social Groups' Content Permission) to set the group so that
all Group Messages are automatically sent to the moderation queue.
Enable Social Group Pictures
If this option is selected, any users with albums will be able to add pictures from an album to groups they belong to.
Allow Join-to-View Groups
When set, this allows the creator of a group the option to only show contents (messages, pictures) of the group to
members of that group (or Administrators and Moderators).
Allowed BB Code Tags in Social Group Messages
This setting allows you to enable and disable the use of various BB codes in group messages.
Allow Owners to Delete Social Group if Empty
This option will allow any group owner to delete a Social Group if they are the only member of that group (even if
they lack the "Can Delete Own Social Groups" permission)
User Picture Options Back to Top
Use the Settings > Options > User Picture Options setting group to manage the settings for the avatars and profile
pictures.
Note:
This is the section for the global switch, use the usergroup permissions to setup the permissions on a usergroup basis.
Avatars Enabled
Use this option to enable/disable the overall use of avatars.
Avatars are small images chosen by the user and displayed under usernames in thread display and user info
pages.
You can enable/disable avatars on a per-usergroup level by disabling their ability to use any avatar categories
under Avatars > Avatar Manager. You can enable/disable custom avatars in Usergroups > Usergroup Manager.
Set this option to 'no' to turn it off.
Avatar Display Width
How many columns of avatars do you wish to display of pre-defined avatars in the User Control Panel to the
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user when selecting a pre-defined avatar?
Example: 5
Avatars Per-Page
How many avatars do you want to display per-page on the 'Edit Avatar' page within the profile editor, broken
into columns by the Avatar Display Width setting above?
Example: 10
Profile Pictures Enabled
Use this option to enable/disable the overall use of profile pictures.
Profile pictures are small images (although usually larger than avatars) that users can upload to their profile
pages. You can set this per-usergroup with the Can Upload Profile Pictures setting in Usergroup Manager.
Set this option to 'no' to turn it off.
When you are done, click the [Save] button to apply the changes.
Note:
To manage your pre-defined avatars, or to control the storage of avatars, go to the Avatars section.
User Reputation Options Back to Top
This section contains many settings that dictate how users of your forum are able to affect each other's reputation
score.
Enable User Reputation system
This is the global switch for the reputation system. If you disable this, users will not be able to rate each other
nor will their scores be visible.
Default Reputation
This is the reputation score that new users will start out with.
Number of Reputation Levels to Display
When a user enters their User CP, they will see a list of their most recent reputation ratings. This affects how
many of the latest ratings to display.
Administrator's Reputation Power
If you wish to have administrator's wield a certain reputation power independent of their calculated score, enter
it here. Otherwise, set this to 0 and they will use the same calculations as everyone else.
Register Date Factor
The number of reputation points that a user is able to give or take is dependant on several factors, with the
length they have been registered as one of them. A user's power is first initialized at 1 and then this factor and
the factors that follow are used to increase it. For example if you set this to 365, every 365 days that the user has
been a member of your forum, they would gain one point. So if they have been a member for five years, they
would gain 5 points of power for a total of 6.
Post Count Factor
The amount of posts that a user has can also affect their reputation power. Set this to number of posts that you
want to award one point for. For example, set this to 50 and for a user with 500 posts, they would gain 10 points
of power.
Reputation Point Factor
The users current reputation score can also affect their reputation power. Set this to 100 and a user with a
reputation of 1000 would gain 10 points of reputation power. If you set any of the power factors to 0, that will
effectively remove that factor from having an effect on the user's reputation power.
Minimum Post Count
If the reputation system is enabled, anyone will be able to rate a post but only users with a post count above the
level you set here will be able to actually give points or take points from another user.
Minimum Reputation Count
As with the post count above, a user must have a reputation above this level to be able to give or take points
from another user's score.
Daily Reputation Clicks Limit
This sets how many unique members that a forum user will be able to rate in any 24 hour period. Administrators
can rate as many people as they wish.
Reputation User Spread
This setting dictates how many unique members that a user must rate before they are able to rate the same
member twice. The goal of this setting is to stop a member from either artificially bumping or dropping a user
by repeatedly rating their posts.
User Notes Options Back to Top
Users with permission to read / write usernotes are now able to go to a profile of a member and leave usernotes about
this person. This feature is intended to allow staff members to discuss members and keep the information organized
rather then having a variety of threads in a staff forum.
The Settings > Options > User Notes Options setting group allows you to set up the parsing for a usernote. You can
turn on or off the use of BB Code, Smilies, [IMG] tags and usage of HTML.
Note:
The ability to use usernotes, read them, read your own, allow others to reply or manage them is a usergroup setting.
Do not forget to walk through each usergroup to set the use and permissions of usernotes correctly.
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Basically the usernotes are plain-text entries that hold comments from other (staff) members. Turn on these options to
allow markup of text and insertion of smilies / images or even HTML
Allow vB Code in User Notes
If you want to markup the text with BOLD or ITALIC or other common vBulletin BB Code tags, set this option
to Yes.
Allow Smilies in User Notes
If you want a smilie like :) parsed to an image, set this option to Yes.
Allow [IMG] Code in User Notes
If you want to allow insertion of images into the usernotes, set this option to Yes.
Allow HTML in User Notes
If you even want to allow HTML to be used, set this option to Yes.
Warning! If you allow HTML to be inserted, you are open for risks of abuse - it is strongly not recommended.
User Listing Options Back to Top
Settingss > Options > User Listing Options
This section of the Admin Control Panel allows you to set options for the Member List including:
Members List Enabled
This allows users to view all users who belong to those usergroups that have "Viewable on Memberlist" enabled
(See Usergroups & Permissions).
Minimum Posts
You can define a minimum post count that a user must reach before they are displayed on the memberlist.
Member List Field Options
Allows you to select which User Profile fields are viewable on the memberlist.
Members Per Page
The number of records per page that will be shown by default in the members list before the results are split
over multiple pages.
Allow Advanced Searches
Allow the use of the advanced search tool for the Member List. If turned off, members will only be able to
search by username.
User Banning Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > User Banning Options
This section of the Admin Control Panel allows you to set the Banning Options for your forum along with IP bans.
Enable Banning Options
Banning allows you to stop certain IP addresses and email addresses from registering and posting to the forum.
Banned IP Addresses
Use this option to prevent certain IP addresses from accessing any part of your board.
If you enter a complete IP address (242.21.11.7), only that IP will be banned.
If you enter a partial IP (243.21.11. or 243.21.11), any IPs that begin with the partial IP will be banned. For
example, banning 243.21.11 will prevent 243.21.11.7 from accessing your board. However, 243.21.115.7 would
still be able to access your board.
You may also use an '*' as a wildcard for increased flexibility. For example, if you enter 243.21.11*, many IPs
will be banned including: 243.21.11.7, 243.21.115.7, 243.21.119.225.
Warning:
Use this option with caution. Entering an incorrect IP can result in banning yourself or other genuine users from
your forums.
Banned Email Addresses
Email address ban lists: You may ban any email addresses from registering and posting. Type in the complete
email address (user@example.com), or use a partial email address (as in @example.com).
Note that partial email addresses are matched from the end of the address unless you enable 'Aggressive Email
Banning' below. Therefore if you ban @example.com you will ban user@example.com, but if you ban
@example that user will not be banned. If you enable 'Aggressive Email Banning', user@example.com would
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be banned by @example.
If the email address of a user attempting to register or change their email address matches any of the addresses
you specify here will see a no-permission error. For example, if you have banned 'example.com' then a user
attempting to use 'someone@example.com' will be rejected.
Aggressive Email Banning
If this option is enabled, when checking for banned emails, incomplete addresses are matched anywhere in the
email address, not just the end.
For example, if this option is enabled 'yahoo' will block any email address with 'yahoo' in it. If this option is
disabled, no emails will be banned unless the ban was changed to 'yahoo.com'.
Allow User to Keep Banned Email Addresses
If you ban an email address and a user already uses that address, a problem will occur. Using this option, you
can specify whether the user will have to enter a new email address in their profile when they next modify their
email address, or whether the user can just keep the email address which you have banned.
Global Ignore
This option allows you to effectively add a user or users to every member's 'Ignore List'. However, users in this
list can still see their own posts and threads...
Enter a list of userid numbers, separated by spaces (for example: 4 12 68 102).
Note:
If you change this option, you need to rebuild thread and then forum information in Maintenance > Update
Counters.
BBCode Options Back to Top
vBulletin Options > vBulletin Options > BB Code Settings
Enabled Built-in BB Code Tags
This setting allows you to enable and disable various built-in BB code tags in vBulletin. The BB Codes that can
be enabled or disabled here are:
Basic BB Code (Bold, Italic, Underline)
Color BB Code
Size BB Code
Font BB Code
Alignment BB Code
List BB Code
Link BB Code
Code BB Code
PHP BB Code
HTML BB Code
Note:
Disabling a BB code tag will prevent it from working anywhere on the forum, including signatures, private
messages, user notes etc.
Maximum [CODE] Lines
When a user posts a block of [CODE], [PHP] or [HTML] in one of their messages, the system will place it in a
box, which expands to contain their message.
This value controls the number of lines at which the box stops adding height and inserts a scrollbar.
Allow BB Code in Non Forum Specific Areas
Allow users to include BB code in non-forum-specific areas? (Such as [b], [i] etc.)
Allow Smilies in Non Forum Specific Areas
Allow users to include smilies in Non Forum Specific Areas?
Allow [IMG] Code in Non Forum Specific Areas
Allow users to include [IMG] codes in Non Forum Specific Areas?
Allow HTML in Non Forum Specific Areas
Allow users to include raw HTML code in Non Forum Specific Areas?
Warning:
Enabling this setting is strongly not recommended.
Message Posting and Editing Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Message Posting and Editing Options
Quick Reply
If you enable Quick Reply, a box will appear on the showthread.php page allowing users to reply to the current
thread without needing to load the full newreply.php page.
When Quick Reply is enabled, you may specify whether or not users must click the Quick Reply icon in order
to start typing in the Quick Reply editor.
If you choose not to require a click, the system will not know to which post a user is replying, making both the
threaded and hybrid display modes nonsensical.
Note:
We strongly recommend that you set the option to require a click if you use Quick Reply and have Threaded
Mode available on your forums.
Quick Edit
By enabling Quick Edit, a click on the Edit button in a post will open an editor within that post via AJAX if the
visitor's browser is compatible.
Users may use the full editor by clicking the 'Go Advanced' button in the inline editor.
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Multi-Quote Enabled
If this option is enabled, an additional button will appear on posts. A user may click as many of these buttons as
they wish. Once they click a reply button, the content of each of the selected posts will be quoted and shown in
the reply window.
Multi-Quote Quote Limit
Enter a value to limit the number of quotes that can be created with Multi-Quote, once this limit is reached the
user will be unable to add any more quotes.
Note:
The Quote BB code can still be entered manually, this is not a limit on the number of quotes in a post.
Minimum Characters Per Post
If this number is set to a value greater than 0, users must enter at least that number of characters in each new
post.
Note:
Setting this to 0 will not completely disable the minimum characters per post check. Users must always enter at
least 1 character.
Maximum Characters Per Post
Posts that contain more characters than the value specified here will be rejected with a message telling the user
to shorten their post.
Set the value to 0 to disable this function.
Maximum Characters Per Thread/Post Title
Thread and post titles will be limited to this number of characters. Please choose a value larger than 0 and less
than 251.
Ignore Words in [QUOTE] Tags For Min Chars Check
Setting this option to 'YES' will cause the system to not count words in [QUOTE] tags towards the total number
of characters posted.
The primary use for this is to prevent users posting messages with enormous quotes and a single short word of
their own.
Automatically Quote Post / Thread Title
Setting this to 'Yes' will automatically fill the title field of new posts with either the thread or the parent post
title, prefixed by 'Re: '.
The user may specify their own title if they want to do so.
Maximum Images Per Post
When a new post is submitted or edited vBulletin will check the number of images and smilies in the text and
reject it if the number is greater than the value specified here.
Set the value to 0 to disable this function.
Prevent 'SHOUTING'
Prevent your users 'shouting' in their thread titles/message text by changing all-uppercase titles with at least this
many characters to capitalization only on the first letters of some words.
Set the value to 0 to disable this function.
Note:
Disable this for some international forums with different character sets, as this may cause problems.
Minimum Time Between Posts
You may prevent your users from flooding your forum with posts by activating this feature.
By enabling floodcheck, you disallow users from making another post within a given time span of their last
posting. In other words, if you set a floodcheck time span of 30 seconds, a user may not post again within 30
seconds of making his last post.
Note:
Administrators and moderators are exempt from floodcheck.
Recommended: 30 seconds. Type the number of seconds only. Enter 0 to disable this function.
Time Limit on Editing of Thread Title
Specify the time-limit (in minutes) within which the thread title may be edited by the user whom started the
thread.
Time Limit on Adding a Poll to a Thread
Specify the time-limit (in minutes) within which the thread may have a poll added to it.
Time Limit on Editing of Posts
Time limit (in minutes) to impose on editing of messages. After this time limit only moderators will be able edit
or delete the message. 1 day is 1440 minutes.
Set the value to 0 to allow users to edit their posts indefinitely.
Time to Wait Before Starting to Display 'Last Edited by...'
Time limit (in minutes) to allow user to edit the post without the "Last edited by..." message appearing at the
bottom of the edited post.
Log IP Addresses
For security reasons, you may wish to display the IP address of the person posting a message.
Post Edit History
Enable this option to log the previous versions of posts when they are edited.
Edits will not be logged if an 'edited by' notice is not displayed or updated. This occurs in the following
situations:
1. The editing user is in a group that does not show edited by notices and no reason for editing is specified.
2. The post is edited quickly enough after being posted to trigger the Time to Wait Before Starting to
Display 'Last Edited by...' option.
Note:
This will increase the amount of disk space used by vBulletin for database storage.
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Message Posting Interface Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Message Posting Interface Options
Enable Clickable Message Formatting Controls
This global switch allows you to set the available message formatting toolbar and clickable smilies for the Full
Editor, Quick Reply and Quick Edit individually. The option set for each one here is the maximum toolbar level
available for each area.
Smiliebox Total Smilies
How many smilies should be displayed in the smiliebox before the user is prompted to click for the more
smilies popup window?
Set this value to 0 if you would like to hide the clickable smiliebox completely.
Smiliebox Smilies Per Row
If the smiliebox is enabled, how many smilies should be shown per row of the box?
Smilie Menu Total Smilies
Use this option to set the number of smilies that will appear in the WYSIWYG popup smilie menu before the
'show all smilies' link is displayed.
Set this value to 0 if you would like to hide the popup smilie menu completely.
Poll and Thread Rating Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Poll and Thread Rating Options
Maximum Poll Options
Maximum number of options a user can select for the poll.
Set this option to 0 to allow any number of options.
Poll Option Length
Maximum length that a poll option can be.
Update Thread Last Post on Poll Vote
If you set this option to 'Yes' the thread's last post time will be updated when a vote is placed, thereby returning
it to the top of its parent forum listing.
Note:
This option can cause confusion. The last post time of a thread will be changed with no visible post.
Required Thread Rating Votes to Show Rating
This option specifies the number of thread rating votes that must be cast of a particular thread before the current
rating is displayed on forumdisplay.php and showthread.php.
Allow Thread Rating Vote Changes
Allow users to change their original rating of a thread
Message Searching Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Message Searching Options
Search Engine Enabled
Allow searching for posts and threads within the forums. This is a relatively server-intensive process so you
may want to disable it if you have problems.
Minimum Time Between Searches
The minimum time (in seconds) that must expire before the user can perform a new search.
Set this to 0 to allow users to search as frequently as they want.
Search Results Posts Per Page
Number of successful search results to display per page.
Maximum Search Results to Return
Any search results over this number will be discarded.
Search Index Minimum Word Length
When using the vBulletin default search, this option limits the size of indexed words. The smaller this number
is, the larger your search index, and conversely your database is going to be.
Note:
When using the Fulltext search, this option limits the size of words that may be searched for. Smaller words
take longer to search for as they are more common. MySQL Fulltext has its own minimum word length as well
that must be changed at the server level.
Automatic Similar Thread Search
Setting this option will cause a search for similar threads to be automatically done when a new thread is posted.
These similar threads are then linked to from the newly posted thread's page. This can have an effect on
performance.
Search Result Sharing
In order to conserve resources, vBulletin will allow search results to be shared among users for one hour. The
downside of this is that search results can appear out of order if a thread is updated in the interim.
Similar Threads Relevance Threshold
For a post to be matched in a search for similar threads, it must have a score of this number or greater, per
searchable word. For more information on how post scores are determined, see the Search Algorithms section.
Words to be excluded from search
If there are special words that are very common for your forum, you may wish to remove them from being
searchable. Searching for very common words on a large forum can be server intensive. Separate each word
with a space.
Tagging Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Tagging Options
Enable Thread Tagging
This is a global option to enable or disable the thread tagging system. You may choose which usergroups can
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apply tags to threads in the usergroup permissions section.
Tag Minimum Length
The minimum number of characters in a tag name. This can be between 1 and 100.
Tag Maximum Length
The maximum number of characters in a tag name. This can be between 0 and 100.
Thread Tag Banned Words
These words will be checked in addition to those listed in includes/searchwords.php to form a list of words
whose use is banned in tagging.
Separate each word with a space or carriage return.
Thread Tag Allowed Words
Words entered here will be allowed as tags, regardless of whether or not their use would be otherwise
disallowed due to length, censorship, commonality etc.
If a word is specified in the 'Banned' words group and here, it will be allowed.
Separate each word with a space or carriage return.
Tag Separators
This option allows you to specify additional tag separators. Regardless of the value here, a comma will always
be used as a separator.
Separate each tag separators with a space. If you would like to use a space in a tag separator, click the '?' for
information on the advanced separator syntax.
Maximum Tags per Thread
The maximum total tags per thread. No users may add more tags than this to an individual thread.
0 disables this.
Maximum Tags Applied by Thread Starter
The maximum number of tags the thread starter can apply. Even if this setting allows it, the number of tags in a
thread cannot exceed the "Maximum Tags per Thread" setting.
0 disables this limit. To prevent a user from tagging a thread, use user group permissions.
Maximum Tags Applied by Other Users
The maximum number of tags the users other than the thread starter can apply. Even if this setting allows it, the
number of tags in a thread cannot exceed the "Maximum Tags per Thread" setting.
0 disables this limit. To prevent a user from tagging a thread, use user group permissions.
Force Tags to be Lower Case
If you enable this option, "A" through "Z" will be replaced with "a" through "z" in tag names. Other characters
will not be changed.
Tag Cloud: Number of Tags
The maximum number of tags to display in the tag cloud.
Tag Cloud: Number of Levels
The number of levels to be shown in the tag cloud.
By default, there are 5 levels named level1 to level5, with the font size growing from its smallest size at level 1
to its largest at level 5.
Increasing this value above 5 requires a template change.
Tag Cloud: Cache Time
Amount of time in minutes before the tag cloud data cache is regenerated.
A value of 0 will generate the tag cloud on each view.
Tag Cloud: Usage History (Days)
The number of days worth of data that should be used to generate the usage-based tag cloud here.
Tags added more than this many days ago will not change the size of the link in the cloud.
Tag Cloud: Build Usergroup
The tag cloud pulls together data from threads in many forums. Users may not be able to see all the threads that
make up the tag cloud results. With this option, you can force the tag cloud to be built as if it were viewed by a
particular usergroup.
Live permission checking is the most accurate, but disables the above specified caching.
Enable Search Tag Cloud
This option controls whether a tag cloud relating to the frequency of tag searches is shown at the bottom of the
advanced search.
A usage-based tag cloud is always shown here.
Search Tag Cloud: History (Days)
Amount of days that the system will keep a record of tag searches for use in the search tag cloud.
0 means to use all data available.
Forum Home Page Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Forums Home Page Options
Script Name for Forum Home Page
This option allows you to set the script name of the page that acts as your forum home page. By default this will
be 'index' (meaning index.php but you may want to call it 'forum' or whatever else you like for your own
purposes.
Note:
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If you change this value you must manually rename the forumhome PHP script to match the new value.
Display Logged in Users?
Displays those users that have been active in the last XXX seconds on the home page, where XXX is the value
specified by your Cookie Time-Out option (Default is last 15 minutes). Not recommended for sites with
hundreds of simultaneous users. The Alphabetical option requires more resources than the random option.
Display Today's Birthdays?
Displays today's birthdays for those usergroups that have birthday display enabled (see User Groups-
>Usergroup Manager).
Display Calendar Events?
Choose the number of upcoming days that you wish to display upcoming events from.
Set to 0 to disable upcoming events.
Display Custom Holidays
Display upcoming custom holidays in the above events list?
Upcoming Event Type
Choose the method by which you wish to display the upcoming events if the "Display Calendar Events" option
is enabled.
Active Members Time Cut-Off
Enter a number of days here that represents a threshold for 'active' members. If a user has visited the board
within the past number of days you specify, they are considered 'active'.
Enter '0' to treat all members as 'active'.
Active Members Options
Using the boxes here, you can choose to show only birthdays for those members considered 'active', and to
show or hide the total number of 'active' members.
A member is considered 'active' if they have visited the board within the number of days specified in 'Active
Members Time Cut-Off'.
Forum Listings Display Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Forum Listings Display Options
Depth of Forums - Forum Home
Depth to show forums on forum home forum listings. If you set this value to '2', forum listings will show the
current forum level and any child forums one level below (etc.)
Depth of Forums - Forum Display
This setting does the same job as the setting above, but this time for forumdisplay.php pages, rather than forum
home.
Depth of Sub-Forums
If you have forums below the depth specified in the 'Depth of Forums' settings above, you can display them as
sub-forum links in each forum's display area.
Set this value to 0 if you want to display no sub-forums.
Show Forum Descriptions in Forum Listings
Show forum descriptions below forum titles in forum listings?
Show Private Forums
Select 'No' here will hide private forums from users who are not allowed to access them. Users who do have
permission to access them will have to log in before they can see these forums too.
This option applies to any forum listing, including the Forum Jump menu, and Search Results.
Show Lock Icons to Users
Do you wish to have the new post indicators shown on the index page (on.gif and off.gif) be shown with locks
to guests and other members who have no permission to post?
Last Thread Title Maximum Displayed Characters
This value will chop the title of the last thread posted down to a specific number of characters for its display on
a forum listing.
A value of 0 will not trim the titles at all.
Show Moderator Column
Turns the moderator column on and off for forumhome, forumdisplay and usercp.
Show Thread Prefix in Last Post Column?
You may choose to show a thread's prefix in the last post column, along with the title. This will increase the size
of the data included in that column, however.
Forum Display Options (forumdisplay) Back to Top
Settings > Options > Forum Display Options (forumdisplay)
Enable Forum Description
This option displays the forum description in the navbar. Helps visitors to know what the topic of a forum is, as
well as possibly increasing search engine rankings.
Show Users Browsing Forums
Enabling this option will show the current users browsing a particular forum on forumdisplay.php while adding
one query. This can have an effect on performance. The Alphabetical option requires more resources than the
random option.
Maximum Displayed Threads Before Page Split
The number of threads to display on a forum page before splitting it over multiple pages.
Note: This number must be at least 1.
Show Sticky Threads on All Pages
Select 'Yes' to show sticky threads on every forumdisplay.php page, regardless of page number. Set 'No' to only
display them on page one.
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Highlight Threads in Which User Has Posted
When this feature is enabled, a logged in user will see an 'arrow' (or whatever graphic you choose) on the folder
icons (hot folders, new folders, etc.) next to the threads that they have posted in.
Hot Threads Enabled
Hot threads indicate threads with a lot of activity.
Hot Threads Qualifying Views
If 'Hot Threads' are enabled, threads with the specified number of views or more will be shown as hot.
Hot Threads Qualifying Posts
If 'Hot Threads' are enabled, threads with the specified number of posts or more will be shown as hot.
Multi-Page Thread Links Enabled
Link to individual pages of a thread spanning multiple pages on the forum listing?
Multi-Page Thread Maximum Links
When linking to multiple pages in the forum display, this allows you to set the cut-off point on which long posts
stop adding more page numbers and are replaced by 'more...'
Length of Thread Preview Text
This setting allows you to specify how many characters of the first post in a thread to display in the 'title' tag of
the thread title on the forumdisplay page.
Set this value to 0 to disable thread previews.
Group Announcements
Combine a forum's announcements into one listing, where the newest announcement is displayed?
Setting this to No lists all active announcements individually in their applicable forums
Thread Display Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Thread Display Options (showthread)
Show Users Browsing Threads
Enabling this option will show the current users browsing a particular thread on showthread.php while adding
one query. This can have an effect on performance. The Alphabetical option requires more resources than the
Random option.
Maximum Displayed Posts Before Page Split
The number of posts to display on a thread page in linear or hybrid mode before splitting it over multiple pages.
Note: This number must be at least 1.
User-Settable Maximum Displayed Posts
If you would like to allow the user to set their own maximum posts per thread then give the options separated
by commas. Leave this option blank to force users to use the 'Maximum Displayed Posts Before Page Split'
setting above this option.
Example setting: 10,20,30,40
Show Default Post Icon
If you would like to use a default icon for messages without an icon, enter the path to the image here.
Number of Characters Before Wrapping Text
If you want posts to automatically insert spaces into long words to make them wrap after a certain number of
characters, set the number of characters in the box above.
If you do not want this to occur, enter 0.
Note:
This should be set to 0 with some language sets
Check Thread Rating
If enabled, this option will check if a user voted on a thread and show their vote if they have. Otherwise, they
will see the voting options even if they are not able to vote again. This can have an effect on performance.
Check Thread Subscription
If enabled, this option will notify the user that they are subscribed to a thread by displaying a small icon when
viewing forumdisplay and search results. It will also change the "Subscribe to this thread" text on showthread to
"Unsubscribe from this thread". This can have an effect on performance.
Show Similar Threads?
Set this value to 'Yes' if you would like to see 'similar threads' displayed on the show thread page.
Note:
This setting will only work if you have 'Automatic Similar Thread Search' enabled in the message searching
options section.
Post Elements
There is optional user information that you may display on each post. These options require a bit of processing
time to calculate. This information includes Age, Reputation Power and Infractions
Enable Social Bookmarking
Use this switch to quickly disable the display of the bookmarks section of the page, on which links to social
bookmarking sites (set up through the Social Bookmarking Manager) are shown.
Note:
Social bookmarking links will only be displayed in guest-viewable threads.
Threaded / Hybrid Mode Options (showthread) Back to Top
Settings > Options > Threaded / Hybrid Mode Options (showthread)
Enable Threaded / Hybrid Mode
Use this setting to enable or completely disable the Threaded and Hybrid thread display modes.
Use Threaded Mode by Default
Set this value to 'Yes' if you would like users (who have not explicitly set a preference) to view threads in the
threaded display mode.
Note:
This setting will have no effect if 'Enable Threaded / Hybrid Mode' is set to 'No'.
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Threaded Mode: Posts Depth
When in the threaded display mode, a list of posts within the current thread is displayed at the bottom of the
page. This option allows you to set how 'deep' this list displays beyond the currently selected post.
Threaded Mode: Maximum Cached Posts
When in the threaded display mode, a list of posts within the current thread is displayed at the bottom of the
page. This option allows you to set how 'deep' into the tree of posts that vBulletin uses the Javascript 'caching'
mechanism. This makes the initial download larger, but means that the page does not have to be reloaded for
every post that is viewed.
Threaded Mode: Trim Titles
This value will chop the title of the thread titles in the viewing pane down to a specific number of characters. A
value of 0 will not trim the titles at all.
Private Messaging Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Private Messaging Options
Private Messaging Enabled (yes/no)
Turns the entire private messaging system on and off.
Instant Messaging Support - Check for New Private Messages (yes/no)
Selecting 'Yes' for this option will cause the system to check the private message database every time a user loads a
page, and will display a visible prompt if a new message has just been saved.
Maximum Characters Per Private Message (default: 5000)
Maximum characters to allow in a private message.
Set this to 0 for no limit.
Floodcheck - Minimum Time Between Messages (default: 60)
Private Message Flood Checking. Select the minimum time that must pass before a user can send another private
message. This is to prevent a single user 'spamming' by sending lots of messages very quickly.
Set this to 0 to disable the option.
Default Messages Per-Page (default: 50)
This setting allows you to define the default number of messages displayed per-page on the private messages listings
pages.
Maximum Messages Per-Page (default: 100)
This setting allows you to limit the number of messages users may display per page on the private messages folder
view pages.
Allow Message Icons for Private Messages (yes/no)
Allow the use of the standard message icons for private messages.
Allow vB Code in Private Messages (yes/no)
Allow users to include vB Code in their Private Messages? (Such as [b], [i] etc.)
Allow Smilies in Private Messages (yes/no)
Allows users to include smilies in their Private Messages.
Allow [IMG] Code in Private Messages (yes/no)
Allows users to include [IMG] codes in their Private Messages.
Allow HTML in Private Messages (yes/no)
Allow users to include raw HTML code in their Private Messages?
(Strongly not recommended.)
Who's Online Options Back to Top
The Settings > Options >Who's Online Option allows you to control the display of
http://www.example.com/forums/online.php.
Who's Online Enabled
This is the master switch for the Who's Online page. If you select no, anyone who tries to access the page will
be shown a no permission page.
If you select yes, you may still control usergroup permissions for Who's Online via Usergroups > Usergroup
Manager.
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Who's Online Refresh Period
If you set this to a value greater than 0, after that many seconds of being on the same page in Who's Online,
your browser will automatically refresh the page.
Who's Online Display Guests
Controls whether guests are shown on Who's Online. Browsing registered users are always shown.
Who's Online Resolve IP Addresses
If you have permission to view IP addresses on Who's Online, this controls whether you will be shown a raw IP
address or something that has been resolved to a name-based host. The name-based host cannot always be
resolved, but when it can additional information about the browsing user can be more easily determined (for
example, his or her Internet Service Provider).
Resolving IP addresses to names is a very slow process. If you have problems displaying Who's Online, you
should disable this option.
Enable Spider Display
Controls whether spiders are shown as spiders instead of guests on Who's Online. Identification of spiders is
controlled via an XML file, which is discussed here.
Identifying Spiders in Who's Online Back to Top
If you have set the "Enable Spider Display" to yes, the file includes/xml/spiders_vbulletin.xml is used to determine
how a spider is identified.
The file looks similar to this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<searchspiders>
<spider ident="http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/crawler">
<name>Almaden Crawler</name>
<info>http://www.almaden.ibm.com/cs/crawler/</info>
<email>crawler@us.ibm.com</email>
</spider>
<spider ident="Ask Jeeves">
<name>AskJeeves</name>
</spider>
<spider ident="Googlebot">
<name>Google</name>
</spider>
<spider ident="Mediapartners-Google">
<name>Google AdSense</name>
<info>https://www.google.com/adsense/faq</info>
<email>adsense-support@google.com</email>
</spider>
Place additional spiders here!
</searchspiders>
If you want to add spiders to the list, you should add them in place of the red text (just before "</searchspiders>").
At the minimum, you should provide the ident attribute and the name tag. Other tags are simply for your information
and not used. The ident attribute is used to distinguish a regular guest from a spider. The value of this attribute is
looked up in the browsing user's user agent (what the user's browser identifies him/her as). If a match is found, the
value of the name tag is displayed on Who's Online.
Search Engine Friendly Archive Back to Top
Settings > Options > Search Engine Friendly Archive
Forum Archive Enabled (yes/no)
The Search-Friendly Archive works only under the Apache web server with PHP compiled as a module.
It provides a basic structure that search engines can spider to grab all the content on your site.
Display Simple View of Threads (yes/no)
By default, threads in the Archive are displayed in a simple manner. Set this to no to have the real threads linked from
the archive.
Forum Archive Threads Per Page (default: 250)
The number of threads to display per page in the threads listing.
This is done on a per-forum basis.
Forum Archive Posts Per Page (default: 250)
The number of posts to display per page in the thread listing.
Note:
On your own forum you can find the Archive here: http://www.yourforum.com/forumdir/archive/
(live example: http://www.vBulletin.com/forum/archive/)
Admin Control Panel Options Back to Top
Settings > Options > Admin Control Panel Options
Control Panel Style Folder
This setting allows you to specify an alternative style for the Admin / Moderator Control Panels, based on a folder
contained within the 'cpstyles/' folder. The style you select here will be displayed to all Moderators, and any
Administrators who have not expressed their own preference.
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Comes default with 5 different Admin Control Panel Styles to choose from. You can set a default here, but upon login
one could select the style they prefer.
Folders in the 'cpstyles' folder must contain at least the following:
- controlpanel.css
- cp_logo.gif
- cp_help.gif
Timeout Admin Login (yes/no)
After a period of inactivity, Administrators are logged out of the Admin Control Panel. If this option is set to yes, the
inactivity period will be the same as the Cookie Timout setting found in vBulletin Options -> Help Cookies and HTTP
Header Options (defaults to 15 minutes). If this option is disabled, then the period will be one hour.
Logins to the admincp are more secure with this enabled.
Control Panel Quick Statistics (yes/no)
Displays the 'Quick Stats' on the main index page of the Admin Control Panel.
Forum Manager Display
There are three options for the display of the Forum Manager:
Default - Displays all of the forums on one page but may not work on all browsers, especially if you have a
large number of forums.
Collapsible - Allows collapsing/expansion of certain forums within the forum manager. This may reduce the
ease of usability of the forum manager, but will prevent rendering problems with the dropdown menus with
certain browsers/operating systems.
Single - Display a single dropdown from which you may choose the forum you wish to modify. This is most
useful if you have a large number of forums.
User Editor Columns
Number of columns to display in user editor. Smaller resolutions will probably want to set this to 1.
External Data Provider Back to Top
Besides the main forums, the search friendly archive and the printable version of a thread, you can also choose to turn
on the external data provider. (Settings > Options > External Data Provider)
Here you can select which type can bse turned on/off. You can choose between javascript, rss and/or xml.
Enable External Javascript
This setting allows you to enable/disable the Javascript content syndication system that allows you to embed
vBulletin data in HTML pages.
If you set this option to 'yes', you can call it by going to:
http://www.example.com/forum/external.php?type=js
You could use javascript directly in your html pages to control the returned data.
Enable RSS Syndication
This setting allows you to enable/disable the RSS content syndication system.
If you set this option to 'yes', you can call it by going to:
http://www.example.com/forum/external.php?type=rss
(example) There is a news-plugin for Trillian which lets you use RSS feeds to get the latest information posted
in your Trillian program.
Enable XML Syndication
This setting allows you to enable/disable the XML content syndication system.
If you set this option to 'yes', you can call it by going to:
http://www.example.com/forum/external.php?type=xml
When you are done, click the [Save] button to apply the changes.
Implementing the External Data Provider Back to Top
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The External Data Provider is used to syndicate this information to external websites. This feature uses the
permissions for the Unregisted / Not Logged In usergroup. If that usergroup doesn't have permissions to view the
forum, the feeds will not work.
Below are examples on how you can control what is shown on these websites.
To syndicate in a Javascript format you would call the following URL from your external site. This will require
additional javascript on the external site (an example is listed below).
www.yourdomain.com/forumpath/external.php?type=js
Example Code:
<script src="http://www.yourdomain.com/forumpath/external.php?type=js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script type="text/javascript">
<!--
for (i in threads)
{
document.writeln(threads[i].title + " (" + threads[i].poster + ")<br />");
}
//-->
</script>
The External Data Provider also gives alternative feeds in commonly used formats. These are useful if you have
external readers or a script to read them already. These feeds are available in XML, RSS and RSS2 so it should fit a
wide variety of readers. The system defaults to RSS so if you leave off the type, that is what you get.
The URLS to access these feeds are:
XML - www.yourdomain.com/forumpath/external.php?type=xml
RSS - www.yourdomain.com/forumpath/external.php?type=rss
RSS 2.0 - www.yourdomain.com/forumpath/external.php?type=rss2
You can refine the listings by specifying forumids in the path. For multiple forums separate them with a comma. This
will limit the feed to the specified forums only. (Below example uses xml as type, but it works with rss, rss2, and js
too)
http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/external.php?type=xml&forumids=1,2,3,4
Error Handling & Logging Back to Top
Settings > Options > Error Handling & Logging
Log Database Errors to a File
If you would like to log all database errors to a file, enter the path to the file here. The file will be saved as
{filename}.log.
Note:
Please note that the directory in which this file is to be created must be writable by the web server.
Log Failed Admin Control Panel Logins to a File
If you would like to log all failed Admin Control Panel login attempts to a file, enter the path to the file here. The file
will be saved as {filename}.log
Note:
Please note that the directory in which this file is to be created must be writable by the web server.
Log PHP Errors to a File
If you would like to log all PHP fatal errors to a file, enter the path to the file here. The file will be saved as
{filename}.log.
Note:
Please note that the directory in which this file is to be created must be writable by the web server.
Maximum File Size of Error Logs (default: 1048576)
If you would like your vBulletin error logs to be rotated when they reach a certain size, enter the maximum file size in
bytes here.
1048576 bytes = 1 megabyte.
When a log file reaches this size, it will be renamed as {filename}{unix timestamp}.log and a new file will be created.
Set this value to 0 to disable log rotation.
Disable Database Error Email Sending (yes/no)
If you would like to prevent vBulletin from sending email to the $config['Database']['technicalemail'] address you
specified in config.php, set this value to 'Yes'.
Error reports about database connection errors will still be sent.
It is not recommended that you set this value to 'Yes' unless you are logging database errors to a file. (see above)
Paid Subscriptions Back to Top
Settings > Options > Paid Subscriptions
Paid Subscription Email Notification
An email will be sent to this email address when a paid subscription is purchased or reversed.
Note:
The main Paid Subscription settings are found at Paid Subscriptions > Paid Subscription Manager. The main manual
section relating to Paid Subscriptions can be found here
Plugin/Hook System Back to Top
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Settings > Options > Plugin/Hook System
Enable Plugin/Hook System (yes/no)
This setting allows you to globally enable or disable the plugin/hook system.
The plugin/hook systems allows for insertion of arbitrary code into specific locations in the PHP files without having
to edit the files (see Plugin Manager). This can be used to extend the functionality of vBulletin without hacking. When
upgrading to future versions you do not have to re-apply these modifications to the original vBulletin files, making
upgrading an easier task.
By switching the system off, only vBulletin-native code will be run, so it can be used to establish whether errors exist
within vBulletin itself or in plugin code.
Note:
You can code these plugins yourself or download existing ones from the official resource community at
http://www.vBulletin.org/. Please note that these plugins are unofficial and are not supported by Jelsoft.
Warning:
If you have attempted to import a product or a plugin and run into the problem of being unable to navigate/work with
your forum or control panel you might require to update the config.php file with this variable, which will force-disable
the hook system. Allowing you to restore your forum and uninstall the bad code/plugin.
define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true);
(Remove from the config.php file when done.)
Spam Management Back to Top
Settings > Options > Spam Management
Anti-Spam Service
Controls the service that is used for scanning supported data. The corresponding API key for the service has to be
entered. The current options are Akismet and Typepad Anti-spam.
vBulletin Anti-Spam Key
Enter a vBulletin Anti-Spam service key to enable scanning of user data where supported. You obtain your key from
the service selected in the option above. Entering a key, enables this functionality.
Spam Scanning Post Threshold
This setting controls how many of a user's posts will be scanned by the Anti-Spam Service. Once a user's post count
exceeds this threshold, his or her posts will not be scanned for spam content. To always scan posts set this value to 0.
Anti-Spam Data Storage Length (Days)
Whenever a post is made, extra anti-spam data is stored. This allows details about false positives and false negatives
to be submitted to the chosen anti-spam system to improve it.
This value controls the length of time (in days) for which this data is stored.
XML Sitemap Back to Top
vBulletin allows you to create and submit an XML sitemap to your favorite search engines and website management
tools. This facilitates easier indexing of your site and with various tools can even tell you if there are problems with
the content on your site. You can find the options for this here: Settings > Options > XML Sitemap
Enable Automatic Sitemap Generation
When enabled this tells vBulletin to generate your sitemaps automatically via the Scheduled Task Manager. If you
have a large forum, you may want to leave this disabled as it can be a time consuming task. Even if this is enabled,
you can always generate your sitemap files manually by clicking on Rebuild Sitemap. Default Value: No
Automatic Sitemap Generation Frequency (Days)
If automatic sitemap generation is enabled, this option controls the number of days between automatic builds. Default
Value: 14
Default Sitemap Priority
The default priority for content in the XML Sitemap. This may be configured on a per-content basis in the XML
Sitemap group. Only a limited amount of content should be listed in the sitemap as a high priority, so you shouldn't set
this value too high. Default Value: 0.5
Automatic Sitemap Search Engine Submission
Allows you to select one or more search engines to submit your sitemap to. Options include Google, Yahoo!,
Bing!/Live Search, Ask.com, and Moreover. Default Value: All selected.
Sitemap File Path
XML sitemap data must be written to the filesystem to function. Enter the full path to the directory the files should be
written to. Do not include a trailing slash. This directory must be writable by the webserver. It also must be accessible
via a web browser. Default Value: <blank>
URLs Per Page
Enter the number of URLs that will be processed per page (and placed in each sitemap file). Note that only one type
of content will be written to a file, so it is possible that there will be files that have less URLs than the number
specified here.
Enter a value no larger than 50,000. Larger values may cause more performance impact while the sitemap is being
generated. Default Value: 30000
Search Type Back to Top
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This section will show the different search engines installed in vBulletin and allow you to switch between them.
In a new installation, there is only one type of search installed. This is called "DB Search" and is an indexed
implementation of Fulltext Search allowing you to search all content types marked as "Searchable" when they are
created/installed in your system.
You can find alternative search engines from third-party vendors or possibly at http://www.vbulletin.org.
Note:
Changing search implementations will require you to rebuild the search index before the search function will return
results. This can be done via Maintenance > Update Counters. Reindex can take a long time for large boards. Some
high performance search engines may provide a faster alternate method of doing a full reindex, consult the
documentation provided with your search type.
Changing Minimum Search Characters Back to Top
The minimum and maximum length of words to be indexed is defined by the ft_min_word_len and ft_max_word_len
system variables (available as of MySQL 4.0.0). The default minimum value is four characters. The default maximum
depends on your version of MySQL. If you change either value, you must rebuild your FULLTEXT indexes. For
example, if you want three-character words to be searchable, you can set the ft_min_word_len variable by putting the
following lines in an option file:
[mysqld]
ft_min_word_len=3
To ensure that myisamchk and the server use the same values for full-text parameters, place each one in both the
[mysqld] and [myisamchk] sections of an option file:
[mysqld]
ft_min_word_len=3
[myisamchk]
ft_min_word_len=3
Then restart the server and rebuild your FULLTEXT indexes. To rebuild your indexes, you need to run the follow
queries in sequence:
Emptying your search tables will speed up this process. The queries to empty the tables are:
truncate searchcore;
truncate searchcore_text;
truncate searchgroup;
truncate searchgroup_text;
Next you need to drop the old indexes off the tables. To drop the indexes you would do:
drop index text on searchcore_text;
drop index grouptitle on searchgroup_text;
Finally, you need to build new indexes. To recreate the indexes you would do:
CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX text ON searchcore_text (title, keywordtext);
CREATE FULLTEXT INDEX grouptitle ON searchgroup_text (title);
If you have a table prefix defined in your config.php you would need to add it to the beginning of each table name in
every query. To rebuild your search indexes after this, you will need to go to the Update Counters section of
Maintenance in your Admin CP. Rebuilding the search indexes can be a time and processor intensive process.
For more on Fulltext Search from MySQL please visit:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/fulltext-fine-tuning.html
You can also empty these indices in the Update Counters section of Maintenance.
You may want to optimize the postindex and word tables afterwards by going to the Repair / Optimize Tables section
of Maintenance.
Changing MySQL's Stopwords. Back to Top
In order to make sure that fulltext searches are more efficient, common words won't be indexes. These are called Stop
Words. You can see the default stop words here:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/fulltext-stopwords.html
However on your site, you might have words that are common enough to cause a problem that aren't on the list. For
instance if your site is about florists, then flower might be a very common word that you want to restrict searching on.
To add to the stop list, you would follow these steps
Create File: e.g. /etc/stopword.txt
* Change permission of this file, so that MySQL can read it.
* Don't put stopword file in /root, because mysql doesn't have permission to access it there.
Edit /etc/my.cnf file
Search for ft_stopword_file
Change Line ft_stopword_file=/etc/stopword.txt
Then run following command to restart MySQL.
service mysqld restart
Run these queries command for immediate effect of this action on the vBulletin search tables.
REPAIR TABLE searchcore_text QUICK;
REPAIR TABLE searchgroup_text QUICK;
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You should include the default words in your stopword list for optimal performance.
Human Verification Manager Back to Top
Question & Answer Options
An unlimited amount of questions may be specified and each question may have an unspecified amount of answers.
To add a new question, select the [Add New Question] button. Existing questions may be deleted, modified or have
answers modified by selecting the controls on the right of the question.
Social Bookmarking Manager Back to Top
Social bookmarking is a way for users to store and organise bookmarks of web pages. In a social bookmarking
system, a user will save a link to web pages that they want to remember and/or share. There are a number of third
party services offering social bookmarking facilities, vBulletin provides the ability to link directly to an add page and
pre-populate the data.
When a user views a publicly accessible thread they will be presented with a set of links at the bottom which allow the
addition of the page to admin defined social bookmarking sites.
The Social Bookmarking Manager Back to Top
The first thing you need to do is make sure that this option is enabled. To do that, go here:
Admin CP -> Settings -> Options -> Thread Display Options (showthread) -> Enable Social Bookmarking ->
Yes
The social bookmarking manager is where you create new and edit bookmark sites. Bookmark sites are shown in the
order they will actually display in; you can quickly change this order by clicking the arrows next to the text fields or
changing the numbers in the fields and clicking "Save".
Adding or Editing a Social Bookmarking Site Back to Top
When you are adding or editing a new social bookmark site you will be presented with the following editor, further
explanation about each of these fields is listed below.
Title -Title of the Social Bookmarking Site
Icon - A 16 x 16 icon that will be used to link to the social bookmarking site, this image should be in the
miscellaneous images directory which by default is images/misc.
Link - Link to the add page of the social bookmarking site, you can use {TITLE} and {URL} as replacements
for the current page title and link.
Display Order - The sort order for this social bookmarking site. Lower values will be displayed first.
Active - If this is set to 'Yes' then the icon will appear at the bottom of the thread template.
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vBulletin Blog Back to Top
Blog Moderators Back to Top
To add a new moderator, go to vBulletin Blog > Blog Moderators > Add New Moderator at the bottom table, if you
wish to edit on the same page just click edit next to the username of the moderator.
Moderator Username – the name of the user that will become the moderator.
Can Edit Blog Entries – allow blog entries to be edited.
Can Delete Blog Entries – allow blog entries to be soft deleted.
Can Remove Blog Entries – allow blog entries to be physically removed from the database.
Can Moderate Blog Entries – allow blog entries to be approved as well as moderated.
Can Edit Blog Comments – allow blog comments to be edited.
Can Delete Blog Comments – allow blog comments to be soft deleted.
Can Remove Blog Comments – allow blog comments to be physically removed from the database.
Can Moderate Blog Comments – allow blog comments to be approved as well as moderated.
Can View IP Addresses – allow IP addresses of blog entries and comments to be viewed.
Update Counters Back to Top
The update counters section lets you ensure that counters such as number of replies in an issue or the number of issues
in a project are correct. This is a maintenance section. You do not need to run either of the options here unless you
suspect that the counters are incorrect. They should remain correct during day-to-day use.
There are five counters that can be rebuilt:
Rebuild Blog Post Information - this will rebuild the total comments, trackbacks and last post information for
each blog entry.
Rebuild Blog User Information - this will rebuild the total entry count for categories as well as the total
entries, comments, trackbacks and last post information for each blog.
Rebuild Blog Counters - this will rebuild the total entry count for categories, total attachments and trackbacks
for a blog entry.
Clear Parsed Text Cache - this will clear the contents of the cached parsed text. Run this if you've added a new
custom BBCode or changed BBCode settings and don't want to wait for it to clear in time.
Rebuild thumbnails - this will rebuild the thumbnails of image attachments. Run this if you did not (or could
not) have thumbnails enabled in the past but wish to now or have changed thumbnail dimensions..
Permissions Back to Top
Permissions for the Blog can be found in the standard usergroup permission page, the default install attempts to create
a set of permissions that are based on the permission to create new threads / posts.
When adding / editing a usergroup at Usergroups > Usergroup Manager > Edit Usergroup in the right column you will
find the following permissions:
Can Manage Comments within Own Blog - provides the ability for users to manage their own blog
comments, allowing them to both delete, edit and moderate them as they see fit.
Can Send Pingback/Trackback - allows blog entries to ping other documents.
Can Receive Pingback/Trackback - allows entries to receive external pingbacks / trackbacks.
Can Search Blogs - allow blog entries and comments to be searched.
Can View Own Blog - allow the viewing of a user's own blog.
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Can View Other's Blog - allow the viewing of other user's blog.
Can Post New Blog Entries - allow users to post new blog entries, the can view own blog permission is
required as well.
Can Edit Own Blog Entries - allow users to edit their own blog entries.
Can Delete Own Blog Entries - allow entries to be soft deleted.
Can Remove Own Blog Entries - allow entries to be permanently removed from the database.
Can Upload Attachments - allow uploading of attachments to entries.
Can View Attachments - allow the viewing of attachments.
Follow Blog Moderation Setting - if set to yes all blog entries will follow the global settings, if set to No then
all entries will be moderated.
Allow Smilies - allow entries to contain smilies.
Allow BB Code - allow entries to contain bbcode.
Allow [IMG] Code - allow entries to contain the IMG bbcode.
Allow HTML - allow entries to contain HTML, though this isn't recommended.
Can Post Comments to Own Blog - allow users to make comments to their own blog entries.
Can Post Comments to Others' Blog - allow users to make comments to blogs that are not their own.
Can Edit Own Comments - allow users to edit their own comments after they have been posted.
Can Delete Own Comments - allow users to delete their own comments.
Follow Blog Comment Setting - if set to yes the moderation policy will follow the current blog setting, else all
comments will be moderated.
Allow Smilies - allow comments to contain smilies.
Allow BB Code - allow comments to contain bbcode.
Allow [IMG] Code - allow comments to contain the IMG bbcode.
Allow HTML - allow comments to contain HTML, though this isn't recommended.
The other permissions are self explanatory and are closely linked to their Thread / Post counterparts which can be read
at this manual entry.
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vBulletin CMS Back to Top
The vBulletin CMS allows you and your users to create, edit and publish articles directly to your site. It combines a
simple to use content manager with a unique organizational system that lets you control the smallest detail of the site
from the number of sections, to the overall layout, to the placement of widgets and displays on each page.
Content Manager Back to Top
Within the content manager you can perform bulk actions on your articles and other content types within the CMS.
There are more options to manage individual articles in the publicly viewable front-end of the CMS. Edit the article to
view them.
The checkbox to the left of each article name is used to select an article. You can use this to apply a single action to
multiple articles at the same time.
Publishing an article will make it viewable to users. To publish an article, select the checkbox beside the article and
click the <Published> button.
Un-publishing an article will make it invisible to users. To un-publish an article, select the checkbox beside the article
and click the <Un-publish> button.
To save a number of different changes to different articles, click on the <Save Changes> button.
To move an article from one section to another, select the checkbox beside the article you want to move and click the
<Move> button. A popup appears with a list of sections you can move the article to. Click the section you want the
article moved to. The article appears in the new section.
To delete an article, select the checkbox beside the article you want to delete and click the <Delete> button. A popup
confirmation appears. Click the <Ok> button.
To edit an article and its contents, click on the name of the article. This opens the article form where you can make
and save your changes to the article.
To change the order the articles appear in on the main page, select a number from the dropdown menu in the “Order”
column.
To view articles in individual sections, click the <Change Section> button. This opens a popup with the name of all
the sections. Select a name of the section you want to view. The page will refresh with a list of articles in that section.
The author of the article appears in the “by” column.
The date the article was originally written appears in the “Date” column.
The number of views the article has received appears in the “Views” column.
The number of comments the articles has received appears in the “Comments” column.
To allow any user, regardless of individual section permissions, to see previews, select the “Permission
Preview” checkbox.
Section Manager Back to Top
You can create, publish and order your sections here.
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The numbers to the left indicate the order of the sections. To change the order of the sections, click on the up and
down order buttons.
To navigate to a specific section, click on the name of the section.
To add a new section, click on the green icon with a white plus sign in the middle.
To edit an existing section, click on the pencil icon to the right of the section name.
To make the section visible to users, select the “Published” option from the published dropdown list.
To make a section invisible to users, select the “Unpublish” option from the published dropdown list.
To change the display format of the article previews, select an option from the “Content Columns” dropdown lists.
The options you can choose from are:
1 column – article previews appear in a single column
2 column – article previews appear in two columns
3 columns – article previews appear in three columns
1x2 columns – a single article appears at the top of the page with two columns beneath
2x1 columns – two articles appear side by side at the top of the page with a single column beneath them
To change the display order of article previews, select an option from the “Display Order” dropdown list. The options
you can choose from are:
Manual - a moderator sets the order in which the articles appear
Newest First – the newest articles appears first on a page
Newest per Section – the newest articles in each sub-section will appear first.
Note:
Note: To set the manual order of your articles, you need to edit the section on the front-end by clicking the yellow
pencil icon.
To change the number of article previews that appear per section, enter a different number in the “Content per Page”
text field.
The number of subsections (in a section) is displayed in the “Subsection” column.
The number of articles (in a section) is displayed in the “Content” column.
The number of views each section has received appears in the “View” column.
Category Manager Back to Top
You can manage your categories here. Categories are used as admin level tags to organize sections. Categories can be
used to manage content across multiple sections.
To edit the category, click on the pencil icon to the right of the category name.
To add a new category, click on the new category button at the top of the page or the plus icon to the right of the
category name. Clicking the plus sign to the right of the category name will create the new category as a subcategory
of the selected category.
To delete a category, click on the red minus icon to the right of the category name.
The number of articles assigned to the category is listed in the item count column.
Grid Manager Back to Top
You can manage and edit grids here.
Grids control the overall appearance of individual sections, like the number and width of the columns that content is
displayed in. To change the location of the different types of content within the grid, click on the “Layout Manager”.
To add a new grid, click on the “Add New Grid” button at the bottom of the list.
To download an existing grid, click on the <Download/Upload Grids> button at the bottom of the list. This takes you a
different form.
To upload a grid from your computer, click on the <Download/Upload Grids> button at the bottom of the list. This
takes you to a different form.
To edit the properties of a grid, select the “Edit” option from the “Controls” dropdown list to the right of a grid and
click the <Go> button.
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To edit the grid as CSS, click on the “Flatten Grid” option in the “Controls” dropdown list to the right of a grid. This
takes you to a confirmation screen. Click <Yes>. This takes you to the CSS form for the selected grid. You cannot un-
flatten a grid once this had been done.
To delete an existing grid, select the “Delete” option from the “Controls” dropdown list to the right of a grid and click
the <Go> button.
To create a layout for the grid, select the “Create a Layout” option from the “Controls” dropdown list to the right a
grid and click the <Go> button
Download/Upload Grids Back to Top
You can upload and download grids to and from your vBulletin here.
To download a grid to your computer, enter the name of the grid in the “Filename” text field and click the
<Download> button.
To clear the “Filename” field, click on the <Reset> button at the bottom of the form.
To import the XML file from your computer, click on the <Choose File> button to the right of the “Either upload the
XML file from your computer” text and click on the <Import> button.
To import the XML file from your server, enter the location of the file to the right of the “OR import the XML file
from your server” text and click on the <Import> button.
To overwrite an existing grid with an uploaded grid, select the “Yes” radio button to the right of the “Allow
overwriting of exiting grids with same name?” text.
To clear the import field, click on the <Reset> button at the bottom of the form.
Note:
-- When you upload a file it must be in XML format.
Clear CMS Cache Back to Top
To clear the CMS Cache, go to Maintenance -> Clear System Cache in the Admin CP.
The link to the CMS Cache was removed and the Cache expanded to an overall system cache for better performance.
Layout Manager Back to Top
You can manage and create layouts here.
A layout controls the location of different types of content within a grid. The overall structure of a layout is dependent
on the grid it’s created for.
The name of the layout is displayed to the left.
The grid the layout is created for is listed in the “Grid” column.
To edit a chosen layout, select the “Edit” option from the “Controls” dropdown list and click the <Go> button. This
opens a form containing the selected layout.
To delete a chosen layout, select the “Delete” option from the “Controls” dropdown list and click the <Go> button.
This opens a popup confirmation. Click <Ok>. This deletes the selected layout.
Layout Form Back to Top
You can create layouts and manage the placement of content within a grid here.
The title of the layout goes in the “Title” text field.
To change the grid the layout is using, select a new grid from the grid dropdown menu.
To add a widget to the grid, select a widget from the scrolling list beneath the “Widget” header and click the >> button
to the right. The widget appears in the grid.
To change the position of a widget or the content, click and hold your mouse over the widget or content you want to
move. Drag the box to its new location and click <Save>.
Widget Manager Back to Top
What are widgets?
Widgets are the smaller applications that fill in the layout content. Where the layout content organizes the widgets and
orders how they appear, it’s the individual widgets that define what sorts of data are displayed. Widgets can be added,
deleted, and edited through the Widget Manager.
You can view, manage and create new widgets here.
The name of the widget appears in the left most column.
The type of widget appears beneath the “Widget Type” column.
To edit a widget, select the <Edit> option in the “Controls” dropdown list and click the <Go>. This opens the widget
form. You can only change the name of the widget and the kind of widget it is in this form.
To delete a widget, select the <Delete> option in the “Controls” dropdown list and click the <Go> button. This opens
a popup confirmation.
To configure a widget, click on the <Configure> link to the right of the widget you wish to change.
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To create a new widget, click on the <Create New Widget> button at the bottom of the list of widgets. Creating a
widget only allows you to name a widget and select the kind of widget it is. If you want to define what content the
widget displays, you must configure the widget.
Add Widgets Back to Top
You can manage and create new widgets here.
To change or select the widget type, select an option from the “Widget Type” dropdown list.
To add a description to the widget, enter text in the text field to the right of the “Description” header.
To increase the size of the “Description” text field, click on either the <Large Edit Box> button or the <Increase Size>
link beneath the text field.
To decrease the size of the “Description” text field, click on the <Decrease Size> link beneath the text field.
To save your changes, click the <Save> button at the bottom of the form.
Widget Types Back to Top
What are the basic types of widgets?
· Category Navigation Widget
The Cateogry Navigation Widget controls how the category menu is formatted.
· General Search
The General Search Widget displays the most recent results for a specific set of search terms that you set.
· My Friends Widget
The My Friends Widget is a general search widget that displays the most recent results for a specific set of search
terms that you set made by members of a user’s friendslist.
· Poll Widget
The poll widget allows you to add polls and or poll results to the main page.
· Recent Activity
The Recent Activity Widget displays the most recent activity on your website. You can select what sort of activity you
want displayed. This can range from forum posts, to new blog posts, to the latest published articles.
· RSS Feed
The RSS Feed allows you to stream and RSS feed from an off-site location on to your site page.
· Section Navigation Widget
The Section Navigation Widget controls how the section menu is formatted.
· Static HTML
The Static HTML Widget allows you to create a widget that displays a piece of text with HTML markups.
· Static BBcode
The StaticBB code Widget allows you to create a widget that display a piece of text with BBCode markups.
Configure Widgets Back to Top
To configure individual widgets after saving them, click on the Configure link to the right of the widget information.
This will cause an overlay to open that has the widget's specific options in it. Set the options as you desire and click
the save button. The configuration will save and the overlay will close. Repeat this for all widgets that you have
created.
Example: Configuring the General Search widget Back to Top
Click on the <Widgets > link.
In the [Widget Manager] select the general search widget you want to edit and click the <Configure> button.
In the popup form that appears, make the changes you want to modify the search.
Click on the <Save> button.
Permissions Back to Top
You can manage permissions here.
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Permissions allow you to control what a group of users can and can not do in a section. This includes things like who
can see a section, who can contribute articles to the section, who can edit content in the section and who can publish
articles. Permissions for a section can be set and changed at any time. You can choose to modify the overall
permission for your CMS module or set different permissions for each section.
The name of the section you are managing appears in the text field to the right of the “Permissions assigned for
section” header.
To give a group the permission to do something, check the appropriate checkbox beneath the permission you want to
give them.
The dropdown list beneath the permissions allows you to make mass changes for that permission. You can select all
the checkboxes, uncheck all the checkboxes, or invert the selection of checkboxes.
To change the section you are setting permissions for, click on the name of the section in the box beneath the form.
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Advertising Back to Top
From this section of the Admin Control Panel, you can manage advertisements that show up in your community. It
will allow you to create new ads, edit them, or publish Google Adsense across your community quickly and easily.
Google Adsense Integration Back to Top
As of vBulletin 3.8, we have partnered with Google AdSense to make it easy for you to sign up with AdSense and
make money with your online community! More information is available about Google AdSense on their website
To get started, you must create an AdSense account or associate an existing account via the vBulletin Members' Area.
Once your account is associated with us, Google AdSense will automatically be available to your forum the next time
you download vBulletin.
Warning:
If you have not associated or created an AdSense account with us, the below options will not be shown in your
administrator's control panel!
After you have downloaded vBulletin with Google AdSense integrated, you should
follow the standard upgrade instructions. After logging into your administrator's control
panel, you will see an Advertising block in the left-hand navigation panel.
Now you must choose the type of integration you want:
Google AdSense Publisher ID - the AdSense publisher ID that is currently being used. If you ever wish to
change the AdSense account that is associated, you can use this value to confirm the publisher ID that is
currently in use.
Change Google AdSense Package - this controls the position of the ads that are shown. Choose No Google
AdSense Ads to remove all ads. See below for more details on each specific package.
Type of Ads to Show - this is used in conjunction with the package to configure the type of ads that are shown.
Text ads are less invasive to your users but not as effective. We recommend you select Text and image ads.
The available Google AdSense packages are defined as:
Low
1. A small 5-link advertising unit under the navigation bar. This location
only shows text ads in the Low package.
2. A small advertising unit at the footer of the page.
High
1. A medium advertising unit under the navigation bar.
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2. A nearly-square advertising unit within the first post of a thread. This
only shows for guests.
3. A medium advertising unit at the footer of the page.
Note: It has been reported that some ad blockers can interfere with setting up Adsense via these instructions. If you
have a problem try temporarily disabling your ad blockers.
Manage Ads Back to Top
This screen provides a list of your current advertisements. From here you can edit advertisements or toggle whether
they are active or not.
To create a new advertisement click on "Add New Ad"
Add New Ad Back to Top
Clicking on "Add New Ad" launches a wizard to create new advertisements for your community. You can select
where they are shown on the page, include the HTML for the advertisements and set conditions on who sees the
advertisements.
The first step is to choose the location. You will see a screen like the one below.
Simply click on the highlighted ad location where you want it to show. To change the area, select a new area at the top
of the screen. Current areas include Global (Header, Navbar, and Footer), Board (Forum Home), Forum (Forum
Display), and Thread (Showthread). Additional areas will come later.
After selecting the location for your advertisement you will be presented with this screen:
This will allow you to create a new advertisement. You must fill in the following fields:
Title - A descriptive title that will allow you to recognize the advertisement on the Manage Ads screen. This
will not be shown to users.
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Ad Location - This should be pre-filled with the location you chose in the Ad Selector. If necessary you can
change this.
Ad HTML - The HTML for your advertisement. You cannot use BBCode here but you can use Template
Conditionals and vBulletin variables. If you don't know the HTML for an advertisement, contact the advertiser
and have them provide it to you.
Display Order - Sets the advertisement's display order if you have multiple ads in the same location.
Active - Determines whether the advertisement is shown or not.
Underneath the ad options, you can see several conditions. You can set these to restrict the viewing of advertisements
to specific locales, usergroups and restrict ads by dates. If your specific condition doesn't exist then you will need to
create custom conditions using Plugins or Template Conditionals within the advertising HTML.
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Google AdSense Integration Back to Top
We have partnered with Google AdSense to make it easy for you to sign up with AdSense and make money with your
online community! More information is available about Google AdSense on their website
To get started, you must create an AdSense account or associate an existing account via the vBulletin Members' Area.
Once your account is associated with us, Google AdSense will automatically be available to your forum the next time
you download vBulletin.
Warning:
If you have not associated or created an AdSense account with us, the below options will not be shown in your
administrator's control panel!
After you have downloaded vBulletin with Google AdSense integrated, you should
follow the standard upgrade instructions. After logging into your administrator's control
panel, you will see an Advertising block in the left-hand navigation panel.
Now you must choose the type of integration you want:
Google AdSense Publisher ID - the AdSense publisher ID that is currently being used. If you ever wish to
change the AdSense account that is associated, you can use this value to confirm the publisher ID that is
currently in use.
Change Google AdSense Package - this controls the position of the ads that are shown. Choose No Google
AdSense Ads to remove all ads. See below for more details on each specific package.
Type of Ads to Show - this is used in conjunction with the package to configure the type of ads that are shown.
Text ads are less invasive to your users but not as effective. We recommend you select Text and image ads.
The available Google AdSense packages are defined as:
Low
1. A small 5-link advertising unit under the navigation bar. This location
only shows text ads in the Low package.
2. A small advertising unit at the footer of the page.
High
1. A medium advertising unit under the navigation bar.
2. A nearly-square advertising unit within the first post of a thread. This
only shows for guests.
3. A medium advertising unit at the footer of the page.
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Note: It has been reported that some ad blockers can interfere with setting up Adsense via these instructions. If you
have a problem try temporarily disabling your ad blockers.
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Styles & Templates Back to Top
The Styles & Templates section allows you to change the fonts, colors or the html of any section of the board to your
preference.
The first part of this section of the vBulletin Manual deals with how the vBulletin style system actually works, and
includes a reference guide for various important elements.
vBulletin Style Reference
The second part deals with using the tools provided to you in the Style & Templates area of the Admin CP.
The Style Manager
Note:
To modify the look and feel of your vBulletin forums, a knowledge of XHTML 1.0 and CSS 1.0 is required. To learn
the basics of these markup languages please visit W3schools.com. If you have questions please visit our community
forums.
vBulletin Style Reference Back to Top
The vBulletin Styles system is the interface through which you can configure the way that your visitors see your
board.
A variety of controls are available for your use, allowing you to make both minor changes, such as the font used for
the interface, right through to changing the underlying HTML used to generate the board's individual pages.
The look of your board can be altered to your own custom preferences through a simple-to-use interface that allows
you to change fonts, colors and images etc. If you want to get down and dirty with the underlying HTML of the board,
you can also do this by editing individual templates via the Style Manager.
A vBulletin style comprises several elements that work together to create a complete look for your board.
Those components are as follows:
Templates
CSS
StyleVars
Replacement Variables
Templates Back to Top
How do Templates Work? Back to Top
The pages you see making up the user-side of vBulletin are generated using a number of templates. Templates are
fragments of XHTML code interspersed with PHP variables. These combine together to form complete XHTML
pages that are served up to visitors.
A simple example template might look like this:
<table class="tborder">
<tr>
<td class="tcat" colspan="2">My Table</td>
</tr>
$tablebits
</table>
The $tablebits PHP variable represents an area of the template that will be replaced with either some data, or
additional template contents.
For example, we may have another template that looks like this:
<tr>
<td class="alt1">$username</td>
<td class="alt2">$message</td>
</tr>
This template would have the $username and $message variables substituted with the appropriate username and
message.
<tr>
<td class="alt1">Mister User</td>
<td class="alt2">This is my message</td>
</tr>
The template would then be repeated as many times as necessary, replacing the variables with the username and
message for each repetition. Finally, this completed block of XHTML would be inserted into the first template,
replacing the $tablebits variable, resulting in a complete block of code like this:
<table class="tborder">
<tr>
<td class="tcat" colspan="2">My Table</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="alt1">Mister User</td>
<td class="alt2">This is my message</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td class="alt1">Another Person</td>
<td class="alt2">This message is in reply to that posted above.</td>
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</tr>
<tr>
<td class="alt1">Mister User</td>
<td class="alt2">Hey, thanks for responding to my message!</td>
</tr>
</table>
This resulting code can then be passed on to the visitor's web browser for display.
Here is the header template from a current version of vBulletin. This shows how a typical template is built in
vBulletin.
<div class="above_body"> <!-- closing tag is in template navbar -->
<div id="header" class="floatcontainer doc_header">
<vb:if condition="$stylevar['titleimage']"><div><a name="top" href="{vb:link forumhome}" class="logo-image"><img src="{vb:stylevar titleimage}" alt="{v
<div id="toplinks" class="toplinks">
<vb:if condition="$show['member']">
<ul class="isuser">
<li><a href="login.php?{vb:raw session.sessionurl}do=logout&logouthash={vb:raw bbuserinfo.logouthash}" onclick="return log_out('{vb:raw
<vb:if condition="$show['registerbutton']">
<li><a href="register.php{vb:raw session.sessionurl_q}" rel="nofollow">{vb:rawphrase register}</a></li>
</vb:if>
<li><a href="usercp.php{vb:raw session.sessionurl_q}">{vb:rawphrase user_control_panel}</a></li>
<li><a href="{vb:link member, {vb:raw bbuserinfo}}">{vb:rawphrase your_profile}</a></li>
<vb:if condition="$notifications_total">
<li class="popupmenu notifications" id="notifications">
<a class="popupctrl" href="usercp.php{vb:raw session.sessionurl_q}">{vb:rawphrase your_notifications}: <span class="notifications-numbe
<ul class="popupbody popuphover">
{vb:raw notifications_menubits}
</ul>
</li>
<vb:else />
<li class="popupmenu nonotifications" id="nonotifications">
<a class="popupctrl" href="usercp.php{vb:raw session.sessionurl_q}">{vb:rawphrase your_notifications}</a>
<ul class="popupbody popuphover">
<li>{vb:rawphrase no_new_messages}</li>
<vb:if condition="$show['pmmainlink']"><li><a href="private.php{vb:raw session.sessionurl_q}">{vb:rawphrase inbox}</a></li></vb:if>
</ul>
</li>
</vb:if>
<li class="welcomelink">{vb:rawphrase welcome_x_link_y, {vb:raw bbuserinfo.username}, {vb:link member, {vb:raw bbuserinfo}}}</li>
<vb:if condition="$vboptions['enablefacebookconnect']">
{vb:raw facebook_header}
</vb:if>
</ul>
{vb:raw template_hook.header_userinfo}
<vb:comment><p>{vb:rawphrase last_visited_x_at_y, {vb:raw pmbox.lastvisitdate}, {vb:raw pmbox.lastvisittime}}</p></vb:comment>
<vb:else />
<ul class="nouser">
<vb:if condition="$show['registerbutton']">
<li><a href="register.php{vb:raw session.sessionurl_q}" rel="nofollow">{vb:rawphrase register}</a></li>
</vb:if>
<li><a rel="help" href="faq.php{vb:raw session.sessionurl_q}">{vb:rawphrase help}</a></li>
<li>
<script type="text/javascript" src="clientscript/vbulletin_md5.js?v={vb:raw vboptions.simpleversion}"></script>
<form id="navbar_loginform" action="login.php?{vb:raw session.sessionurl}do=login" method="post" onsubmit="md5hash(vb_login_password, vb_login_
<fieldset id="logindetails" class="logindetails">
<div>
<div>
<input type="text" class="textbox<vb:if condition="!$username"> default-value</vb:if>" name="vb_login_username" id="navbar_username" si
<input type="password" class="textbox" tabindex="102" name="vb_login_password" id="navbar_password" size="10" />
<input type="text" class="textbox default-value" tabindex="102" name="vb_login_password_hint" id="navbar_password_hint" size="10" value
<input type="submit" class="loginbutton" tabindex="104" value="{vb:rawphrase log_in}" title="{vb:rawphrase enter_username_to_login_or_r
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
<div id="remember" class="remember">
<label for="cb_cookieuser_navbar"><input type="checkbox" name="cookieuser" value="1" id="cb_cookieuser_navbar" class="cb_cookieuser_nav
</div>
<input type="hidden" name="s" value="{vb:raw session.sessionhash}" />
<input type="hidden" name="securitytoken" value="{vb:raw bbuserinfo.securitytoken}" />
<input type="hidden" name="do" value="login" />
<input type="hidden" name="vb_login_md5password" />
<input type="hidden" name="vb_login_md5password_utf" />
</form>
<script type="text/javascript">
YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle('navbar_password_hint', "display", "inline");
YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle('navbar_password', "display", "none");
vB_XHTML_Ready.subscribe(function()
{
//
YAHOO.util.Event.on('navbar_username', "focus", navbar_username_focus);
YAHOO.util.Event.on('navbar_username', "blur", navbar_username_blur);
YAHOO.util.Event.on('navbar_password_hint', "focus", navbar_password_hint);
YAHOO.util.Event.on('navbar_password', "blur", navbar_password);
});
function navbar_username_focus(e)
{
//
var textbox = YAHOO.util.Event.getTarget(e);
if (textbox.value == '<vb:if condition="$username">{vb:raw username}<vb:else />{vb:rawphrase username}</vb:if>')
{
//
textbox.value='';
textbox.style.color='{vb:stylevar input_color}';
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}
}
function navbar_username_blur(e)
{
//
var textbox = YAHOO.util.Event.getTarget(e);
if (textbox.value == '')
{
//
textbox.value='<vb:if condition="$username">{vb:raw username}<vb:else />{vb:rawphrase username}</vb:if>';
textbox.style.color='{vb:stylevar shade_color}';
}
}
function navbar_password_hint(e)
{
//
var textbox = YAHOO.util.Event.getTarget(e);
YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle('navbar_password_hint', "display", "none");
YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle('navbar_password', "display", "inline");
YAHOO.util.Dom.get('navbar_password').focus();
}
function navbar_password(e)
{
//
var textbox = YAHOO.util.Event.getTarget(e);
if (textbox.value == '')
{
YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle('navbar_password_hint', "display", "inline");
YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle('navbar_password', "display", "none");
}
}
</script>
</li>
<vb:if condition="$vboptions['enablefacebookconnect']">
{vb:raw facebook_header}
</vb:if>
</ul>
</vb:if>
</div>
<div class="ad_global_header">
{vb:raw ad_location.global_header1}
{vb:raw ad_location.global_header2}
</div>
<hr />
</div>
Template Syntax Back to Top
vBulletin 4.0 introduces a rich new syntax for marking-up templates, reducing the need for formatting and escaping to
be performed in .php files.
Variable Access
Variables should be referenced in templates wherever possible using the following syntax:
{vb:var variable}
Variables accessed in this manner are 'made safe' by being run through htmlspecialchars as they are output.
To access array elements, use a dot operator, rather than standard PHP square brackets:
{vb:var variable.foo} // accesses htmlspecialchars($variable['foo'])
{vb:var variable.$varkey} // accesses htmlspecialchars($variable[$varkey])
Raw Variables
To access variables in the normal, pre-vB4 fashion, use the following syntax:
{vb:raw variable}
This is equivalent to simply accessing $variable in the pre-vB4 syntax. No treatment is applied to the variable. The
same dot operator is used to access array elements.
Curly-Brace Syntax
The general syntax here is
{vb:method arg1[, arg2...]}
Inside curly braces, variables can be accessed without using a separate set of surrounding braces. For example,
{vb:method {variable}} // unneccessary extra braces
{vb:method variable}
Built-in Methods
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phrase
{vb:phrase phrase_name[, arguments for phrase...]}
Inserts the specified phrase. If arguments are provided, they will be run through htmlspecialchars.
Example:
{vb:phrase welcome}
rawphrase
{vb:rawphrase phrase_name[, arguments for phrase...]}
As above, though arguments bypass htmlspecialchars.
Example:
{vb:rawphrase message_by_x_on_y_at_z, {vb:link member, {vb:raw postinfo}}, {vb:raw
postinfo.username}, {vb:raw postinfo.postdate}, {vb:raw postinfo.posttime}}
date
{vb:date timestamp[, format]}
Formats a UNIX timestamp using the default date format for the active language. A format may also be
explicitly specified. Timezone will be corrected for the viewing user.
time
{vb:time timestamp[, format]}
As above, though uses the default time format instead of date format.
number
{vb:number number[, decimals]}
Outputs a number having run through vb_number_format for correct locale formatting. Number of
decimal places to display can be optionally specified.
raw
{vb:raw variable}
Outputs the variable raw, without any formatting or escaping.
escapejs
{vb:escapejs variable}
Returns the variable prepared for use as a Javascript single-quoted string instead of running
htmlspecialchars.
urlencode
{vb:urlencode variable}
Escapes the variable using urlencode.
if
{vb:if condition, true[, false]}
Use this in instances where the full <vb:if> tag can not be used, such as within HTML tags.
Example:
<div class="{vb:if $forumid==1, forum1, forum}">...</div>
link
{vb:link type, info[, extra-info]}
Used to build a hyperlink URL of the specified type and into the correct 'friendly' format.
For more information see: Link Syntax
math
{vb:math expression}
Primarily used within CSS, this is used to evaluate the result of the mathematical expression specified.
stylevar
{vb:stylevar name[.sub-part]}
Used to output a style variable from the style system. No escaping is performed.
Tags
All tags make use of the vb namespace for ease of identification and parsing.
The following tags are available:
literal
<vb:literal>misc code</vb:literal>
Any code inside vb:literal tags will be treated as plain HTML. No curly-brace syntax or vb:tag markup will be
evaluated.
if
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<vb:if condition="condition">true result</vb:if>
If the expression specified in condition is true, the contents of the vb:if tags will be output, otherwise nothing will be
output.
elseif
<vb:elseif condition="condition" />true result
Used in conjunction with vb:if, this allows a secondary condition to be checked and the true result to be output if the
condition is met.
else
<vb:else />true result
Used in conjunction with vb:if, the true result will be output if the vb:if condition failed, and so did any vb:elseif
checks.
comment
<vb:comment>a comment</vb:comment>
In cases where a comment is necessary but the usual <!-- comment --> syntax is undesirable, the vb:comment tag
allows its contents to be completely removed upon compiling, so they will not be delivered to the browser. Useful for
internal commenting.
each
<vb:each from="array" key="key" value="value"></vb:each>
This tag will iterate through an existing array, in a similar manner to foreach. See the example use below.
Example Use of vb:each
Array:
// We have an array of users available in PHP.
// It looks like this:
// $users = array(
// 1 => array('username' => 'Adam', 'email' => 'adam@adam.com'),
// 2 => array('username' => 'Ben', 'email' => 'ben@ben.com'),
// 3 => array('username' => 'Chris', 'email' => 'chris@chris.com')
// );
Template:
<!-- our template code... -->
<vb:each from="users" key="userid" value="userinfo">
<li><a href="member.php?u={vb:var userid}">{vb:var userinfo.username}</a></li>
</vb:each>
Output:
<!-- will output... -->
<li><a href="member.php?u=1">Adam</a></li>
<li><a href="member.php?u=2">Ben</a></li>
<li><a href="member.php?u=3">Chris</a></li>
Link Syntax Back to Top
Creating Links in Templates
When you wish to use a url in a template the format is as follows:
{vb:link string, array[, array][, string, string]}
{vb:link [thread|member|forum|blog], {vb:raw threadinfo}[, {vb:raw pageinfo}][, 'id', 'title']}
The first argument is a string that notifies the system which type of URL is to be output. The valid types are thread,
forum, and member
The second argument is an array that contains the id and title, as the minimum requirements, of the link to be
generated. For thread, this would be threadid and title. For forum this would be forumid and title. For member this
would be userid and username.
The third argument is an optional array that contains any arguments that are required to be sent along, such as perpage
(pp), page (pagenumber), order, and so on.
The simplest forms are:
{vb:link thread, {vb:raw threadinfo}}
{vb:link forum, {vb:raw foruminfo}}
{vb:link member, {vb:raw userinfo}}
If you have an array containing the id and title but they do not follow the conventional naming conventions, then you
may specify their names with the fifth and sixth options. Both must be specified for them to be recognized. For
example, you have $post[threadid] and $post[threadtitle] and wish to output a thread url. You would use:
{vb:link thread, {vb:raw post}, null, 'threadid', 'threadtitle'}
null was specified for the $pageinfo argument array since this example had no arguments.
If you wish to output a url that uses & instead of & e.g.: to be used within javascript, append "|js" to your type
argument so that thread becomes thread|js, member becomes member|js. If you wish to not output a sessionhash, in
any instance, say for a url to be used within an email, append nosession to the type argument, so that thread becomes
thread|nosession
Examples:
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To output a link to a post, you could use
<a href="{link thread, {vb:raw threadinfo}, {vb:raw
pageinfo_lastpost}}#post$lastpostinfo[lastpostid]">$threadinfo[title]</a>
$pageinfo_lastpost would appear like:
$pageinfo_lastpost = array('p' => 1234);
Creating Links in PHP
When creating a link in the code, use the fetch_seo_url function, which accepts the same arguments.
function fetch_seo_url(string, array, array, string, string)
In fact the {vb:link thread, {vb:raw threadinfo}, {vb:raw pageinfo}} syntax is just replaced with fetch_seo_url() when
a template is compiled.
Examples:
Infractions tab of a user's profile
$linkinfo = array('postuserid' => 123, 'postusername' => 'freddie');
$pageinfo = array('tab' => 'infractions);
$memberurl = fetch_seo_url('member', $linkinfo, $pageinfo, 'postuserid', 'postusername');
Using the mod rewrite output, $memberurl would be /members/123-freddie?tab=infractions
Please refer to the code for exact examples.
Template Conditionals Back to Top
Template Conditionals are a powerful tool for controlling the XHTML output from your templates. They allow you to
create simple if/else branches within your templates, in order to display different content depending on the condition
you specify.
For example you may want to show a different welcome message on the front page of your board to registered users
and to guests. The way to know whether or not the person visiting a page is a guest, or a logged-in user is to check the
value of $bbuserinfo[userid]. If the value is 0, the visitor is a guest (or not logged-in), otherwise the visitor is a
registered member.
This is a simple conditional to show a welcome message to guests only.
<vb:if condition="$bbuserinfo['userid'] == 0">
<p>Welcome to the forum!<br />
If this is your first visit, we hope you enjoy your stay!</p>
</vb:if>
The previous example used a simple 'if' condition. We can extend that to include an 'else' condition, which will be
used if the 'if' condition is not fulfilled.
This example extends the previous conditional to show a different message to registered members from that shown to
guests.
<vb:if condition="$bbuserinfo['userid'] == 0">
<p>Welcome to the forum!<br />
If this is your first visit, we hope you enjoy your stay!</p>
<vb:else />
<p>Welcome back, $bbuserinfo[username].<br />
<a href="search.php?do=getnew">Click here to view new posts</a>.
</vb:if>
Starting in vBulletin 4.0 template conditionals natively support 'else if' as well.
<vb:if condition="$my_variable == 1">
<p>My variable is equal to one.</p>
<vb:elseif condition="$my_variable == 2" />
<p>My variable is equal to two.</p>
<vb:else />
<p>My variable is equal to neither one nor two.</p>
</vb:if>
The actual syntax of vBulletin template conditionals is fairly straight forward. To begin a conditional, you simply start
an <vb:if> tag. The <vb:if> tag accepts a single attribute, that being 'condition'. The value of the condition attribute
contains an expression written in PHP. After the opening <vb:if> tag comes the HTML that should be expressed if the
condition is met. The conditional terminates with a closing </vb:if> tag.
Perhaps the easiest way to illustrate this is to demonstrate a simple example of PHP code being embedded as a
template conditional.
Let us assume for the purposes of this example that we want to have the equivalent of this PHP code in our template:
if ($my_variable == 1)
{
echo "<p>My variable is equal to one.</p>";
}
This could be expressed as a template conditional in the following way:
<vb:if condition="$my_variable == 1">
<p>My variable is equal to one.</p>
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</vb:if>
If we were to extend our PHP code to include an 'else' condition as follows...
if ($my_variable == 1)
{
echo "<p>My variable is equal to one.</p>";
}
else
{
echo "<p>My variable is not equal to one.</p>";
}
... then our template conditional would be extended thus:
<vb:if condition="$my_variable == 1">
<p>My variable is equal to one.</p>
<vb:else />
<p>My variable is not equal to one.</p>
</vb:if>
Furthermore, we may want to extend our PHP with an 'else if' condition:
if ($my_variable == 1)
{
echo "<p>My variable is equal to one.</p>";
}
else if ($my_variable == 2)
{
echo "<p>My variable is equal to two.</p>";
}
else
{
echo "<p>My variable is equal to neither one nor two.</p>";
}
<vb:if condition="$my_variable == 1">
<p>My variable is equal to one.</p>
<vb:elseif condition="$my_variable == 2" />
<p>My variable is equal to two.</p>
<vb:else />
<p>My variable is equal to neither one nor two.</p>
</vb:if>
Using PHP Functions in Template Conditionals Back to Top
As a security precaution, to prevent malicious damage to either your database or your server itself, most PHP
functions are disallowed in template conditionals.
This, for example, would be disallowed by the vBulletin template system, as it contains a call to a 'forbidden' function:
mysql_query.
<vb:if condition="$my_variable = mysql_query('SELECT * FROM mytable')">
<!-- naughty naughty... -->
</vb:if>
At the time of writing, the list of allowed 'safe' functions is as follows:
in_array
is_array
is_numeric
isset
empty
defined
array
can_moderate*
can_moderate_calendar*
exec_switch_bg*
is_browser*
is_member_of*
Note:
Functions marked * are custom functions defined by vBulletin itself. Each function name is a link that will take you to
the documentation for that function. Use of these functions requires knowledge of PHP
This is an example of 'safe' functions being used in a template conditional:
<vb:if condition="isset($my_variable) AND is_browser('ie')">
<!-- $my_variable is set and the browser is Internet Explorer -->
</vb:if>
The Legacy Postbit Template Back to Top
The template in which most messages are displayed is called postbit. With the release of vBulletin 3, the layout of the
postbit template was altered radically, changing from a system of two columns with user information in the left
column and the message in the right to a system of two rows, with user information displayed above the message.
New Postbit
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Old (Legacy) Postbit
While most people prefer the new layout of the postbit template after using it for a short time, there are others who are
less willing to make the change.
If you would like to run your board using the old-style postbit template, you can do so by going to vBulletin Options >
Style & Language Settings and switching the Use Legacy (Vertical) Postbit Template? setting to Yes.
After clicking the [Save] button, all your styles will use the Legacy (old style) Postbit.
Note:
If your board is set to use the Legacy Postbit template you should be aware that you will need to make any postbit-
related template customizations to the postbit_legacy template instead of the postbit template.
Including External Files Back to Top
Warning:
This is considered modifying the code. To get further help and support with including external files you will need to
visit http://www.vbulletin.org/.
If you have a PHP or HTML file that you want to include in your vBulletin forum, create a plugin that references that
file. Then add a variable to the template of your choice where that file's contents should appear.
Note:
The Plugin system must be enabled in vBulletin Options -> Plugin System for plugins to work. It is disabled by
default.
Including an HTML file:
1. Create a Plugin for global_start with this code:
$includedhtml = implode('', file('path/to/this/file/myfile.html'));
Replace the path and filename with the correct path and filename of the HTML file you want to include. The contents
of myfile.html will be copied to the variable $includedhtml.
2. Place {vb:raw includedhtml} in one of your templates, such as header, navbar, FORUMHOME, depending upon
where you want the contents of your HTML file to appear.
Including a PHP file:
1. Create a Plug-in for global_start with these contents:
ob_start();
include('path/to/this/file/myfile.php');
$includedphp = ob_get_contents();
ob_end_clean();
Replace the path and filename with the correct path and filename of the PHP file you want to include. The code in
myfile.php will execute and any output generated by this script will be stored in $includedphp.
2. Place {vb:raw includedphp} in one of your templates, such as header, navbar, FORUMHOME, depending upon
where you want the contents of your PHP file to appear.
Warning:
Plugins that contain invalid or malicious code may cause your forum to stop functioning or even lead to data loss.
Using Plugins is not supported and you'll be asked to disable them in the event that you request tech support. If a
Plugin has made your forum inaccessible, please disable plugins. Troubleshooting errant plugins and products is
handled at our sister site, http://www.vBulletin.org.
What is Output Buffering?
Most PHP files that you might wish to include in your forum contain echo or other output statements in your PHP file,
it will break vBulletin because it is still in the process of initializing when it loads your PHP file. All echo and other
output commands must be output buffered using ob_start, ob_clean, etc. commands. The output of your PHP script
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will be buffered for later use and inserted into a variable. All other statements in the PHP script will execute normally.
A word about variables.
It is very important that any variables initialized in your PHP script do not overlap built-in vBulletin variables or you
will get unpredictable results. It may be advisable to create a PHP script just for inclusion in your forum rather than
including a larger script used by another part of your website.
Variables are also subject to scope. You may need to access your variable out of the $global array like {vb:raw
global.variablename} instead of simply {vb:raw variablename}. You may also need work with a hook location that is
more accessible to the template that you wish to alter.
Please see the PHP documentation for more information on variable scope:
http://www.php.net/manual/en/language.variables.scope.php
Registering Variables
In vBulletin 4+, you need to register variables for them to be available in specific templates and usable. You would do
this with code like this:
vB_Template::preRegister('FORUMHOME',array('includedphp ' => $includedphp));
Replace FORUMHOME with the template you want to include your value in.
Which hook should I use?
The hook used above (global_start) makes your HTML or PHP file available in almost every template on your
vBulletin forum. You may wish to include a PHP file or HTML file only on certain pages or parts of your forum.
You'll need to select the correct hook where your code should be loaded. To determine which hook you should use,
turn on Debug and then make this change to the appropriate functions php file.
How do I turn on debug mode?
Please note that you should not turn on debug mode in a live environment.
Open the config.php file.
At the top, on a new line below <?php
add: $config['Misc']['debug'] = true;
Note:
If you wish to include() multiple PHP files, make sure you use ob_clean() before each include() to reset the buffer.
CSS Back to Top
Not to be confused with XSS, CSS stands for Cascading Style Sheets.
For the most part, vBulletin hides the nitty-gritty of editing CSS from you, instead presenting you with a user-friendly
interface in the Style Manager in which to enter values to control the styling of your board. However, in the interest of
a knowledge of what is going on behind the scenes in the vBulletin style system, we'll talk a little about CSS here.
CSS is a system designed to allow the style of a web site to be separated from the content itself.
Before CSS, web sites had to include HTML code defining how to display content along with the content itself. For
example, to display a page of text using a bold, red, medium-sized font, it was necessary to include <font> tags in the
actual content:
<p><font size="2" face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif" color="red">
<b>This is my first paragraph.</b>
</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif" color="red">
<b>This is my second paragraph.</b>
</font></p>
<p><font size="2" face="verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif" color="red">
<b>This is my third paragraph.</b>
</font></p>
As is clearly demonstrated by the previous example, the HTML code has two problems. Firstly, the display code
actually represents more HTML than the content itself, and secondly, it is necessary to repeat the same display code
over and over.
The net result is HTML code that is bloated by display-related code. Worse still, if we decided at a later date that we
wanted to change all the text on our site to use an italic, blue font rather than a bold, red font, we would have to edit
the HTML code of every page on the site.
CSS allows us to get away from this far-from-ideal situation by allowing us to define style rules, known as classes.
We could set up a class wherein all content with the class applied would appear with our bold, red, medium-sized font.
For now, we'll call this 'myclass'.
<p class="myclass">This is my first paragraph.</p>
<p class="myclass">This is my second paragraph.</p>
<p class="myclass">This is my third paragraph.</p>
You can see from this example that there is now significantly less HTML code needed, and that there is no inherent
display-related code visible.
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The CSS code that defines 'myclass' looks like this:
<style type="text/css">
<!--
.myclass
{
font: bold 10pt verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;
color: red;
}
-->
</style>
With this system, were we to decide that we wanted to change all our text to use the italic, blue font, we would not
need to edit our HTML content at all. Rather, we would simply change the style rules defined in 'myclass', and all the
text with 'myclass' applied would automatically reflect the change.
Better still, the class definitions can be kept entirely separate from the HTML code by putting them into a .css file and
linking to the file from each HTML page. Therefore, updating a single .css file can change the style of an entire web
site, without having to edit a single HTML file.
To demonstrate the extent of use of CSS in vBulletin, here is a comparison of a page from the vBulletin.com web site
shown with and without CSS.
For a more complete discussion of exactly what CSS is, and how to use it, visit the following sites:
CSS Tutorial at W3Schools.com
CSS 2 Reference Guide at W3Schools.com
CSS 2 Specification at W3C.org
The following sections list and explain all the CSS classes and definitions used by vBulletin, so you can edit them
with confidence, knowing exactly what they control, where to use them, and how your edits will affect the look of the
system.
CSS Templates Back to Top
vBulletin stores all of its CSS in templates within the Style Manager. You can edit these templates in the same way
that you edit any other template. To get to them follow this process:
Styles & Templates > Style Manager > Edit Templates (on All Style Options Dropdown)
Once in the template list, double-click on CSS Templates. Then double-click on the template that you want to edit.
Additional.css Back to Top
Additional.css is a special blank template that you can use for your own customizations. It will not be overwritten or
merged on subsequent upgrades. You can also use this template to override the default CSS in the system.
additional.css is called on every page in the headinclude_bottom template.
Style Variables Back to Top
StyleVars (short for Style Variables) are PHP variables that contain a single value used for controlling the appearance
of some aspect of a vBulletin style. Stylevars are used in conjuction with CSS and Templates to control the look and
feel of your vBulletin site.
StyleVars are incorporated into CSS and Templates using the {stylevar} syntax. While Stylevars are primarily used
within CSS in vBulletin 4, they can be used in XHTML templates as well.
How Style Variables Interact with CSS Back to Top
vBulletin uses Style Variables to dynamically build your CSS during rendering either during page load or when the
files are written to the server, if you have enabled that option. This allows you to quickly and easily build different
styles that your users can choose from.
When you look at the CSS templates you will see code like this:
.postbit, .postbitlegacy, .eventbit {
margin-bottom: {vb:stylevar padding};
display:block;
width: 100%;
clear:both;
position: relative;
float: {vb:stylevar left};
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color: {vb:stylevar body_color};
border: {vb:stylevar postbit_border};
}
This code contains several style variables as denoted by the {vb:stylevar} tags. The vBulletin template engine will
retrieve the values of those style variables and insert them directly into the CSS as it is rendered.
CSS Math
Primarily used within CSS, this is used to evaluate the result of the mathematical expression specified.
{vb:math expression}
An example of this might look like:
height:{vb:math 8px + {vb:math {vb:stylevar font.fontSize}-1}};
This determines the height of an element based on the font size specified in the font style variable and an extra value
of 8 pixels.
Types of Stylevars Back to Top
There are different types of stylevars in the vBulletin 4.X system. The type of stylevar controls how it appears.
Simple Stylevars
Simple stylevars usually have a single option to set. These include strings, numbers, image paths, image names,
colors, and others.
String - Allows you to specify any string value
Numeric - Allows you to specify any numeric value
Url - These stylevars require a valid URL
Path - Simple relative path here i.e. ./images/
Color - Allows any valid CSS color value including named colors, RGB, and Hex Values. Provides a color
palette tool.
Image Directory - Allows you to specify a directory where images are located. This will be relative to the
directory the software is installed in.
Image - Allows you to specify a valid image type
Font List - Specify a list of fonts in comma delimited format for typography
Size - Set the size of elements. Includes a dropdown for the unit type (pt, px, em, etc...)
Complex Stylevars
Complex Stylevars have a variety of options usually denoting the complex nature of the setting. These stylevars
include backgrounds, fonts, text decoration, dimensions, borders, padding and margins.
Background - Specify the different attributes of a background. This includes image url, color, horizontal/vertical
offsets and repeat values.
Font - Specify the font for elements. Includes font family, size, weight, and transformation.
Text Decoration - Specify the text decoration of an element, e.g. underline, strike-through, overline.
Dimension - Sets the dimension of an element. Both horizontal and vertical be set.
Border - Sets the border of an element including left, right, top, bottom, width, variation and color.
Padding - Sets the padding around the contents of a block element.
Margin - Sets the margins of a block element. Note: To automatically center the contents of an element
horizontally, set the values for the left and right margins to auto.
Adding Stylevars Back to Top
Note:
This is a developer feature
If you are creating your own custom style, you can also add custom stylevars as of version 4.0.0. In order to do this,
your forums must be in debug mode.
To add a new stylevar, click the "Add New Stylevar" button on the Stylevar Manager. You will be able to define the
name, description, variable, group and type of stylevar. You can also assign your stylevar to a specific product for
export in a product.xml file.
Stylevar Dictionary Back to Top
The StyleVar Dictionary gives you the name and definition of every style variable in the system organized by the area
they affect.
Ads Back to Top
These style variables help control the layout and design of your ads.
Name Description
ad_margin This stylevar controls the margin of ads.
ad_padding This stylevar controls the padding of ads.
ad_post_maxWidth This stylevar controls the maximum width of ads in forum posts.
Album Back to Top
These stylevars allow you to control the layout and design of the user photo albums and their contents.
Name Description
album_content_width This stylevar controls the width of the user's album column on the main
album page.
albumedit_blockrow_border This stylevar controls the border of block rows in the edit album picture
page.
albumedit_maineditor_background This stylevar controls the background of the caption textbox in the edit
album picture page.
albumedit_maineditor_border This stylevar controls the border of the caption textbox in the edit album
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picture page.
albumedit_maineditor_width This stylevar controls the width of the caption textbox in the edit album
picture page.
albumlist_blockbody_background This stylevar controls the background of the album list.
albumlist_entry_background This stylevar controls the background of the album covers in the album list.
albumlist_entry_border This stylevar controls the border of the album covers in the album list.
albumlist_image_shadow_color This stylevar controls the shadow color of the album cover pictures in the
album list.
albumtop_margin This stylevar controls the width of the Picture URL and BB Code fields in
the album picture page.
picture_background This stylevar controls the background of pictures.
picture_border This stylevar controls the border of pictures.
picturelink_img_shadow_color This stylevar controls the shadow color of pictures.
AssetManager Back to Top
These stylevars control aspects of the Asset Manager window when you are uploading file attachments.
Name Description
assetmanager_attachment_background This stylevar controls the background of attachments in the
asset manager.
assetmanager_attachment_background_selected This stylevar controls the background of selected attachments
in the asset manager.
assetmanager_attachment_border This stylevar controls the border of attachments in the asset
manager.
assetmanager_attachment_color This stylevar controls the text color of attachments in the asset
manager.
assetmanager_border This stylevar controls the border of the asset manager.
assetmanager_panel_background This stylevar controls the background of panels in the asset
manager.
assetmanager_panel_color This stylevar controls the text color of panels in the asset
manager.
assetmanager_panel_footer_background This stylevar controls the background of panel footers in the
asset manager.
assetmanager_panel_footer_color This stylevar controls the text color of panel footers in the asset
manager.
assetmanager_panel_header_background This stylevar controls the background of panel headers in the
asset manager.
assetmanager_panel_header_color This stylevar controls the text color of panel headers in the
asset manager.
assetmanager_resize_background This stylevar controls the background of the area between the
different panels in the asset manager.
assetmanager_upload_background This stylevar controls the background of the file list in the
advanced uploader. If enabled, the advanced uploader is used in
the asset manager and in the Insert Image popup of the editor.
assetmanager_upload_color This stylevar controls the text color of the file list in the
advanced uploader. If enabled, the advanced uploader is used in
the asset manager and in the Insert Image popup of the editor.
Attachments Back to Top
These stylevars control the layout and display of attachments as it is displayed within content.
Name Description
attachment_box_background This stylevar controls the background of the box that contains attachments in
content that supports them.
attachment_box_border This stylevar controls the border of the box that contains attachments in
content that supports them.
attachment_box_fontsize This stylevar controls the font size of the box that contains attachments in
content that supports them.
attachment_box_padding This stylevar controls the padding of the box that contains attachments in
content that supports them.
attachment_image_large_max This stylevar controls the maximum size of inline attached images whose
size is set to "Large" in their Image Settings.
attachment_image_medium_max This stylevar controls the maximum size of inline attached images whose
size is set to "Medium" in their Image Settings.
attachment_image_thumbnail_max This stylevar controls the maximum size of inline attached images whose
size is set to "Thumbnail" in their Image Settings.
BBCode Back to Top
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Allows you to control the design of block level BBCODE like QUOTE, PHP, HTML, and CODE
Name Description
bbcode_code_background This stylevar controls the background of the [code], [html] and [php] BB code
blocks.
bbcode_quote_background This stylevar controls the background of quotes.
bbcode_quote_border This stylevar controls the border of quotes.
bbcode_quote_font This stylevar controls the font of quotes.
bbcode_quote_padding This stylevar controls the padding of quotes.
bbcode_quote_postedby_font This stylevar controls the font of the "Originally Posted by" text of quotes.
bbcode_table_border This stylevar controls the border of tables created with BB code.
Blocks Back to Top
The basic building blocks of many display elements in vBulletin.
Name Description
blockbody_background This stylevar controls the background of the block body. A block body is the
central part of a block, which usually contains one ore more block rows.
blockbody_padding This stylevar controls the padding of the block body. A block body is the central
part of a block, which usually contains one ore more block rows.
blockfoot_background This stylevar controls the background of block footers. A block footer is the
bottom part of a block, which usually contains action buttons.
blockfoot_border This stylevar controls the border of block footers. A block footer is the bottom
part of a block, which usually contains action buttons.
blockfoot_color This stylevar controls the text color of block footers. A block footer is the bottom
part of a block, which usually contains action buttons.
blockfoot_font This stylevar controls the font of block footers. A block footer is the bottom part
of a block, which usually contains action buttons.
blockfoot_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of block footers. A block footer is the bottom
part of a block, which usually contains action buttons.
blockfoot_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of block footers. A block footer is the
bottom part of a block, which usually contains action buttons.
blockfoot_padding This stylevar controls the padding of block footers. A block footer is the bottom
part of a block, which usually contains action buttons.
blockhead_background This stylevar controls the background of block headers. A block header is the
upper part of a block, which usually contains a title for the block.
blockhead_border This stylevar controls the border of block headers. A block header is the upper
part of a block, which usually contains a title for the block.
blockhead_color This stylevar controls the text color of block headers. A block header is the upper
part of a block, which usually contains a title for the block.
blockhead_font This stylevar controls the font of block headers. A block header is the upper part
of a block, which usually contains a title for the block.
blockhead_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of block headers. A block header is the upper
part of a block, which usually contains a title for the block.
blockhead_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of block headers. A block header is the
upper part of a block, which usually contains a title for the block.
blockhead_padding This stylevar controls the padding of block headers. A block header is the upper
part of a block, which usually contains a title for the block.
blockrow_background This stylevar controls the background of block rows. A block contains one or
more rows, in which data are displayed.
blockrow_border This stylevar controls the border of block rows. A block contains one or more
rows, in which data are displayed.
blockrow_color This stylevar controls the text color of block rows. A block contains one or more
rows, in which data are displayed.
blockrow_font This stylevar controls the font of block rows. A block contains one or more rows,
in which data are displayed.
blockrow_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of block rows. A block contains one or more
rows, in which data are displayed.
blockrow_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of block rows. A block contains one or
more rows, in which data are displayed.
blockrow_padding This stylevar controls the padding of block rows. A block contains one or more
rows, in which data are displayed.
blocksubhead_background This stylevar controls the background of block sub-headers. A block sub-header is
usually located below the block header, containing a descriptive sub-title for the
block, or is used to separate multiple block rows within the same block.
blocksubhead_border This stylevar controls the border of block sub-headers. A block sub-header is
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usually located below the block header, containing a descriptive sub-title for the
block, or is used to separate multiple block rows within the same block.
blocksubhead_color This stylevar controls the text color of block sub-headers. A block sub-header is
usually located below the block header, containing a descriptive sub-title for the
block, or is used to separate multiple block rows within the same block.
blocksubhead_font This stylevar controls the font of block sub-headers. A block sub-header is usually
located below the block header, containing a descriptive sub-title for the block, or
is used to separate multiple block rows within the same block.
blocksubhead_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of block sub-headers. A block sub-header is
usually located below the block header, containing a descriptive sub-title for the
block, or is used to separate multiple block rows within the same block.
blocksubhead_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of block sub-headers. A block sub-
header is usually located below the block header, containing a descriptive sub-title
for the block, or is used to separate multiple block rows within the same block.
blocksubhead_padding This stylevar controls the padding of block sub-headers. A block sub-header is
usually located below the block header, containing a descriptive sub-title for the
block, or is used to separate multiple block rows within the same block.
Global Back to Top
Style Variables that are used Globally throughout the vBulletin System
Name Description
body_background This stylevar controls the background of the body. The body is the area below the
header, which contains all other elements.
body_color This stylevar controls the text color of the body. The body is the area below the header,
which contains all other elements.
body_padding This stylevar controls the padding of the body. The body is the area below the header,
which contains all other elements.
border_radius This stylevar controls the radius of borders.
doc_background This stylevar controls the background of the document. The document is the outer area,
that contains all other elements.
doc_margin This stylevar controls the margin of the document. The document is the outer area, that
contains all other elements.
doc_maxWidth This stylevar controls the maximum width of the document. The document is the outer
area, that contains all other elements.
doc_minWidth This stylevar controls the minimum width of the document. The document is the outer
area, that contains all other elements.
doc_width This stylevar controls the width of the document. The document is the outer area, that
contains all other elements.
font This stylevar controls the font of any element.
htmldoctype This stylevar controls the type of the HTML document.
link_color This stylevar controls the link color of any element.
link_textDecoration This stylevar controls the link text decoration of any element.
linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of any element.
linkhover_textDecoration This stylevar controls the link hover text decoration of any element.
padding This stylevar controls the padding of any element.
shade_color This stylevar controls the text color of shaded text. Shaded text is usually used for
option and input field descriptions.
shadow_color This stylevar controls the shadow color of any element.
time_color This stylevar controls the text color of the time.
Buttons Back to Top
Define the look and feel of your Form Buttons and Action Controls with these stylevars
Name Description
control_background This stylevar controls the background of buttons.
control_border This stylevar controls the border of buttons.
control_color This stylevar controls the text color of buttons.
control_content_background This stylevar controls the background of content buttons. A content button is
a button used to create new content (such as Post New Thread, Reply to
Thread, etc.).
control_content_border This stylevar controls the border of content buttons. A content button is a
button used to create new content (such as Post New Thread, Reply to
Thread, etc.).
control_content_color This stylevar controls the text color of content buttons. A content button is a
button used to create new content (such as Post New Thread, Reply to
Thread, etc.).
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control_content_font This stylevar controls the font of content buttons. A content button is a
button used to create new content (such as Post New Thread, Reply to
Thread, etc.).
control_content_hover_background This stylevar controls the background of hover content buttons. A content
button is a button used to create new content (such as Post New Thread,
Reply to Thread, etc.).
control_content_hover_color This stylevar controls the text color of hover content buttons. A content
button is a button used to create new content (such as Post New Thread,
Reply to Thread, etc.).
control_content_padding This stylevar controls the padding of content buttons. A content button is a
button used to create new content (such as Post New Thread, Reply to
Thread, etc.).
control_content_radius This stylevar controls the radius of content button borders. A content button
is a button used to create new content (such as Post New Thread, Reply to
Thread, etc.).
control_content_shadow_color This stylevar controls the shadow color of content buttons. A content button
is a button used to create new content (such as Post New Thread, Reply to
Thread, etc.).
control_font This stylevar controls the font of buttons.
control_hover_background This stylevar controls the background of hover buttons.
control_hover_color This stylevar controls the text color of hover buttons.
Calendar Back to Top
These style variables control the look of your Calendar and Event pages.
Name Description
calendar_addnewcontrols_dt_margin This stylevar controls the margin of the calendar Add New
Event button.
calendar_events_a_daynum_color This stylevar controls the link color of day numbers in the
calendar monthly view.
calendar_events_a_daynum_color_hover This stylevar controls the link hover color of day numbers in
the calendar monthly view.
calendar_events_border This stylevar controls the border of days in the calendar
monthly and weekly views.
calendar_events_height This stylevar controls the minimum height of day cells in the
calendar monthly view.
calendar_events_ol_list_margin This stylevar controls the margin of day cells in the calendar
monthly view.
calendar_events_ol_list_width This stylevar controls the width of day cells in the calendar
monthly view.
calendar_mini_othermonth_a_border This stylevar controls the border of other month days in the
calendar.
calendar_othermonth_a_color This stylevar controls the text color of other month days in the
calendar.
calendar_othermonth_background_color This stylevar controls the background of other month days in
the calendar.
calendar_sidebar_width This stylevar controls the width of the calendar sidebar.
calendar_today_border_color This stylevar controls the border of the current day cell in the
calendar monthly view.
calendar_week_daynum_font_color This stylevar controls the text color of day numbers in the
calendar weekly view.
calendar_week_daynum_font_size This stylevar controls the font size of day numbers in the
calendar weekly view.
calendar_week_eventlist_birthdays_background This stylevar controls the background of the birthday area in
the calendar weekly view.
calendar_week_eventlist_birthdays_border This stylevar controls the border of the birthday area in the
calendar weekly view.
calendar_week_eventlist_birthdays_width This stylevar controls the width of the birthday area in the
calendar weekly view.
eventbit_dl_customfield_color This stylevar controls the text color of custom field names in
calendar events.
Comments Back to Top
These style variables affect the look of the different comments around your site. Comments are seen in the CMS,
Blog, Visitor Messages, Groups, and Albums.
Name Description
postbit_lite_background This stylevar controls the background of comments. A comment is a smaller-
looking type of message, such as group messages, visitor messages, etc.
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postbitlite_header_background This stylevar controls the background of comment headers. A comment is a
smaller-looking type of message, such as group messages, visitor messages, etc.
postbitlite_header_border This stylevar controls the border of comment headers. A comment is a smaller-
looking type of message, such as group messages, visitor messages, etc.
postbitlite_header_color This stylevar controls the text color of comment headers. A comment is a smaller-
looking type of message, such as group messages, visitor messages, etc.
postbitlite_header_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of comment headers. A comment is a
smaller-looking type of message, such as group messages, visitor messages, etc.
Common Back to Top
Common Elements used through out vBulletin includes your global font definitions
Name Description
big_fontSize This stylevar controls the size of big font.
content_msg_font This stylevar controls the font of non post content types. A non post content type
is any content except forums posts, private messages, forum announcements,
calendar events and user notes.
general_hilite_color This stylevar controls the background of general highlighted elements.
giant_fontSize This stylevar controls the size of giant font.
heavy_border This stylevar controls the border of any element that does not have a specific
border defined and that needs a border that stands out against nearby elements.
highlight_background This stylevar controls the background of highlighted text. The text is usually
highlighted by either using the [highlight] BB code or when it matches search
keyword(s).
highlight_color This stylevar controls the text color of highlighted text. The text is usually
highlighted by either using the [highlight] BB code or when it matches search
keyword(s).
image_max_size This stylevar controls the maximum size of images.
imodhilite_backgroundColor This stylevar controls the background of the content selected with inline
moderation.
light_border This stylevar controls the border of any element that does not have a specific
border defined and that needs a border that doesn't stand out against nearby
elements.
line_height This stylevar controls the height of the lines of most elements. The value of this
stylevar is always and only used as part of calculations, and not directly.
mid_border This stylevar controls the border of any element that does not have a specific
border defined.
mid_fontSize This stylevar controls the size of mid font.
navlinks_background This stylevar controls the background of the navigation links.
navlinks_border_top This stylevar controls the top border of the navigation links.
navlinks_color This stylevar controls the text color of the navigation links.
restore This stylevar controls the border of table cells.
restore_padding This stylevar controls the padding of table cells.
small_fontSize This stylevar controls the size of small font.
tabslight_border This stylevar controls the border of tabs. This is used by the calendar tabs only.
tabslight_selected_background This stylevar controls the background of the selected tab. This is used by the
calendar tabs only.
tabslight_size This stylevar controls the size of tabs. This is used by the calendar tabs and profile
tabs only.
tiny_fontSize This stylevar controls the size of tiny font.
Editor Back to Top
Control the look of your Editor and its toolbars.
Name Description
editor_autosave_notice_background This stylevar controls the background of the editor auto-save notice.
editor_background This stylevar controls the background of the editor.
editor_button_background This stylevar controls the background of editor buttons.
editor_button_background_hover This stylevar controls the background of hover editor buttons.
editor_button_disabled_opacity This stylevar controls the opacity of disabled editor buttons. The
entered value should be between 0 and 1.
editor_button_enabled_opacity This stylevar controls the opacity of enabled editor buttons. The
entered value should be between 0 and 1.
editor_button_selected_background This stylevar controls the background of selected editor buttons.
editor_button_selected_background_hover This stylevar controls the background of hover selected editor
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buttons.
editor_popupbody_background This stylevar controls the background of the editor popups.
editor_popupbody_color This stylevar controls the text color of the editor popups.
editor_popupbody_frame_background This stylevar controls the background of the editor popup frame.
editor_popupbody_frame_color This stylevar controls the text color of the editor popup frame.
editor_popupbody_tab_background_hover This stylevar controls the background of the editor popup hover tabs.
editor_popupbody_tab_color_hover This stylevar controls the text color of the editor popup hover tabs.
editor_smiliebox_smiliesize This stylevar controls the maximum size of smilies in the editor
smiliebox.
editor_text_color This stylevar controls the text color of the editor.
editor_toolbar_background This stylevar controls the background of the editor toolbar.
editor_wysiwyg_table_border This stylevar controls the border of tables in the WYSIWYG editor.
Footer Back to Top
Controls the look and feel of the Footer elements at the bottom of every vBulletin Page.
Name Description
footer_background This stylevar controls the background of the footer. The footer is the horizontal bar that
is displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_border This stylevar controls the border of the footer. The footer is the horizontal bar that is
displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_color This stylevar controls the text color of the footer. The footer is the horizontal bar that is
displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_copyright_color This stylevar controls the text color of the footer copyright notice. The footer is the
horizontal bar that is displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_copyright_font This stylevar controls the font of the footer copyright notice. The footer is the
horizontal bar that is displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_font This stylevar controls the font of the footer. The footer is the horizontal bar that is
displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of the footer. The footer is the horizontal bar that is
displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of the footer. The footer is the horizontal bar
that is displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_moz_shadow_color This stylevar controls the shadow color of the footer. The footer is the horizontal bar
that is displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_padding This stylevar controls the padding of the footer. The footer is the horizontal bar that is
displayed at the bottom of every page.
footer_time_color This stylevar controls the text color of the footer time. The footer is the horizontal bar
that is displayed at the bottom of every page.
Forms Back to Top
Name Description
form_columnleft_width This stylevar controls the width of the left column in forms. The left column of forms
usually contains option and input field names.
form_columnright_width This stylevar controls the width of the right column in forms. The right column of forms
usually contains option descriptions, the available option settings and input fields.
form_maxWidth This stylevar controls the maximum width of forms in new content creation pages. A
form is usually contained in a block, and it contains the block body and/or one or more
block rows.
formrow_background This stylevar controls the background of forms. A form is usually contained in a block
body, and may contain one or more block rows.
formrow_border This stylevar controls the border of forms. A form is usually contained in a block body,
and may contain one or more block rows.
input_background This stylevar controls the background of input fields.
input_border This stylevar controls the border of input fields.
input_color This stylevar controls the text color of input fields.
input_focus_background This stylevar controls the background of input fields when they have focus.
input_font This stylevar controls the font of input fields.
input_padding This stylevar controls the padding of input fields.
Forums Back to Top
Use these stylevars to determine how your forum lists look. Forum lists are shown on the Forum Home and Forum
Display pages.
Name Description
announcement_background This stylevar controls the background of forum announcements.
Announcements are displayed at the top of forumdisplay pages.
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forum_sidebar_width This stylevar controls the width of the forum sidebar.
forumbits_border This stylevar controls the border of forum rows in forum lists.
forumbits_shadow_color This stylevar controls the shadow color of forum rows in forum lists.
forumbits_text_color This stylevar controls the text color of forum rows in forum lists.
forumhead_background This stylevar controls the background of forum list headers.
forumhead_border This stylevar controls the border of forum list headers.
forumhead_color This stylevar controls the text color of forum list headers.
forumhead_font This stylevar controls the font of forum list headers.
forumhead_top_corner_radius This stylevar controls the radius of the top corners of forum list headers.
forumicon_size This stylevar controls the size of the space forum icons can take in forum lists.
forumrow_background This stylevar controls the background of forum rows in forum lists.
forumrow_firstentry_background This stylevar controls the background of the first forum row in forum lists.
To customize your "What's Going On" box on the Forum Home page, please see SecondaryContent
Groups Back to Top
Name Description
groups_row_background This stylevar controls the background of group rows.
icon_background This stylevar controls the background of group icons in the group main page.
Header Back to Top
This controls the look and feel of the header at the top of each page within vBulletin.
Name Description
header_background This stylevar controls the background of the header. The header is the horizontal bar
that is displayed at the top of every page, which contains the logo.
header_border This stylevar controls the border of the header. The header is the horizontal bar that is
displayed at the top of every page, which contains the logo.
header_color This stylevar controls the text color of the header. The header is the horizontal bar
that is displayed at the top of every page, which contains the logo.
header_font This stylevar controls the text font of the header. The header is the horizontal bar that
is displayed at the top of every page, which contains the logo.
header_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of the header. The header is the horizontal bar
that is displayed at the top of every page, which contains the logo.
header_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of the header. The header is the horizontal
bar that is displayed at the top of every page, which contains the logo.
header_margin This stylevar controls the margin of the header. The header is the horizontal bar that
is displayed at the top of every page, which contains the logo.
header_padding This stylevar controls the padding of the header. The header is the horizontal bar that
is displayed at the top of every page, which contains the logo.
toplinks_background This stylevar controls the background of the links in the top right corner of the
header.
toplinks_color This stylevar controls the text color of the links in the top right corner of the header.
toplinks_hilite_background This stylevar controls the highlighted background of the links in the top right corner
of the header.
toplinks_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of the links in the top right corner of the header.
toplinks_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of the links in the top right corner of the
header.
ImagePaths Back to Top
Tell vBulletin where to find the different images used to build the look and feel of the site.
Name Description
imgdir_attach This stylevar controls the path of the attachment image directory. This folder contains the
various icons used to represent different attachment file types.
imgdir_button This stylevar controls the path of the button image directory. This folder contains the various
images of the buttons that can be clicked to perform actions.
imgdir_cms This stylevar controls the path of the CMS image directory. This folder contains the various
images used in the vBulletin CMS.
imgdir_editor This stylevar controls the path of the editor image directory. This folder contains the button
and interface images for the editor.
imgdir_misc This stylevar controls the path of the miscellaneous image directory. This folder contains the
various images that do not fit into other image categories.
imgdir_pagination This stylevar controls the path of the pagination image directory. This folder contains the
various images used by the pagination.
imgdir_rating This stylevar controls the path of the rating image directory. This folder contains the various
images used to illustrate the rating applied to a content (such as threads).
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imgdir_reputation This stylevar controls the path of the reputation image directory. This folder contains the
various images used to display a user's current reputation.
imgdir_searchresults This stylevar controls the path of the search result image directory. This folder contains the
various images used by different content showed in search results.
imgdir_siteicons This stylevar controls the path of the site icon image directory. This folder contains the
various common icons used across all the site.
imgdir_statusicon This stylevar controls the path of the status icon image directory. This folder contains the
various icons representing the status of content (such as forums, threads, etc.).
titleimage This stylevar controls the file path of the logo. The logo is the image that is displayed on
every page in the top left corner of the header.
titleimage_padding This stylevar controls the padding of the logo. The logo is the image that is displayed on
every page in the top left corner of the header.
favicon This stylevar controls the file path of the favicon. The favicon is the small image displayed
in the browser address bar and near browser page title.
unknownsgicon This stylevar controls the file path of the icon used as group icon by groups that do not have
an icon specified.
Navbar Back to Top
Navbar
These style variables control the navigation tabs and submenus shown under the Header on every page.
Name Description
navbar_background This stylevar controls the background of the navigation bar.
navbar_border This stylevar controls the border of the navigation bar.
navbar_color This stylevar controls the text color of the navigation bar.
navbar_font This stylevar controls the font of the navigation bar.
navbar_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of the navigation bar.
navbar_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of the navigation bar.
navbar_margin This stylevar controls the margin of the navigation bar.
navbar_menu_height This stylevar controls the height of the navigation bar menu.
navbar_popupmenu_link_background This stylevar controls the background of the navigation bar popup
menu rows.
navbar_popupmenu_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of the navigation bar popup
menu rows.
navbar_popupmenu_link_hover_background This stylevar controls the background of the navigation bar popup
menu hover rows.
navbar_popupmenu_link_hover_color This stylevar controls the link color of the navigation bar popup
menu hover rows.
navbar_tab_background This stylevar controls the background of the navigation bar tabs.
navbar_tab_bevel This stylevar controls the inner top border of the navigation bar
tabs.
navbar_tab_border This stylevar controls the border of the navigation bar tabs.
navbar_tab_color This stylevar controls the text color of the navigation bar tabs.
navbar_tab_font This stylevar controls the font of the navigation bar tabs.
navbar_tab_padding This stylevar controls the padding of the navigation bar tabs.
navbar_tab_selected_background This stylevar controls the background of the selected navigation
bar tabs.
navbar_tab_selected_color This stylevar controls the text color of the selected navigation bar
tabs.
navbar_tab_selected_top_height This stylevar controls the height of the selected navigation bar
tabs. This is an extra height added to the normal height of the
navigation bar tabs.
navbar_tab_size This stylevar controls the size of the navigation bar tabs.
Notices Back to Top
Notices are announcements you can conditionally place on pages. This controls the appearance of those
announcements.
Name Description
notices_background This stylevar controls the background of notices. Notices appear at the top of every page, if
their conditions are met.
notices_shadow_color This stylevar controls the shadow color of notices. Notices appear at the top of every page,
if their conditions are met.
Mobile Back to Top
Mobile
These style variables only appear in the vBulletin Mobile Style
[table]NameDescriptionpadding_mobileThis stylevar controls the padding of any element.titleimage_mobileThis
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stylevar controls the file path of the logo. The logo is the image that is displayed on every page in the top left corner
of the header.htmldoctype_mobileThis stylevar controls the type of the HTML
document.imgdir_button_mobileThis stylevar controls the path of the button image directory. This folder contains
the various images of the buttons that can be clicked to perform actions.imgdir_cms_mobileThis stylevar controls the
path of the CMS image directory. This folder contains the various images used in the vBulletin
CMS.imgdir_misc_mobileThis stylevar controls the path of the miscellaneous image directory. This folder contains
the various images that do not fit into other image categories.imgdir_mobileThis stylevar controls the path of the
mobile style image directory. This folder contains the various images used in the mobile
style.imgdir_mobile_mobileThis stylevar controls the path of the mobile style image directory. This folder contains
the various images used in the mobile style.imgdir_rating_mobileThis stylevar controls the path of the rating image
directory. This folder contains the various images used to illustrate the rating applied to a content (such as
threads).imgdir_searchresults_mobileThis stylevar controls the path of the search result image directory. This folder
contains the various images used by different content showed in search results.imgdir_siteicons_mobileThis stylevar
controls the path of the site icon image directory. This folder contains the various common icons used across all the
site.imgdir_statusicon_mobileThis stylevar controls the path of the status icon image directory. This folder contains
the various icons representing the status of content (such as forums, threads, etc.).
Page Title Back to Top
Controls the look and feel of the page title on each vBulletin Page.
Name Description
pagetitle_background This stylevar controls the background of the page title.
pagetitle_border This stylevar controls the border of the page title.
pagetitle_color This stylevar controls the text color of the page title.
pagetitle_color This stylevar controls the text color of the page title description.
pagetitle_font This stylevar controls the font of the page title.
pagetitle_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of the page title.
pagetitle_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of the page title.
pagetitle_padding This stylevar controls the padding of the page title.
Pagination Back to Top
These stylevars control the look and feel of the Page Navigation controls.
Name Description
pagination_background This stylevar controls the background of the page navigation.
pagination_border This stylevar controls the border of the page navigation.
pagination_color This stylevar controls the text color of the page navigation.
pagination_current_background This stylevar controls the background of the selected page in the page
navigation.
pagination_current_border This stylevar controls the border of the selected page in the page navigation.
pagination_current_color This stylevar controls the text color of the selected page in the page navigation.
pagination_font This stylevar controls the font of the page navigation.
pagination_hover_border This stylevar controls the border of the hover pages in the page navigation.
Polls Back to Top
Controls the look and feel of the poll result output within threads.
Name Description
poll_background This stylevar controls the background of polls.
pollbar1_background This stylevar controls the first background of the poll bars. This background will be
used once every six poll options.
pollbar2_background This stylevar controls the second background of the poll bars. This background will be
used once every six poll options.
pollbar3_background This stylevar controls the third background of the poll bars. This background will be
used once every six poll options.
pollbar4_background This stylevar controls the fourth background of the poll bars. This background will be
used once every six poll options.
pollbar5_background This stylevar controls the fifth background of the poll bars. This background will be
used once every six poll options.
pollbar6_background This stylevar controls the sixth background of the poll bars. This background will be
used once every six poll options.
pollbar_border This stylevar controls the border of the poll bars.
pollbar_height This stylevar controls the height of the poll bars.
pollbars_margin_size This stylevar controls the margin of the poll bars.
pollbars_result_bit_width This stylevar controls the width of the poll result area.
PopupMenus Back to Top
Controls the look and feel of various popup menus used in tools through a vBulletin Site. For the Navbar, see the
Navbar Stylevars
Name Description
popup_padding This stylevar controls the padding of popups.
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popupmenu_background This stylevar controls the background of popup menu.
popupmenu_border This stylevar controls the border of popup menu.
popupmenu_border_radius This stylevar controls the radius of popup menu borders.
popupmenu_color This stylevar controls the text color of popup menu.
popupmenu_font This stylevar controls the font of popup menu.
popupmenu_height This stylevar controls the height of popup menu rows.
popupmenu_link_background This stylevar controls the background of popup menu rows.
popupmenu_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of popup menu rows.
popupmenu_link_hover_background This stylevar controls the background of popup menu hover rows.
popupmenu_link_hover_color This stylevar controls the link color of popup menu hover rows.
popupmenu_padding This stylevar controls the padding of popup menu.
Postbit Back to Top
This controls the various aspects of the postbit templates. The postbit is the code for each post within a thread. If
you're looking for the stylevars to edit CMS Comments, Blog Comments, Group Comments, see Comments
Name Description
diff_add_background This stylevar controls the background of added text in the post edit history.
diff_remove_background This stylevar controls the background of removed text in the post edit history.
diffadd_color This stylevar controls the text color of added text in the post edit history.
diffremove_color This stylevar controls the text color of removed text in the post edit history.
post_title_font This stylevar controls the font of post titles. This includes forums posts,
private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user notes.
postbit_background This stylevar controls the background of posts. This includes forums posts,
private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user notes.
postbit_border This stylevar controls the border of posts. This includes forums posts, private
messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user notes.
postbit_color This stylevar controls the text color of posts. This includes forums posts,
private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user notes.
postbit_control_background This stylevar controls the background of the post buttons. This includes
forums posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and
user notes.
postbit_control_border This stylevar controls the border of the post buttons. This includes forums
posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user
notes.
postbit_control_color This stylevar controls the text color of the post buttons. This includes forums
posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user
notes.
postbit_control_font This stylevar controls the font of the post buttons. This includes forums
posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user
notes.
postbit_control_hover_background This stylevar controls the background of the hover post buttons. This
includes forums posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar
events and user notes.
postbit_control_hover_border This stylevar controls the border of the hover post buttons. This includes
forums posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and
user notes.
postbit_control_hover_color This stylevar controls the text color of the hover post buttons. This includes
forums posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and
user notes.
postbit_control_padding This stylevar controls the padding of the post buttons. This includes forums
posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user
notes.
postbit_deleted_background This stylevar controls the background of soft deleted posts.
postbit_font This stylevar controls the font of posts. This includes forums posts, private
messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user notes.
postbit_foot_background This stylevar controls the background of post footers. This includes forums
posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user
notes.
postbit_foot_separator This stylevar controls the line between different buttons in post footers. This
includes forums posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar
events and user notes.
postbit_userinfo_background This stylevar controls the background of the user information area in posts.
This includes forums posts, private messages, forum announcements,
calendar events and user notes.
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postbit_userinfo_border This stylevar controls the border of the user information area in posts. This
includes forums posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar
events and user notes.
postbithead_background This stylevar controls the background of post headers. This includes forums
posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user
notes.
postbithead_border This stylevar controls the border of post headers. This includes forums posts,
private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user notes.
postbithead_color This stylevar controls the text color of post headers. This includes forums
posts, private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user
notes.
postbithead_font This stylevar controls the font of post headers. This includes forums posts,
private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user notes.
postbitlegacy_userinfo_width This stylevar controls the width of the user information area in posts when
using the vertical (two column) post model. This includes forums posts,
private messages, forum announcements, calendar events and user notes.
postbittitle_border This stylevar controls the line between the post title and the post content.
This includes forum posts, forum announcements and private messages.
signature_border This stylevar controls the line between the signature and the post content.
This includes forum posts, forum announcements and private messages.
Profile Back to Top
These stylevars control the default user profile style and colors[/td]
Name Description
profile_content_subsection_border This stylevar controls the line between each infraction in the user
profile infraction tab.
profile_sidebar_avatar_backgroundColor This stylevar controls the background of profile pictures in user
profiles.
profile_sidebar_avatar_border This stylevar controls the border of images in the profile sidebar. This
includes profile picture, avatar, friends' avatars, group icons and album
covers.
profile_sidebar_avatar_maxWidth This stylevar controls the width of images in the profile sidebar. This
includes group icons and album covers.
profile_sidebar_width This stylevar controls the width of the profile sidebar.
profile_tiny_avatar This stylevar controls the size of avatars in the profile sidebar friend
block.
postbit_lite_background This stylevar controls the background of the left column.Warning: this
stylevar also controls the background of Comment areas.
SecondaryContent Back to Top
Secondary Content appears at the bottom of the Forum Home page. This is commonly referred to as the "What's
Going On" box.
Name Description
secondarycontent_background This stylevar controls the background of the "What's Going On?" block
on the forum home page and of the blocks at the bottom of forumdisplay
and showthread pages.
secondarycontent_border This stylevar controls the border of the "What's Going On?" block on the
forum home page and of the blocks at the bottom of forumdisplay and
showthread pages.
secondarycontent_color This stylevar controls the text color of the "What's Going On?" block on
the forum home page and of the blocks at the bottom of forumdisplay and
showthread pages.
secondarycontent_font This stylevar controls the font of the "What's Going On?" block on the
forum home page and of the blocks at the bottom of forumdisplay and
showthread pages.
secondarycontent_header_background This stylevar controls the background of the header of the "What's Going
On?" block on the forum home page and of the blocks at the bottom of
forumdisplay and showthread pages.
secondarycontent_header_border This stylevar controls the border of the header of the "What's Going On?"
block on the forum home page and of the blocks at the bottom of
forumdisplay and showthread pages.
secondarycontent_header_color This stylevar controls the text color of the header of the "What's Going
On?" block on the forum home page and of the blocks at the bottom of
forumdisplay and showthread pages.
secondarycontent_header_font This stylevar controls the font of the header of the "What's Going On?"
block on the forum home page and of the blocks at the bottom of
forumdisplay and showthread pages.
secondarycontent_subheader_fontSize This stylevar controls the font size of the sub-header of the "What's
Going On?" block on the forum home page and of the blocks at the
bottom of forumdisplay and showthread pages.
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Sidebar Back to Top
Sidebars are shown in the CMS, Forums and Blogs. These style variables control the global aspects of these sidebars.
CMS Widgets also take their formatting from the Sidebar Style Variables.
Name Description
sidebar_background This stylevar controls the background of sidebars.
sidebar_border This stylevar controls the border of sidebars.
sidebar_content_background This stylevar controls the background of sidebar contents.
sidebar_content_bevel This stylevar controls the inner top border of sidebar contents.
sidebar_content_border This stylevar controls the border of sidebar contents.
sidebar_content_color This stylevar controls the text color of sidebar contents.
sidebar_content_fontSize This stylevar controls the font size of sidebar contents.
sidebar_content_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of sidebar contents.
sidebar_content_link_hover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of sidebar contents.
sidebar_content_padding This stylevar controls the padding of sidebar contents.
sidebar_contentavatar_width This stylevar controls the width of sidebar content avatars.
sidebar_contentlist_separator This stylevar controls the line between different sidebar contents in the
same block.
sidebar_contentseparator_background This stylevar controls the background of the sidebar block separator.
sidebar_contentseparator_height This stylevar controls the height of the sidebar block separator.
sidebar_header_color This stylevar controls the text color of sidebar block headers.
sidebar_header_fontSize This stylevar controls the font size of sidebar block headers.
sidebar_header_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of sidebar block headers.
sidebar_postbit_header_font This stylevar controls the font of sidebar content titles.
sidebar_postbit_small_fontSize This stylevar controls the font size of sidebar content details.
ThreadBit Back to Top
The Threadbit controls how your threads or discussions appear in the Forum Display and Search Pages.
Name Description
threadbit_alt_background This stylevar controls the alternating background of thread rows in thread lists.
threadbit_background This stylevar controls the background of thread rows in thread lists.
threadbit_border This stylevar controls the border of thread rows in thread lists.
threadbit_deleted_background This stylevar controls the background of soft deleted thread rows in thread
lists.
threadbit_hilite_background This stylevar controls the background of sticky thread rows in thread lists.
threadbit_iconsize This stylevar controls the size of the space thread icons can take in thread lists.
threadlisthead_background This stylevar controls the background of thread list headers.
threadlisthead_border This stylevar controls the border of thread list headers.
threadlisthead_color This stylevar controls the text color of thread list headers.
threadlisthead_font This stylevar controls the font of thread list headers.
threadlisthead_top_corner_radius This stylevar controls the radius of the top corners of thread list headers.
ToolsMenu Back to Top
The tools menu contains different drop downs and controls to maintain or select actions throughout the site. An
example of this is the toolbar about the posts when viewing a thread.
Name Description
toolsmenu_background This stylevar controls the background of tool menu.
toolsmenu_border This stylevar controls the border of tool menu.
toolsmenu_color This stylevar controls the text color of tool menu.
toolsmenu_fontSize This stylevar controls the font size of tool menu.
toolsmenu_link_color This stylevar controls the link color of tool menu.
toolsmenu_linkhover_color This stylevar controls the link hover color of tool menu.
UserCP Back to Top
These are unique Style Variables for the Setting or User Control Panel Pages.
Name Description
usercp_hr_seperator This stylevar controls the line between private message/subscription folders
and the other private message/subscription links in the navigation column in
the setting pages.
usercp_nav_blockbody_background This stylevar controls the background of the block body in the navigation
column in the setting pages.
usercp_nav_blockbody_border This stylevar controls the border of the block body in the navigation column
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in the setting pages.
Blog Back to Top
These elements control the dominant elements of the Blog layout and Blog Entries. Other aspects are controlled by the
Comments and Sidebar Style Variables.
Name Description
vbblog_bloglist_avatar_width This stylevar controls the width of avatars in blog entry lists.
vbblog_bloglist_avatar_width_mobile This stylevar controls the width of avatars in blog entry lists.
vbblog_bloglist_avatar_width_name_mobile Blog Entry List Avatar Width
vbblog_bloglist_border This stylevar controls the line between different blog entries in blog
entry lists.
vbblog_bloglist_header_color This stylevar controls the text color of blog entry titles.
vbblog_body_background This stylevar controls the background of the blog body. The body is
the area below the header, which contains all other elements.
vbblog_entry_background This stylevar controls the background of blog entries.
vbblog_featured_background This stylevar controls the background of featured blog entries in
blog entry lists.
vbblog_featured_border This stylevar controls the border of featured blog entries in blog
entry lists.
vbblog_featured_header_background This stylevar controls the background of featured blog entry
headers in blog entry lists.
vbblog_featured_header_color This stylevar controls the text color of featured blog entry headers
in blog entry lists.
vbblog_listrow_background This stylevar controls the background of rows in blog lists and in
blog category lists.
vbblog_pagetitle_border This stylevar controls the line between the page title and the rest of
the page content in the blog.
vbblog_pagetitle_color This stylevar controls the text color of the page title in the blog.
vbblog_pagetitle_color This stylevar controls the text color of the page title description in
the blog.
vbblog_pagetitle_font This stylevar controls the font of the page title description in the
blog.
vbblog_pagetitle_font This stylevar controls the font of the page title in the blog.
vbblog_sidebar_avatar_border This stylevar controls the border of the blog owner avatar in the
blog sidebar.
vbblog_sidebar_tabs_background This stylevar controls the background of the blog sidebar tabs.
vbblog_sidebar_tabs_border This stylevar controls the border of the blog sidebar tabs.
vbblog_sidebar_tabs_color This stylevar controls the link color of the blog sidebar tabs.
vbblog_sidebar_tabs_font This stylevar controls the font of the blog sidebar tabs.
vbblog_sidebar_tabs_height This stylevar controls the height of the blog sidebar tabs.
vbblog_sidebar_tabs_selected_background This stylevar controls the background of the selected blog sidebar
tab.
vbblog_sidebar_width This stylevar controls the width of the blog sidebar.
vbcms Back to Top
Controls many parts of the CMS layout. For configuring widgets and sidebars see Sidebar Style Variables. To control
the look of comments see Comments.
Name Description
vbcms_article_background This stylevar controls the background of CMS content.
vbcms_article_preview_header_font This stylevar controls the font of titles in CMS content
previews.
vbcms_article_preview_image_border This stylevar controls the border of CMS content preview
images.
vbcms_article_preview_image_margin This stylevar controls the margin of CMS content preview
images.
vbcms_article_preview_image_outline This stylevar controls the outer line of CMS content preview
images.
vbcms_article_preview_object_size This stylevar controls the maximum size of video in CMS
content previews.
vbcms_body_background This stylevar controls the background of the CMS body. The
body is the area below the header, which contains all other
elements.
vbcms_calendarwidget_day_font This stylevar controls the font of days in the CMS calendar
widget.
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vbcms_calendarwidget_monthnav_background This stylevar controls the background of the month navigation
in the CMS calendar widget.
vbcms_calendarwidget_monthnav_font This stylevar controls the font of the month navigation in the
CMS calendar widget.
vbcms_calendarwidget_weekdays_background This stylevar controls the background of week days in the
CMS calendar widget.
vbcms_calendarwidget_weekdays_border This stylevar controls the border of week days in the CMS
calendar widget.
vbcms_calendarwidget_weekdays_font This stylevar controls the font of week days in the CMS
calendar widget.
vbcms_content_separator This stylevar controls the line between different CMS content
in CMS content lists.
vbcms_header_borderBottom This stylevar controls the bottom border of CMS content
headers.
vbcms_header_borderTop This stylevar controls the top border of CMS content headers.
vbcms_header_color This stylevar controls the text color of CMS content headers.
vbcms_header_font This stylevar controls the font of CMS content headers.
vbcms_header_margin This stylevar controls the margin of CMS content headers.
vbcms_header_padding This stylevar controls the padding of CMS content headers.
vbcms_navwidget_menuitem_background This stylevar controls the background of rows in the CMS
navigation widgets.
vbcms_navwidget_menuitem_bevel This stylevar controls the inner top border of rows in the CMS
navigation widgets.
vbcms_navwidget_menuitem_border This stylevar controls the border of rows in the CMS
navigation widgets.
vbcms_navwidget_menuitem_color This stylevar controls the text color of rows in the CMS
navigation widgets.
vbcms_navwidget_menuitem_font This stylevar controls the font of rows in the CMS navigation
widgets.
vbcms_navwidget_menuitem_hover_background This stylevar controls the background of hover rows in the
CMS navigation widgets.
vbcms_navwidget_menuitem_hover_bevel This stylevar controls the inner top border of hover rows in the
CMS navigation widgets.
vbcms_navwidget_menuitem_hover_border This stylevar controls the border of hover rows in the CMS
navigation widgets.
vbcms_navwidget_menuitem_hover_color This stylevar controls the text color of hover rows in the CMS
navigation widgets.
vbcms_widget_block_padding This stylevar controls the padding of CMS widgets.
vbcms_widget_header_padding This stylevar controls the padding of CMS widget headers.
vbcms_widget_margin This stylevar controls the margin of CMS widgets.
Widgets Back to Top
The look and feel of CMS Widgets and Forum Blocks are controlled by the Sidebar Style Variables.
Replacement Variables Back to Top
Replacement Variables are chunks of text that will be replaced with alternative text by the system before being
displayed on screen.
Their uses are many and when used correctly they can be very powerful. A common use for replacement variables is
to correct annoying spelling mistakes. For example, on the vBulletin Community Forums a replacement variable
exists to replace all instances of the incorrect abbreviation for vBulletin VBB with the correct abbreviation vB.
Another use for replacement variables is to insert commonly-used blocks of HTML. For example, a replacement
variable could be set up to replace <tablestart> with <table class="tborder" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="1"
border="0" width="100%" align="center">.
Therefore, your templates could have blocks of code like this:
<tablestart>
<tr>
<td class="alt1">Cell contents...</td>
</tr>
</table>
And before being displayed in a visitor's browser, the replacement variable system would identify the <tablestart>
replacement variable and replace it accordingly, resulting in this:
<table class="tborder" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="1" border="0" width="100%" align="center">
<tr>
<td class="alt1">Cell contents...</td>
</tr>
</table>
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Replacement variables in vBulletin 3 are case insensitive meaning that a replacement variable set to search for word
will also match Word, wOrD and WORD etc.
The replacement variable system is activated in the last stages of page processing before the HTML is delivered to a
visitor's browser. The system searches for target text in the completed, parsed templates. In some ways this can be
very useful, but there are caveats of which you should be aware.
Warning:
While powerful, replacement variables can also break the functionality of your board if used incorrectly.
For example, creating a replacement variable to search for 'html' and replace it with 'HTML', any hyperlinks pointing
to files with a .html suffix will have those links replaced with .HTML, which is not the same file as far as Unix web
servers are concerned.
Worse still, you might choose to use a replacement variable to turn every instance of the word home into a hyperlink
pointing to your home page: <a href="home.html">home</a>.
While this will work, you will have the situation where the word 'home' is used in locations where creating a hyperlink
would cause invalid HTML, such as this:
<img src="home.gif" alt="" />
...which would end up being delivered to the browser as
<img src="<a href="home.html">home</a>.gif" alt="" />
...which is obviously invalid HTML and will not function correctly.
Preventing Visitors from Activating Replacement Variables Back to Top
In many cases you will want to prevent your users from being able to activate replacement variables by posting trigger
text in their messages.
For this reason, it is recommended that you set any replacement variables that should be used in templates only to
appear as HTML tags, such as <myreplacement>.
This is done because most forums do not allow visitors to post raw HTML in their messages (this is seen as a serious
security risk). In forums where HTML posting is disallowed, any special HTML characters such as the < and >
characters are replaced with their equivalent HTML character entities to prevent the HTML code from being
interpreted as HTML rather than printed text.
For example, the < character is replaced with < and the > character is replaced with >. This replacing of special
HTML characters makes it impossible for a user to post <myreplacement> in their messages, as it would be translated
into <myreplacement>, which does not match the trigger text. It will therefore not be replaced with the
replacement text for your <myreplacement> variable.
Where are the Replacement Vars from vB2? Back to Top
If you have upgraded to vBulletin 3 from a previous installation of vBulletin 2, you will probably know that in
vBulletin 2, replacement variables were used extensively in the default vBulletin style to control various facets of the
style, such as colors and fonts. In vBulletin 3 however, there are no replacement variables used in the default style.
Where did they all go?
The answer is that all of the replacement variables from vBulletin 2 have been translated into CSS classes, or have
been migrated to the new StyleVars system.
The new systems are less processor-intensive (easier on your server's resources) than using replacement variables, and
offer a lot more flexibility in the way that they can be used.
The following table lists all the default vBulletin 2 replacement variables, and shows how they have been translated
for use in vBulletin 3.
Item Name Replacement Text vBulletin 3
Equivalent
Description
HTML
Doctype
{htmldoctype} StyleVar:
HTML
Doctype
The HTML Doctype replacement variable has been migrated
directly to the HTML Doctype StyleVar.
Body Tag <body> CSS:
Body class
All attributes controlled by the <body> tag replacement
variable in vBulletin 2 are now managed by the Body CSS
class.
Main Table
Width
{tablewidth} StyleVar:
Main Table
Width
The width of vBulletin tables; controlled by the {tablewidth}
replacement variable in vBulletin 2, is now controlled by the
Main Table Width StyleVar.
Content
Table Width
{contenttablewidth} StyleVar:
Spacer Size
The width of tables inside the main page body; previously
controlled by the {contenttablewidth} replacement variable, is
now handled in a different way by the Spacer Size StyleVar.
Outer
Borders
Width
{tableouterborderwidth} CSS:
Table
Border
class
The width of the border around tables in vBulletin is now
controlled via CSS as part of the Table Border class.
Inner
Borders
Width
{tableinnerborderwidth} StyleVar:
Inner
Control of the amount of spacing between table cells has been
transferred to the Inner Border Width StyleVar.
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Border
Width
'Extra'
Table
Attributes
{tableouterextra}
{tableinnerextra}
{tableinvisibleextra}
n/a In vBulletin 2 these replacement variables were used to allow
arbitrary code to be inserted into <table> tags. This
functionality is no longer necessary, as any code that might
have been inserted here can now be emulated using CSS.
Page
Background
/ Text
Colors
{pagebgcolor}
{pagetextcolor}
CSS:
Page
Background
class
The background color and text color of the main page body is
now controlled by the Page Background CSS class.
Table
Border
Color
{tablebordercolor} CSS:
Table
Border
class
The {tablebordercolor} replacement variable was used to set
the color of all borders around and inside <table> tags in
vBulletin 2. This functionality is now managed by CSS in the
Table Border class.
Category
Strip
Background
/ Text
Colors
{categorybackcolor}
{categoryfontcolor}
CSS:
Category
Strips class
The background and text colors used in category strips and
main table title bars is now controlled by the Category Strips
CSS class.
Table
Heading
Background
/ Text
Colors
{tableheadbgcolor}
{tableheadtextcolor}
CSS:
Table
Header
class
Previously controlled by the {tableheadbgcolor} and
{tableheadtextcolor} replacement variables, the style of
column headings is now a part of the Table Header CSS class.
First
Alternating
Table
Background
Color
{firstaltcolor} CSS:
First
Alternating
Color class
In vBulletin 2, only the background color of elements using
the First Alternating Color could be specified. In vBulletin 3
the First Alternating Color CSS class allows significantly
more control.
Second
Alternating
Table
Background
Color
{secondaltcolor} CSS:
Second
Alternating
Color class
Partnering the First Alternating Color CSS class, the Second
Alternating Color CSS class defines the style of elements
previously colored with the {secondaltcolor} replacement
variable.
Hyperlink
Normal /
Hover
Colors
{linkcolor}
{hovercolor}
CSS:
Body and
Page
Background
classes
vBulletin 2 allowed administrators to control the color of
standard hyperlinks, and to also specify a color for those links
when a mouse pointer is hovered over them. In vBulletin 3,
almost every individual CSS class can define its own settings
for hyperlink styling, although it is often the case that only
the Body CSS class will have link styles defined, in which
case this class will control all hyperlinks.
Time Color {timecolor} CSS:
Time Color
class
In order to control the color of times shown on vBulletin
pages, it is now necessary to look at the Time Color class,
which allows not only the color but a variety of other
attributes to be controlled for the styling of time displays.
Calendar
Colors
{calbgcolor}
{calbirthdaycolor}
{caldaycolor}
{calprivatecolor}
{calpubliccolor}
{caltodaycolor}
n/a The various colors defined by the calendar color replacement
variables in vBulletin 2 have become redundant with the new
calendar system in vBulletin 3.
Image
Folder Path
{imagesfolder} StyleVar:
Image
Directory
Paths
While vBulletin 2 defined a single images directory with the
{imagesfolder} replacement variable, vBulletin 3 defines a
variety of folders to serve different purposes. These are
controlled by the Image Directory Paths StyleVars.
Title Image
Path
{titleimage} StyleVar:
Title Image
The path controlled by the Title Image Path replacement
variable is now controlled by the Title Image StyleVar in
vBulletin 3.
New
Thread /
Reply /
Closed
Image Paths
{newthreadimage}
{replyimage}
{closedthreadimage}
n/a While vBulletin 2 specified replacement variables for three
button images relating to posting new threads and replying to
posts, all of these images are now found in the
$stylevar[imgdir_button] StyleVar, one of the Image
Directory Path StyleVars.
Main Font <normalfont> CSS:
Body and
<td>, <th>,
<p>, <li>
classes
In vBulletin 2 it was necessary to surround all text with
<normalfont> tags in order to have it use the fonts and sizes
specified. In vBulletin 3 this is no longer the case, and text
display is controlled by the Body and <td>, <th>, <p>, <li>
CSS classes.
Small Font <smallfont> CSS:
Small Font
class
When a smaller-than-normal font size is required in vBulletin
3, it is a simple matter of applying the Small Font CSS class
to an HTML tag surrounding the text to be made small.
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Large Font <largefont> n/a The <largefont> replacement variable was used so
infrequently in vBulletin 2 that it was decided not to waste
resources on replicating it in vBulletin 3, so it is no longer
available.
Highlighted
Font
<highlight> CSS:
Highlighted
Font class
In vBulletin 2 the color of highlighted text was controlled by
the <highlight> replacement variable, but much more control
is afforded by the vBulletin 3 Highlighted Font CSS class that
replaces it.
Textarea
Column
Settings
{textareacols_IE}
{textareacols_NS4}
{textareacols_NS6}
n/a In the bad old days before CSS was widely supported by
browsers it was necessary to rely on the cols="x" attribute of
<textarea> tags to specify the width of a <textarea>. Different
browsers interpreted this value with a different resultant
width, resulting in the need for a set of replacement variables
in order to achieve roughly the same width for <textarea>
tags in all browsers. With CSS the 'width' style attribute can
be used to control the width more precisely, rendering these
three replacement variables obsolete.
With the information in this table, your transtion from the vBulletin 2 styles system to the vBulletin 3 system should
be as painless as possible.
Style Inheritance Back to Top
Like so many other systems in vBulletin, the vBulletin Styles system works around the concept of inheritance.
In essence, this means that you can create an unlimited number of styles in which your board can be viewed, and
customizations made in one style will be inherited by all of its 'child' styles.
Inheritance Example Back to Top
The concept of inheritance as used by vBulletin 3 styles is best illustrated with an example of a common use for the
system.
Many site owners will want to customize the look of their vBulletin installation so that it fits in with the style of the
rest of the site. This is normally done by editing the colors used by vBulletin, and by editing the header and footer
templates.
Let us imagine that we want to customize your header and footer templates, but we also want to offer three different
color schemes for our visitors to choose between. For argument's sake, we'll call these the 'Red', 'Green' and 'Blue'
styles.
We could create three new styles, calling one 'Blue', one 'Green' and one 'Red', then customize the header and footer
templates in each style. That would be a perfectly valid solution, but has one serious disadvantage, in that should we
decide that we want to alter the HTML in the customized header template, we would need to go through and edit the
template in each of our three styles individually.
A much more manageable solution would be to create a single new style, which we will call 'Custom Header / Footer'
and customize the header and footer templates within this style.
Now in order to offer site visitors the three color variants we want, we create the 'Red', 'Green' and 'Blue' styles as
child styles of the 'Custom Header / Footer' style.
Each of these child styles will inherit the customized header and footer templates from the 'Custom Header / Footer'
parent style, so we will not need to edit that template in the child styles, and if we choose to change the HTML of
either the header or footer templates at some point in the future, we need only edit those templates in the parent style,
and the changes will be automatically inherited by the three child styles.
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While this is a very simple example, involving only the site color scheme and the header and footer templates, the
vBulletin styles system allows you to individually customize every template and every CSS attribute of a style, and
each of those customized attributes can be inherited by all child styles.
In the next section we will look into the mechanics behind this system in order to gain a good understanding of how to
use vBulletin styles most effectively.
Inheritance Mechanics Back to Top
In the vBulletin styles system, each element of a style can be customized from the vBulletin default value, and each
customization will be inherited by any child styles of the style in which the customization was made, unless the value
is further customized in the child style.
In order to explain this in simple terms, let us assume that a vBulletin style consists of [x] individual elements, those
being a background color, a text color, a font style and a few templates. For the purposes of this example, we will
represent the contents of a style like this:
Background
Color
Text Color Font Style Header Template Footer Template
vBulletin
Default #FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is the default
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
Using the example of the customized header and footer templates we used in our first look at style inheritance, we can
imagine that we could represent the 'Custom Header / Footer' style like this:
Background
Color
Text Color Font Style Header Template Footer Template
vBulletin
Default #FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is the default
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
Custom
Header /
Footer
#FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my custom
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
In this example, items that have been customized in a style are shown in red. You can see that the background color,
text color and font style values are all shown in black, meaning that they are unchanged from the default values, while
both the header and footer templates are shown in red, meaning that they have been customized, and therefore
override their default contents.
We will now add the final branch of the style tree from our previous example, namely the 'Blue' style.
Background
Color
Text Color Font Style Header Template Footer Template
vBulletin
Default #FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is the default
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
Custom
Header /
Footer
#FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my custom
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Blue #0000FF #FFFFFF 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my custom
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Here we can see that both the background and text color values have been customized, and are therefore shown in red,
while the font style value has not been changed and therefore is being inherited from the vBulletin default values.
However, both the header and footer templates have been customized in the parent 'Custom Header / Footer' style, and
so those custom versions are inherited by the 'Blue' style. This inheritance is shown as an orange value.
Furthermore, if we now decided to customize the header template in the 'Blue' style, we would have something like
this:
Background
Color
Text Color Font Style Header Template Footer Template
vBulletin
Default #FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is the default
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
Custom
Header /
Footer
#FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my custom
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Blue #0000FF #FFFF00 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my special BLUE
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Here we can see that the customized (red) header template in the 'Blue' style overrides not only the default vBulletin
header template, but also the customized header template from its parent 'Custom Header / Footer' style, while the
Footer template is still inherited from its parent.
To illustrate the ability of vBulletin's style system to allow a theoretically infinte level of parent/child relationships
between styles, we will now add a child style to the 'Blue' style, in which we will set the font size to be extra large. We
will call this style 'Big Font Blue'.
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In this style, we will customize the font size attribute to be larger than normal, which will result in a style inheritance
diagram like this:
Background
Color
Text Color Font Style Header Template Footer Template
vBulletin
Default #FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is the default
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
Custom
Header /
Footer
#FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my custom
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Blue #0000FF #FFFF00 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my special BLUE
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Big Font Blue #0000FF #FFFF00 14pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my special BLUE
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Here you can see that the vBulletin default font style is inherited by the 'Custom Header / Footer' style and the 'Blue'
style, but is overridden by the customized version in the 'Big Font Blue' style.
Were we to now customize the font style in the 'Custom Header / Footer' style, the change would automatically be
inherited by the 'Blue' style, but would not be inherited by the 'Big Font Blue' style, as it has its own customized
version.
Background
Color
Text Color Font Style Header Template Footer Template
vBulletin
Default #FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is the default
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
Custom
Header /
Footer
#FFFFFF #000000 12pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my custom
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Blue #0000FF #FFFF00 12pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my special BLUE
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Big Font Blue #0000FF #FFFF00 14pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my special BLUE
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is my custom
'footer' template!</div>
Additionally, were we now to revert the customized footer template in the 'Custom Header / Footer' style, its child
styles would automatically inherit the vBulletin default value.
Background
Color
Text Color Font Style Header Template Footer Template
vBulletin
Default #FFFFFF #000000 10pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is the default
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
Custom
Header /
Footer
#FFFFFF #000000 12pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my custom
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
Blue #0000FF #FFFF00 12pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my special BLUE
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
Big Font Blue #0000FF #FFFF00 14pt verdana, arial,
helvetica, sans-serif
<p>This is my special BLUE
'header' template!</p>
<div>This is the default
'footer' template!</div>
The system does not allow you to alter the vBulletin default value for any item, so you can revert any of your
customizations at any time to their original contents.
This diagram illustrates the decision system used by vBulletin when loading each element from a style.
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The Style Manager Back to Top
The Style Manager is the central hub for editing and creating vBulletin styles and their constituents. From here you
can control every aspect of the way your vBulletin installation appears to your visitors, from simple color and font
changes right through to fundamentally altering the layout of the board by editing templates.
The image above shows the Style Manager as it would appear immediately after a new vBulletin installation. Looking
at the Style Manager from left to right, various controls are visible.
The 'Allow User Selection' Checkbox
This checkbox controls whether or not the style will be available for non-administrators to use. If the checkbox
for a style is cleared, only administrators will be able to use that style.
The Style Title Hyperlink
The style title is also a hyperlink. Clicking it will open a new window and show the public area of your
vBulletin using the style you clicked, even if the public are not able to use that particular style.
The Display Order Text Box
The small text box containing a number controls the display order of a style. Higher numbers will be displayed
later in the listing. This value makes absolutely no difference to the content of the style, and is used soley for
convenience of display.
The Style Options Menu
This popup menu contains links to make alterations to the style such as changing its title, downloading the style
as a style.xml file etc.
The Expand/Collapse Templates List Button
Clicking the [« »] button will open or close the list of templates for the current style.
Note:
Examples of (modified) vBulletin boards: http://www.vBulletin.com/links.php
Examples of vBulletin style and template modifications here: http://www.vBulletin.org/forum/
Creating New Styles Back to Top
To create a new style, click the [Add New Style] link underneath the main body of the Style Manager.
This will bring up the Add New Style interface.
The controls on this form are as follows:
Parent
Style
This menu controls the way that this new style will inherit attributes from other styles that you may have
defined.
For a complete discussion of vBulletin 3 style inheritance principles, see Style Inheritance.
Title Here you should enter the name you have chosen for your new style
Allow
User
Selection
This Yes/No choice corresponds to the checkbox next to each style on the main Style Manager interface,
and affects whether or not your visitors will be able to use this style to view the board.
Display This text box expects you to enter a whole number (0, 15, 99, 1007 etc) to affect the position at which
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Order this style will appear in any style lists. It corresponds to the display order text box on the main Style
Manager interface.
When you have filled in the forum, hit the [Save] and you will be returned to the Style Manager, where your new style
will be shown.
Creating Child Styles Back to Top
To create a child style of an existing style, click on the style options menu for the style of which the new style will be
a child, and pick Add Child Style from the popup menu.
This will take you to the Add New Style interface, with the correct parent style already selected in the form.
You may continue to add further child styles to child styles in order to satisfy any inheritance critera you may require.
The image above illustrates the style layout as described in the reference guide to Style Inheritance.
Editing Style Settings Back to Top
If you decide at any time that you need to rename a style, alter its display order or perhaps even change its
parent/inheritance arrangement, you will need to select Edit Settings from the style options menu for the style you
want to edit.
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This will load the Edit Style Settings interface, which appears almost identical to the Add New Style form previously
described.
Using this form you can easily rename the selected style, change its display order or change the ability of users to
choose this style.
Note:
If you choose to change the parent style, you should bear in mind the changes to your styles that this alteration will
make.
For example, if we were to change the parent of the 'Red' style to 'No Parent', any templates, CSS or StyleVars
currently being inherited from the 'Custom Header / Footer' style would no longer be inherited. In practice, this would
mean that the customized header and footer templates defined by the 'Custom Header / Footer' style would no longer
be used by the 'Red' style.
Consider changes such as this before changing the parent of an existing style.
Deleting a Style Back to Top
To delete a style, click on the style options menu in the Style Manager and choose Delete Style.
Note:
When you delete a style, any customized templates, CSS, StyleVars or replacement variables belonging to that style
will be deleted along with the style.
If the style you choose to delete has no child styles, a confirmation dialog will be displayed, informing you of exactly
what is to be deleted and asking if you are sure. If you confirm the deletion, the style will be irrevokable deleted,
along with any customizations made within it.
On the other hand, if the style you choose to delete has one or more child styles, an extra step will be added into the
deletion process should you choose to continue with the deletion.
Any child styles of the style you delete will not be deleted, but rather they will be attached to the parent style of the
style you have deleted.
For example, if you have a style arrangement of
Custom Header / Footer
-- Red
-- Green
-- Blue
---- Big Font Blue
... and you chose to delete the 'Blue' style, then the child style of 'Blue' will be attached to the parent style of 'Blue',
resulting in this:
Custom Header / Footer
-- Red
-- Green
-- Big Font Blue
Note:
When deleting styles that have child styles, be aware that any customizations made in the style to be deleted will no
longer appear in the child styles after the style has been deleted.
Editing the Templates Back to Top
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To edit any of vBulletin’s templates directly, select [Edit Templates] from the style options dropdown or click the [« »]
button.
Other template related options in the drop down include:
Add New Template – this takes you to the form to add a new template not based on any existing template.
Revert all Templates – this will automatically remove all templates that have been customized in this style.
The templates in this style will become equivalent to the templates of its parent style.
The template list will look similar to this:
On the left, you will see a list of templates (white background) and template groups (black background). On the right,
you will see 5 buttons. Any buttons you cannot use will be grayed out.
Customize – if a template has yet to be edited in this style, click this button to edit it.
Expand/Collapse – this button expands or collapses a specific template group.
Edit – if a template has already been edited in this style, click this button to edit it further. This is effectively the
same action as Customize.
View Original – if the selected template has been edited in this style, clicking this button will show you the
original version of the template.
Revert – this button allows you to revert a template to the version that is being used in the parent style (or the
original if there is no parent style). If the template being reverted is a custom template with no corresponding
original/default then it will be deleted.
You may also double click the template or template group name on the left and the appropriate action will be
executed; templates will be Customized or Edited and template groups will be Expanded/Collapsed.
Templates are color coded as follows:
Black – this template is unmodified in this style or any parent styles. The version included with vBulletin will
be used.
Orange – this template has been modified in a parent style, but not in this style. The modified template will be
used.
Red – this template has been modified in this style. The customized version will be used.
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You may modify this color scheme by editing your control panel styles.
Note:
The template manager will look significantly different in browsers other than Internet Explorer. However, the
functionality is the same.
Adding or Editing a Single Template Back to Top
Editing a template is simply like editing regular HTML. Each template represents XHTML bits with PHP-style
($varname) variable names. For more information on what you can use in the templates, see the Templates
Introduction.
Product - the name of the product which introduced this template. By default this will be vBulletin.
Style – the name of the style that this template is in or will be inserted into.
Title – the title of the template. This is what is used to identify a template, so it must be unique. Generally, only
a-z, A-Z, 0-9, and _ are used. If there is more than one template revision stored an additional link of [View
History] will be shown. This link will allow you to compare the current template with previous versions.
Template – this is the actual body of the template. The [Show Default] link will show you the unmodified
version of the template.
Search in Template – the text box and [Find] allow you to search within the template text. Please note that this
is not available in all browsers.
This row also contains several additional options:
Copy – this automatically copies the context of the Template box to your clipboard.
View QuickRef – this displays the language quick reference.
Save in Template History - This row allows you to save your template revision for future comparison if
needed. You can add a comment to help you remember what was changed.
Comparing Templates Back to Top
vBulletin allows you to store multiple historical versions of a template. You can use these to compare template
changes across versions and to keep track of your edits. The feature lets you quickly and easily see the differences
between two versions of the template. This feature is accessed by clicking the [View History] in the template editor.
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When you first enter it will give you a list of all the template revisions stored. Each row will give you the following
information:
Status - This will tell you if the template is the currently active template, a historical revision or the current
default.
Last Modified - When the template was last modified and who edited it.
Version - The version of vBulletin in which the template was modified.
View - Simply allows you to view the template by itself.
Old/New - Allows you to select the template revisions for comparison. Old is showed on the left side of the
resulting screen and New is shown on the right.
Each historical revision will also provide a delete checkbox so that you can remove it from the database if you wish.
Once you select two templates to compare, click on the Compare Versions button. The result will be similar to the
image below and show where differences between the two versions occur using color highlights and using View Side-
By-Side mode
The default mode is a diff format (or View Inline mode) which will look similar to the image below
Mobile Style Back to Top
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In vBulletin 4.1.2, a mobile style was introduced. This is a streamlined style that allows easier browsing on
smartphones and other small screen devices. The Mobile Style is meant to be complementary to your vBulletin
installation and simplify access for your users.
Installing the vBulletin Mobile Style Back to Top
Mobile Style Install
If you're doing a new install, or are upgrading an existing install that didn't have a mobile style, a "Default Mobile
Style" will be created in the mobile style list, and it will be automatically set as both 'Default Style for Old Mobile
Browsers' and 'Default Style for Modern Mobile Browsers' (in Admin CP -> Settings -> Options -> Style & Language
Settings).
Mobile Style Upgrade
If you're upgrading an existing install, that had a mobile style, from 4.1.10 (or lower) to 4.1.11 (or higher), a "Default
Mobile Style" will be created in the mobile style list, and any style that was set as either Default Style for Old Mobile
Browsers or Default Style for Modern Mobile Browsers (in Admin CP -> Settings -> Options -> Style & Language
Settings) will be moved to the mobile style list, effectively becoming a mobile style.
Note: that if you were previously using the normal Mobile Style provided by vBulletin, you need to revert all its
templates after it is moved to the mobile style list, or they will all show as customized and never be updated
automatically during upgrades.
Rather than the above, you may also just delete the Mobile Style you had since before the upgrade, and use instead the
"Default Mobile Style" added by the upgrade (also setting it as 'Default Style for Old Mobile Browsers' and 'Default
Style for Modern Mobile Browsers'), but it is not recommended to do so as it may cause some oddities to your mobile
users until they clear their cookies.
Any upgrade from 4.1.11 to an higher version will not require any intervention on your part for the mobile style
upgrade.
Disabling the Mobile Style Back to Top
If you do not wish to use the mobile style, you can disable it following these steps:
1. Admin CP -> Settings -> Options -> Style & Language Settings -> Default Style for Old Mobile Browsers. Set
'None'.
2. Admin CP -> Settings -> Options -> Style & Language Settings -> Default Style for Modern Mobile Browsers.
Set 'None'.
3. Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager. Edit any style in the mobile style list and set "Allow User
Selection" to No.
Admins will always be able to use the mobile style, as they can always use any existing style and because it is not
possible to delete the last mobile style.
Enabling the Mobile Style Back to Top
If you do wish to use the mobile style, you can enable it following these steps:
Admin CP -> Settings -> Options -> Style & Language Settings -> Default Style for Old Mobile Browsers.
Select 'None' from the Dropdown menu.
Admin CP -> Settings -> Options -> Style & Language Settings -> Default Style for Modern Mobile Browsers.
Set 'Default Mobile Style' from the dropdown menu.
Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager. Edit any style in the mobile style list and set "Allow User
Selection" to Yes.
Note:
Note: Not all Old Mobile Browsers will be able to use the Default Mobile Style. For the purposes of these older
browsers, you may be able to find a style available at www.vbulletin.org.
Frequently Asked Questions Back to Top
Why does the Mobile Style have its own Style Manager?
This is because it is based off a secondary Master Style.
What are the benefits of basing the Mobile Style off a secondary Master Style?
It allows the Mobile Style to work like the Default Style. This helps with installation, upgrades and customizations.
Plus you can create multiple mobile styles and save customization between versions and upgrades.
My users are saying the Mobile Style doesn't work properly
The Mobile Style is based on the jQuery Mobile Module. As such it requires that Javascript and Cookies are enabled
on the device. If they are using an iOS Device, they will either need to turn off Private Browsing or delete their cache
due to issues with the Safari Browser.
What devices are supported by the Mobile Browser?
The vBulletin Mobile Browser is based on the jQuery Mobile module. It should support all devices that jQuery
Mobile supports. You can see a list of devices here:
http://jquerymobile.com/demos/1.1.0-rc.1/docs/about/platforms.html
Are you going to add more devices?
We do not intend to add devices not on the above list at this time.
Does the mobile browser support RTL languages like Hebrew or Arabic?
No, it does not at this time.
Search in Templates Back to Top
The Styles & Templates > Search in Templates group lets you search for strings in templates from the style(s).
Additionally you can run a "find and replace" search which allows you to replace all instances of a certain string with
another string.
Back to Top
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Search Templates
When you do not know which template resides in which style, or which template to modify, than use the Styles &
Templates > Search in Templates > Search Templates system to find the template in one or more styles.
Search in Style
Select the style in which you want to search. You can select to search in all the styles or just one.
Search for Text
Enter the string of text you want to search for. This search string is case sensitive. The search will find any
words / phrases containing the string you enter here. For example, if you search for "bullet" the search will find
"vbulletin", "bullets", etc.
Additionally you could select the [Large Edit Box] if you have a chunk of text which you would like to have an
overview on while entering.
Search Titles Only
Select yes if you want to search only through the template titles and not through the actual content of the
templates.
Note:
Use the Styles & Templates > Search in Templates > Find and Replace in Templates feature if you have a lot of
templates in one or more styles that has text that you wish to have replaced. This could save you quite some time.
Find and Replace in Templates Back to Top
Use the Styles & Templates > Search in Templates > Find and Replace in Templates feature if you have a lot of
templates in one or more styles that has text that you wish to have replaced. This could save you quite some time.
Warning:
Replacing strings in templates could result in errors if you do not know what you are doing. This is an action that can
not be undone, so please be aware that you should look twice before applying a find and replace on templates.
Adviced is to run a test first.
Search in Style
Select the style in which you want to search. You can select to search in all the styles or just one.
Search for Text
Enter the string of text you want to search for. This search string is case sensitive. The search will find any
words / phrases containing the string you enter here. For example, if you search for "bullet" the search will find
"vbulletin", "bullets", etc.
Replace with Text
Enter a replacement string here. This string will be substituted in for all instances of the search string above.
For example, if you search for "bullet" and your replacement string is "carrot" then "vbulletin" would become
"vcarrotin".
Test Replacement Only
Select no if you are really sure you wish to replace found strings in a template. It is adviced to run a test
replacement first. Running a test replacement first will show the result of doing this find/replace, without
actually updating the templates.
Use Regular Expressions
The regular expression option is for advanced users only! Setting this option to 'yes' will use preg_replace()
instead of str_replace() for your find/replace operation. Do not use this option if you are not sure how to use
PCRE regular expressions!
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Replacement Variable Manager Back to Top
Replacement variables are useful in representing commonly used values in templates. Use the Styles & Templates >
Replacement Variable Manager group to add / modify / delete replacement variables.
Note:
To learn more about Replacement Variables, please read the Replacement Variables Introduction
The Replacement Variable Manager lists all of your styles, together with any replacement variables defined within
them. This allows you to see at a glance the way in which any replacement variables you have defined are being
inherited by child styles.
Refer to the Color Key at the top of the Replacement Variable Manager page to see how colors are used to indicate
whether a replacement variable is customized in a particular style, or inherited from a parent style.
Add New Replacement Variable Back to Top
To add a new replacement variable, click the [Add New Replacement Variable] link next to any style listed on the
Replacement Variable Manager main page.
On the Add New Replacement Variable page, you will find a form in which you can specify the style to which you
want to add a new replacement variable, along with two text fields.
The first text field is for the text you want the replacement variable to find, and the second field should contain the
text with which to replace the find text.
Note:
The find text is not case sensitive, meaning that dog will match DOG, DoG, dOG etc.
When you click the [Save] button, any child styles of the style to which you added the new replacement variable will
automatically inherit the new variable, while parent styles will be unaffected. This is the principle of inheritance in
action.
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Customizing a Replacement Variable Back to Top
When a replacement variable is inherited by a style, you may customize it in that style and have the changes
automatically appear in any of its child styles.
To customize a replacement variable, simply click the [Customize] link next to any replacement variable on the main
page.
This will load the Replacement Variable Customization form, which looks almost identical to the Add New
Replacement Variable interface, and works in exactly the same way.
After making your changes, the new value will be automatically inherited by any child styles.
Download / Upload Styles Back to Top
This section covers how to download and upload styles.
Downloading styles is handy when you want to make a backup of your templates and options, or share your work with
other forum administrators.
Uploading styles is handy to revert to a backup or applying the same style to several boards. You can use this option to
import a style that someone has given you.
Make sure you read and understand all the options to avoid incomplete style downloads / uploads.
Note:
When you upload or download a style, the process will not transfer any image files. Your image files should be
managed with an FTP client.
Downloading a Style Back to Top
If you have created a style of which you are proud, you may want to share it with other vBulletin administrators.
Alternatively, you may simply want to back up all your templates and style settings to a file on your computer.
Both of these actions are catered for by the Style Download system, which allows you to download all the customized
StyleVars, CSS, Replacement Variables and Templates into a single XML file.
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The Style Download form is relatively simple, with only a few controls to manipulate.
Style Use this menu to pick the style you want to download
Title By default, the downloaded XML file will contain the title of the style as it exists on your web server. If
you would like the XML file to store a different name for the style you are downloading, enter it here.
Filename This field allows you to specify the name of the XML file vBulletin will send to your web browser when
you click the [Download] button. However, most browsers allow you to rename a file as you download
it, so this field may be irrelevant to you.
Options The options give you a choice of two types of style download.
If you choose to Get customizations made only in this style, then the style XML file you download will
contain only items that are customized specifically in the style you are downloading. Items that are
inherited from parent styles will not be included.
On the other hand, if you choose to Get customizations made in this style and all parent styles, the style
XML file will contain not only items customized specifically in the style you are downloading, but also
any items that have been customized in a parent style.
Clicking the [Download] button will instruct vBulletin to package your style up into an XML file and start
downloading it to your web browser.
Note:
The XML file you download can not contain any image files. If your style includes custom images, you should
download these separately using an FTP client.
Uploading a Style Back to Top
If you have downloaded a vBulletin 3 XML style file from another vBulletin installation, or if you want to restore a
style backup that you made yourself, you will have need of the vBulletin 3 Style Importer.
This system will read an XML file, convert the data inside it into StyleVars, CSS, Replacement Variables and
Templates and write the data into your database.
Either
Upload
XML
File from
your
computer
If the XML style file you want to import is located on your own computer, use this control to find the file
and upload it.
Or
Import
XML file
from
your
server
If the XML style file you want to import is located on your web server, enter the file path to the file here.
Merge
Into
Style
If you are restoring a style backup, you will probably want to import the XML file over the top of the
style of which it is a backup. To do this, select the style you want to merge into from the list provided. If
no style is chosen from the list, a new style will be created and the data in the XML file will be imported
into this style.
Ignore
Style
Version
When a style file is downloaded from vBulletin, the version number of the vBulletin exporting the file is
included. If the version number included in the style file you are importing does not match the version
number of the vBulletin doing the import a warning will be shown to alert you to possible
incompatabilities. If you are confident that no errors will occur as a result of importing a style from a
different version of vBulletin, use this control to force vBulletin to accept the file regardless of the stored
version number.
Title for If you chose to create a new style rather than overwrite an existing style, vBulletin will use the style title
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Uploaded
Style
included in the XML file as the title for the new style unless you specify an alternative title using this
control.
Parent
Style /
Display
Order /
Allow
User
Selection
These controls are only applicable when creating a new style rather than overwriting an existing style.
Their function is identical to that described in the section dealing with adding a new style.
Note:
XML style files can not contain image files, so no images will be imported when using this system. If the style you are
importing requires special images, you will need to upload them to your web server using an FTP client.
Find Updated Templates Back to Top
vBulletin's default templates are often updated during upgrades. This page shows you what customized templates may
need to be reverted and recustomized as a result of the default templates changing.
If the page displays no modified templates then all your templates are up to date.
You can choose to modify or revert a template if it is listed.
Note:
The Find Updated Templates system is primarily of use to check for modified templates after running an upgrade
script.
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Languages and Phrases Back to Top
In vBulletin 3, any language-dependent text is kept separately from the HTML layout code.
This enables you the administrator to create (or download) versions of the user interface translated into multiple
languages other than US English, making your board truly multinational and language-independent.
An Introduction to Languages and Phrases Back to Top
vBulletin 3 has introduced the ability to translate your board or modify the text displayed via the control panel, all
without having to delve into the templates and HTML. This section will cover everything you need to know to
translate your board, edit existing phrases, and add new phrases
Languages vs. Phrases Back to Top
A language contains a collection of phrases. Specifically, a language contains all the phrases that vBulletin has,
broken down into various groups of phrases. For example, there is a Polls group that only contains phrases dealing
with polls. You can specify the default language that guests will see; once a user is registered, he or she may change
the language the board is displayed in.
Note:
Language settings apply to both the front-end and the control panels.
A phrase represents a single string containing text that could be translated. This may vary from a single word used on
a button to an entire error message or email. Significant effort has been made to make phrases as gender-independent
as possible, but there are still some problem areas. If you are trying to translate a phrase and having problems because
of a language difference (such as a gender conflict), you may report it to us.
Note:
Some gender issues may not be addressable because vBulletin does not include a method to determine if a user is male
or female. We recommend working around this by including both translations simultaneously. This is similar to saying
him or her’ or forum(s)’ in English.
The 'Master Language' and 'Custom Master Language' Back to Top
Beyond any user-created languages, there are 2 that always exist. These are master languages and are generally hidden
from being directly edited.
The Master Language is where all of vBulletin’s untranslated, default phrases exist. This allows an original copy of a
phrase to exist at all times for reference purposes. You will never be able to edit this language directly.
The Custom Master Language is similar to the Master Language. However, the only phrases that will be inserted here
are any custom phrases that you have created. This allows every language to have access to the phrase as if it were in
the Master Language.
Phrase Syntax Back to Top
When editing phrases, you will notice strings such as {1} or {2}. These represent variables, and will be replaced with
specific examples at runtime.
Let’s consider an example. Suppose you are working with phrase showing_avatars_x_to_y_of_z. By default, its text
is:
Showing Avatars {1} to {2} of {3}
At run time, this may take on a value such as:
Showing Avatars 10 to 20 of 24
Notice that {1}, {2}, and {3} have been replaced with specific values.
Now, suppose you wanted the output to look like this:
24 Avatars Total. Displaying 10 – 20.
You could accomplish this by changing the phrase text to:
{3} Avatars Total. Displaying {1} – {2}.
The order of the numbers does not matter. All that matters is that you reference the correct number for what you want.
Using Phrases in Templates Back to Top
Phrases are generally straightforward to use in templates. Simple phrases (without any variable portions) can be
referenced like regular $variables; complex phrases are referenced similarly to template conditionals.
When referencing a phrase in a template, there are two things you have to know.
1. The phrase name (phrase_name) – this is what uniquely identifies a phrase and how phrases are referenced.
Generally, the phrase name reflects the phrase text directly; for example, the phrase with variable name
poll_timeout has the text of Poll Timeout.
2. The phrase group – if the phrase is in a group, you will only be able to access it on pages that load that group.
For example, the Polls group is only loaded in poll.php, so if you try to reference poll_timeout in a template
that’s loaded on another page, you won’t get any output.
To use a phrase in a template, you need to use the following constructs -
phrase
{vb:phrase phrase_name[, arguments for phrase...]}
Inserts the specified phrase. If arguments are provided, they will be run through htmlspecialchars.
Example:
{vb:phrase welcome}
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rawphrase
{vb:rawphrase phrase_name[, arguments for phrase...]}
As above, though arguments bypass htmlspecialchars.
Example:
{vb:rawphrase message_by_x_on_y_at_z, {vb:link member, {vb:raw postinfo}}, {vb:raw
postinfo.username}, {vb:raw postinfo.postdate}, {vb:raw postinfo.posttime}}
For more information on the template syntax please see: Template Syntax
Managing Languages Back to Top
To manage your languages, go to Languages & Phrases > Language Manager in the admin control panel. You will be
presented with this:
Here you can add or edit existing languages, change the default language, view a language quick reference, or rebuild
all languages.
Adding or Editing a Language Back to Top
To reach this page, visit Languages & Phrases > Language Manager > click [Add New Language] or [Edit Settings].
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The form to add or edit a language contains many settings that are specific to a locale. For example, some people
might prefer the mm/dd/yy date format, while others prefer dd/mm/yy.
General Settings
Title – the name of your language. This will be displayed to users when they are selecting a language.
Allow User Selection – determines whether users can select the language. If this is set to no, the language is
effectively disabled.
Text Direction – direction of the text in the language. English is left to right, while Hebrew is right to left.
Language Code – the abbreviation for the language. This will not have any effect on the displayed text, but it
may be used by programs such as screen readers.
HTML Character Set – this indicates the encoding of the characters that are displayed on the page. Setting this
to an incorrect value may prevent some characters from being displayed. If you are unsure what to put here,
enter UTF-8, as it will likely contain the characters you need.
Image Folder Override – this allows you to specify the path to button images, relative to the main forum
directory, that contains translated text. This will replace the button images folder, which defaults to
images/buttons. If you wish to specify a specific button directory for each style, you may use <#>. At runtime,
this will be replaced with the ID number of the style that the user is using.
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Date / Time Formatting
This section allows you to specify specific date and time options. Locale represents a special code that allows dates
and times to be automatically translated into a specific language. All the other settings in this group allow you to
override the default date and time formatting with one that is more appropriate for your language. For example,
English (US) would use the mm/dd/yy format, while English (UK) would use the dd/mm/yy format. These formats are
represented by %m/%d/%y and %d/%m/%y, respectively.
Number Formatting
Decimal Separator – represents the character that separates the integer and decimal parts of a number.
Thousands Separator – represents the character that separates and groups thousands in a number.
Translating a Language Back to Top
To begin translating a language, click Languages & Phrases > Language Manager > click [Edit / Translate <language
name> Phrases]. This will take you to a page that looks like this:
This page contains a list of phrases for the language. On the left is the phrase’s variable name; on the right are the
default value (top) and the translated value (bottom). If a phrase has not been translated yet, the default value will be
in the bottom as well.
Once you have translated a page, simply click [Save]. Any phrases which have changed will be saved and used in this
language. To do a complete translation, repeat this process for each page of every phrase group.
Language Quick Reference Back to Top
The language quick reference can be reached by going to Languages & Phrases > Language Manager > click [View
QuickRef]. This will popup a window like this:
On the left, you will see a list of phrase variable names. Once you click one, the code to use in a template will appear
on the right, along with the phrase’s text.
At the bottom, you can change the language and phrase group being viewed.
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Rebuilding All Languages Back to Top
Rebuilding all languages can be accomplished by going to Languages & Phrases > Language Manager > click
[Rebuild All Languages]. This option will regenerate all cached language data. Generally, this is not necessary.
However, if you have edited the language information in the database directly, you will need to run this setting for
your changes to take effect.
Note:
Running this option, even when unnecessary, will not harm your forum.
Managing Phrases Back to Top
The phrase manager is generally just another interface for doing translations. Data is just grouped by phrase instead of
by language.
Clicking Languages & Phrases > Phrase Manager will lead you to a page that looks like this:
Phrases that are checked have a translation in that language; unchecked, empty circles are using the default value.
From here, you can add or edit and search for orphaned phrases.
Adding or Editing a Phrase Back to Top
Adding a phrase is straight forward.
Phrase Type – the type (or group) that this phrase will be put it. It will only be loaded by pages that load that
group.
Varname – the variable name of the phrase that will be used to identify the phrase in code. You may only use a-
z, A-Z, 0-9, and _ in the name.
Text – the default text of the phrase. You may use {1}, {2}, etc to represent variable parts of a phrase.
Note:
When editing a phrase, the options listed above may not be available. You will have to delete and recreate the phrase
and translations to change these values.
Below this is a text area for each language on the board. Here you may create any translations necessary; if you leave
the box blank, the value from the Text box will be used. You may specify a translation at any point.
Note:
To delete a translation, simply remove the text in the translation box.
Orphan Phrases Back to Top
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Orphan phrases are phrases that exist in the database but don’t have a default value in the Master Language or the
Custom Master Language. This is most commonly caused by phrases becoming obsolete and being removed by an
upgrade. In most cases, these phrases will no longer be used, but if you need to edit or delete these phrases, you
should search for orphan phrases.
When you search for orphan phrases, you will see a screen like this:
Note:
If you do not have any orphaned phrases, you will see a message stating this.
You may Keep the phrase, which will allow you to designate a translation as the default version to be moved into the
Custom Master Language, or Delete the phrase, which remove all translations of it from the database.
Search in Phrases Back to Top
The phrase search page (Languages & Phrases > Search in Phrases) allows you to search through the phrases used in
all languages.
Search for Text – the text used to do the search. It will search for this string exactly; what comes before and
after it does not matter. Therefore, a search for I will return every phrase with an I in it, not just those with the
word I.
Search in ... – allows you to select where to search. In most cases, Phrase Text Only will be the most useful
option.
Case-Sensitive – allows you to choose whether the search is case sensitive.
Downloading and Uploading Languages Back to Top
Languages can be downloaded (exported) and uploaded (imported) like styles. This allows you to share your
translations with others or use someone else’s translation to save time. To upload or download a language, go to
Languages & Phrases > Download / Upload Languages.
To download a language, simply select it and an appropriate filename and click [Download].
Note:
Only translated phrases will be in a downloaded language.
Language Source – the first two options represent the source of the language, a file you upload or a file that is
already on the server. If you do not specify a file to upload, it will assume that you are importing the file off the
server.
Overwrite Language – if you select a language here, that language will be overwritten with the uploaded
language. Otherwise, a new language will be created. This is useful if you are importing a newer version of an
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existing language.
Title for Uploaded Language – if you are creating a new language, you may specify a title for it here. You
may leave this option blank to use the title in the language file.
Ignore Language Version – if you leave this at no, then an error message will be displayed and the language
will not be imported if it was created for a different version of vBulletin. Set this to yes to disable this error
checking.
Warning:
Language data generally changes from version to version. Thus, if you are importing a language from an older
version, these differences may cause problems.
Data Format Back to Top
Languages are downloaded in XML. The XML for a language contains a <language> tag that provides information
about the language, multiple <phrasetype> tags that denote each phrase type/group, and many <phrase> tags that
describe the individual phrases.
Note:
The <phrase> tags here are very different from the <phrase> tags used in templates.
An example language XML file looks like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<language name="English (US)" vbversion="3.0.0">
<phrasetype name="GLOBAL">
<phrase name="1_day_ago"><![CDATA[1 Day Ago]]></phrase>
<phrase name="1_hour_ago"><![CDATA[1 Hour Ago]]></phrase>
</phrasetype>
<phrasetype name="Control Panel Global">
<phrase name="access"><![CDATA[Access]]></phrase>
<phrase name="access_masks"><![CDATA[Access Masks]]></phrase>
<phrase name="add"><![CDATA[Add]]></phrase>
</phrasetype>
</language>
Find Updated Phrases Back to Top
vBulletin's default phrases are sometimes updated during upgrades. This page shows you what customized phrases
may need to be edited or retranslated as a result of the default phrases changing.
If the page displays no modified phrases, then all your phrases are up to date.
You can choose to modify a phrase if it is listed by clicking the "Edit" link. From this page, you may also remove your
customized version.
Note:
The Find Updated Phrases system is primarily of use to check for modified phrases after running an upgrade script.
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Frequently Asked Questions Back to Top
The vBulletin FAQ manager allows you to create and maintain a dynamic and searchable document resource, which
can be used for any purpose you see fit.
By default, vBulletin populates the FAQ with various helpful documents to instruct your users in how to use
vBulletin, but you can edit these documents or create entirely new content if you wish.
Each entry for a FAQ-item can be translated into other languages that are installed on your board.
Introduction to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Back to Top
vBulletin includes a fully-dynamic Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) system. This system allows you to expand and
edit the FAQ located at http://www.example.com/forums/faq.php via the admin control panel. You may cover generic
vBulletin questions and even site-specific questions.
FAQ entries can have an infinite amount of nesting, similar to regular forums.
FAQ Manager Back to Top
The FAQ manager can be found at FAQ > FAQ Manager.
Two levels of FAQ entries will be displayed at a time. If the title of an entry is linked, then you may click it to display
any child entries; if the title is not linked, then the entry does not have any children.
To edit an entry’s text and translations, click [Edit].
To add a child entry with a specific FAQ entry as its parent, click [Add Child FAQ Item].
To delete an entry and any child entries, click [Delete].
Like forums, FAQ entries also have a display order; the lowest display orders within a level are displayed first.
Adding or Editing a FAQ Item Back to Top
To add a FAQ item, click FAQ > Add New FAQ Item. You will be presented with a screen like this:
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Varname – the variable name of the FAQ entry. This is used to uniquely identify an entry and can be linked to
directly. You may only use a-z, A-Z, 0-9, and _.
Parent FAQ Item – parent FAQ entry. This item will be displayed under its parent.
Title – FAQ title. This is often the question it answers.
Text – the actual text of the FAQ entry. You may use HTML and $variables.
Display Order – controls when an entry is displayed within a level.
Below this, there will be a title and text box for each language. If you leave a box blank, the default text specified
above will be used.
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Notices Back to Top
Notices are a system that allows the administrator to create messages that will be displayed to forum users when
specific criteria are matched.
The criteria available make this a powerful system for notifying users about a variety of conditions.
Notices appear by default in the navbar template, in a box underneath the main board links.
Each notice is displayed wrapped in the navbar_noticebit template, which allows the administrator to change the way
notices are displayed.
They are shown on every page that includes the navbar, with the exception of error pages.
The Notices Manager Back to Top
Admin CP > Notices > Notices Manager
The Notices Manager is the central interface for working with notices. It lists all notices created by administrators for
your board, and allows you to see at a glance the active status and display order of all notices.
To add a new notice, click the [Add New Notice] button.
When you have one or more notices defined in your system, you will see each of them listed in the manager.
At the top of the list is a Toggle Active Status for All checkbox that allows you to toggle the 'Active' status of all
notices with one click.
To edit a notice, click its title. To delete a notice, there is a 'Delete' link at the end of each notice's row in the manager.
Each notice is displayed with two checkboxes and a text box containing a number. These represent the Active status,
the Persistent nature of the notice, and the notice's Display Order.
If a notice is not active, it will not be displayed to visitors under any circumstances.
A notice that is not persistent will be displayed the first time a user visits the board and will then disappear until they
visit again (it is displayed once per browser-session).
The display order text box controls the order in which the notice is shown, both in the notices manager and to visitors.
Display order also controls the order in which notices are checked, so it's important for the 'Notice x has not already
been displayed' condition.
After using the Active, Persistent and Display Order controls, you need to click the 'Save' button to commit your
changes.
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You may make quick changes to display orders by using the arrow buttons either side of the display order text boxes.
Adding and Editing Notices Back to Top
Admin CP > Notices > Notices Manager > Add / Edit
The notice editor provides controls to create and edit notices for your board, and to set up criteria for when each notice
should appear.
The top part of the editor deals primarily with the actual HTML of the notice, while the bottom of the editor sets up
display criteria.
Title - This is a convenience for management only. The title is used only on the notices manager to assist in
identifying notices. It is never shown to visiting users. You can add multple translations of the title text using
the Translations link.
Notice HTML - The notice HTML textbox contains the raw HTML of the notice that will be displayed on the
front-end to users when criteria are met.
Warning:
You may use any HTML so be careful about potentially breaking your layout or including code that can be
abused.
In addition, you may use the special variables {userid}, {username}, {musername} and {sessionurl} in the
HTML to personalize the notice text. For example,
Hello, {username}, how are you?
will be replaced with
Hello, John Doe, how are you?
when John Doe is viewing the notice.
A more complex example, making use of the {sessionurl} variable to make links within the board work
properly follows:
Hello, {musername}.<br />
<a href="member.php?{sessionurl}u={userid}">View Your Profile</a>
Display Order - The display order text box controls the order in which the notice is shown, both in the notices
manager and to visitors. Display order also controls the order in which notices are checked, so it's important for
the 'Notice x has not already been displayed' condition.
Active - If a notice is not active, it will not be displayed to visitors under any circumstances. It is a useful
control to use when you want to temporarily disable a notice without actually deleting it completely.
Persistent - A notice that is not persistent will be displayed the first time a user visits the board and will then
disappear until they visit again (it is displayed once per browser-session).
The lower part of the form contains controls to set up display criteria.
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To activate a criterion, put a tick in the box next to the criteria text, then fill in any controls that are part of that
criterion.
You may activate as many criteria as you like, but if any of the active criteria are not satisfied, the notice will not
show.
Value is between [ x ] and [ y ] criteria
These criteria, such as User has between [ x ] and [ y ] reputation points or User's private message storage is between
[ x ]% and [ y ]% full can be used in several ways.
x = number, y = greater number - This is the standard use of the fields. If the value is equal to or greater than
the lower number, but equal to or less than the higher number, the criteria are fulfilled.
Example: x = 10, y = 100
x = number, y = number - This method can be used to specify an exact number for which to check. If you
wanted to check for a value of exactly 10, enter 10 into both boxes.
Example: x = 10, y = 10
x = number, y = (empty) - This configuration is used to set up a greater-than-or-equal-to check. By leaving the
second box empty, only the first box is checked, so you can set up checks such as value is greater than or equal
to 10, with no upper limit.
Example: x = 10, y = (empty)
x = (empty), y = number - The inverse of the previous configuration, by leaving the first box empty it is
possible to set up a less-than-or-equal-to-check, with no lower limit.
Example: x = (empty), y = 100
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Announcements Back to Top
If you need to inform your members of some news, or otherwise want to post something important on the board, you
have the option to post it as an announcement.
Announcements differ from threads in that they can appear in multiple forums simultaneously, and have a time period
in which they are visible, then they disappear from view.
The latest announcement will be listed when there are multlple announcements. Clicking on one to read it will also list
any other announcement for that forum.
Announcement Manager Back to Top
Announcements are a method of distributing news and updates to your users. Announcements may be forum-specific
or board-wide (global). The title of each announcement is displayed above all threads in a forum for as long as the
announcement is active.
To edit existing announcements, go to the announcement manager at Announcements > Announcement Manager.
This page is divided up into two sections. At the top you will see Global Announcements, if you have any. These
announcements will be displayed at the top of every forum. Click [New] to add a global announcement.
Below this, you will see a list of each forum. If you have any Forum-Specific Announcements, they will be
displayed next to the appropriate forum. These announcements will be displayed in this forum and its child forums.
Click [New] to create an announcement for just this forum.
The information displayed with each announcement is its title, the user who posted it, edit/delete controls, and the
timeframe that it will be displayed for.
Adding or Editing an Announcement Back to Top
To add an announcement, go to Announcements > Add New Announcement. This form will be displayed:
Forum – the forum which this announcement will be displayed in. All Forums makes this a global
announcement. Note that if you select a specific forum, the announcement will also be displayed in its child
forums.
Title – the title of the announcement. This will be displayed on the thread listing and is what users will see
before they are displayed the text of the announcement.
Start Date – the date when the announcement will begin to be displayed.
End Date – the date when the announcement will stop being displayed.
Text – the body of the announcement. You may use smilies, BB code, and HTML, provided you have set the
appropriate option below.
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Reset Read Status – The read status determines if an announcement is displayed on the "New Posts" and
"Today's Posts" searches. Once an active announcement is viewed, it no longer will display on these searches
for the user. When this option is set to yes, it resets the status of the announcement for all users so that they will
see it as a new announcement again. This option is only available when editing an existing announcement.
Allow BB Code – set this to yes if you want your announcement to be parsed similar to posts. Not only will this
allow you to use BB code tags such as [b] and [img], but all line breaks will automatically be converted to
HTML line breaks. If you set this to no, then you must enable HTML and use <br /> for line breaks.
Allow Smilies – setting this to yes will cause smilies such as :) to be parsed into the appropriate images.
Allow HTML – setting this to yes will allow you to use any HTML in your announcement. Note that if you
have set Allow BB Code to yes, then any line breaks (even within HTML markup) will be automatically
replaced with <br />. If you enable this option, it is recommended that you disable Allow BB Code and simply
use straight HTML.
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Forums & Moderators Back to Top
The forum and moderator managers are where you create and edit the various forums that make up your board.
The tools here allow you to set up your forums, control user access to each forum at a usergroup level and give
specific users Moderator permissions, allowing them to act on your behalf to keep the peace and ensure that your
visitors behave themselves in their posts.
You can also view a summary of all moderators, and of all permission levels for forum access.
An Introduction to Forums Back to Top
Creating a usable forum structure is one of the integral parts of running a successful bulletin board. vBulletin allows
you to create an infinite depth of forums and configure numerous settings related to the forum.
Some of the most common ways to setup individual forums include:
Category – this is a forum that people cannot post in; it is just used for grouping other forums. Act as Forum
must be set to no.
'Normal' Forum – this is simply a regular forum that people can post in. You will need Act as Forum, Forum is
Active, and Forum is Open set to yes.
'Sub' Forum – this is a regular forum that people can post in and is a subset of a 'Normal' Forum. You will need
Parent Forum set to the name of the Forum this will fall under, Act as Forum, Forum is Active, and Forum is
Open set to yes.
Link Forum – this really is not a forum at all. It is just a link to another web page; it could be another forum, or
it could be an entirely different site. To create this type of forum, specify a URL in the Forum Link option.
Archive Forum – this forum was once a 'Normal Forum', but is now just used as an archive for old information.
Set Forum is Open to no.
Forum Manager Back to Top
The forum manager, accessible via Forums & Moderators > Forum Manager, is where you will do the majority of
forum management. When you enter this section, you will be presented with a screen similar to this:
Each row in the table is a forum in the database. In the first column, Title, you will see the name of the forum;
clicking the name will allow you to edit the forum’s information.
The next column, Controls, allows you to:
Edit Forum – this takes you to a page where you can edit each of this forum’s settings.
View Forum – this displays the forum on the front end, allowing you to see threads that have been posted in it.
Delete Forum – this allows you to remove the forum from the database. If this forum has any child forums,
they will also be removed.
Add Child Forum – takes you to the Add New Forum page with this forum automatically selected as the new
forum’s parent.
Add Moderator – allows you to specify a new moderator for this forum.
Add Announcement – allows you to create a new announcement to be displayed at the top of the forum.
View Permissions – displays the Forum Permissions Manager and scrolls to this
forum
Podcast Settings – configure podcast settings for this forum when used via the External Data Provider.
Moderators (x) – this simply displays the number of moderators for this forum. It is not a clickable link.
List of Current Moderators – following this will be a list of the forum’s current moderators. Selecting one
allows you to edit him or her.
Adding or Editing a Moderator Back to Top
To add a new moderator, go to Forums & Moderators > Forum Manager > Add Moderator in the Moderator column.
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Forum – the forum that this user will moderate. He or she will also be able to moderate any child forums.
Moderator Username – the name of the user that will become the moderator.
Change Moderator’s Primary Usergroup to – if you wish to change the user’s usergroup when the become a
moderator, you may do so here. The most common setup is to put all moderators into a Moderators usergroup
that will then have access to a special forum.
Make Moderator a Member of – if you do not wish to move the moderator to a different usergroup but instead
wish to add that user to one or more groups, making them a secondary user in those groups, you may do so here.
All other settings should be self explanatory. If you are unsure of an option, simply click the inline help icon for a
further explanation.
Adding or Editing a Forum Back to Top
To add a new forum, go to Forums & Moderators > Add New Forum. You will be presented with numerous settings.
These settings are detailed below
Title – the title of the forum. This will be displayed on the forum list, in the nav bar, and in the forum jump.
Description – the description of the forum that will be displayed below the forum title in the forum list.
Forum Link – if you want this forum to be a link to somewhere else, enter that URL here. Be sure to include
http:// at the beginning!
Display Order – the ordering of the forums within a level. Lower numbers are displayed first and a display
order of 0 causes the forum to not be displayed in the forum list. However, it is still accessible if the direct URL
is known.
Parent Forum – the name of this forum’s parent. Use this to group forums into logical groups.
Default View Age – default amount of time that threads are shown for when a user views the forum. Users may
manually override this in their profile or by clicking on the drop down when viewing the forum.
Default Sort Field - the default field to sort on. This will be used unless a user explicitly overrides the sort
order using the controls at the bottom of a list of threads. You may sort on a number of fields, including thread
title and number of replies. This is set to last post time by default.
Default Sort Order - the default direction a list of threads is sorted using.
Show Private Forum - this controls the behavior of this forum when a user does not have permission to it. The
options have the following meaning:
Use Default - uses the value of the global setting 'Show Private Forums'.
No - users without permission to view this forum will not see it anywhere. This is often useful for forums
that only administrators and moderators can see.
Yes - Hide Post Counts - users without permission to view this forum will see it in the forum list, but they
will not be able to see the number of posts in the forum.
Yes - Display Post Counts - users without permission to view this forum will see it in the forum list and
will even see the number of posts in the forum. However, they will not see the last post information until
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they have permission to view the forum. This is useful if have a forum that only paying users can access
and you wish to entice users to purchase a subscription.
Email Addresses to Notify When there is a New Post – a list of email addresses to send an email to when a
new post is made in this forum; this includes new threads. Separate each with a space. Any email addresses you
enter here will also receive emails when a new post is made in a subforum.
Email Addresses to Notify When there is a New Thread – a list of email addresses to send an email to when
a new thread is made in this forum. Separate each with a space. Any email addresses you enter here will also
receive emails when a new post is made in a subforum.
Moderate Posts – requires an admin or moderator to validate posts before they are displayed. This refers only
to replies to threads.
Moderate Threads – requires an admin or moderator to validate new threads before they are displayed.
Moderate Attachments – requires an admin or moderator to validate attachments before they are displayed.
Warn Administrators – causes the 'report post' feature to send its messages to administrators in addition to
moderators of the forum.
Custom Style for this Forum – use this to specify a specific style for the forum. If a user has not specified a
custom style in his or her profile or cookies, he or she will always see this style.
Override Users’ Style Choice – if you have specified a custom style for the forum and wish to ensure that all
users see this style, regardless of the style set in their profile or cookies, set this to yes.
Prefix for Forum Status Images - Forum Status images are usually shown alongside the forum in the forum
listings. This allows you to specify a prefix for the status images on a per-forum basis, allowing you to have a
custom set of status images for each forum
Forum Password – if you wish to password protect this forum, specify the password here. Administrators,
super moderators, and moderators of the forum in question will not be prompted for a password. Passwords are
not automatically applied to child forums; use Apply This Password to Child Forums to emulate this function.
Apply This Password to Child Forums – if you have changed the password for this forum, setting this to yes
will apply the specified password to all child forums. This can be used to emulate inheritance of passwords.
Note:
This option is only displayed when editing a forum.
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Can Have Password – this function prevents a forum from inheriting a password with Apply This Password to
Child Forums and prevents a moderator from specifying a password in the moderators’ control panel. As an
administrator, you may still specify a password for the forum.
Act as Forum – setting this to no causes the forum to behave as if it were a category. This prevents posting in
the forum and changes the template used to display the forum in the forum list.
Note:
If this is no, the template used will contain a _nopost suffix, as opposed to a _post suffix.
Forum is Active – setting this to no prevents the forum from being displayed in the forum list. If a user still
knows the forum’s URL, he or she may still access the forum.
Forum is Open – setting this to no prevents users from posting to the forum. This setting has no effect if Act as
Forum is no.
Index New Posts in Search Engine – setting this to no prevents posts from being indexed for searching.
Therefore, posts from this forum will not be found when a search is run.
Allow HTML – setting this to yes allows users to use arbitrary HTML in their posts. This is NOT
recommended except when all users who may post in the forum are trusted.
Warning:
Setting this to yes in a situation where users may not be trusted may compromise account security! Users may
also inadvertently ruin your layout.
Allow BB Code – this allows users to use default and custom BB codes to add markup and formatting to their
posts. This is much preferred over allowing HTML.
Note:
Disabling BB Code will disable the editor toolbar for posting in the forum.
Allow [IMG] Code – if you have enabled BB codes with Allow BB Code, this setting allows you to control
whether users may display images inline with their posts. If this is set to no, images will be displayed as links.
Allow Smilies – if this is set to yes, when a user types a smilie, such as :), it will be automatically translated
into an image.
Allow Post Icons – if this is set to yes, users may specify an icon to go with their post. In new threads, this icon
will be displayed on the thread list; in posts, it will be displayed at the top of the post, next to the title.
Allow Thread Ratings in this Forum – this setting allows users to rate threads from a scale of one (worst) to
five (best).
Count Posts Made in this Forum Towards User Post Counts – allows you to control whether new posts in
this forum increase a users post counts. For example, if you have a testing forum, you may not want users’ posts
there to increase their post count.
Show this Forum and Child Forums on the Forum Jump Menu – this setting allows you to prevent a
specific forum (and child forums) from being displayed on the forum jump. This allows you to remove clutter
and rarely accessed forums from the forum jump.
Forum Permissions Back to Top
This page (Forums & Moderators > Forum Permissions) is simply a link to the Forum Permission Manager. That
section is detailed here.
Show All Moderators Back to Top
To quickly view all moderators and each forum they moderate, go to Forums & Moderators > Show All Moderators,
this also shows any super moderators and allows permissions to be edited accordingly.
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Each moderator listed is in a group which has super moderator permissions. To edit these permissions click [Edit
Permissions].
Note:
Super moderator permissions can be combined with regular moderator permissions for a more granular approach.
Each moderator will be listed on this page, with each forum he or she moderates listed below. If you wish to remove
this person from moderating all forums, click [Remove this Moderator from All Forums]. To edit or delete a
moderator from a specific forum, click [Edit] or [Delete] next to the appropriate forum.
View Permissions Back to Top
The View Permissions (Forums & Moderators > View Permissions) section allows you to view what permissions a
specific usergroup will have in a forum. This allows you to check that you have setup your forum-permission structure
correctly.
Select the Forum and Usergroup you want to test. Now choose the individual permissions you want to check; if you
are not sure what to select, click [Check All]. Now click [Find] and you will be presented with a screen like this:
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This displays what each permission you selected is set to. In this example, the Administrators group has full
permissions in the Main Forum.
Podcast Settings Back to Top
The Podcast Settings (Forums & Moderators > Forum Manager > Podcast Settings) section allows you to configure
iTunes specific settings for your forums.
Podcast feeds will work inside of iTunes (and other aggregates that support enclosures) without any information on
this page being filled in. These settings are used when you wish to submit one of your forums as a podcast to iTunes
as a podcast that can be searched for and seen from within iTunes.
Enabled
This setting enables the output of the information entered on this page.
Category
This setting corresponds to categories defined within iTunes. This list is subject to being updated by Apple and
the latest list can be found at Apple - iTunes - Podcasts. You can update the categories that you are able to
choose from by modifying a file in your forums directory that contains the categories that vBulletin displays for
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your choosing. The file is located on your server in your forums directory at
/includes/xml/podcast_vbulletin.xml
Media Author
This is shown in the Artist column in iTunes.
Owner Name
Your name, or the name of the person to be associated with control of this podcast.
Owner Email
Your email, or the email of the person to be associated with control of this podcast.
Image URL
This tag specifies the artwork for your podcast. iTunes prefers square .jpg or .png images that are at least 300 x
300 pixels.
Subtitle
The contents of this tag are shown in the Description column in iTunes. The subtitle displays best if it is only a
few words long. If this is left blank, the Summary will be used.
Keywords
This tag allows users to search on text keywords within iTunes. Use commas to separate keywords.
Summary
The contents of this tag are shown in a separate iTunes window that appears when the “circled i" in the
Description column is clicked. It also appears on the iTunes page for your podcast. This field can be up to 4000
characters. If this field is left blank, your forum description will be used.
Explicit
Set this to Yes if your podcast contains Explicit material. Not setting this properly can result in your podcast
being banned from iTunes.
Warning:
There are several caveats that you must be aware of for this process to be successful.
Requirements:
1. vBulletin Options > External Data Provider > Enable RSS Syndication must be enabled.
2. vBulletin Options > External Data Provider > Enable Podcasting must be enabled.
3. The forum in question must be viewable by guests.
4. You must set Enabled to Yes and select a Category.
5. The feed to your podcast must be called with the forumid of the forum. You can not combine multiple forums
into a podcast that includes iTunes specific information.
Ex: http://www.example.com/forums/external.php?forumids=2
6. iTunes only support six filetypes: .m4a, .m4v, .mp3, .mp4, .mov, and .pdf
There are two options to add the enclosure to the podcast. The first option is to add an attachment to the first post of
the thread. This option is limited in that:
1. Attachments in the forum must be viewable by guests.
2. Due to the decision of Apple to limit valid enclosure urls to those that end with the extensions listed above,
podcasting via iTunes will not work on IIS servers and possibly others. If you need help verifying that
podcasting will work on your server, please contact vBulletin support. Hopefully, Apple will come to realize
that there are better ways to determine valid urls and will lift this restriction in the future.
The second option is to enter a URL in the Podcast URL field when submitting a new thread in the podcast forum.
Thread Prefixes Back to Top
This page (Forums & Moderators > Thread Prefixes) is simply a link to the Thread Prefix Manager. That section is
detailed here.
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Calendars Back to Top
vBulletin includes a powerful calendar system that can act in many ways, from a personal diary for individual board
members to a schedule for forthcoming board events.
Using the Calendar Manager you can create a number of different calendars, add specific holidays and events, and
create Calendar Moderators to oversee the use of each calendar.
In the same way as you can set permissions for forums, you can use the Calendar Manager to set permissions at a
usergroup level for individual calendars and calendar types.
An Introduction to Calendars Back to Top
The vBulletin Calendar system is a full featured system, comparable to many stand alone calendar packages on the
market today.
The basic premise of the Calendar system is that it follows the same design as the forums in its approach. You create
multiple calendars, as you do forums, in order to categorize your subject matter.
Real world examples would be:
Birthday Calendar - A calendar that only displays your forum members' birthdays.
Holiday Calendar - A calendar that only shows upcoming holidays, either those you define or the included
holidays.
Private Calendar - A calendar that allows members to keep track of their own private events.
Event Calendar - A calendar that lists upcoming forum events.
The choice is up to you and don't think you are limited to just these examples. You can create a calendar that displays
holidays, birthdays and events, all at the same time!
Managing Calendars Back to Top
The first step in managing calendars is the Calendar Manager (found at Calendars & Moderators -> Calendar
Manager).
From here you can add, delete and modify your calendars, modify calendar permissions, and manage calendar
moderators. Yes, calendars can have moderators also!
Creating a New Calendar Back to Top
After pressing the [Add New Calendar] button, you are presented with the following options:
Title - Choose what you want to call this calendar. This will appear at the top of the calendar as well as in the calendar
jump menu at the bottom of the calendar.
Display Order - Order in which the calendars appear in the calendar jump menu. Also the calendar with the lowest
order, that the user has access to view, will be the default calendar for the user.
Custom Fields - See Below.
Email Addresses to Notify When There is a New Event - An email detailing the event details will be sent to any
email address listed in this section. if you moderate events, you will probably want to put the email addresses of your
calendar moderators in here so they will be notified about new events.
Moderate Events - If enabled, this will cause all new events to be placed into moderation. They will not appear on
the calendar until a calendar moderator approves them through the Moderator Control Panel. Events posted by any of
the following users will appear directly on the calendar, bypassing moderation.
Forum Administrators
Forum Super Moderators
Calendar Moderator (of this calendar)
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Date Range - Sets the minimum and maximum years that the calendar supports. Due to limitations of various
operating systems, the choices are 1970 - 2038.
Default View - Sets whether the calendar is first displayed in a weekly or monthly view.
Start of the Week - If the user does not choose a Start of Week option in their User CP then this setting will be used.
Event Title Cutoff - In monthly view, long event titles can wreck havoc with the layout of the calendar cells. In order
to control this, you should set a reasonable maximum number of characters to display on the monthly view. The event
title will be displayed up to the character count and then followed with (...).
Event Count - If a day contains an excessive number of events, it can begin to appear unwieldy. If a day exceeds the
allotted number of events, a single link will be displayed instead that takes the user to the daily view for that particular
day.
Birthday Count - Just as with the previous option, a large number of birthdays can cause problems. This option also
replaces multiple birthdays with a single link to the daily view for this particular day.
Show Birthdays on this Calendar - This one is obvious as it simply enables or disables birthdays from appearing on
the calendar.
Show predefined holidays on this Calendar - Enables or disables the display of any holidays that you create in the
Holiday Manager.
Show admin defined holidays on this Calendar - There are many holidays that can not be strictly defined by a
recurring pattern. We still support some holidays of this fashion and you can choose which of these holidays that you
wish to display on this calendar.
Show Saturday / Sunday on this Calendar - If disabled, this option will remove Saturday and Sunday from the
calendar.
Show upcoming event from this Calendar on the forum index - This option allows you to display upcoming events
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from this calendar on the forum home page. This option requires that the Display Calendar Events option under
Forums Home Page Options in the vBulletin Options be enabled.
Allow HTML / BBCODE / IMG CODE / SMILIES - These choices simply enable or disable the listed options as
you will find elsewhere in vBulletin.
Custom Fields Back to Top
vBulletin Calendars give you the option of adding your own custom fields to events. These fields allow you to ask for
specific information that pertains to your type of events. While you could expect the user to give this information in
the event description, you can bring more attention to what you expect by adding custom fields.
For example, you could ask for any of the following:
Concert Venue
Location of Event
Choose from a list of options
To add custom fields, you press the [Add New Custom Field] link found on the Add/Edit screen of the Calendar
Manager.
Note:
When creating a new calendar, you must first save it before you can add custom fields to it
Title - This is displayed on the Event add/edit screen.
Description - Tell the user how you expect them to answer this choice.
Options - There are two types of field that you may create:
Single Input Text Box
Select List
To create a simple text box for the user to enter some information into, leave this field blank and select <Yes> for the
next option. To create a menu of choices, enter each choice into this area, placing each on a new line. If you wish to
also allow the user to enter their own text instead of choosing one of your options, select <Yes> for the next option.
Note:
If you leave this option empty and select <No> for the next option, you will not be able to save this custom field. You
must either allow the user to enter their own text or give them options to choose from, or both.
Max length of allowed user input - This option limits the amount of text the user can enter if the previous option is
set to <Yes>.
Field Required - Enabling this will require the user to either enter text or choose an option, depending on the type of
field you create.
Modifying Existing Calendars Back to Top
If you wish to modify an existing calendar, select <Edit> from the dropdown menu to the right of the Calendar name.
Please refer to the option descriptions in the Creating a New Calendar section above.
To delete an existing calendar select <Delete> from the dropdown menu to the right of the calendar name.
Warning:
Removing a calendar will also remove all events associated with it.
Calendar Moderators Back to Top
You can specify moderators for your calendars in the same way you can have moderators for forums. Calendar
moderators have fewer tasks to perform than a forum moderator does but they are just as important to the operation of
your forum. Tasks include:
Approve events for display if you have moderation enabled
Ability to edit all events on their calendar
Delete events
Move events to different calendars
You would want to add moderators to any calendars of the following types:
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A calendar that you have moderation enabled for
A calendar that allows some usergroups to post public events and you do not implicitly trust the content that
they will post
You wouldn't add any moderators to a private calendar as the moderators would only be able to see their own events.
Adding a New Moderator Back to Top
To add a moderator to a calendar, you select the <Add> option in the
moderator dropdown at the far right of the calendar you are working with.
You will then be presented with the following screen:
Moderator Username - Enter the name of the moderator you are adding to this calendar. This name must match a
user who is currently registered on your forum.
Can Edit Events - Allows the moderator to edit all events posted on this calendar.
Can Delete Events - Allows the moderator to delete all events posted on this calendar.
Can Move Events - Allows the moderator to move events to any other calendar that thay have Can View access to.
Can Moderate Events - Allows the moderator to approve new events through the Moderator Control Panel.
Can View IP Addresses - Allows the moderator to view the IP Address of the event poster.
Note:
If the calendar permission Can View Others' Events is disabled, the only user who can view/edit/delete an event is the
user who posted it and this is assuming the user has permission to edit/delete their own events.
Modifying Calendar Moderators Back to Top
If you wish to modify an existing Moderator, select the <moderator's name> from the dropdown menu to the far right
of the Calendar name. Please refer to the option descriptions in the Adding a New Moderator section above.
To delete an existing moderator click the <Delete Moderator> button, found at the top of the screen that is displayed
after you select the moderator's name as instructed above.
Calendar Permissions Back to Top
Calendar permissions follow forum permissions in that inheritance and multiple group membership are supported. In
simplest terms, this means that a user can belong to multiple groups at once which gives them the combined
permissions of all of their groups. There are also global calendar permissions specifiable at the usergroup level
(Usergroups->Usergroup Manager->Edit->Calendar Permissions). You can then override any usergroup permission
for a specific calendar by creating custom permissions for just this calendar.
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Please refer to the Usergroup Permissions' section if you need further clarification on what is meant by inheritance and
multiple group membership.
Usergroup Level Calendar Permissions Back to Top
The first level of calendar permissions is at the Usergroup Level.
By default, all calendars that you create will follow the permissions that are defined in the calendar permissions
section of the Usergroup Manager. If you wish to define specific permissions for each calendar, you will use the
Calendar Permissions to do so, which will be explained in the next section.
To modify the default calendar permissions for any usergroup, navigate your way to the usergroup manager at
Usergroups->Usergroup Manager. Select the usergroup you wish to modify by selecting <Edit Usergroup> from the
drop down menu on the right.
Scroll down to the section labelled Calendar Permissions near the bottom of the page. A breakdown of what each
permission does follows:
Can View Calendar - This is the global on/off switch for each calendar. If this is disabled the user will receive
permission denied if they attempt to access this calendar. It will not be displayed as a choice for them in the calendar
jump menu.
Can Post Events - This setting allows users to post events on the calendar.
Can Edit Own Events - Allows a user to edit their own events. There is no time limit on editing events if this is
enabled.
Can Delete Own Events - Allows a user to delete their own events. There is no time limit on allowing event deletion
if this is enabled.
Can View Others' Events - You set the option to <No> to set up a private calendar as this will allow users to only see
events that they post.
Calendar Level Permissions Back to Top
The second level of Calendar permissions is at the calendar level. With these permissions you can override the
usergroup permissions for any specific calendar.
The calendar permissions manager is found at Calendars & Moderators->Calendar Permissions
You will see a listing of each of your calendars, with each of your usergroups below each calendar. All usergroups in
black are using the permissions specified at the usergroup level while any listings in red are using permissions
specifically set for that calendar.
To modify permissions for any usergroup, select the <Edit> link next to the usergroup, beneath the calendar you wish
to edit.
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The permissions that you see here, are the same permissions that you see at the usergroup level for the calendar.
Please refer to the previous section for their description and usage.
The section you will want to take note is at the top of the screen and appears as:
If you have edited an usergroup that is using custom permissions then the Use Custom Permissions option will be
selected. To delete the custom permissions for this group, you simply select Use Usergroup Default Permissions and
then press [Save].
If you have edited a group that is using the default usergroup permissions then you will want to make sure that Use
Custom Permissions is selected before you press [Save], otherwise the group will continue to use the default
usergroup permissions for this calendar.
Holiday Manager Back to Top
The only holidays that vBulletin Calendars contain by default are the built in holidays that you enable/disable in the
Calendar Manager. We leave it up to the admin to add any holidays that they find important for their calendars. Since
vBulletin is a global product, we could not possibly cover all cultural differences that apply to holidays.
Note:
Any holidays that you add through the Holiday Manager can be enabled/disabled per calendar in the Calendar
Manager.
Adding a New Holiday Back to Top
To add a new holiday, select the [Add New Holiday] button on the main Holiday Manager screen.
Varname - This field is an unique identifier for the holiday. You will most likely want to call this something similar to
the holiday title. You may only use a-z, A-Z, 0-9, and _ (underscore) in this field.
Title - What you wish to call this holiday.
Description - Describe the holiday.
Recurring Option - There are two types of holidays that you can setup.
Holiday that occurs on the same day every year, i.e. Jan 1st
Holiday that occurs on the same day of the week every year, i.e. 4th Thursday in November
Allow Smilies - This controls whether or not any smilies that you enter into the description will be converted into
their graphical representations.
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Modifying Existing Holidays Back to Top
If you wish to modify an existing holiday, select <Edit> from the dropdown menu to the right of the holiday name.
Please refer to the option descriptions in the Creating a New Holiday section above.
To delete an existing holiday select <Delete> from the dropdown menu to the right of the holiday name.
Practical Examples of Calendar Permissions Back to Top
This section will detail a few examples of setting up various calendars.
A Birthdays Only Calendar Back to Top
To keep your calendars from becoming cluttered with events and birthdays, you may wish to setup one calendar for
just displaying birthdays.
1 Click Calendars & Moderators->Calendar Manager.
2 Click [Edit] next to the calendar you wish to setup this way.
3 Click <Yes> next to Show Birthdays on this Calendar.
4 Click [Save]
5 Click Calendars & Moderators->Calendar Permissions.
6 Find the calendar you with to modify and choose the usergroup you wish to deny posting events for (probably the
Registered Users group) by clicking [Edit]
7 Make sure Can Post Events is set to <No>.
8 If it is not, select Use Custom Permissions, then select <No> next to Can Post Events.
9 Click [Save]
Note:
If you have any events on this calendar you will need to move them to another calendar or they will still appear.
A Private Events Calendar Back to Top
A private calendar allows your users to post events for themselves that no other users can view.
1 Click Calendars & Moderators->Calendar Permissions.
2 Find the calendar you wishto modify. You need to complete the next step for each usergroup by pressing [Edit].
3 If you want this group to be able to post private events, make sure Can Post Events is set to <Yes>.
4 If it is not, select Use Custom Permissions, then select <Yes> next to Can Post Events.
5 Make sure Can View Others' Events is set to <No>.
6 If it is not, select Use Custom Permissions, then select <No> next to Can View Others' Events.
7 Click [Save]
Warning:
If you fail to select <No> for Can View Others' Events for every usergroup of your Calendar, then the missed groups
will be able to see other user's private events
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Threads & Posts Back to Top
The threads and posts section contains tools that enable you to manage large groups of threads and posts.
You can delete (prune) threads, or move them from forum to forum based on search parameters you specify. You can
also remove polls from specified threads, find out who voted in otherwise private polls, and remove all thread
subscriptions to a specific thread.
Mass Prune Threads Back to Top
If you wish to delete (prune) a large amount of threads based on various criteria, go to Threads & Posts. You will be
presented with two options for pruning.
The first prunes by threads matching the following criteria:
These include date-related, view-/reply-related, status-related, and miscellaneous criteria.
The second prunes by username. The most common use for this is to delete all posts by a specific user.
Note:
This option will also prune individual posts. The first option only searches for entire threads.
Once you have searched for threads/posts, you will be told the number of threads and posts that match your criteria.
At this point you may select to prune all matching threads/posts automatically or prune selectively.
Warning:
You may not undo a prune. Make sure you only prune exactly what you want to!
If you chose to prune selectively, you will be presented with a screen like this:
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This lists each of the threads that matched your criteria. Use the checkbox on the left to select whether or not the
thread is pruned. Once you are ready, click [Go].
Once the pruning is complete, you should run Rebuild Forum Information in Update Counters. If you are pruning by
username, you should run Rebuild Thread Information first!
Mass Move Threads Back to Top
The Move Threads (Threads & Posts > Move) section is similar to the Prune Threads section, but instead of deleting
the threads, they are simply moved to a different forum.
The search criteria are the same as pruning.
Once you submit the search form, you will be asked whether you wish to move all threads that match your criteria or
want to move threads selectively. If you chose to move selectively, you will be shown a page similar to this:
This lists each of the threads that matched your criteria. Use the checkbox on the left to select whether or not the
thread is moved. Once you are ready, click [Go].
Once the moving is complete, you should run Rebuild Forum Information in Update Counters.
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Unsubscribe Threads Back to Top
To quickly manage thread subscriptions for specific users or specific threads, go to Threads & Posts > Unsubscribe.
Here you will be presented with two options.
Unsubscribe All Users from Specific Threads allows you to quickly remove all thread subscriptions from specific
threads. Enter the thread IDs of the threads you wish to unsubscribe all users from; separate each with a space.
To obtain the thread ID, find the thread you want to remove. The link to the thread should look like
http://www.example.com/forums/showthread.php?t=####. The #### part is the ID number that you need to enter here.
Unsubscribe All Threads from Specific Users allows you to quickly remove all of a user’s thread subscriptions. One
reason you might do this is if the user’s email has been bouncing recently. However, this is not a temporary removal;
you will not be able to restore the subscriptions in the future.
Here, you specify:
User Name – name of the user whose subscriptions you wish to remove.
Find All Threads Older Than X Days – allows you to only remove subscriptions to threads that are more than
this number of days old.
Forum – allows you to only remove subscriptions to threads in specific forums.
Strip Poll from Thread Back to Top
If you wish to remove a poll from a thread, go to Threads & Posts > Strip Poll. You will be presented with a simple
form:
To remove the poll from a thread, you simply need to enter the thread ID that the poll is contained in. To obtain the
thread ID, find the thread you want to remove the poll from. The link to the thread should look like
http://www.example.com/forums/showthread.php?t=####. The #### part is the ID number that you need to enter here.
Once you have found this, submit the form. You will receive a screen where you can confirm that this is the correct
poll. Simply submit that to remove the poll.
Who Voted in Poll Back to Top
If you wish to find out who voted on a particular poll, you can do this by going to Threads & Posts > Who Voted.
Here, you will be presented with a list of polls:
The dropdown contains the poll’s ID and name; the text box is the name of the thread that contains that poll. Once you
have found the poll you want to view, click [Who Voted]. You will now see a results screen such as this:
This page displays each poll option that has at least one vote, along with each person who voted for it.
Tags Back to Top
Thread tagging is a system that allows user to apply their own keywords (tags) to threads. See Wikipedia for more
information on the ideas behind tagging. This can allow users to categorize threads based on the actual content. As
such, if used consistently, could be a better way to find a specific topic than a full-text search.
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Tags can contain any character except a comma, which is used to separate multiple tags. Additionally, you may not
create tags which:
Have less than an admin-specified amount of characters. The default is 3.
Have over 25 characters. (This is the default value. You may change it by changing the "Tag Maximum Length"
option.)
Contain any censored words.
Are in a list of common words.
This page allows you to manage the existing tags:
By default, tags are shown alphabetically and paginated. If you wish to see what tags have been added recently, you
can click the Display Newest link.
Below this, you can add a new tag:
You may not add any invalid tags, as people will not be able to assign them to threads. See above for the tag rules.
Front-End Inline Moderation Tools Back to Top
Inline Moderation gives Administrators and moderators the ability to moderate multiple threads and posts without the
need to enter the Moderator Control Panel. This is achieved by selecting individual threads from forumdisplay or
posts from showthread. Threads or posts from multiple pages can be selected if the moderator has Javascript support
enabled. Selected threads or posts will display highlighted in a yellow color as well.
At the bottom of the page, a moderation drop down box shows the available actions. Next to the moderation drop
down box is a [Go] button that maintains a count of the selected threads or posts. Checking a checkbox will increase
the number by one, unchecking a checkbox will decrease the number by one.
Note:
Inline Moderation is a feature of the front-end of vBulletin. It is accessed from forumdisplay or showthread.
Inline Thread Moderation Back to Top
On the forumdisplay.php pages where threads are listed each thread will have a checkbox at the end of the row.
Checking the checkbox will add the thread to the list of threads to be moderated. The row color will also change to
yellow to signify that the thread has been chosen.
Above all the listed threads there is a dropdown quick-selection box with various options to choose from, which apply
only to that page. These options allow you to quickly choose multiple threads that match the selected criteria without
having to manually click each thread.
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Select All
Selecting 'Select All' will highlight all the threads on the current page, including sticky, soft-deleted,
unapproved and closed threads.
Deselect All
Selecting 'Deselect All' will reset all the highlighted threads on the current page, including sticky, soft-deleted,
unapproved and closed threads.
Invert Selection
Selecting 'Invert Selection' will highlight all the unselected threads, and reset all the highlighted threads on the
current page, including sticky, soft-deleted, unapproved and closed threads.
Select Closed Threads
Selecting 'Select Closed Threads' will highlight all the threads that are not open for posting on the current page,
including closed threads that are sticky, soft-deleted, and/or unapproved.
Select Unapproved Threads
Selecting 'Select Unapproved Threads' will highlight all the threads that are not visible to members (in
moderator queue) on the current page, including unapproved threads that are sticky, soft-deleted, and/or closed.
Select Deleted Threads
Selecting 'Select Deleted Threads' will highlight all the threads that are marked as soft-deleted on the current
page, including deleted threads that are sticky, unapproved, and/or closed.
Select Sticky Threads
Selecting 'Select Sticky Threads' will highlight all the threads that are marked as important (sticky at the top of
the page) on the current page, including sticky threads that are soft-deleted, unapproved, and/or closed.
Select Threads with Polls
Selecting 'Select Threads with Polls' will highlight all the threads that are have polls added to them on the
current page, including threads with poll that are soft-deleted, sticky, unapproved, and/or closed.
Select Threads with Attachments
Selecting 'Select Threads with Attachments' will highlight all the threads that are have attachments added to
them on the current page, including threads with attachments that are soft-deleted, sticky, unapproved, and/or
closed.
If there are threads on other pages, that you would like to add to the list, you can go to those pages and add the threads
as well. Your browser must have Javascript enabled for this to work. You are limited to working with just the threads
on one page if Javascript is disabled.
Once threads have been chosen, the Moderation drop down at the bottom of the page is used to perform the desired
action.
Delete Threads
This option will bring up the delete threads interface that allows you to choose between Soft and Hard deletion
(depending on permission level).
Undelete Threads
This option will restore Soft deleted threads.
Open Threads
This option will open closed threads.
Close Threads
This option will close open threads.
Approve Threads
This option will approve moderated threads.
Unapprove Threads
This option will unapprove threads, sending them back to moderation.
Stick Threads
This option will stick threads.
Unstick Threads
This option will unstick threads.
Move Threads
This option will bring up the move threads interface.
Merge Threads
This option will merge the selected threads into a new thread.
View Selected Threads
This option will list the threads that have been selected for Inline Moderation. This is most useful when you've
selected threads on multiple pages and need to recall them.
Deselect All Threads
This option will clear the list of checked threads, resetting the value in the [Go] to 0. This is most useful when
you've selected threads on multiple pages and wish to start over.
Note:
The number of chosen threads will be listed in parenthesis inside the [Go] button. If this number exceeds the number
of threads that you have chosen, you may have clicked on other threads by mistake.
After successfully completing one of the above options, the value in the [Go] will be reset to 0. All selected threads
will also now be unselected.
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Note:
This interface is also available when searching for threads via search.php. One could search for all threads containing
a common word or posted by the same user and then perform Inline Moderation upon them.
Inline Post Moderation Back to Top
On the showthread.php pages, where posts are listed, each post will have a checkbox at the top right. Checking the
checkbox will add the post to the list of posts to be moderated. The post color will also change to yellow to signify
that the post has been chosen.
Above all the posts is a dropdown quick-selection box with various options to choose from, which apply only to that
page. These options allow you to quickly choose multiple posts that match the selected criteria without having to
manually click each post.
Select All
Selecting 'Select All' will highlight all the posts on the current page, including soft-deleted and unapproved,
posts with attachments and posts by guests.
Deselect All
Selecting 'Deselect All' will reset all the highlighted posts on the current page, including soft-deleted and
unapproved, posts with attachments and posts by guests.
Invert Selection
Selecting 'Invert Selection' will highlight all the unselected posts, and reset all the highlighted posts on the
current page, including soft-deleted and unapproved, posts with attachments and posts by guests.
Select Unapproved Posts
Selecting 'Select Unapproved Posts' will highlight all the posts that are not visible to members (in moderator
queue) on the current page, including unapproved posts that are soft-deleted.
Select Deleted Posts
Selecting 'Select Deleted Posts' will highlight all the posts that are marked as soft-deleted on the current page,
including deleted posts that are unapproved.
Select Posts with Attachments
Selecting 'Select Posts with Attachments' will highlight all the posts that are have attachments added to them on
the current page, including posts with attachments that are soft-deleted and unapproved.
Select Posts from Guests
Selecting 'Select Posts from Guests' will highlight all the posts that are made by guests (unregistered members)
on the current page, including posts by guests with attachments, that are soft-deleted and unapproved.
If there are posts on other pages, that you would like to add to the list, you can go to those pages and add the posts as
well. Your browser must have Javascript enabled for this to work. You are limited to working with just the posts on
one page if Javascript is disabled.
Once posts have been chosen, the Moderation drop down at the bottom of the page is used to perform the desired
action.
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Merge Posts
This option will bring up the merge posts interface where you may combine multiple posts into one new post.
Move Posts
This option will bring up the move posts interface where you can either move posts to a new thread or merge
them into an existing thread.
Copy Posts
This option will bring up the copy posts interface where you can either copy posts to a new thread or merge
them into an existing thread.
Delete Posts
This option will bring up the delete posts interface that allows you to choose between Soft and Hard deletion
(depending on permission level)
Undelete Posts
This option will restore soft deleted posts.
Approve Posts
This option will approve moderated posts.
Unapprove posts
This option will unapprove posts, sending them back to moderation.
Approve Attachments
This option will approve moderated attachments.
Unapprove Attachments
This option will unapprove attachments, sending them back to moderation.
View Selected Posts
This option will display a list of the posts that have been selected for inline moderation. This is most useful
when you've selected posts on multiple pages and need to recall them.
Deselect All Posts
This option will clear the list of checked posts, resetting the value in the [Go] to 0. This is most useful when
you've selected posts on multiple pages and wish to start over.
Note:
The number of chosen threads will be listed in parenthesis inside the [Go] button. If this number exceeds the number
of posts that you have chosen, you may have clicked on other posts by mistake.
After successfully completing one of the above options, the value in the [Go] will be reset to 0. All selected posts will
also now be unselected.
Note:
This interface is also available when searching for posts via search.php. One could search for all post containing a
common word or posted by the same user and then perform Inline Moderation upon them.
Prune Post Edit History Back to Top
If you wish to prune the Post Edit History for one or more forums, go to Threads and Posts > Prune Post Edit History
You will be presented with the options for pruning this.
Once you have completed the options and clicked [Prune Post Edit History] you will then be told the number of posts
with edit histories which have been selected
Clicking [Prune All Post Edit Histories] will remove all post edit histories for all selected posts.
Warning:
You may not undo a prune. Make sure you want to do this!
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Thread Prefixes Back to Top
Thread prefixes are a structured way to specify how certain topics are discussed within a forum. You create prefix sets
which contain many prefixes and can be tied to any number of forums.
When a user creates a thread, he or she will have the option of specifying a prefix to the thread title. This prefix can be
used to filter threads within the forum or searched on.
For example, you may wish to use prefixes in a marketplace forum, where people post "Wanted" and "For Sale"
entries. Alternatively, if you have multiple products and only one announcement forum, you could have prefix threads
in that forum depending on the product they relate to.
Users will then see the selected prefix where ever the thread title is shown:
The Thread Prefix Manager Back to Top
The thread prefix manager is where you create new and edit prefixes or edit your existing prefix sets. Prefixes and
prefix sets are shown in the order they will actually display in; you can quickly change this order by changing the
numbers in the text boxes and clicking "Save Display Order".
Adding or Editing a Prefix Set Back to Top
Before you can create any prefixes, you must create one or more prefix sets. Prefix sets are simply a way of tying
together related prefixes. When you select which forums will allow prefixes, you will enable one or more prefix sets
for the forum.
Prefix Set ID - This is the unique identifier for this prefix set. Only one set can have this value and the value
may only contain A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and _ (underscores) only.
Title - This is the title of this prefix set. You should not use any special HTML markup. It will be shown when
administering thread prefixes or if a user must choose between prefixes in more than one set.
Use Prefix Set in These Forums - Prefix sets must be attached to forums before they can be used. Select the
forum or forums this prefix set will be available in using this field. Once you do this, when a user creates a new
thread in a selected forum, he or she will be able to select a prefix from this set.
Display Order - The sorting order for sets. Sets with lower values will be shown before sets with higher values.
Note that the display order setting for individual prefixes only controls their order within the set.
Adding or Editing a Prefix Back to Top
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Once you have created a prefix set, you may add any number of prefixes to that set. If a thread has a prefix applied to
it, the prefix will show anywhere the thread title shows. For that reason, you must define two versions of the prefix: a
plain text version and a rich text version. See below for more information.
Prefix ID - This is the unique identifier for this prefix. Only one prefix can have this value and the value may
only contain A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and _ (underscores) only.
Prefix Set - The set this prefix is to be placed in. This prefix will only be selectable in forums that have this set
enabled. If you change this set, threads that can no longer use this prefix will have it removed!
Title (Plain Text) - This is the title of the prefix, using no special markup. This will be shown in the prefix list
menu, when the thread title is shown in the navigation bar, or when the thread title is used in an email.
Title (Rich Text) - This is also the title of the prefix, but you may use HTML to add additional markup to the
title. This version of the prefix will be shown in a list of threads and within the thread itself.
Display Order - The sort order for this prefix. Lower values will be displayed first within the selected prefix
set.
If the thread title is a link to view the thread, the prefix will generally not be linked. However, the prefix will be
included in the link if the thread title is used in the navigation bar.
Prefixes will also be placed directly before a thread title, with only a space separating them. For this reason, you will
probably want to include something to make the prefix stand out from the title. In the rich text value, this could be
color, italics, or an image (For Sale). However, in the plain text version, you may need to include a colon or square
brackets ("For Sale:" or "[For Sale]").
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Moderation Back to Top
The Moderation section is where you will find tools for you or your moderators to check on the various moderation
queues that exist in vBulletin.
For example, if you have chosen to moderate all posts before they are viewable, the 'Moderate Posts' link will show
you the Post Moderation List, where you can approve or reject posts that have been made by your members.
Moderate Threads / Posts Back to Top
If you have enabled moderation of new threads or posts in one or more forums, go to Moderation > Moderate Threads
or Moderation > Moderate Posts to view the threads and posts in the moderation queue. Each link leads to the same
page but different spots on the page, so they will both be described in this section.
At the top of this page, you will see the moderate threads section.
Posted By – the user who posted the thread. This is not editable.
Forum – the forum in which the thread was posted. This is not editable.
Title – the title of the thread.
Message – the body of the first post in the thread.
Notes – any additional notes you wish to specify about the thread. These will be accessible on the Edit Thread
page when viewing the thread.
Action – what you wish to do with the thread. Validate will display the thread as normal, Delete will remove the
thread from the database, and Ignore will leave the thread here.
Below this is the moderate posts section.
The options in the section are similar to the moderate threads section. Specific changes include an additional Thread
field, which tells you which thread this post came from, and the lack of the Notes field.
Moderate Attachments Back to Top
If you have chosen to moderate attachments anywhere, you may view the attachment moderation queue at Moderation
> Moderate Attachments. A screen such as this will be displayed:
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Attachment – the file name and file size of the attachment. Click the file name to view the attachment.
Thumbnail – if a thumbnail can be created for the attachment, it will be displayed here.
Posted By – the name of the user who posted this attachment, and the post which it has been attached to.
Action – like the Moderate Threads / Posts section, you may Validate (display), Delete, or Ignore (do nothing
to) each attachment in the queue.
Moderate Events Back to Top
In addition to moderating threads, posts, and attachments, you may also moderate new calendar events. To do this, go
to Moderation > Moderate Events.
Posted By – the user that posted this event. This is not editable.
Calendar – the calendar this event was posted to. This is not editable.
Subject – the title of the event.
Date – the date(s) which the event is active for. This is not editable.
Event – the body of the event.
Action – like the other moderation sections, you may Validate (display), Delete, or Ignore (do nothing to) each
event in the queue.
Moderate Visitor Messages Back to Top
In addition to moderating threads, posts, and attachments, you may also moderate new visitor messages. To do this, go
to Moderation > Moderate Visitor Messages.
Posted By – the user that posted this message. This is not editable.
User Profile – the profile that the message is posted on. This is not editable.
Message – the body of the event.
Action – like the other moderation sections, you may Validate (display), Delete, or Ignore (do nothing to) each
event in the queue.
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Attachments Back to Top
vBulletin has the ability to allow your visitors to attach files to their messages, uploading the files to your server.
The Attachments Manager allows you to search for attached files, view statistics about all the attachments stored on
your server, and configure the parameters for what file types you would like to allow to be posted.
An Introduction to Attachments Back to Top
One of the more popular features of vBulletin is its attachment system. Some of the many features are:
Allow multiple attachments per post
Generate thumbnails for image attachments
Allow multiple attachments to be uploaded at once
Moderation of attachments
Full control over allowed file types, file size, and image dimensions
Users can manage attachments from their User CP
Attachments can be searched and sorted via the Admincp.
Attachments can be stored in the database or the filesystem
General Attachment Settings Back to Top
There are three sections in the Admin CP that are relevant to controlling how attachments function on your forum.
Message Attachment Options in the vBulletin Options section
Can Upload Attachments / Can Download Attachments permissions in the Forum Permissions
Attachments Section
Attachment Manager
Attachment Permissions
Search
Moderate Attachments
Attachment Statistics
Attachment Storage Type
Message Attachment Options Back to Top
Follows is a listing of the options, to view details on their usage, please view the descriptions for each or view the
inline help.
Limit Space Taken Up By Attachments (Total)
Attachments Per Post
Attachment Inputs
Allow Deletion of Attachments Beyond Edit Time Limit
Allow Duplicate Attached Images
View Attached Images Inline
Enable Thumbnails
Thumbnail Size
Thumbnails Per Row
Attachment Manager Back to Top
As an administrator, you have the ability to specify what types of attachments you wish to allow, as well as the
maximum filesize. In regards to images, you can specify the maximum dimensions for popular image formats.
Navigate to Attachments->Attachment Manager.
You will be presented with the current file types that your forum allows for message attachment.
To add a new extension for message attachment, press the [Add New Extension] button.
To edit an existing extension, select the Edit option to the right of the extension.
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To specify usergroup permissions for an extension, select the View Permisisons option to the right of the extension.
Managing Extensions Back to Top
Extension - This is the extension of the allowed file. An example would be "jpg" for JPEG image files. Specify the
extension of the file without the period.
Max File size - This is the maximum file size you wish to allow attached files of this extension to be. Each attachment
that is uploaded is going to consume space on your hosting account. You need to take your storage limits into
consideration when deciding what size files to allow. There are also several MySQL and PHP settings that affect the
maximum file size that you will be able to upload. Generally you will be able to upload files up to a megabyte. If you
need larger files and find yourself not able to post them, you'll need to ask for support via our ticket system or on the
support forums.
Maximum Width - The maximum width in pixels that an uploaded image can be. This setting only applies for some
image types. By default we include all image types that support this option.
Maximum Height - The maximum height in pixels that an uploaded image can be. This setting only applies for some
image types. By default we include all image types that support this option.
Mime Type - The mime type dictates how the browser is supposed to handle the files when the attachment is opened.
General mime-type lists are available on the Internet but if you choose to leave this option blank, often your browser
will simply prompt you to save the attachment.
Display thumbnail for this type - This option generates a thumbnail, a small image, of uploaded images. The
thumbnail will be displayed instead of the fullsize image. The fullsize image can be viewed by clicking on the
thumbnail. Thumbnails must also be enabled in vBulletin Options -> Message Attachment Options.
Open this attachment in a new browser window - This option will open the attachment in a new window. Some
users prefer to have control over how attachments open.
Enabled - Controls whether or not this attachment type is allowed to be uploaded.
Press [Save] when you have finalized your new attachment file type.
Attachment Permissions Back to Top
There are two usergroup permissions that pertain to attachments.
Ability to Post Attachments
Ability to View Attachments
Both of the permissions are controllable at the forum and usergroup level, meaning you can allow viewing of
permissions by specific usergroups in specific forums and view versa.
Please view the Forum Permissions and Usergroups section of the admincp for usage.
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Each extension also has usergroup level permissions that allow you to control which usergroups can upload which
extensions.
Managing Attachment Permissions Back to Top
Managing your attachment permissions is similar to editing global usergroup permissions, but allows more control. If
you click Attachments > Attachment Permissions, you will see a screen similar to this:
Here, you will see each attachment extension on your forum with a list of all usergroups under each extension. Notice
the color key at the top. In this example, red indicates that a usergroup has a custom attachment permission specified
for this forum. No attachment permission has been specified, so the group will be using the default attachment
extension permissions.
Next to each extension, you will see 2 links:
Reset – this will automatically delete any custom permissions that were set for this extension.
Deny All – this will automatically deny every usergroup access to upload this extension. This is helpful if you
want to deny access to an extension for most groups
To edit or add an attachment permission, simply find the appropriate extension and usergroup, and click [Edit]. This
will lead you to this screen:
If you are unsure of what a specific option does, click the inline help icon for more information.
Note:
Make sure Use Custom Permissions is selected at the top of the page if you want your changes to be saved.
Attachment Storage Type Back to Top
vBulletin allows you the choice of storing attachments in either your database or in your file system. You are able to
change your storage method at any time by navigating to Attachments->Attachment Storage Type.
There are several factors you need to consider before choosing which method you wish to use. By default, vBulletin
stores attachments in the database since every server that supports vBulletin will work with this method. Not every
server will be able to store attachments in the file system.
Storing in Database:
Pro
Backing up your database, also backs up your attachments
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Does not consume any of your file system storage limits (unless mysql storage counts)
Con
Can increase server load on large forums
Storing in File system:
Pro
Better performance for large forums
Easier to backup your database
Con
Does not work if SAFE MODE is enabled on your server.
Need to backup attachments separately from database
Consumes space on your file system
Moving Attachments to the Filesystem Back to Top
By default vBulletin stores attachments in the database for maximum compatibility. In order to store attachments in
the file system, your server will need to have SAFE_MODE disabled. This is something that only your host can do.
You will be presented with the following screen if you have attachments in the database:
To begin the process of moving attachments to the database, press [Go]
You will then be presented with the following:
Note:
vBulletin tries to determine if you have SAFE_MODE enabled and may display an error message instead of the above
screen. If this happens, you will need to contact your host about disabling SAFE_MODE for your site or choose to
leave attachments in the database.
The attachment file path is the location on your server that you wish to store attachments in. We suggest you create a
path that is above your web root, which means a directory that is not below public_html. If you wish to create the
directory in your web root, we then suggest you place a .htaccess file to block people from accessing it directly. If you
do not do this, then anyone will be able to open your attachments directly by navigating this directory in their browser.
This directory must be writable by PHP, which generally means it must either be owned by the same user that your
web server is running under or set to permissions 0777 or Global Read/Write on Windows Systems. Please refer to
your system documents to find out how to set these permissions.
Please use the full qualified path name to this directory.
Press [Go] when you have entered a valid directory. vBulletin will test the directory for proper permissions and inform
you if the permissions are not set properly.
The above screen is the final step before the actual moving begins. After pressing [Go] on this page, the moving of
files from the database will begin.
After you press [Go], the attachments will be copied from the database to the file system. At the end of the process
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you will have attachments in both locations and will be presented with the following screen as confirmation that you
wish to finalize the process by deleting all attachments from the database.
Pay close attention to the Attachments in Database and Total Attachments Processed totals. If these totals do not
match up then you could possibly lose attachments. If Total Attachments processed is 0 then something is
configured wrong and blocking attachments from being written to the file system.
If you feel, all is well, select the <Yes> option to the right of Finalize and press [Go]. At the point all attachments will
be removed from the database. The attachment table will then be optimized to recover file space. This step can take an
exceedingly long time to complete so please be patient.
Moving Attachments to the Database Back to Top
Moving attachments from the file system to the database follows the same process as moving from the database to the
file system except for the first step.
If you have attachments stored in the file system, you will be presented with two options rather than the one listed
above for moving to the file system.
You can either Move attachments back to the database or Move attachments to a new directory.
If you are moving attachments back to the database, review the steps listed in the previous section as they are the same
for the most part. The only difference is that at the end of the process, you will not be asked to confirm the move.
If you wish to move attachments to a new directory, choose the Move Items to a Different Directory option and press
[Go]. You will be presented with a screen asking your for a pathname, displaying the current attachment directory.
Enter your new directory and press [Ok].
Note:
This step does not create the new directory, nor does it actually move the attachments. It simply changes the directory
that vBulletin looks for attachments in. You must create the directory, give it proper permissions (as detailed in the
previous section), and then move the attachments manually.
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Users Back to Top
The User Manager contains all the tools required for managing individual users of your board.
Tools here include the ability to search for users based on information in their user profile, a form to manually add a
new user, a system to send an email to selected users or generate a mailing list and set user-specific forum permissions
amongst other functions.
You can track down trouble-making users by searching on the IP address that is logged when they make a post, then
ban a mischievious user from the board. You can then search for other banned users to manage their ban periods or
restore their access to the board.
Adding or Editing a User Back to Top
To add a new user, go to Users > Add New User. You will be presented with a form like this:
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Profile
User Name – the name that will identify the user.
Password – the password this user will use to login.
Note:
If you are editing a user, you will not be able to see this user’s password. Leave this field blank to keep the
password as is.
Email – the email address of the user.
Language – the language the user will see the board in.
User Title – the title that will be displayed under this user’s name in posts. If you wish to set a custom title here,
be sure to change the Custom User Title option below as well.
Custom User Title – the settings in effect for the User Title option. If this is set to no, the user will receive the
default title for his or her usergroup; otherwise this user will receive the title specified above.
Home Page – the user’s home page. This will be linked to from his or her profile and posts.
Birthday – the user’s birthday. You may specify only the month and day.
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Signature – the user’s signature. HTML, vB code, and smilies are parsed according to your settings on the
vBulletin Options page.
ICQ UIN – the user’s ICQ number, if he or she has one.
AIM Screen Name – the user’s AIM screen name, if he or she has one.
Yahoo! ID – the user’s Yahoo! handle.
MSN ID – the user’s MSN handle.
COPPA User – determines whether the user is a COPPA user. If the user is under 13 and you are using the
COPPA system, this should be set to yes.
Parent Email Address – if the user is a COPPA user, then this address will receive an email every time this
user changes his or her profile.
Post Count – the user’s post count.
Referrer – user name that referred this user.
IP Address – this user’s IP address at registration.
Image Options
Avatar – allows you to edit or remove this user’s avatar.
Profile Picture – allows you to edit or remove this user’s profile picture.
Warning:
Choosing one of these options will automatically submit any changes.
User Profile Fields
Allows you to set the values for any custom profile fields.
Usergroup Options
Primary Usergroup – the user’s primary usergroup. See the Usergroup and Permissions section for more
information.
Additional Usergroups – the user’s secondary usergroups. See the Usergroups and Permissions section for
more information.
Reputation
Display Reputation – determines whether or not to display the user’s reputation score with his or her posts.
Reputation Level – the user’s actual reputation score. Higher is better.
Current Reputation Power – the user’s calculated reputation power. You may not change this directly.
Browsing Options
Receive Admin Emails – determines whether the user receives emails sent by the administrator through the
control panel.
Display Email – controls whether the user’s email button is displayed, allowing members to send email to him
or her.
Invisible Mode – determines whether the user is invisible. This prevents the user’s current activity status from
being displayed to everyone.
Receive Private Messages – determines whether the user has enabled private messaging.
Send Notification Email When a Private Message is Received – controls whether the user receives an email
when he or she receives a private message.
Pop up a Notification Box When a Private Message is Received – manages whether the user receives a
popup window when he or she has received a private message.
Display Signatures – controls whether the user sees signatures after posts.
Display Avatars – determines whether the user sees avatars.
Display Images – controls whether the user sees attachments and IMG tags inline.
Automatic Thread Subscription Mode – controls the user’s default thread subscription mode. This can vary
from no subscription to instant emails to weekly digests.
Thread Display Mode – determines how the user views threads by default. The user may select linear, along
with post ordering; hybrid; or threaded.
Message Editor Interface – determines the type of editor that the user sees. Choices include no toolbar; the
standard editor toolbar, which has buttons to include vB code; and the WYSIWYG editor, which will show
users what their post will actually look like (e.g., red text will actually be red in the editor).
Style – the default style that this user uses to browse the forums.
Time Options
Timezone – the time zone that all times will be displayed for this user.
Automatically detect DST settings – determines whether automatic daylight savings time (DST) detection is
used.
Is DST current in effect – sets whether DST is currently in effect, essentially changing the user’s time zone by
one hour.
Default View Age – default cutoff date for threads on the forum display page.
Join Date – the day the user registered.
Last Visit – the time of the user’s last visit. This is the time used to determine what posts are new.
Last Activity – the time the user was last active. This is the time the user last loaded a page.
Last Post – the time of the user’s latest post.
Quick User Links Back to Top
If you are editing a user, you will be presented with a Quick User Links section:
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This allows you to:
Edit Forum Permissions (Access Masks) – allows you to edit this user’s access masks. See below for more
information.
View Forum Permissions – shows what permissions this user has in each forum.
Send Email to User – allows you to email this user directly using your default email program.
Email Password Reminder to User – sends a password change request to this user.
Send Private Message to User – brings up the form to send a private message to this user (if it is enabled).
Private Message Statistics – displays the number of private messages this user has in each folder.
Delete All User’s Private Messages – deletes all of this user’s received private messages.
Delete Private Messages Sent by User – deletes all private messages this user has sent.
Delete Subscriptions – deletes all of this user’s thread subscriptions.
View IP Addresses – displays all IP addresses that are logged for this user. Aside from the IP logged at
registration, IPs are only logged during posting.
View Profile – displays this user’s public profile on the board front end.
Find Posts by User – searches for posts made by this user.
Ban User – allows you to ban this user from accessing the board for various time frames.
Delete User – allows you to remove this user from the database.
Edit Administrator Permissions – allows you to edit the sections of the admin control panel that this user has
access to. This will only be displayed if this user is an administrator.
Editing Access Masks Back to Top
Note:
General information on access masks is available here.
To edit a user’s access masks, go to Users > Search for Users > enter criteria that will find this user. From the search
results page, select [Edit Access Masks] from the user’s profile page, select [Edit Forum Permissions (Access
Masks)]. A page similar to this will be displayed:
Each forum will be listed on this page. There are three possible access masks for each forum:
Yes – this user will be granted access to the forum user his or her global usergroup permissions, regardless of
any forum-level usergroup permissions.
No – this user will be denied any access to this forum regardless of forum-level usergroup permissions.
Default – no special access mask specified; user will receive access to the forum as per forum-level or global
usergroup permissions.
Note:
Inheritance of permissions still works here. Therefore, if you specify yes in a parent forum, that will carry over to any
child forums.
Warning:
These settings will have no effect unless you have enabled access masks in the vBulletin Options section.
User Change History Back to Top
The user change history allows you to see the previous values of several pieces of user data. These include:
User names
Emails
User group membership
To access the user change history, go to the standard "User Edit" page and click the View Change History link:
You will then be taken to a page that looks like this:
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This shows what data has been changed, by whom, and when.
Search for Users Back to Top
To search for users with advanced criteria, go to Users > Search for Users. You will be presented with a screen
containing two options, quick search and advanced search.
Quick Search Back to Top
Quick search provides you with several commonly-used, canned searches. These options include:
Show All Users – lists all users in alphabetical order.
List Top Posters – lists all users, ordered by post count (descending).
List Visitors in the Last 24 Hours – only lists users who have visited the board in the last 24 hours.
List New Registrations – lists all users with newest registrations first.
List Users Awaiting Moderation – shows all users who are in the moderation queue. This will generally be
empty unless you have enabled user moderation.
Show All COPPA Users – displays all users waiting to be approved because of COPPA.
Advanced Search Back to Top
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Advanced search allows you to search for users using almost any profile field as search criteria. If you do not enter a
value for a field, it will be ignored.
Additionally, you may choose to display most fields inline on the search results page.
Search Results Back to Top
The search results page will display the users who match your search criteria. The columns that are displayed depend
on what you chose on the advanced search screen. By default, user name, email, join date, last visit, and post count are
displayed. In addition, the Options column contains links to manage a user. These links include:
View / Edit User – displays this user’s information. See the Adding or Editing a User section for more
information.
Send Password to User – redirects you to the lost password form, allowing you to send a new password to this
user.
Edit Access Masks – allows you to edit this user’s access masks. See the Editing Access Masks section above
for more information.
Delete User – removes this user from the database. You will be asked what you want to do with his or her posts.
Merge Users Back to Top
If you wish to merge two users’ accounts into one, perhaps because one user registered twice, go to Users > Merge
Users.
Simply specify the source and destination users. Posts, threads, calendar events, and private messages of the source
user will be changed to appear to have come from the destination user. The source user’s post count, reputation,
buddies, and ignored users will be added to the destination user.
Permissions will not be changed and moderator status will not be transferred; these must be respecified.
Ban User Back to Top
To prevent a user from viewing any page of your board, go to Users > Ban User.
To ban a user, specify:
User Name – the name of the user to ban.
Move User to Usergroup – the usergroup to move this user to. This usergroup should have reduced
permissions, if any at all.
Note:
Only usergroups that are specified as banned groups will be displayed here.
Life Ban After... – the ban’s length. This ranges from 1 day to 2 years to permanent.
View Banned Users Back to Top
The View Banned Users panel, accessible via Users > View Banned Users, allows you to view and modify the status
of all currently banned users on your site.
<<<screenshot of the View Banned Users panel>>>
There are two tables in the View Banned User panel: Temporary Ban and Permanent Ban. Both tables have the
following columns:
User Name
The username of the user who has been banned. Clicking the username will open the Edit User form for that
user. For more information on this form, see the Adding or Editing a User article.
Banned By
The username of the user who banned the specified user. Clicking the username will open the Edit User form
for this user. For more information on this form, see the Adding or Editing a User article.
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Banned On
The date the specified user was banned.
Ban Period
The length of the ban, in days. In the Permanent Ban table, this column displays “Permanent”.
Ban Will Be Lifted On
The date and time the ban will be lifted. In the Permanent Ban table, this column displays “Never”.
Ban Time Remaining
The amount of time the specified user has left on their ban, in days and hours. In the Permanent Ban table, this
column displays “Forever”.
Lift Ban
Use this option to lift the ban on the specified user before the end of the ban period. Clicking the [Lift Ban] link
opens a new page asking if you are sure you want to lift the ban for the specified user. Clicking the [Yes] button
will remove the user from the banned usergroup and placed back into the usergroup they were a member of
before their banning. They will also be removed from the View Banned Users panel. Clicking the [No] button
will cancel the action and return you to the View Banned Users panel.
Ban Reason
This column displays the text entered into the “Reason to show the user” field on the Ban User form. Clicking
this link will open a new page with the following fields:
<<<screenshot of the new forml>>>
User Name
The username of the specified banned user.
Reason to show the user
This message will be shown to the user every time they visit the site while the ban is in effect.
Click the [Ban User] button to save the changes and return to the View Banned Users panel or click the [Reset]
button to clear any changes you’ve made.
Below each table is a [Ban User] button. Click this button to go to the b]Ban User[/b] form to ban a new user. For
more information about this form, see the Ban Users article.
Prune / Move Users Back to Top
If you wish to delete multiple users or move a number of users to a different usergroup, Users > Prune / Move Users
allows you to do this.
You may search for users based on the following criteria:
Usergroup – the usergroup matching users must belong to.
Has not logged on for x days – the number of days since the user has visited the board. Set this to 0 to ignore.
Join Date is Before – the user must have joined before the date you specify here.
Posts is less than – the user must have less than this number of posts (based on post count stored with the user).
Order By – field to order matching users by.
Once you submit the search page, you will see a results page like this:
Each user that matched your search criteria will be shown here. On the right, you will see a check box; this allows you
to select whether or not this user will be moved or deleted. At the end of the form, you may select whether you want
to move the selected users to a different usergroup or delete them.
Note:
If you choose to move the selected users, only their primary usergroup will be changed. Secondary usergroups will
remain the same.
Private Message Statistics Back to Top
Private message statistics allows you to view what users have the most private messages stored. You will not be able
to view the actual messages though. To view these statistics, go to Users > Private Message Statistics. A screen such
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as this will be displayed:
This is the summary screen. It groups users by the number of private messages they have stored. To see details about a
specific group, click the link on the right. That will take you to a detailed screen, showing you every user with that
amount of private messages:
Options for each user include:
View Private Message Statistics – displays detailed specifics for this user, listing how many messages he or
she has in each folder.
Edit User – takes you to the user’s profile screen, where you can edit the user’s information.
Send Email to User – allows you to email the user using your default email client.
Send Private Message to User – takes you to the private message compose screen, allowing you to compose a
private message to this user.
Delete All User’s Private Messages – allows you to delete all of this user’s private messages.
Referrals Back to Top
If you have enabled the referral system, you can see what users have the most referrals over a specific time frame. To
access this page, go to Users > Referrals.
This form allows you to specify the time frame to search over. Results will look like this:
Users with referrals over this time frame will be displayed here. Users with the most referrals will be displayed first.
To see detailed information about a user’s referrals, click his or her username:
Search IP Addresses Back to Top
To search for the users who have had a specific IP address or to list what IP addresses a user has had, go to Users >
Search IP Addresses.
This form presents three options:
Find Users by IP Address – if you have an IP and wish to see what users have posted with that IP, enter the
address here. You may enter part of an IP. For example, if you wish to see what users have had 192.168.1.0 to
192.168.1.255, then enter 192.168.1. (Note the period after the final 1.)
Find IP Addresses for User – if you wish to see what IPs a user has posted with, enter his or her username
here.
Depth to Search – if this option is set to 2, the opposite search will automatically be run on any results. For
example, if you search for users by IP address, all IP addresses of each matching user will be displayed; if you
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search for IP addresses for a user, all other users that have used each IP address will be displayed.
Send Email to Users Back to Top
To send mass emails to your users, go to Users > Send Email to Users. You will be presented with a page that looks
like this:
The options are:
Test Email Only? – allows you to simply test the email, ensuring that you have selected the correct users.
Email to send at once – the number of emails to send out per page. If this is set too high, you may receive page
timeouts and the emails may not be sent properly.
From – the address which the emails will be sent from.
Subject – the subject line of the email.
Message – the body of the email. You may use the following variables that will be replaced with the appropriate
values when the email is sent:
$userid – the user’s ID number.
$username – the user’s name.
$email – the user’s email address.
The following will only be defined if the user is in the Users Awaiting Email Confirmation usergroup:
$activateid – the ID number the user will use to active his or her account.
$activatelink – the full URL that the user can use to active his or her account automatically.
Note:
It is impossible to send a user his or her password. They are encrypted before being stored.
Below this you will see a list of search criteria. The section behaves similarly to the form on the Search for Users
page:
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Generate Mailing List Back to Top
If you simply wish to gather a list of email address based on search criteria, but don’t wish to send out emails now, go
to Users > Generate Mailing List. At the top of this section, you will see this:
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The only option available here is the Text to separate addresses by option. The text that you specify here will be uses
to separate each email address. For example, if you use ', ', the mailing list will look like this:
example1@example.com, example2@example.com
Below this is the standard search criteria form. This is the same form as is used on the Send Email to Users page.
Access Masks Back to Top
Note:
General information on access masks is available here.
This section allows you to edit or remove existing access masks more quickly. It is accessible through Users > Access
Masks.
At the top, you will see this Additional Functions table; these options are detailed in the following section.
Below this is a forum-by-forum view of your existing access masks.
For each forum with access masks you will have the following options:
Reset – this automatically deletes all access masks for the specified forum.
Display All Users / Display Users – these options display a page that lists all users that have an access mask or
only the users that have a specific access mask setting in that forum, allowing you to quickly edit or delete these
access masks:
Additional Functions Back to Top
Two additional functions are provided to manage access masks:
Delete All Access Masks – this automatically deletes every access mask. This will cause all users’ forum
access to be based off of their forum- and global-level usergroup permissions.
Access Masks Quick Editor – this provides a way to quickly edit all access masks. It will display the
username, forum, and setting for each access mask specified. You can then edit or remove these access masks.
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Usergroups and Permissions Back to Top
vBulletin organizes permissions for various functions with a usergroup system. By default there are seven usergroups
including Administrators, Super Moderators, Moderators, Registered Users and Guests.
You can use the Usergroup Manager to edit the various permissions for each group, or even add new usergroups to
create a specialized permissions system unique to your own board.
Also under the usergroups section, you will find the necessary tools for setting specific usergroup-based permissions
for individual forums, and the all-important Administrator Permissions tool, which allows Super Administrators to
limit the powers of their co-administrators.
An Introduction to Usergroups and Permissions Back to Top
Access to various parts of your vBulletin installation is controlled by a rich and flexible permissions system. The basic
unit which controls permissions is a usergroup. As you would expect, a usergroup is really just a group of any number
of users.
Through this, you may control what this group of users is allowed to do on your board.
For example, perhaps you want only administrators to be able to post in a specific forum? Or only certain users to be
able to attach files with their posts? Or maybe even allow a group of users to have their own user titles? These are all
possible with usergroup permissions!
Basic Concept: Inheritance Back to Top
The most important concept in vBulletin’s permission system is inheritance. There are several levels at which you
may specify usergroup permissions.
The first is at a global level. These permissions can be edited by going to Usergroups > Usergroup Manager > Edit
Usergroup.
The permissions you specify here will be used everywhere on the board unless you override them at the forum level.
Forum-level permissions can be edited by going to Usergroup > Forum Permissions. Permissions you specify for a
forum will also automatically inherit to any child forums, unless overridden there and so on.
Each of these areas will be discussed in detail in the following sections.
Basic Concept: Membership to Multiple Groups Back to Top
Users in vBulletin may also belong to multiple usergroups. This is one method of creating exceptions to your
permission scheme.
For example, you may have a user who belongs to group X, but needs to have access to the few extra options (such as
attaching files to posts) given by group Y. You can make X this user’s primary group and make Y a secondary group.
The basic idea here is that if a user is in multiple groups and they specify conflicting permissions, the greater
permission overrides. Thus, a yes will always override a no and a larger number will override a smaller number.
Note:
There is a slight exception to this rule. If 0 represents unlimited or no restriction, then it will override any other
setting; it really is the greater permission.
Warning:
Be careful when putting a user in a secondary group that you also use as a primary group. You may edit the group and
inadvertently give the secondary user more permissions than you originally meant to!
Access Masks: The Overriding Permission and Another Method for Creating
Exceptions Back to Top
While membership to multiple groups is a very handy tool for creating exceptions to the rules setup by usergroup
permissions, they may be too powerful for some situations. In the cases where you simply want to give a specific user
access to a forum that he or she wouldn’t normally have access to, you can use access masks.
Access masks will override any forum-level usergroup permissions for this user.
To edit access masks for a specific user, go to Users > Search for Users > searching for the user you want to edit >
clicking [Edit Forum Permissions] or [Edit Access Masks]. You can quickly view existing access masks by going to
Users > Access Masks.
Access masks work similarly to forum-level usergroup permissions; inheritance to child forums still occurs. However,
you will not have as many options as with a forum permission:
Setting a user’s access mask to yes for a forum gives them the same permissions in that forum as they have at
the global level, regardless of any forum-level usergroup permissions specified.
Setting the mask to no denies them access to the forum completely, as if each individual permission were set to
no.
Default simply means no special access mask is specified; forum-level usergroup permissions are used.
How Permissions are Applied (in a Nutshell) Back to Top
Permissions are applied with a flow-chart-like structure:
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Managing Usergroups Back to Top
Usergroups can be managed in the admin control panel by going to Usergroups > Usergroup Manager. This will bring
you to a page that looks similar to this:
In the top table, you’ll see the usergroups that vBulletin automatically creates. These 7 groups are:
(COPPA) Users Awaiting Moderation – if you have enabled moderation of new registrations, any users who
have yet to be approved will go here. Additionally, if you are using the COPPA system, all COPPA members
will go here before being approved.
Administrators – this group will contain your administrators. By default, they have full access to the board.
Moderators – this is the group that you will most likely put your moderators into, although you are not required
to.
Registered Users – after a newly registered user is approved/confirmed, he or she will be put here. This is
likely where most of your users will be.
Super Moderators – this group contains users who are not quite administrators (they don’t have access to the
admin control panel), but have full moderator abilities in all forums.
Unregistered / Not Logged In – all guests or people who have not logged in will be treated as if they were in
this group.
Users Awaiting Email Confirmation – if you have required users to confirm their email address before
posting, those who have registered but not clicked the link in the email that is automatically sent to them will be
placed here. Once they click the link, the will be moved to the appropriate group.
Next, you will notice the Primary Users and Additional Users columns. This simply counts the number of users who
have this group as their main usergroup or are a secondary member of this group, respectively.
Finally, you will see the controls column. This column provides the following options:
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Edit Usergroup – this allows you to edit this groups information and global permissions. Additionally, the ID
number of the usergroup is displayed, should you need to know it for another operation.
Edit Promotions – displays any promotions that are setup for this usergroup. See the promotions section for
more information.
Show All Primary Users – displays a list of the users who have this group as their primary group.
Show All Secondary Users – displays a list of the users who have this group as their secondary group.
View Reputation – displays a list of the users in this group, ordered by their reputation scores. See the
reputation section for more information on what this score means.
Below this, you will see a table for any custom usergroups. Everything in this table is the same as the Default
Usergroups table, except there is an additional Delete Usergroup control. If you choose to delete a usergroup, any
members of the group will be moved back to Registered Users.
Finally, if you have any public usergroups, they will be displayed in a third table. Public usergroups are groups that
users may join. These usergroups may be moderated if you name one or more usergroup leaders or unmoderated if
you do not name any.
When a user joins a public usergroup, he or she will become a secondary member in the group and his or her
permissions will change according to the rules of membership in multiple groups.
Beyond the options that are available in the previous two tables, with public usergroups, you can:
Add Usergroup Leader – this allows you to specify the username of a user who will become a moderator of
the group. He or she will be able to approve and deny requests to join the group.
View Join Requests – as an administrator, you also have the ability to moderate each public usergroup. This
page allows you to perform these moderation duties; see below for detailed information on this page.
Adding or Editing a Usergroup Back to Top
To add a usergroup, click Usergroups > Add New Usergroup. To edit an existing group, click Usergroups > Usergroup
Manager > Edit Usergroup for the group you wish to edit. Both links will take you to a similar page:
This is part of the form to add a new usergroup. If you are editing a usergroup, the form will already be filled out for
you.
The only difference between the add- and edit-pages is that, when adding a new group, you have the ability to create a
usergroup based off of an existing usergroup:
If you use this option, all the fields will be populated with the values specified for the group you selected. Simply
change whatever fields you wish to change and submit.
Most settings should be self explanatory. If you are unsure of an option, simply click the inline help icon for a further
explanation.
Join Requests Back to Top
This page is used to manage join requests for moderated, public usergroups. If you enter directly (Usergroups > Join
Requests), you will be prompted to select a usergroup to view requests for. If you enter through Usergroups >
Usergroup Manager > [View Join Requests] link, then you will be taken directly to the join requests for a group.
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Once you have selected a usergroup, you will be presented with a screen that looks similar to this:
Each outstanding join request will be listed here. Selecting Accept will add this user to the group; Deny will remove
the request, preventing the user from joining the group; and Ignore will simply leave the request as-is. Additionally,
you can click the [Accept], [Deny], and [Ignore] buttons to quick select an option for each request.
Usergroup Promotions Back to Top
vBulletin also allows you to setup automatic usergroup promotions, so that users who meet specific criteria are moved
into or become a secondary member of another usergroup, generally with greater permissions. By default, promotions
are checked hourly.
Once you enter this section (Usergroups > Promotions), you will see a screen similar to this:
Here you can edit or delete existing promotions or add a new one. The section below will discuss adding and editing a
promotion.
Adding or Editing a Promotion Back to Top
Note:
This section will detail adding a promotion. Almost all of the information in this section applies to editing a promotion
as well.
This is the page where you detail specifics of your promotion. The fields are used as follows:
Usergroup – this defines the primary usergroup which users must be in to be affected by this permission.
Note:
This is not available when editing a promotion. If you need to change a promotion’s source usergroup, create a
new promotion and delete the old one.
Reputation Comparison Type – while the Days Registered and Posts criteria always refer to a Greater of
Equal to scheme, reputation promotions may be specified with a Greater or Equal to or Less Than scheme. This
allows you to setup negative reputation promotions. For example, users with a reputation of less than -100 may
be demoted into a usergroup with less permissions.
Reputation Level – the threshold point for the user’s reputation score.
Days Registered – threshold point for number of days a user has been registered. This always refers to a
Greater or Equal to scheme.
Posts – threshold point for number of a posts a user has. This always refers to a Greater of Equal to scheme.
Promotion Strategy – allows you to select which combination of criteria a user must meet before being
promoted. This ranges from having to have at least a certain amount of posts to meeting one of the three criteria
to meeting all three.
Promotion Type – allows you to select whether the promoted users become primary or secondary users in the
group.
Move User to Usergroup – this is the usergroup that users who meet the criteria you specified above will be
moved to.
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Managing Forum Permissions Back to Top
Managing your forum permissions is similar to editing global usergroup permissions, but allows more control. If you
click Usergroups > Forum Permissions, you will see a screen similar to this:
Here, you will see each forum on your board with a list of all usergroups under each forum. Notice the color key at the
top. In this example, red indicates that a usergroup has a custom forum permission specified for this forum, while
orange indicates that the group is inheriting a permission from a parent forum. Otherwise, no forum permission has
been specified, so the group will be using its global usergroup permissions.
Next to each forum title, you will see 2 links:
Reset – this will automatically delete any custom permissions that were set for this forum. It will not change
any permissions that are being inherited from a parent forum.
Deny All – this will automatically remove deny every usergroup access to this forum (every individual
permission will be set to no for each usergroup). This is helpful if you want to deny access to a forum for most
groups
To edit or add a forum permission, simply find the appropriate forum and usergroup, and click [Edit]. This will lead
you to this screen:
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These permissions will likely look familiar to you because they are a subset of the options you can specify when
editing global usergroup permissions. If you are unsure of what a specific option does, click the inline help icon for
more information.
Note:
To delete a forum permission from this screen, make sure Use Usergroup Default Permissions is selected at the top of
the page.
Additional Forum Permission Tools Back to Top
At the top of the forum permissions page (Usergroups > Forum Permissions), you will see a box that looks like this:
This section will describe each of these options in detail.
Permission Duplication Tools Back to Top
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This page allows you to quickly duplicate existing permissions, both by usergroup and by forum. This is helpful if you
are setting up a usergroup or forum that is similar to an existing entry.
The usergroup-based permission duplicator will copy permissions from a usergroup into one or more groups. You can
limit this to specific forums with the Only Copy Permissions from Forum option. Additionally, to prevent accidentally
overwriting, there are the Overwrite Duplicate Entries and Overwrite Inherited Entries settings. Overwrite Duplicate
Entries prevents you from overwriting any existing permissions set for a forum (that is, they’re in red) for one of the
usergroups you are copying to. Overwrite Inherited Entries is similar, except it refers to cases where permissions
aren’t directly specified for a forum but a parent forum (orange entries).
The forum-based permission duplicator works similarly, except that it copies all permissions in a forum to another
forum. Overwrite Duplicate Entries and Overwrite Inherited Entries behave the same way.
Permissions Quick Editor Back to Top
The permissions quick editor is simply another interface to view existing permissions and quickly edit or delete them.
You can sort the page by forum or usergroup by clicking the Forum and Usergroup links at the top, respectively. The
checkbox on the left can be used to delete many permissions at once. Finally, the [Edit] link takes you to the same
page as the [Edit] link in the forum permission manager.
Quick Forum Permission Setup Back to Top
The quick forum permission setup page allows you to specify one set of permissions in a forum for multiple
usergroups simultaneously. This is useful in situations such as setting up a private forum where you are denying
several groups access to the forum (that is, all permissions are set to no).
The permissions you can set here are the same as you can elsewhere in the forum permissions system.
Warning:
As the page mentions, permissions set with this will automatically overwrite any existing permissions set for this
forum if there is a conflict. There is no Overwrite <Some Type of> Entries option, as it is assumed that you know
which groups already have permissions specified.
Practical Examples of Permission Schemes Back to Top
The section will cover a few examples of things commonly done with vBulletin’s permission system.
An Announcement Forum Back to Top
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This forum will be viewable by all, but only administrators will be able to post new threads (the announcements). To
allow discussion, any user will be able to respond to the announcements.
1 Click Usergroups > Forum Permissions > find the forum you want to setup this way > click Edit next a usergroup
other than Administrators.
2 Set Can Post Threads to no, Can Reply to Own Threads to yes, and Can Reply to Others’ Threads to yes. How
you set the rest of the permissions is up to you.
3 Click [Save].
4 Repeat this process for each group other than Administrators.
A Private Forum Back to Top
This forum will only be accessible by administrators and moderators. This could be used to discuss internal board
affairs.
1 Click Usergroups > Forum Permissions > find the forum you want to setup this way > click Edit next a usergroup
other than Administrators or Moderators .
2 Click [All No].
3 Click [Save].
4 Repeat this process for each group other than Administrators and Moderators.
Registration-Required Board Back to Top
This will setup your board so that only users who have been registered may view it. This is helpful for tracking users
more efficiently, but may stifle the forum's growth because of the additional effort required for new users to become
involved.
1 Click Usergroups > Usergroup Manager > Edit Usergroup next to (COPPA) Users Awaiting Moderation.
2 Change Can View Forum to no; you can set any other setting as you like.
3 Click [Update].
4 Repeat this process for Unregistered / Not Logged In and Users Awaiting Email Confirmation.
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User Titles Back to Top
The user title manager allows you to set up a 'ladder' of titles that can be applied to users based on the number of posts
they have made.
For example, when a user registers he may be given the title 'Junior Member', then when that user has made 100 posts
he could be granted the user title 'Senior Member'.
The numbers of posts required to climb each 'rung' of the ladder, and the actual titles given are entirely up to you.
An Introduction to User Titles Back to Top
User titles are the descriptions of a user that are displayed under his or her username
in a post. These titles will often refer to one of three things:
The user’s amount of activity on the board (Junior Member, Senior Member).
This is usually set through the default user title ladder that will be described in
this section.
The user’s relationship to the board (Administrator, Moderator). This is
usually set through a usergroup-specific user title that overrides the default
user title ladder.
A custom title, specified by the user; this can refer to anything the user desires.
The user may not have permission to set their own user title; it is controlled by
a usergroup permission.
User Title Manager Back to Top
To edit existing user titles, go to User Titles > User Title Manager. You will be presented with a screen similar to this:
The columns represent the following:
User Title – the title that users will receive once that have the Minimum Posts number of posts or more.
Minimum Posts – the minimum number of posts for a user to receive this title. He or she will have this title
until he or she makes enough posts to be moved to the title with the next highest Minimum Posts value.
Note:
The post count checked against the Minimum Posts value is the value stored with the user. Therefore, posts in
forums that do not count posts will not have an effect.
Controls – the dropdown in this column allows you to edit or delete this user title.
Adding or Editing a User Title Back to Top
Adding a new user title is a simple process. Go to User Titles > Add New User Title and you will be presented with a
form that looks like this:
Title – the user title that each user who meets the Minimum Posts criteria will receive.
Minimum Posts – the minimum number of posts that a user needs to receive this title.
Note:
If a user has enough posts to receive a title with a higher Minimum Posts value, he or she will receive that title
instead.
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User Infractions Back to Top
The User Infraction system is designed to automate the management of misbehaving users.
Infractions carry a point total that is awarded to users. When a user reaches pre-determined point levels, the user is
given infraction groups. Infraction groups are set up to restrict the permissions of users.
The system can also be configured to institute automatic bans based on points or number of infractions received.
An Introduction to User Infractions Back to Top
The User Infraction system is designed to automate the management of misbehaving users.
The first step in the system is the creation of Infraction Levels. These levels will vary based on the content of your
forum and the scale of the system that you wish to create. You can create just a few levels or can get very detailed
with many levels covering a myriad of forum infractions.
When creating levels, keep in mind a point total at which you wish to start penalizing users by taking away
permissions. If you envision taking away a certain permission when a user accumulates 10 infraction points then you
need to consider how many points will be given for each infraction and how quickly the user can get to 10 points.
Each infraction level has an expiration time. When the infraction expires, the associated points are removed from the
user's point total and the user's infraction groups are recalculated.
Infraction levels can also be allowed to be given as warnings. A warning does not add any infraction points to the
user's point total. Warnings serve as a method to remind user's of your forum's rules and encourage them to be
followed without awarding infraction points. Moderators have the ability to give an infraction or a warning for those
levels that have the warning ability enabled. Moderators will be forced to send a message to the user that details why
the infraction is being given. This message will use the Private Messaging System if it is enabled. Otherwise an email
will be sent if your forum has Email enabled. At the same time, a new thread for discussion of the infraction will be
created in a pre-determined forum. This forum is setup in the vBulletin Options > User Infractions Options section.
There are two methods in which you may penalize users. The first method is utilizing infraction groups to gradually
remove permissions.
Normal permissions work by combining all of a user's usergroup permissions and granting a permission for any that
have a yes. Infraction group permissions work in the reverse as all infraction group permissions are combined and any
permission with a No is taken from the user. You should set up your infraction usergroups (in the Usergroup Manager)
by setting all permissions to Yes and then setting those that you wish to take away to No.
Any permissions set to No will effect all forums. If you only wish to penalize a user in certain forums, set all
permissions to Yes and then set up custom permissions at Usergroups > Forum Permissions for the forum in question
using the infraction group.
A user can have multiple infraction groups as they will gain all groups that apply to their primary usergroupid and
accumulated points.
The second method by which you may penalize users is by setting up automatic bans. You may set up bans that only
apply to specific usergroups as well as apply to all users. Bans may be triggered either by points or by the number of
infractions that the user has received. An example setup would be to ban a user for one week for receiving their third
infraction and then banning them permanently for receiving their sixth infraction.
Infraction groups and automatic bans may be utilized at the same time but managing a system utilizing both can be
tricky.
Navigate to User Infractions > User Infraction Manager to view your current infraction levels, groups and bans. If you
have none set up, you can easily add either from this screen.
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To add a new level, navigate to User Infractions > Add New User Infraction Level.
To add a new group, navigate to User Infractions > Add New User Infraction Group.
To add a new automatic ban, navigate to User Infractions > Add New Automatic Ban.
Modifying User Infraction Levels Back to Top
The following screen is presented to you after navigating to User Infractions->Add New User Infraction Level.
Title - This is the title of the infraction. Translations can be entered after the infraction level is created by editing the
infraction level and selecting [Translations].
Expires - This is the timeframe for which the infraction level will be active. When the infraction expires, the
associated points will be removed from the user's infraction total. If a value of Never is chosen, then this infraction
will never expire.
Points - This is number of infraction points that this infraction level will penalize for. A value of at least 1 must be
entered.
Warning - Setting this option to Yes will allow a warning to be given for this infraction level. A warning carries no
points as it only serves to remind an user of your forum rules.
Extend - When this option is enabled a user will receive extended expiration times if given a second (or more)
infraction that matches an existing active infraction. For example, a user is given an infraction for spamming posts
that expires in 1 day. An hour later this user is given another spamming posts infraction. Since the user already had an
active spamming posts infraction, this new infraction's expiration time is added to the end time of the previous
infraction. Effectively, this new infraction will now end 1 day and 23 hours later instead of the default of 1 day. If the
user was given a third infraction, it would be added to the end of the second infraction as well.
To modify an existing infraction level, select the <Edit> option to the right of the level in the User Infraction Manager.
Editing an User Infraction Level presents you with the same options as adding a new level.
To remove a level, select the <Delete> option to the right of the infraction level in the User Infraction Manager.
Modifying User Infraction Groups Back to Top
The following screen is presented to you after navigating to User Infractions->Add New User Infraction Group.
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Points - This is the number of points that will be added to the user's infraction points.
Primary Usergroup - This infraction group will only apply to user's who have this usergroup as their primary
usergroup. Selecting -- All Usergroups -- will apply this infraction group to all users.
Override with Permissions from Usergroup - This usergroup will be used to penalize the user. Any permission that
is set to No will be taken from the user.
Override Display - This overrides the user's username markup and user title with the settings from the infraction
usergroup.
To modify an existing infraction group, select the <Edit> option to the right of the infraction group in the User
Infraction Manager. Editing an User Infraction Group presents you with the same options as adding a new group.
To remove a group, select the <Delete> option to the right of the infraction group in the User Infraction Manager.
Modifying Automatic Bans Back to Top
The following screen is presented to you after navigating to User Infractions->Add New Automatic Ban.
Amount - This is the number of points or the number of infractions that will trigger this ban. This trigger will happen
any time that the user goes from being below this points/infractions to over it.
Method - The ban can either be triggered by accumulated points or infractions.
Primary Usergroup - This ban will only apply to user's who have this usergroup as their primary usergroup.
Selecting -- All Usergroups -- will apply this ban to all users.
Move User to Usergroup – the usergroup to move this user to. This usergroup should have reduced permissions, if
any at all.
Note:
Only usergroups that are specified as banned groups will be displayed here.
Lift Ban After... – the ban’s length. This ranges from 1 day to 2 years to permanent.
To modify an existing automatic ban, select the <Edit> option to the right of the ban in the User Infraction Manager.
Editing a ban presents you with the same options as adding a new ban.
To remove a ban, select the <Delete> option to the right of the automatic ban in the User Infraction Manager.
Viewing User Infractions Back to Top
If you wish to see which users have received infractions, you may navigate to User Infractions > View Infractions.
You will be presented with a form, allowing you to search based on criteria such as the user the infraction was left for
or by (optional) and a range of dates to search across.
Once you submit this form you will receive results in a table like this:
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This shows:
The user that received the infraction
The user that left the infraction
The date and time the infraction was left
The type of Infraction
The number of points that was given for the infraction
The expiration time of the infraction
The post that the infraction was left for
You may also delete or reverse the infraction that was left.
Issuing User Infractions Back to Top
There are two ways to issue infractions to a user after you have completed the setup in the Admin Control Panel. You
can give a general infraction or a per post infraction.
General Infractions are given by visiting the User's Profile and clicking on the Infractions tab. Here you can see a
history of the infractions that a user has received and issue a new one. Clicking on a user's name anywhere in the
front-end part of the system will provide access to their user profile.
To give an infraction for a particular offending post, you would need to click on the "Yellow Card / Red Card" icon.
The location of the icon can varies depending on the Postbit layout that you use and your style. By default it looks like
this .
After selecting to give a new infraction, you will see the infraction screen. Here you can choose the infraction to issue,
add an administrative note and send a message to the user.
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User Ranks Back to Top
User Ranks are similar to User Titles in that they allow users to progress through a number of classes depending upon
the number of posts they have made.
However, User Ranks are more flexible than User Titles because they can (if desired) be applied to specific
usergroups, and can contain images and HTML in the titles.
An Introduction to User Ranks Back to Top
User ranks are images or text that are assigned to your users based on their post count. The most common usage of
ranks is that of stars that increase or change color based on the user's post count and usergroup.
User's ranks generally appear beneath their username on posts, private messages, announcements, usernotes and in
their profile.
Ranks can be assigned to specific usergroups or they can be assigned to cover all groups who don't have a rank
specifically assigned to them.
As of vBulletin 3.5, it is possible for a user to display multiple ranks by being a member of multiple user groups, each
with specific ranks. vBulletin 3.0 only allowed a single set of ranks to be displayed for a user. This is covered in more
detail when editing a rank is discussed.
Navigate to User Ranks > User Rank Manager to view your current ranks. If you have none set up, you will only see
the small notice that defines user ranks.
The figure above demonstrates a simple rank scheme. In this setup, members of the Administrator group who have at
least 1 post would have the rank of three smilies. Since we have also set up a rank to cover All Usergroups, all
members, including the Administrator group, with at least 10 posts would have a rank of .::Newbie::..
To add a new rank, navigate to User Ranks > Add New User Rank.
Modifying User Ranks Back to Top
The following screen is presented to you after navigating to User Ranks->Add New User Rank.
Number of Times to Repeat Rank - This generally applies to ranks that are images. This is the number of time the
image will be repeated. If you wanted 4 stars to appear, you would either create an image of 4 stars and set this to 1 or
you would create an image of 1 star and set this to 4.
Usergroup - This is the usergroup that this rank applies to. If you want it to apply to all groups then leave it set to All
Usergroups.
Note:
When this is set to All Usergroups, Display Type controls an important feature. If Display Type is set to 'always', then
this rank will display for every user, no matter what other ranks you may have defined for their usergroups. When set
to 'if displaygroup = this group', then this rank will only display if the user has no other ranks explicitly defined for
their usergroup. You use this setup to create a generic rank for everyone but keep it from displaying for other groups
that have a special rank (Admin, Moderator, etc)
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Minimum Posts - This is the minimum number of posts that the user must have to obtain this rank. If you set this to
20 and then created a second rank for the same usergroup that had a minimum posts of 30 then this rank would be
shown only for users in this usergroup that have from 20 to 29 posts.
Stack Rank - This allows you to control how ranks are displayed in case a user has multiple ranks displayed. If you
set this yes, this rank will be displayed on its own line. If you set this to no, this rank will follow the previous rank on
the same line.
Display Type - This option controls who the rank will be shown for. If you select 'always', the rank will be displayed
for any user that has this user group as a primary or secondary group. If you select 'if displaygroup = this group', then
this rank will only be shown if the user is currently being identified as this group. If you are not using multiple-group
membership, this option does not have any effect.
Note:
Remember, the rank will apply to the users Primary Usergroup unless the user has chosen to be identified by a
Secondary Usergroup through Public Groups.
User Rank File Path - This is the file path to the image you wish to use. It is relative to your forum directory, i.e.
images/smilies/biggrin.gif.
OR you may enter text - If you wish to use text instead of an image, you would put in this field.
To modify an existing rank, press <Edit> to the right of the rank in the User Rank Manager. Editing a User Rank
presents you with the same options as adding a new rank.
To remove a rank, select the <Delete> option to the right of the user rank in the User Rank Manager.
User Ranks Example 1 Back to Top
This example will demonstrate how you would setup a group of ranks for all users, based on post count.
Administrators will get a special rank and will not have the rank that everyone else has.
Since we have set the Display Type of the All Usergroups ranks to Displaygroup, we have invoked the special setting
mentioned in Modifying User Ranks. The All Usergroups ranks will display for everyone except for those in the
Administrator group since that group has a rank explicitly defined, the ADMIN rank. Since we have set Stack Rank
to No for both ranks, that means that the rank will appear all on one line.
Ranks are evaluated by usergroupid in reverse order. This means that the All Usergroups rank will appear last. If you
wish to have ADMIN appear on one line, and the All Usergroups rank on another, you would set the Stack Rank
option of the Administrator group to Yes. This will result in an html <br /> being placed after ADMIN. The All
Usergroups rank would then follow, displaying on a new line.
The ADMIN rank would only display for users that had the Administrator group as their primary Usergroup or as a
Secondary group. If the Display Type of the Administrator group's rank was changed to Displaygroup, then this rank
would only show for those user's who have set the Administrator group as their displaygroup. That would be
accomplished either by the user only being in the Administrator group, being a member of multiple groups assigned
by the admin and having the Admin group as their displaygroup, or by having used Public Groups to to join the
Admin group and choosing that as their display group.
The last scenario is quite silly since you would not allow members to join the Admin group on their own choosing but
the logic can be applied to other groups. You could use paid subscriptions to assign a user to a group with a rank
defined as above.
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User Reputation Back to Top
The User Reputation system allows your board members to leave comments about one anothers' posts, and thereby
contribute to their overall 'reputation'.
Using the User Reputation manager, you can create titles for a variety of reputation levels, so that users are given a
reputation title when they reach a certain reputation level.
An Introduction to User Reputation Back to Top
User Reputation in its simplest form is a ranking of your user's benefit to your forum. Its basis comes from the
opinions of all of your forum users that choose take part in it.
Users gain and lose reputation based on how their posts are scored by other forum participants. Users with the ability
to affect reputation, will either give or take aways points by approving or disapproving with a post's content.
User reputation can be a divisive element of your forum so great care should be taken before a decision is made to
enable it.
All of the factors that affect a user's reputation score are found in the User Reputation section of the vBulletin
Options. Please view that section of the manual for more information on controlling how users are able to affect
another user's reputation.
Modifying User Reputation Levels Back to Top
As users, gain and lose reputation, they are associated with a moniker that describes their current level. These levels
are modifiable by navigating to User Reputations->User Reputation Manager.
In the above example, we have all of the levels that users on this forum can achieve. For example, a user with a
reputation of 55 would have the level of will become famous soon enough. A user with a reputation of -5 would have a
level of has a little shameless behaviour in the past. Since the lowest level in this example is -99999, any user with a
reputation lower than this would use the default undefined level that is set in the reputation section of the vBulletin
Options.
From this screen you can choose to edit a level description, change a level minimum or remove a level. If you wanted
to change the minimum level of has a reputation beyond repute from 2000 to 3000 you would enter 3000 in the input
field where 2000 is currently and press [Update]
If you wished to change the text of has a reputation beyond repute, you would press the <Edit> link.
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From this screen you can also change the minimum level as you can from the previous screen. Enter the new level text
in the Description field but take care as you can not use HTML in this field. Press [Update] when finished.
Adding a new reputation level presents you with the same screen, but only empty. Make sure to choose a reputation
level that is not the same as a level that already exists as levels must be unique. You will not be allowed to save the
field if you duplicate a minimum level.
Viewing Reputation Comments Back to Top
If you wish to see which users are leaving reputation for others and the comments they are making, you may navigate
to User Reputation > View Reputation Comments. You will be presented with a form, allowing you to search based on
criteria such as the user the reputation was left for or by (optional) and a range of dates to search across.
Once you submit this form you will receive results in a table like this:
This shows:
The user that left the reputation
The user that received the reputation
The date and time the reputation was left
The amount of reputation this user received
The reason or comment the user giving the reputation left
The post that prompted this user to leave reputation
You may also edit or delete the reputation that was left.
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User Albums Back to Top
Album Picture Storage Type Back to Top
Starting with vBulletin 4.0, the user album storage is controlled by your Attachment Storage option. There is no
longer a separate option for this.
Rebuild Thumbnails Back to Top
If you change any thumbnail settings, you will want to rebuild your existing thumbnails so they are consistent with
newly uploaded thumbnails.
To rebuild your user album thumbnails, you would want to rebuild all attachment thumbnails under Maintenance ->
Update Counters
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Custom Profile Fields Back to Top
In addition to the default information you have users enter when they register to be members of your board, you can
also define additional profile fields to suit your own board subject.
Commonly-used custom fields include 'Location', 'Occupation', 'Interests' etc.
An Introduction to Custom Profile Fields Back to Top
vBulletin features a wide array of input options for you to gather information from your members through the creation
of custom profile fields. With these fields you can present a list of options for the user to choose from or you can ask
the user to give their own input. You can even combine the two options for maximum usability.
There are six input options for you to choose from to tailor your required data collection method.
Single-Line Text Box - This is a textbox that allows the user to enter a response.
Multiple-Line Text Box - This is also a textbox (textarea), except it consists of multiple lines,
Single-Selection Radio Buttons - This option offers the user a choice of multiple answers, allowing them to
make one selection.
Single-Selection Menu - This option also offers the user a choice of multiple answers except that it is presented
as a dropdown menu. It also allows the user to make one selection.
Multiple-Selection Menu - This option offers multiple choices to the user, allowing multiple selections to be
made. This is presented as a drop down menu plus a selection box.
Multiple-Selection Checkbox - This option also offers multiple choices to the user, allowing multiple
selections to be made. This is presented as checkboxes.
These fields can be required at registration or you can have them be shown after registration via the user's profile and
options in the User CP. Administrators can make profile fields able to be edited only during registration or anytime.
Adding a New Custom Profile Field Back to Top
To add a new profile field, navigate to User Profile Fields->Add New User Profile Field
At this screen you pick which of the six types of input that you wish to use.
Depending on which type of input field you choose to create, you will presented with varying configuration options.
Single-Line Text Box Back to Top
Title - The name of your profile field.
Description - Explain to the member what you want them to answer in this field.
Default Value - If the member doesn't change this field, then this will be the value stored in their profile.
Max length of allowed user input - The maximum number of characters that the member will be allowed to input.
Field Length - The HTML width of the input box on the screen.
Display Order - The order of the field in relation to any other custom profile fields.
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Field Required - You can require the user to answer this field at registration. If you add it after the user registers, then
they will need to answer it before they can update their profile. If set to Yes, always then the user will be forced to
complete this field before doing anything else on the forum. If you wish to display this field at registration but not
have it required, select No, but display at registration.
Field Editable by User - If disabled, this field will not appear to user when they edit their profile. Only at registration
allows the user to only edit this field at registration or if the field is blank and set to be required.
Private Field - This field will only be visible to other users who have usergroup permission to view private profile
fields.
Field Searchable on Members List - If enabled, this field is searchable via the Advanced Member's Search. If this
field is hidden, then only Admins and Moderators will be able to search on this field.
Show on Members List - If enabled, field will appear on the member's list and if it is hidden only Administrators and
Moderators will see it.
Regular Expression - Expressions allow you to filter the data you allow the user to input in the field. Regex can be
rather complicated so ask for assistance if you have trouble getting this to work properly. For example, the following
regex would only accept a number in the range of 1 to 50:
^([1-9]$|[1-4][0-9]|50)$
The following regex would only accept a 7 or 8 digit number:
^([0-9]{7,8})$
Multiple-Line Text Box Back to Top
Title - The name of your profile field.
Description - Explain to the member what you want them to answer in this field.
Default Value - If the member doesn't change this field, then this will be the value stored in their profile.
Max length of allowed user input - The maximum number of characters that the member will be allowed to input.
Field Length - The HTML width of the input box on the screen.
Text Area Height - Sets how many line tall the box is.
Display Order - The order of the field in relation to any other custom profile fields.
Field Required - You can require the user to answer this field at registration. If you add it after the user registers, then
they will need to answer it before they can update their profile. If set to Yes, always then the user will be forced to
complete this field before doing anything else on the forum. If you wish to display this field at registration but not
have it required, select No, but display at registration.
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Field Editable by User - If disabled, this field will not appear to user when they edit their profile. Only at registration
allows the user to only edit this field at registration or if the field is blank and set to be required.
Private Field - This field will only be visible to other users who have usergroup permission to view private profile
fields.
Field Searchable on Members List - If enabled, this field is search able via the Advanced Member's Search. If this
field is hidden, then only Admins and Moderators will be able to search on this field.
Regular Expression - Expressions allow you to filter the data you allow the user to input in the field. Regex can be
rather complicated so ask for assistance if you have trouble getting this to work properly. For example, the following
regex would only accept a number in the range of 1 to 50:
^([1-9]|[1-4][0-9]|50)$
The following regex would only accept a 7 or 8 digit number:
^([0-9]{7,8})$
Note:
Multiple-Line Text box fields can not be listed on the memberlist.
Single-Selection Radio Buttons Back to Top
Title - The name of your profile field.
Description - Explain to the member what you want them to answer in this field.
Items Per Line - This is the number of radio buttons that will appear on one line in the user's browser. Set to 0 to
have all of the choices appear on one line.
Options - Enter each of the options that the user can choose from. You need to enter each option on its own line.
Set Default - If this is set to <Yes> then the first option from above will be chose by default when the user registers.
Display Order - The order of the field in relation to any other custom profile fields.
Field Required - You can require the user to answer this field at registration. If you add it after the user registers, then
they will need to answer it before they can update their profile. If set to Yes, always then the user will be forced to
complete this field before doing anything else on the forum. If you wish to display this field at registration but not
have it required, select No, but display at registration.
Field Editable by User - If disabled, this field will not appear to user when they edit their profile. Only at registration
allows the user to only edit this field at registration or if the field is blank and set to be required.
Private Field - This field will only be visible to other users who have usergroup permission to view private profile
fields.
Field Searchable on Members List - If enabled, this field is searchable via the Advanced Member's Search. If this
field is hidden, then only Admins and Moderators will be able to search on this field.
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Show on Members List - If enabled, field will appear on the member's list and if it is hidden only Administrators and
Moderators will see it.
If you would like to also allow the choose the option of entering their own choice in addition to choosing one your
yours, set Allow user to input their own value for this option to <Yes>.
Max length of allowed user input - The maximum number of characters that the member will be allowed to input.
Field Length - The HTML width of the input box on the screen.
Regular Expression - Expressions allow you to filter the data you allow the user to input in the field. Regex can be
rather complicated so ask for assistance if you have trouble getting this to work properly. For example, the following
regex would only accept a number in the range of 1 to 50:
^([1-9]$|[1-4][0-9]|50)$
The following regex would only accept a 7 or 8 digit number:
^([0-9]{7,8})$
Single-Selection Menu Back to Top
Title - The name of your profile field.
Description - Explain to the member what you want them to answer in this field.
Options - Enter each of the options that the user can choose from. You need to enter each option on its own line.
Set Default - There are three options:
None - The selected option will be a blank field. If you require this field, this will force the user to make a
choice.
Yes, Including a First Blank Option - This sets the first option above as selected but also creates a blank
option allowing the user to choose nothing if this field isn't required.
Yes, but No First Blank Option - This also sets the first option above as selected but doesn't allow the user to
choose a nothing since their is no empty option to choose from.
Display Order - The order of the field in relation to any other custom profile fields.
Field Required - You can require the user to answer this field at registration. If you add it after the user registers, then
they will need to answer it before they can update their profile. If set to Yes, always then the user will be forced to
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complete this field before doing anything else on the forum. If you wish to display this field at registration but not
have it required, select No, but display at registration.
Field Editable by User - If disabled, this field will not appear to user when they edit their profile. Only at registration
allows the user to only edit this field at registration or if the field is blank and set to be required.
Private Field - This field will only be visible to other users who have usergroup permission to view private profile
fields.
Field Searchable on Members List - If enabled, this field is searchable via the Advanced Member's Search. If this
field is hidden, then only Admins and Moderators will be able to search on this field.
Show on Members List - If enabled, field will appear on the member's list and if it is hidden only Administrators and
Moderators will see it.
If you would like to also allow the choose the option of entering their own choice in addition to choosing one your
yours, set Allow user to input their own value for this option to <Yes>.
Max length of allowed user input - The maximum number of characters that the member will be allowed to input.
Field Length - The HTML width of the input box on the screen.
Regular Expression - Expressions allow you to filter the data you allow the user to input in the field. Regex can be
rather complicated so ask for assistance if you have trouble getting this to work properly. For example, the following
regex would only accept a number in the range of 1 to 50:
^([1-9]|[1-4][0-9]|50)$
The following regex would only accept a 7 or 8 digit number:
^([0-9]{7,8})$
Multiple-Selection Menu Back to Top
Title - The name of your profile field.
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Description - Explain to the member what you want them to answer in this field.
Limit Selection - Limits the number of choices that the user may make. If you want to allow them to select all of the
choices you offer, set this to 0.
Box Height - Sets how many of the choices to display on the screen. If this number is smaller than the number of
choices than the the first X choices will be shown with the rest accessible to the user by scrolling.
Options - Enter each of the options that the user can choose from. You need to enter each option on its own line. You
can enter a maximum of 32 options.
Display Order - The order of the field in relation to any other custom profile fields.
Field Required - You can require the user to answer this field at registration. If you add it after the user registers, then
they will need to answer it before they can update their profile. If set to Yes, always then the user will be forced to
complete this field before doing anything else on the forum. If you wish to display this field at registration but not
have it required, select No, but display at registration.
Field Editable by User - If disabled, this field will not appear to user when they edit their profile. Only at registration
allows the user to only edit this field at registration or if the field is blank and set to be required.
Private Field - This field will only be visible to other users who have usergroup permission to view private profile
fields.
Field Searchable on Members List - If enabled, this field is searchable via the Advanced Member's Search. If this
field is hidden, then only Admins and Moderators will be able to search on this field.
Show on Members List - If enabled, field will appear on the member's list and if it is hidden only Administrators and
Moderators will see it.
Multiple-Selection Checkbox Back to Top
Title - The name of your profile field.
Description - Explain to the member what you want them to answer in this field.
Limit Selection - Limits the number of choices that the user may make. If you want to allow them to select all of the
choices you offer, set this to 0.
Items Per Line - Sets how many of the choices to display on one line.
Options - Enter each of the options that the user can choose from. You need to enter each option on its own line. You
can enter a maximum of 32 options.
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Display Order - The order of the field in relation to any other custom profile fields.
Field Required - You can require the user to answer this field at registration. If you add it after the user registers, then
they will need to answer it before they can update their profile. If set to Yes, always then the user will be forced to
complete this field before doing anything else on the forum. If you wish to display this field at registration but not
have it required, select No, but display at registration.
Field Editable by User - If disabled, this field will not appear to user when they edit their profile. Only at registration
allows the user to only edit this field at registration or if the field is blank and set to be required.
Private Field - This field will only be visible to other users who have usergroup permission to view private profile
fields.
Field Searchable on Members List - If enabled, this field is searchable via the Advanced Member's Search. If this
field is hidden, then only Admins and Moderators will be able to search on this field.
Show on Members List - If enabled, field will appear on the member's list and if it is hidden only Administrators and
Moderators will see it.
Modifying Existing Custom Profile Fields Back to Top
Editing a profile field follows the same procedures as adding a profile field. Navigate to User Profile Fields->User
Profile Field Manager and select <Edit> next to the field you wish to edit.
There are a few points that you must consider when modifying an existing custom profile field.
The first is that profile fields are limited in what other field types that they can be converted to.
Single-Line Text box can be converted to a Multiple-Line Text box and vice versa
Multi-Selection Checkbox can be converted to a Multi-Selection Menu and Vice Versa
Any other conversions are not supported.
Secondly, a special form is required when modifying the user choices in the two Multi-Selection fields.
If you wish to add, delete or change the order of the options of a Multiple-Selection Menu or a Multiple-Selection
Checkbox you will see the option Fields with a button labeled [Modify]. Pressing the [Modify] will present you with a
screen like the following:
To move an item up in the list, press the up arrow to the left of the item and to move an item down press the down
arrow to the left of the item.
To rename or delete an item, choose the appropriate <link> to the right of the item.
To add a new choice to the list, enter the name of the choice in the box labeled Name and select where you want the
new item to appear by changing the value of Position.
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Paid Subscriptions Back to Top
The vBulletin Subscriptions system allows you to charge your visitors for access to specific areas and services that
you may offer.
In general, this is achieved by temporarily making a subscribed user into a member of one or more specific
usergroups, which have access to the site areas or services for which they have paid.
An Introduction to Subscriptions Back to Top
The Subscriptions system present in vBulletin allows the owner of the board the opportunity to create income via the
forums.
Payment is processed automatically via the various online processors that support a call back to a user defined script,
this allows the system to be virtually maintenance free.
Note:
If you run vBulletin with any sort of HTTP authentication system then the callback by the online processors will be
subject to the same conditions and the subscription will not go through.
Payment API Manager Back to Top
This section will explain how to setup the appropriate variables to integrate with external Payment Gateways.
Paid Subscriptions > Payment API Manager will present you with the following screen, the Payment API Manager
allows you to change the appropriate variables regarding payment as well as enable and disable a particular gateway.
Within debug mode further Payment API's can be added, please refer to the Developer Documentation on how to
create a Payment API.
PayPal Back to Top
1 Log in to your PayPal account
2 Click on the Profile subtab
3 Click on the Instant Payment Notification Preferences link in the 'Selling Preferences' column
4 Click Edit
You should now be presented with a screen containing the following:
Note:
If the Instant Payment Notification link is not present you will need to apply for Premier Account or a Business
Account from PayPal.
Check the checkbox to activate Instant Payment Notification and enter the following URL below the checkbox.
http://www.example.com/forums/payment_gateway.php?method=paypal
Click [Save]
5 Go to Paid Subscriptions > Payment API Manager > PayPal in your AdminCP where you will be presented with
the following screen:
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6 Enter your PayPal email address in the PayPal email field. This does not need to be the primary email address for
your PayPal account and can be any email address associated with your PayPal account that you wish to use for
payments received from your forum.
7 If you wish to use recurring subscriptions, you also need to enter your primary email address for your PayPal
account in the PayPal Primary Account Email field.
Your completed PayPal page will then look like either
where the PayPal email address used for your forum is the same as the primary email address for your PayPal
account, or
where the PayPal email address is different to the primary email address for your PayPal account.
8 Finally, to activate the PayPal API for paid subscriptions, change the Active setting to Yes.
NOCHEX Back to Top
1 Log in to your NOCHEX account
2 Click on the 'Edit Automatic Payment Confirmation Details' link
You should now be presented with a screen containing the following:
Note:
If the 'Edit Automatic Payment Confirmation Details' link is not present you will need to contact NOCHEX
support and request that your account have this feature activated.
Enter the following URL in the input box:
http://www.example.com/forums/payment_gateway.php?method=nochex
Click [Save Changes]
3 Go to Paid Subscriptions > Payment API Manager > NOCHEX in your vBulletin AdminCP where you will be
presented with the following screen:
and enter your NOCHEX email address in the NOCHEX email field.
4 Finally, change the active setting to Yes to activate payments via NOCHEX in vBulletin
Note:
NOCHEX does NOT support recurring payments.
Back to Top
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Worldpay
1 Log in to the WorldPay CMS
You should now be presented with a screen containing the following:
2 Click Configuration Options next to the Installation which has (Select Junior). This will lead you to the
configuration screen which should look like the following:
3 Enter the following URL in the 'Callback URL' field:
http://www.example.com/forums/payment_gateway.php?method=worldpay
4 Check the 'Callback enabled?' checkbox.
5 Within the 'Callback password' field enter an appropriately secure password, this will be used for verifying
transactions.
Click [Save Changes]
6 Go to Paid Subscriptions > Payment API Manager > Worldpay in your vBulletin AdminCP where you will be
presented with the following screen:
7 Enter your Installation ID that was displayed in the initial login to the WorldPay CMS and the password you setup
within the CMS in the relevant fields on this page.
8 To activate WorldPay payments in your forum, change the Active setting to Yes
Note:
WorldPay does NOT support recurring payments.
Authorize.Net Back to Top
1 Log in to Authorize.Net merchant account
2 Click Settings on the left menu
3 Under the 'Transaction Response' group click Relay Response
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You should now be presented with a screen containing the following:
4 You should now enter the following URL, adjusted to your forum:
http://www.example.com/forums/payment_gateway.php?method=authorizenet
Click [Submit]
5 You should now be on the main Settings screen again, click 'Obtain Transaction Key' under the Security group.
Enter the appropriate secret information and a new key will be generated for you.
Note:
If you already know your transaction key you dont need to generate a new one.
6 To set the Login ID and transaction key go to Paid Subscriptions > Payment API Manager > Authorize.Net in
your vBulletin AdminCP where you will presented with the following page:
7 Complete the Authorize.Net Login ID and Authorize.Net Transaction Key with your login for Authorize.net and
the transaction key that you have generated in the relevant fields.
8 If you have a MD5 Hash Security Key for your Authorize.net account, then you can enter it in the MD5 Hash
Security Key field. This is not a required field, so if this field is not completed then it will not affect the operation
of the paid subscriptions.
9 Finally, to activate Authorize.Net payments, change the Active setting to Yes.
Note:
Authorize.Net does NOT support recurring payments.
2Checkout Back to Top
1 Log in to your 2CO account
2 Click on "Account"
3 Click on "Site Management".
4 Find the option labeled "Direct Return". Set this option to "Header Redirect".
5 Find the option "Approval URL", place the URL to your gateway.php. Example:
http://www.yourforum.com/payment_gateway.php?method=2checkout
6 Save these options
7 Locate and click the "Products" link to go to your "Products List" page.
8 Choose an existing product or create a new one. Note Your Product ID for the product that you wish to add a
subscription for within vBulletin.
9 Next you need to associate the subscriptions that you have in your 2CO account with your vBulletin subscriptions. Go
to Paid Subscriptions > Subscription Manager. Choose an existing subscription or create a new one. You must enter the
Product ID from the previous step into the 2CO Prod ID field. If you create multiple 2CO subscriptions you can enter
them all into one vBulletin subscription or you can create multiple vBulletin subscriptions for each 2CO subscription.
You should match the cost to the value you chose for your 2CO subscription.
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10 Go to Paid Subscriptions > Payment API Manager > 2Checkout where you will be presented with the following page:
11 Enter your 2Checkout Vendor ID Number and 2Checkout Secret Word in the fields provided.
12 To activate payments using 2CO change the Active setting to Yes.
Note:
2Checkout does NOT support recurring payments.
CCBill Back to Top
Setting up CCBill to work properly with vBulletin can be moderately difficult to accomplish. CCBill is designed to
manage the user accounts of payments it receives. This conflicts with vBulletin since vBulletin needs to handle its
own user accounts. Still, this can be worked around for the most part to allow CCBill to successfully work as a
payment processor with vBulletin.
1 Login to your CCBill account.
2 Go to CCBill Admin > Account Setup > Choose Subaccount
In this example our Subaccount will be 0002. Write this number down under the label CCBill Client Sub
Account Number. Later you will need to enter it into the Payment API Manager in the vBulletin Admin Control
Panel. Press [Next >>] when this page is completed.
3 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > Website Info
This screen has several options, with only two options pertaining to vBulletin. You need to set the Approval
URL and Denial URL. These are the locations that your clients will be directed to go to after a purchase or
denial. This can be any URL, but you probably want to use the URL to your forum. Fill this information out
along with the other options and press [Next >>].
4 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > User Management
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vBulletin manages user accounts so we need to disable user management within CCBill for this sub account.
Press [Modify].
5 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > User Management - Modify
User Management Type - Select None
Collect Username/Password - Select Hide both Username and Password
Min. Username Length - Change to 10
Max. Username Length - Change to 10
Min. Password Length - Change to 10
Max. Password Length - Change to 10
Complete the other options to your liking and then click [Next >>].
6 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > Server Info
As alluded to previously, CCBill was designed to manage the user accounts of your members. Since you will not
be using CCBill in this capacity, choose Other for the SystemType option. CCBill will not need to have access
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to your server as nothing will be installed on it. You will need to complete the non FTP options so that CCBill
support can verify your website is acceptable. Press [Next >>].
7 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > Pricing Options
Only one time billing is supported by CCBill with vBulletin. For the Select Pricing Option Type option, select
Single Billing Type. CCBill does not support the necessary callback routines to notify vBulletin when a
recurring billing type is re billed. Press [Next >>].
8 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > New Single Pricing Option
Choose a price for your subscription and a period in days. You will need to write this information down since
you will need to duplicate it in the vBulletin Subscription Manager. Unlike the other payment processors,
CCBill must have each subscription setup within its Admin Center as well as within vBulletin. Press [Next >>]
9 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > Pricing Options Overview
This screen will display the subscription that you just created. Next to the subscription will be a number under
the label of ID. Write this number down next to the payment and length of this subscription. You may choose to
add more subscriptions at this point by selecting Create New Pricing Option. Ensure that you write down the ID
number for each subscription that you create.
Note:
You may also retrieve these numbers later if you forget.
When done, press [Next >>].
10 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > Standard Form Layout
You must now choose the style of form that will be shown to your members when they are paying for your
CCBill subscriptions. Choose the form that appeals to you and click [Next >>].
11 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > Standard Form Theme
You must now choose a theme for your form. Choose the theme that appeals to you and click [Next >>].
Note:
You may customize your form in greater detail later
12 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > Standard Index Page
This page is not used by vBulletin so click [Next >>].
13 CCBill Admin > Account Setup > Final Instructions
Click [Finish].
14 CCBill Admin > Modify Subaccount > Advanced > Background Post Information
Your sub account and at least one subscription has now been completed. On the left side of the screen click on
Advanced.
You now need to enter urls that point back to your forum. In this example, our forums' url is
http://www.example.com/vb3.
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Approval Post URL - Enter http://www.example.com/vb3/payment_gateway.php?method=ccbill
Denial Post URL- Enter http://www.example.com/vb3/payment_gateway.php?method=ccbill
You may increase the security of your CCBill transactions by including a secret word. If you wish to do this,
instead of the above enter:
Approval Post URL - Enter http://www.example.com/vb3/payment_gateway.php?
method=ccbill&secretword=ABCDEF
Denial Post URL- Enter http://www.example.com/vb3/payment_gateway.php?
method=ccbill&secretword=ABCDEF
Replace ABCDEF with your own secret word. Make note of this secret word as you will need to enter it into the
vBulletin Subscription Manager later. Press [Update].
15 Click View Subaccount Info on the left side of the menu.
16 CCBill Admin > Subaccount
On the right side of the screen, find the box that contains your form. It will appear similar to
Write down the name of the CREDIT form. In our example, the name is 74cc. You will need to enter it into the
vBulletin Subscription Manager later.
17 At this point vBulletin is ready to accept your CCBill options. Log into your vBulletin Admin Control Panel and
go to Paid Subscriptions > Payment API Manager. Edit the CCBill API.
You have six options to complete.
CCBill Client Main Account Number - This is your main CCBill account number. It is used to login to your
account.
CCBill Client Sub Account Number - You wrote this number down in Step 2 and it was 0002 in our example.
Make sure to include any leading zeroes that are included as the number should be four digits.
CCBill Form Character Code - You wrote this down in the previous step, 16. It was 74cc in our example.
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CCBill Secret Word - This is optional but if you chose a secret word in step 14 then enter it here exactly the
same. Our example was ABCDEF.
Datalink Username - This is a 6-8 character alphanumeric name. It must contain at least one number and one
letter. Choose an username now for usage later when Datalink is configured.
Datalink Password - This is a 6-8 character alphanumeric password. It must contain at least 1 number and one
letter. Choose a password now for usage later when Datalink is configured.
Press [Update].
18 Next you need to associate the subscriptions that you created in the CCBill admin with your vBulletin
subscriptions. Go to Paid Subscriptions > Subscription Manager. Choose an existing subscription or create a
new one. You must enter the subscription ID from Step 9 into the CCBill SubID field. If you create multiple
CCBill subscriptions you can enter them all into one vBulletin subscription or you can create multiple vBulletin
subscriptions for each CCBill subscription. You should match the U.S. Dollars amount and the Subscription
Length to the values you chose for your CCBill subscription(s). CCBill only accepts payments in US Dollars.
vBulletin and CCBill should now be configured properly to process payments together. The next step is configuring
CCBill and vBulletin so that vBulletin can be notified when a CCBill payment is refunded, voided, or charged back.
This is necessary so that these subscriptions can be ended on the vBulletin side. Most payment processors will contact
vBulletin when this situation occurs but CCBill works in the opposite direction. vBulletin must contact the CCBill
server on an ongoing basis and ask for a list of reversed transactions.
CCBill offers their Data Link Services Suite to facilitate this interaction. You should have already chosen an username
and password for Data Link in step 17. Now you must go back to your CCBill Admin so that an accompanying
account can be created to allow vBulletin access.
Note:
CCBill requires the connection to Data Link to be done via SSL (https) which means that your PHP installation will
require openSSL suuport to be included. Please contact your host if you need openSSL support installed
1 CCBill Admin
Click on the Premium Features link at the top of the CCBill Admin screen
2 CCBill Admin > Premium Features
Click on Value Added Features link on the upper left side of the screen.
3 CCBill Admin > Value Added Features
Click on Data Link Services Suite at the bottom of the page.
4 CCBill Admin > Value Added Features > Data Link Services Suite
Under Sub Account select the account that you previously setup for vBulletin in step 2 at the beginning of this
document. Click [Add User].
5 CCBill Admin > Value Added Features > Data Link Services Suite > Add New User
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Enter the username and password that you created in step 17 for Data Link. If your chosen username or password
is not accepted, you'll need to remember to update vBulletin with your new username and password as well. Enter
your server's ip address in the IP Address field. If you have a multi-server setup, enter every server's ip address.
Press [Store User].
Note:
CCBill does NOT support recurring payments.
Moneybookers Back to Top
1 Log into your MoneyBookers account and set up a secret word
2 Go to Paid Subscriptions > Payment API Manager > MoneyBookers where you will get the following screen:
3 Enter your MoneyBookers Email and Moneybookers Secret Word in the fields provided.
Note:
The Moneybookers Secret Word must be entered in lowercase.
4 To activate payments using MoneyBookers, set the Active setting to Yes.
Note:
MoneyBookers does NOT support recurring payments.
Adding or Editing a Paid Subscription Back to Top
To add a Subscription, click Subscriptions > Add New Subscriptions. You will be presented with a screen like this:
Title – Subscription title.
Description – a short description which can be used to describe what the subscription offers.
Active – if checked users will be able to subscribe to this Subscription.
Tax – if checked tax will apply to a payment made to the user, this is mainly for Paypal.
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Shipping – if checked shipping information will be required with the payment information.
Primary Usergroup – the primary usergroup that the subscription should change, this is not always required.
Additional Usergroups – the secondary usergroups that the user joins on subscription.
The access masks for a user may also be changed so that the user may gain access to a private forum.
Please read the permission system section for further information regarding access masks and usergroups.
Cost and length are now a seperate entity within the Subscription Manager so that a single Subscription can have
multiple lengths and payment amounts, there is also the ability to add a recurring subscription.
The screen is as follows:
Subscription Length – the length before the subscription lapses, note PayPal has a limit of 100 days for
recurring subscriptions.
Recurring – if checked any future subscriptions created will be recurring.
Warning:
Do not change the cost of a Subscription if a recurring payment is currently in use, these payments will fail to update.
Warning:
Do not set a Paypal subscription to greater than 100 days. Use the months or years options to set subscriptions greater
than 100 days.
Practical Example of a Paid Subscription Back to Top
We will assume that the appropriate payment gateways have been setup and that one of them is enabled within the
Settings section of the Admin Control Panel.
The subscription will offer some benefits over our a regular user such as increased attachment space, large avatars and
more private messaging space.
Creating the new Usergroup
1 Login to the Admin Control Panel
2 Open the Usergroups menu and click "Add New Usergroup"
3 At the top of the screen choose "Registered Users" from the Create usergroups Based off of Usergroup menu and
click [Go]
4 Adjust usergroup permissions appropriately, increasing attachment space, avatar dimensions and private
messaging space
5 Click [Save]
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Creating the subscription
1 Open the Subscriptions menu and click "Add New Subscription"
2 Enter the appropriate title, description, length and cost for your subscriptions
3 On the right of the screen there will be a Usergroup Options table, under Additional Usergroups check the
Usergroup that you created earlier in this example
4 Click [Save]
Visible within the User Control Panel should be the Paid Subscriptions which should display the following:
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Subscription Manager Back to Top
To edit existing subscriptions or to perform any management on subscription users, go to Subscriptions > Subscription
Manager. This will display all subscriptions setup in the system with the number of currently active subscriptions and
those which are inactive.
Title – the title of your Subscription.
Active – the number of users with active subscriptions.
Completed – the number of users with completed subscriptions.
Total – the total number of users with active or completed subscriptions.
Display Order – the order in which subscriptions will be displayed on the forum, a lower value will appear
above a higher value.
Controls – these options allow you to edit a subscriptions, manage users with a subscriptions or manually add a
user to a subscription.
Manually Adding A Subscribed User Back to Top
A user can be manually added to a subscription in the case that they have transferred funds in another way. From the
Subscription Manager select Add User from the Controls menu.
You will be presented with a screen containing the following:
You should enter the username that this subscription applies to and adjust the dates if appropriate, by default these are
the lengths for the subscription.
Transaction Log Back to Top
The Transaction Log is where all successful payment transaction posted to your forum can be viewed. This log is the
actual history of transactions posted to your forum by the payment processors. These transactions are comprised of
successful charges and reversals.
This log offers several search options that enable you to narrow down searches to specific criteria.
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Start Date - Date to limit the oldest transactions to.
End Date - Date to limit the newest transaction to.
Subscription - Include transactions that pertain to all subscriptions or limit transactions to thost that pertain to a
specific subscription.
Processor - Include transactions that pertain to all payment processors or limit transactions to those that pertain to a
specific payment processor.
Currency - Include transactions that pertain to all currencies or limit transactions to those that pertain to a specific
currency.
Type - Include failure, charged and reversed transactions or limit to either one.
Note:
Failed transactions are those that could not be matched up with a subscription. This generally happens when there is a
misconfiguration. Click on Failure when viewing these transactions to see raw output of what was sent by the
payment processor. This information can be used by support to help you troubleshoot problems.
User Name - Include transactions that pertain to all users or limit transactions to those
that pertain to a specific user.
Order By - Control the order of the resulting log. The order can also be changed when viewing the log by clicking the
column headers.
Note:
Transactions completed before vBulletin 3.6.0 Beta 1 will contain incomplete information.
From this screen you may also directly look up a transaction. The transaction lookup accepts the transaction id that
pertains to the transaction performed on the payment processor side. You can often find this ID in any email that is
sent you when a signup is received or in the admin center of your payment processor.
Transaction Stats Back to Top
Transaction Stats allows you to track how many transactions are being performed.
Stats offers several search options that enable you to narrow down searches to specific criteria.
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Start Date - Date to limit the oldest transactions to.
End Date - Date to limit the newest transaction to.
Subscription - Include transactions that pertain to all subscriptions or limit transactions to those that pertain to a
specific subscription.
Processor - Include transactions that pertain to all payment processors or limit transactions to those that pertain to a
specific payment processor.
Currency - Include transactions that pertain to all currencies or limit transactions to those that pertain to a specific
currency.
Type - Include charged and reversed transactions or limit to either one.
Order By - Control the order of the resulting stats. List the stats in order of most transaction or in order of date.
Scope - Groups transactions into the chosen option. Example, selecting Monthly would show you how many
transaction were performed each month.
Note:
Transactions completed before vBulletin 3.6.0 Beta 1 will contain incomplete information.
Subscription Permissions Back to Top
Managing your subscription permissions is done by simply selecting yes or no for usergroup access. If you click Paid
Subscriptions > Subscription Permissions, you will see a screen similar to this:
Here, you will see each subscription on your forum with a list of all usergroups under each forum. Notice the color
key at the top. In this example, red indicates that a usergroup does not have permission to purchase the subscription.
Otherwise, usergroups listed in black have access to purchase the subscription.
To edit a subscription, simply find the appropriate subscription and usergroup, and click [Edit]. This will lead you to
this screen:
To deny access to purchase a subscription, choose No, otherwise choose Yes to allow permission.
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Avatars Back to Top
Avatars are small pictures that appear next to or underneath your members' names on their posts etc.
Using the Avatar Manager, you can pre-define groups of avatars from which your members can choose one as their
own avatar.
Also under this section is a tool to control the storage of your members' custom avatars (those which they have
uploaded themselves). You may choose to store custom avatars in the database, or as files on the server's file system.
An Introduction to Avatars Back to Top
Avatars are small images which can be assigned to a members' profile. When a member selects or uploads an avatar
the image will be displayed on every message the members' post on the bulletin board.
Implementing Avatars on vBulletin Back to Top
The administrator can choose to implement avatars a number of ways, they can opt to disable avatars completely,
allow users to select from a list of predefined avatars or allow users to upload their own custom avatars. The
administrator can assign the avatar permissions on a per-usergroup basis.
To configure avatars on your bulletin board first open the vBulletin Options menu in the Admin CP. Select User
Picture Options.
In this section you can set the following options:
Avatars Enabled - Use this to enable/disable the overall use of avatars
Avatar Display Width - This option defines the number of columns of avatars displayed to the user via the user
control panel avatar selection page.
Avatars Per-Page - This option defines the number of pages the avatars will be displayed over in the user
control panel avatar selection page.
Profile Pictures Enabled - This option relates to the use of profile pictures which if enabled will allow
members to upload small images, usually larger than avatars, that can be displayed on the member's profile in
the members' list.
If avatars are enabled the administrator can also choose to include avatars in the registration options. This will set the
defaults for new members during the registration process.
To enable avatars for member registrations:
AdminCP > vBulletin Options > User Registration Options > Default Registration Options > Display Avatars > Tick
the box
Adding Avatars Back to Top
vBulletin offers two ways off adding avatars to you bulletin boards:
Add New Avatars - allows you to add one or multiple avatars that have already been uploaded to your
webserver
Upload Avatar - enables you to upload an avatar from your local hard disk
Add New Avatar
When you select the Add New Avatar link in the Avatar menu you are presented with the add avatar option screen.
You have the option to either add a single avatar or to add multiple avatars.
Adding a Single Avatar Back to Top
To add a single avatar enter the following details and click the Add Avatars button:
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Title - enter the name or title you want to apply to the avatar. This will be the title of the image that is displayed
in the Avatar Options in the User Control Panel
Minimum Posts - enter the minimum number of posts a member needs before they are entitled to use this
avatar. If you want to make this avatar available to all users, enter 0 or leave blank
Avatar File Path - this can either be an URL of an image (e.g. http://www.example.com/images/avatar.gif) or a
path on your web server (e.g. "/www/sites/htdocs/images/avatar.gif").
Avatar Category - select the category you want to assign the avatar to
Display Order - This determines the order in which the avatars are shown. By default the next display order is
assigned and can be changed at a later date.
Adding Multiple Avatars Back to Top
This option allows you to add more than one avatar in one operation. Enter the following information and click the
Add Avatars button:
Avatar Category - select the category you want to assign the avatars to
Avatars File Path - this can either be an URL of an image (e.g. http://www.example.com/images/avatar.gif) or
a path on your web server (e.g. "/www/sites/htdocs/images/avatar.gif").
Avatars to show per page - this figure set the number of avatars to be shown on each page.
The next screen will display all the avatars from the location specified in the previous form.
It will apply a title to each of the images using the filename which you may change if required and show the selected
catetory.
Additionally, and if required you should enter the minimum number of post the members are required to have before
they are entitled to use these avatars. You may enter different values for each of the listed avatars.
Once all the details have been entered and checked you need to tick the check boxes against each avatar that you want
to add. If you want to add all of them, click 'Check All' box in the header. Then click the 'Add Avatars' button.
Avatar Management Back to Top
Avatars and their associated permissions are maintained via the Avatar Manager.
There are also further avatar settings in the Usergroup Manager. You may specify, per usergroup, the height, width and
file size of avatars that the selected usegroup may use. You can also set whether or not the usergroup can upload their
own custom avatars.
Note:
For further information regarding usersgroups and permissions please refer to the Usergroups & Permissions section
of this manual
Avatar Manager
Expand the Avatars menu option in the Admin CP and click on the Avatar Manager.
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The avatars can be arranged in categories and you may restrict access to any avatars either by post count or usergroup.
Usergroup restrictions are set at the category level where as post count restrictions are set at the individual avatar
level.
The Avatar Manager displays the category title, number of avatars assigned to the category, the list display order of
the category and the category controls.
Category Controls
Mass Move - Enables you to move any or all the avatars from one category to another
View - Allows you to see the avatar images assigned to a specific category. There are two further options under
this, Edit and Delete which allows you to edit the details of any of the avatars listed in the category or delete
them.
Edit - Allows you to modify the category details
Delete - This will delete the category. You be presented with additional options to either move the avatars
assigned to this category to another category or delete all the avatars as well as the category.
Avatar Permissions Enables you to set the permissions as to which usergroup or usergroups may have access
to the avatars in a specific category.
Avatar Mass Move Back to Top
Selecting the Mass Move option will display all the avatars from the selected category.
Each Avatar has a drop down menu containing all the other available categories. You can opt to move some or all the
avatars in the selected category and you can move different avatars to different categories in one action.
You can specify the category for each individual avatar, or if all the avatars are moving to the same category there is a
separate global menu for you to select the category from.
Avatar Category View Back to Top
The View option displays all the avatars from the selected category. Within the view page you can change the order in
which the avatars are displayed in the UserCP Edit Avatar screens.
The View screen also allows gives you further options to Edit or Delete each individual avatar.
Avatar Category Edit Back to Top
The Edit option enables you to change the category title and the display order.
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Note:
The display order is for the category only, it determines the order in which the categories are displayed in the Avatar
Manager in the AdminCP
Avatar Category Delete Back to Top
The delete option allows you to remove an entire category. You can choose to either delete the category and all of it's
contents or move the avatars to another category before deleting the selected category.
To move the avatars in the selected category ensure that the 'Delete all avatars from this category?' option is set to No.
Then from the drop down menu select the category that the avatars should be moved to. Then click the 'Delete' button.
If you do not wish to keep the avatars that are included in the selected category set the 'Delete all avatars from this
category?' option to Yes.
Avatar Category Permissions Back to Top
Avatars Permissions are defined at the usergroup level.
When the Avatar Permission option is selected a list of all the defined usergroups will be displayed. Select Yes for
each usergroup you want to be able to use this avatar.
Uploading Avatars Back to Top
This option allows you to upload avatars from your local machine to your webserver.
The following detailed should entered:
Filename - enter the url or path for the avatar or use the Browse button to navigate to the required image
Title - enter a name for the avatar that is to be uploaded
Minimum Posts - enter the minimum number of posts a member needs before they are entitled to use this
avatar. If you want to make this avatar available to all users, enter 0 or leave blank
Avatar File Path - enter the location where the avatar should be upload to on you webserver. The file path
should be both readable and writeable by your webserver
Avatar Category - lists all the available categories. Select a category that the avatar will be assigned to
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Display Order - This determines the order in which the avatars are shown. By default the next display order is
assigned and can be changed at a later date
Once all the information has been entered and checked click the 'Upload' button. The avatar will then be uploaded to
the specified folder.
User Picture Storage Type Back to Top
vBulletin allows you to choose which storage type you want to use for your user picture images (avatars and profile
pictures). You can either opt to have the user pictures stored in the database or in a file system on your server. You can
change the storage type at anytime.
Database vs File System
There are no real advantages or disadvantages to using one of these storage types over the other. Both require disk
space, keeping items in the database provide an easier backup method, using a file system may be slightly more
efficient as there are less queries that need to be run and both are easy to manage via the AdminCP.
At the end of the day it comes down to your own preference on how you want to manage your user picture images and
how you want to store them.
Note:
The default storage type is to store the images in the database.
Move User Pictures from Database to File System Back to Top
Moving items from the database to a file system
Selecting the User Picture Storage Type option will display the current storage type and enable you to change it.
Warning:
The transfer process will only be successful if there is sufficient disk space to store your images and that the specified
directory exists and if fully readable and writable (usually chmod 777)
The page requires you to enter the following details:
Avatar File Path - enter the location where the avatars will be stored on your webserver. The path to the
directory where your images will be stored. This should be both readable and writeable by your webserver and
relative to your forums root directory
URL to Avatars - enter the url of where the avatars will be stored. This should be relative to your forums home
page
Profile Picture Path - enter the location where the profile pictures will be stored on your webserver. The path
to the directory where your images will be stored. This should be both readable and writeable by your
webserver and relative to your forums root directory
URL to Profile Pictures - enter the url of where the profile pictures will be stored. This should be relative to
your forums home page
Once the details have been entered click the 'Go' button.
Before the images are transferred to the file system, you may specify the number of users to be processed for each
cycle. Enter the number of users to process and click the 'Go' button.
Move User Pictures in a file system to the database Back to Top
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If you are currently storing you user picture images in a file system, you can either choose to move them back into the
database or move them to a different directories on your server.
The process is same whether you are moving user pictures from a database to a file system or vice versa.
Move Avatars to a Different Directory Back to Top
Selecting the Move Avatars to a Different Directory option will display the current storage location for your avatars
and allow you to change it.
Avatar File Path - enter the new location where the avatars will be stored on you webserver. This is the path to
the directory where you images will be store. This should be both readable and writeable by your webserver and
relative to your forums root directory
URL to Avatars - enter the new url of where the avatars will be stored. This should be relative to your forums
home page
Once the new location details have been entered click the 'Go' button.
The settings for the new location of the avatars will have been updated.
Note:
You must now manually move all avatars to the new folder, using an FTP client or a shell command such as:
mv -rf ./customavatars/* ./avatartmp/
Move Profile Pictures to a Different Directory Back to Top
Selecting the Move Profile Pictures to a Different Directory option will display the current storage location for your
avatars and allow you to change it.
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Profile Picture Path - enter the new location where the avatars will be stored on you webserver. This is the
path to the directory where you images will be store. This should be both readable and writeable by your
webserver and relative to your forums root directory
URL to Profile Pictures - enter the new url of where the avatars will be stored. This should be relative to your
forums home page
Once the new location details have been entered click the 'Go' button.
The settings for the new location of the profile pictures will have been updated.
Note:
You must now manually move all profile picturesto the new folder, using an FTP client or a shell command such as:
mv -rf ./customprofilepics/* ./profpictmp/
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Post Icons Back to Top
When your members post new threads, posts or private messages, you may also allow them to assign an icon to their
message for quick visual identification.
The Post Icon manager contains all the tools you will need to upload and modify icons for your members to use.
Introduction to Post Icons Back to Top
A post icon is a small image file that appears next to the post title and in the post icon column of the main forum page.
Implementing Post Icons on vBulletin Back to Top
The administrator can choose to enable or disable Post Icons for at the forum level and can also choose which Post
Icons can be used by which usergroups if Post Icons are enabled.
To enable Post Icons on your bulletin board you need to edit the forum permissions for each forum that you wish to
allow Post Icons. Forums & Moderators > Forum Manager > Edit Forum > Enable/Disable Features
Set Allow Post Icons to Yes. Repeat these steps for each forum.
The administrator can also choose to enable or disable Post Icons in Private Messages too. vBulletin Options > Private
Messaging Options > Allow Message Icons for Private Messages
Adding Post Icons Back to Top
vBulletin offers two ways off adding Post Icons to you bulletin boards:
Add New Post Icon - allows you to add one or multiple Post Icons that have already been uploaded to your
webserver
Upload Post Icons - enables you to upload an Post Icons from your local hard disk
Add New Post Icon
When you select the Add New Post Icon link in the Post Icon menu you are presented with the add Post Icon option
screen. You have the option to either add a single Post Icon or to add multiple Post Icons.
Adding a Single Post Icon Back to Top
To add a single Post Icon enter the following details and click the Add Post Icon button:
Title - enter the name or title you want to apply to the Post Icon.
Post Icon File Path - this can either be an URL of an image (e.g.
http://www.example.com/images/icons/posticon.gif) or a path on your web server (e.g.
"/www/sites/htdocs/images/icons/posticon.gif").
Post Icon Category - select the category you want to assign the Post Icon to
Display Order - This determines the order in which the post icons are shown. By default the next display order
is assigned and can be changed at a later date.
Adding Multiple Post Icons Back to Top
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This option allows you to add more than one Post Icon in one operation. Enter the following information and click the
Add Post Icons button:
Post Icon Category - select the category you want to assign the Post Icons to
Post Icon File Path - this can either be an URL of an image (e.g.
http://www.example.com/images/icons/posticon.gif) or a path on your web server (e.g.
"/www/sites/htdocs/images/icons").
Post Icons to show per page - this figure set the number of Post Icons to be shown on each page.
The next screen will display all the Post Icons from the location specified in the previous form.
A title is applied to each of the Post Icons that are to be added using the images’ filename which you may change if
required and shows the selected category.
Once all the details have been entered and checked you need to tick the check boxes against each Post Icon that you
want to add. If you want to add all of them, click 'Check All' box in the header. Then click the 'Add Post Icons button.
Post Icon Management Back to Top
Post Icons and their associated permissions are maintained via the Post Icon Manager.
There are also further Post Icon settings in the Forum Manager. You may can opt to allow or disallow, per forum. You
can also enable or disable Post Icons in Private Messages.
Note:
For further information regarding foruma and permissions please refer to the Forums Permission section of this
manual
Post Icon Manager
Admin Control Panel > Post Icons > Post Icon Manager
The Post Icons can be arranged in categories and you may restrict the use of to Post Icons at a usergroup level.
The Post Icon Manager displays the category title, number of Post Icons assigned to the category, the list display order
of the category and the category controls.
Category Controls
Mass Move - Enables you to move any or all the Post Icons from one category to another
View - Allows you to see the Post Icons images assigned to a specific category. There are two further options
under this, Edit and Delete which allows you to edit the details of any of the Post Icon listed in the category or
delete them.
Edit - Allows you to modify the category details
Delete - This will delete the category. You be presented with additional options to either move the Post Icons
assigned to this category to another category or delete all the Post Icons as well as the category.
Post Icon Permissions - Enables you to set the permissions as to which usergroup or usergroups may have
access to the Post Icons in a specific category.
Post Icon Mass Move Back to Top
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Selecting the Mass Move option will display all the Post Icons from the selected category.
Each Post Icon has a drop down menu containing all the other available categories. You can opt to move some or all
the Post Icons in the selected category and you can move different Post Icons to different categories in one action.
You can specify the category for each individual Post Icon, or if all the Post Icons are moving to the same category
there is a separate global menu for you to select the category from.
Post Icon Category View Back to Top
The View option displays all the Post Icons from the selected category. Within the view page you can change the order
in which the Post Icons are displayed in posts and the Private Message screens.
The View screen also allows gives you further options to Edit or Delete each individual Post Icon.
Post Icon Category Edit Back to Top
The Edit option enables you to change the category title and the display order.
Note:
The display order is for the category only, it determines the order in which the categories are displayed in the Post
Icon Manager in the AdminCP
Post Icon Category Delete Back to Top
The delete option allows you remove an entire category. You can choose to either delete the category and its contents
or move the Post Icons to another category before deleting the selected category.
To move the Post Icons in the selected category ensure that the 'Delete all Post Icons from this category?' option is set
to No. Then from the drop down menu select the category that the Post Icons should be moved to. Then click the
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'Delete' button. If you do not wish to keep the Post Icons that are included in the selected category set the 'Delete all
Post Icons from this category?' option to Yes.
Post Icon Category Permissions Back to Top
Post Icon permissions are defined at the usergroup level.
When the Post Icon Permission option is selected a list of all the defined usergroups will be displayed. Select Yes for
each usergroup you want to be able to use Post Icons included in this category.
For example, if you have a selection of post icons that you want only administrators, moderators and super moderators
to use. You would first need to create a category to contain these post icons, upload or move the specially selected
post icons to the new category then set the permissions for that category so that only the Administrator, Moderators
and Super Moderators usergroups can use the post icons in this category.
Uploading Post Icons Back to Top
This option allows you to upload Post Icons from your local machine to your webserver.
The following details should entered:
Filename - enter the url or path for the Post Icon or use the Browse button to navigate to the required image
Title - enter a name for the Post Icon that is to be uploaded
Post Icon File Path - enter the location where the Post Icon should be upload to on you webserver. The file
path should be both readable and writeable by your webserver
Post Icon Category - list all the available categories. Select a category that the Post Icon will be assigned to
Display Order - This determines the order in which the Post Icons are shown. By default the next display order
is assigned and can be changed at a later date
Once all the information has been entered and checked click the 'Upload' button. The Post Icons will then be uploaded
to the specified folder.
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Smilies Back to Top
The Smilies group allows you to manage the smilies on your board.
Smilies (also called emoticons in some quarters) are small images used to convey some form of emotion in messages.
Example
What you type: Hi there! :)
Will get parsed as: Hi there!
This section will show you how the smilies can be arranged in categories. It will also show you how you can process
one or more smilies that you have uploaded to your web server or how to manually upload one through the smilie
upload manager.
Note:
Don't forget to go through the settings of the vBulletin Options > vBulletin Options > Message Posting and Editing
Options where you can control the 'Maximum Images Per Post/Signature'.
Smilie Manager Back to Top
You can manage your smilies here. The smilie images can be arranged in categories.
The above image shows a list of your smilie categories.
Title
This column tells you the name of each category. You can click on the category name to view which smilies are
in it, after which you can edit or delete a smilie and update its display order.
Contains
This column tells you how many images are in the corresponding category.
Display Order
This column tells you the display order of each smilie category. The display order is used to order the smilie
category listing in this Smilie Manager as well as how it is displayed on your forums. You can update the
display orders shown on this page by changing the number values and clicking the [Save Display Order] button.
Controls
On the right side you will find several options for each smilie category.
The [Mass Move] link takes you to a page where you can select a new category for each smilie in the
corresponding category and submit the changes all at once.
The [View] link does the same thing as clicking on the category name to the left, it takes you to a page where
you can view all smilies in the corresponding category.
The [Edit] link allows you to edit the title and display order of the corresponding category.
The [Delete] link takes you to a page where you can delete the corresponding category and all of its smilies or
mass move the categories smilies to another category and then delete the original category.
At the bottom of the page (see above figure) you will see two additional links which allows you to add a new smilie
category and to display all the smilies from all categories.
Click on the [Add New Smilie Category] link to load a page from where you can enter a 'title' for the new category
and the display order. If you don't know the number for the display order than you can leave this empty. Then press
the [Save] button to add this new smilie category. You will then return to the initial overview of all the smilie
categories.
Click on the [Show All Smilies] link to load a page from where it will display all the smilies from all the categories.
On this page you can also edit and delete a smilie.
Add New Smilie Back to Top
This screen allows you to add one or more images at a time. These images must already reside on the server, having
been uploaded Using the Upload Smilie option or by FTP prior to doing this.
You can either add a single image or add multiple images at the same time.
Note:
Don't forget to upload the smilies to your images/smilies directory first before using this feature. If you don't know
how to do that you can also use the alternative feature to manually upload a smilie.
Adding a single new Smilie (Admin Control Panel > Smilies > Add New Smilie > Add a Single Smilie)
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Title
This is the title you want to give to describe your smilie.
Text to Replace
This is the replacement text for the smilie. When a user types this text in a post, it will get replaced with the
smilie image.
Smilie File Path
Type the path and filename of the smilie you want to add. An example would be images/smilies/happy.gif
Smilie Category
This drop down box will have all the possible smilies categories - select one to add this smilie to this category.
Display Order
If you know which order you'd like to give to your smilie you can enter it here. This is an optional field, if you
don't know what the display order should be you can leave this field empty. You can always change it later.
When these details are entered press the [Add Smilie] button to add the smilie to the selected smilies category.
Adding Multiple Smilies (Admin Control Panel > Smilies > Add New Smilie > Add Multiple Smilies)
Smilie Category
This drop down box will have all the possible smilies categories - select one to add all the smilies to.
Smilies File Path
Type the path and not filename of the smilies directory you want to add. An example would be
images/smilies/newones/ (if you have uploaded your smilies to the newones/ directory)
Smilies to Show Per Page
This is the number of images to display per page while adding them.
When these details are entered press the [Add Smilies] button to add the smilie to the selected smilies category which
will load a page where you can select and deselect smilies.
Smilie Display Order Back to Top
Unlike many other items in vBulletin, the display order of a smilie actually affects the final HTML output generated
by your board.
Consider this example where you have two smilies:
Smilie Name Smilie Text Smilie Image
Smilie 1 :o
Smilie 2 :o)
The smilie display order controls the order in which smilies will be parsed. If Smilie 1 were to be parsed first, not only
would all instances of :o be converted to , but also the first two characters of Smilie 2 would be matched and
converted, leaving you with ).
To make these smilies parse correctly, Smilie 2 should have a smaller display order than Smilie 1, so that it is parsed
first and is not picked up in the search for Smilie 1.
Upload Smilie Back to Top
On this screen, you can upload one image at a time through your browser for use on your forum. To do this, both your
web server and PHP must have permission to write files to disk. If they do not, this will fail.
Note:
The directory that you are trying to put the file in must be CHMODed 777. Consult your FTP program documentation
for how to do this.
If you don't know how to do that you can also use the alternative feature to add one or more smilies through the Add
New Smilie manager.
Uploading a single new Smilie (Smilies > Upload Smilie)
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Filename
Click on the [Browse..] button and select from your hard drive the smilie you want to upload.
Title
This is the title you want to give to describe your smilie.
Text to Replace
This is the replacement text for the smilie. When a user types this text in a post, it will get replaced with the
smilie image.
Smilie File Path
Type the path of the smilie directory. An example would be images/smilies. This directory should be readable
and writable by the webserver (usually CHMOD 777).
Smilie Category
This drop down box will have all the possible smilies categories - select one to add this smilie to this category.
Display Order
If you know which order you'd like to give to your smilie you can enter it here, this is an optional field. If you
don't know what the display order should be you can leave this field empty, you can always change it later.
When these details are entered press the [Upload] button to add the smilie to the selected smilies category.
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Custom BB Codes Back to Top
BB Code (or vB Code) is a method by which your members can format their messages. Its syntax is similar to HTML,
but it has the benefit that you (the administrator) can define exactly what codes are allowable in order to prevent
unwanted formatting or malicious use. It is also less prone to break the layout of your forums than raw HTML.
The Custom BBCode manager allows you to define new bbcode tags in order to extend the range of formatting
available to your members.
Here is a list of all the default BBcode, http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/misc.php?do=bbcode
An Introduction to BB Codes Back to Top
BB (Bulletin Board) codes, sometimes referred to as vB codes, are meant to replace HTML for providing formatting
such as bold, italics, and images in posts. Additionally, you may map multiple HTML tags to a single BB code to
provide more complex formatting without forcing your members to include many tags.
Many BB code tags are included by default in vBulletin. Some of these include [b] for bold, [i] for italics, and [url] for
inserting hyperlinks. Their output is not directly modifiable. However, you can disable specific tags in the vBulletin
Options section.
BB codes may take one of two formats: with an option or without. An example BB code with an option is
[url=http://www.vbulletin.com]vBulletin[/url]; [url]http://www.vbulletin.com[/url] is an example of a BB code that
does not have an option. Essentially, an option allows you to specify two values per BB code reference. It is not
possible to have more than one option in a BB code.
Things to keep in mind when creating BB codes:
BB codes must not be empty. Empty tag usage, such as [i][/i], will be removed before parsing and there for
nothing will be displayed in its place, even if something normally would.
BB codes must have a closing tag. [i] will not be parsed alone; it needs the [/i] to be parsed.
If you wish to have a tag that accepts both an option and non-option version, such as [url], you must create
both. Simply create one tag with Use {option} set to yes and the other set to no.
BB Code Manager Back to Top
To edit your existing BB codes or perform tests to ensure they function correctly, go to Custom BB Codes > BB Code
Manager. At the top of this page you will see a list of your custom BB codes.
Title – the title of your BB code.
BB Code – an example of the BB code.
HTML – the HTML output of the example.
Replacement – an HTML rendering of the example
Button Image – the button being displayed with the editors, if you have specified one.
Controls – these options allow you to edit or delete this BB code.
Below this you will see an area to test your BB codes.
This is equivalent to making a test post on the board to ensure that everything works correctly. However, you do not
actually have to make the post public!
Adding or Editing a BB Code Back to Top
To add a new BB code, go to Custom BB Codes > Add New BB Code. The form will look similar to this:
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Title – the title of your tag, which will be used to generate the BB code list.
Tag – this is the text for the BB code, which goes inside the square brackets. For example, you would use 'b' for
[b] tags and 'url' (without quotes) for [url] tags.
Replacement – this is the HTML code for the BB code replacement. Make sure that you include '{param}'
(without the quotes) to insert the text between the opening and closing BB code tags, and '{option}' for the
parameter within the BB code tag. You can only use {option} if 'Use Option' is set to yes.
For example, you would use <b>{param}</b> for [b] tags and <a href="{option}">{param}</a> for [url=xxx] .
You will always use '{param}', but you will only use '{option}' when Use Option? is yes.
Example – this is a sample piece of BB code to use as an example for this particular BB code. For example,
you would use [b]Bold[/b] for [b] tags, [url=http://www.vbulletin.com]vBulletin[/url] for [url] tags.
Description – this is a piece of text to describe the BB code tag. This can include HTML tags if you wish.
Use Option – setting this option to yes will allow you to create a [tag=option][/tag] style tag, rather than just a
[tag][/tag] style tag.
Button Image – this is the URL to an image that will be displayed when a user is making a new post. Clicking
the image will allow a user to quickly insert this tag. The image should be 21-pixels-wide by 20-pixels-high and
the path should be specified relative to the main vBulletin directory.
Remove Tag If Empty? - setting this option to yes will remove this BB Code from your text if there is nothing
within it. For example, if this option is set, [tag][/tag] will not be displayed, whereas [tag]text here[/tag] will be
displayed. Set this option to no if you wish the BB Code's replacements to be shown no matter what
Disable BB Code Within This BB Code? - setting this option disables the parsing of any BB Code within this
BB Code, displaying them as plain text.
Disable Smilies Within This BB Code? - setting this option disables smilies within the BB Code, displaying
them as plain text.
Disable Word Wrapping Within This BB Code? - setting this option disables word-wrapping within this BB
Code.
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RSS Feed Posting Robot Back to Top
vBulletin includes a system through which RSS feeds from remote sources can be imported into your own board as
threads or announcements.
Many sites now offer RSS feeds, which provide a means of providing their content to other parties in a standardized
format.
The RSS posting robot in vBulletin allows administrators to import a wealth of third party data into their forums, such
as live news feeds or even posts and threads from other forums.
Managing RSS Feeds Back to Top
To access the RSS feed manager, navigate to RSS Feeds > RSS Feed Manager.
From here, you will find a list of any RSS feeds that have already been added to the board, together with controls to
manage those feeds. There is also a control to add a new RSS feed to the board if you wish to do so.
Next to each feed is a checkbox which can be used as a quick means of disabling feeds without actually deleting them.
To use this feature, simply tick or un-tick as many feeds as you want then hit the [Save Enabled Status] button to save
your preference.
To add or edit an RSS feed from which your board can fetch data, navigate to RSS Feeds > RSS Feed Manager and
either click the name of the RSS feed you want to edit, or else click the [Add New RSS Feed] button to add a new
one.
Each RSS feed listed in the manager can be edited by clicking either on its name or on the [Edit] link. Also shown is
the host name of the server on which the RSS feed is located. Clicking on this host name (such as www.example.com)
will allow you to view the raw feed source, which may be shown as plain XML or else might be formatted using
XSLT by the feed owner.
Additionally, each feed shows the last time at which the source was checked for updates.
Editing RSS Feeds Back to Top
To add a new RSS feed, or edit an existing one, either click the name of the existing feed on the RSS Feed Manager
page, or click the [Add New RSS Feed] button to add a new feed.
The RSS Feed Editor will then load, presenting you with a detailed form to complete in order to instruct vBulletin
how to treat the RSS feed to which you are pointing it.
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Reset Last Checked Time
This control is related to the Check Feed Every... control (see below) and allows you to have vBulletin check the
feed the next time the robot checks any feeds, instead of waiting for the next scheduled time.
Feed is Enabled
If this control is set to 'No', the feed will be ignored. The enabled switch is an easy way to temporarily disable a
feed without actually deleting the record from the database.
Title
Enter a title for your feed here. This will be used soley for identification purposes within the Admin Control
Panel.
URL of Feed
This is the most important control on the page. Enter the full URL to the feed here, including the port number if
it is non-standard.
A few examples:
http://www.example.com/feed.rss
https://www.example.com/secure_feed.xml
http://www.example.com:8080/another_feed.rdf
Check Feed Every...
Use this control to specify how frequently vBulletin should query the feed specified to check for new items.
Warning:
Bear in mind that checking a feed too frequently could get your server blacklisted by the site hosting the feed.
Maximum Items to Fetch
Some feeds may contain many items. To prevent your forum being flooded with messages, specify a number
here to limit the messages posted from the feed to the first few items.
Search Items for Words
When a feed is checked you may optionally have vBulletin search each item for key words and only post the
item if one or more of those key words is found. Enter any number of words into the text box, separating each
word with a space or new line.
By ticking and unticking the Search Titles Only control you may specify whether the system should search the
title feed only, or both the title feed and the description field from each item in the feed.
User Name
Enter the name of the user who to whom items posted from this feed will be attributed. Usually this would be an
administrator, or a special user created soley as the poster of RSS items.
Forum
Select a forum into which messages posted from the feed will be placed. Ensure that the forum you choose can
accept posts!
Allow Smilies
If any smilie codes are found in the RSS items to be posted, having this option set to 'Yes' will convert those
smilie codes into their corresponding smilie images.
Display Signature
Set this option to 'Yes' if you would like items posted by the RSS feed robot to include the signature of the user
to whom they are attributed (see User Name above).
Convert HTML to BB Code
Some RSS feeds contain HTML formatting. If you would like vBulletin to attempt to convert HTML into BB
Code, set this option to 'Yes'.
Note:
Note that the later setting 'Allow HTML in Announcements' will be ignored if this option is enabled.
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RSS feeds can contain a lot of information, and in order to be as flexible as possible, vBulletin provides two simple
template fields in which you can specify exactly what information you would like extracted from each RSS item, and
how to format it.
Within vBulletin, we allow you to access only specific parts of the RSS. The fields you can use are title, description,
link, id, date, enclosure_href and content:encoded
These fields of information can be included in the templates using the simple format {feed:fieldname} where
'fieldname' is the name of the field whose contents you want to insert.
Here is an example of a template that will include the item title, description and link:
[b]{feed:title}[/b]
{feed:description}
[url={feed:link}]More...[/url]
There are two templates to complete - one for the title of the item to be posted, and one for the message body.
The vBulletin RSS Feed posting robot has the ability to post RSS items either as threads or as announcements, with
different options for each posting type. The options for each type are described in the following pages.
Posting RSS Items as Threads
Posting RSS Items as Announcements
Posting RSS Items as Threads Back to Top
To post RSS items for the current feed as threads, first select the radio button labelled Post Items as Threads. The
options below will then apply to the posted items.
Post Icons
If you would like items posted from this RSS feed to have a post icon, select the one you would like from the
list presented to you. If you select 'No Icon', the posted items will either have no icon, or will have the default
icon if specified in the Admin CP > vBulletin Options > Thread Display Options (showthread) > Show Default
Post Icon option.
Make Thread Sticky
Set this option to 'Yes' if you would like threads posted from this RSS feed to always appear at the top of the list
of threads (forumdisplay.php).
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Moderate Thread
If you would like to give your moderation staff the opportunity to check the content of items posted by the RSS
robot before they
Thread Action Delay (Hours)
This special option allows the system to perform an action on a thread posted by the RSS robot after a number
of hours has elapsed.
If you would like an action to be performed on a thread after a time delay, enter a number of hours in the box
provided, otherwise leave the value as 0 to disable the option.
Unstick Sticky Thread After Delay
Select this option if you would like sticky threads to be unstuck after the number of hours you specified.
This can be useful for drawing attention to new items for a limited time, before allowing them to drop off
the first page of thread results.
Close Thread After Delay
This option allows you to have threads posted by the RSS robot to be automatically closed after a delay
specified by you (above).
Posting RSS Items as Announcements Back to Top
To post RSS items for the current feed as announcements, you must first select the radio button labelled Post Items as
Announcements, which will the allow the options below to be set.
Allow HTML in Announcements
If this option is set to 'Yes', any HTML included in RSS items will be posted verbatim in items posted on your
board.
Warning:
Allowing raw HTML means that any malicious HTML or Javascript code included in the RSS feed will appear
uncensored on your board. Do not enable this option unless you fully trust the RSS source to not include such
exploit code, or all sorts of bad things could happen...
Days for Announcements to Remain Active
Announcements posted by the RSS robot will remain visible to board visitors for a limited time. You can set the
amount of days they will remain active using this control.
Note:
Once an announcement has been posted by the RSS robot, you can manually change the expiry date of any
individual announcement by editing it directly via the Admin CP > Announcements > Announcement Manager
> Edit system.
Saving and Previewing RSS Feeds Back to Top
After setting all the options for an RSS feed, you can either choose to save it straight away using the [Save] button...
...or you can preview the results of the options you have set by pressing the [Preview Feed] button.
The preview function allows you to quickly see how your templates are working, whether the feed URL is correct, etc.
Occasionally, the preview may also give you useful information about the feed, such as suggestions for options.
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Scheduled Tasks Back to Top
The vBulletin Scheduled Task Manager allows you to add tasks that will be executed at specific intervals, much like
the Unix Cron system.
You will find a number of tasks already set to run at specific times, and you can edit the intervals for those tasks, or
add your own if you have something specific you need done.
Introduction to Scheduled Tasks Back to Top
Scheduled tasks allow you to run scripts at specific intervals. It is essentially equivalent to cron jobs’ in Unix and
scheduled tasks’ in Windows®.
Examples of things you might use scheduled tasks for include daily and weekly email digests and automatic, happy-
birthday emails.
Warning:
vBulletin’s scheduled tasks system does not constantly run on the server like cron and scheduled tasks in Windows®.
Tasks are automatically run when a user browses your board, so if your board does not have any traffic at a given
time, tasks scheduled to run then will not run until later.
vBulletin’s scheduled tasks also will not run when you board is turned off.
Managing Scheduled Tasks Back to Top
When going to Scheduled Tasks > Scheduled Task Manager, you will be presented with a screen like this:
The columns mean the following:
m – this stands for minute. This is the minute of the hour when the task will run. * means it runs every minute.
h – this stands for hour, the hour of the day when the task will run. * means it will run every hour.
D – this stands for day. If a number is specified, this is the day of the month when the task will run; * means it
will run every day.
M – this stands for month. This is the month of the year when the task will run. As you may expect, * means it
will run each month.
DoW – this stands for day of the week. If specified, the task will only run on this day of the week, ignoring the
day of month setting; if * is selected here, control is passed to the day of month setting.
Title – the name of the scheduled task.
Next Time – the next time that the task is scheduled to run.
Controls – contains controls to edit or delete the task (in the drop down) or run the task right now.
Adding or Editing a Scheduled Task Back to Top
To add a new scheduled task, go to Scheduled Tasks > Add New Scheduled Task. You will be presented with a screen
like this:
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Varname – An unique identifier for the task. You will most likely want to call this something similar to the
task's title. You may only use a-z, A-Z, 0-9, and _ (underscore) in this field.
Title – the title of the scheduled task. This is used for identifying the task in the scheduled task manager and
log.
Description – the description of the scheduled task. This is used for describing the task in the scheduled task
manager.
Log Phrase - this controls the format of the phrase that will be used when logging successful runs of this task.
If the code that logs this task provides more specific information about what was performed, you may use text
placeholders such as {1}.
Day of the Week – the specific day of the week that the task should run on. If this is set to a day, then the Day
of the Month setting will not have any effect.
Day of the Month – if Day of the Week is set to *, then this indicates the specific day of the month that the task
should run on. Set this to * to run the task daily.
Hour – the hour of the day when the task is run. Set this to * to run the task every hour.
Minute – the minute of the hour when the task is run. Set this to * to run the task every minute.
Active – The task will only execute when this option is enabled.
Log Entries – allows you to specify whether results from the task are logged.
Filename – the path to the PHP script which contains the code to be run. This should be specified relative to the
main forums directory.
Product - this is the product that this task is associated with. You do not need to change this value unless you
are developing an addon to be released.
Scheduled Task Log Back to Top
The scheduled task log is simply a way to see when tasks are run and what effect they had. When you go to Scheduled
Tasks > Scheduled Task Log, you will be presented with a screen similar to this:
Here, you may view previous log entries or prune old entries.
To view log entries, select the criteria you want and click [View]. This will lead you to a screen that looks like this:
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ID – ID number used to identify the log entry.
Action – title of the scheduled task run.
Date – date and time that the task was run.
Info – information returned from the task. For some scripts, this information may include users affected.
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Plugin System Back to Top
From version 3.5, vBulletin has an extensive plugin system, allowing new features to be added and functionality to be
changed by third-party add-ons, without modifying the core vBulletin code.
The following sections detail some of the methods in which this can be done.
The Product Manager Back to Top
The product manager, found at Admin Control Panel > Plugin System > Manage Products, is a tool for dealing with
the installation, removal, enabling and disabling of products.
Each row of the product manager interface shows the details of a product you have installed into your vBulletin
system.
The image shown above lists two installed products - My Product and Your Product. You can see the description of
each product, together with the version number of the currently installed version.
For the majority of users, the product manager will be the interface through which downloaded products are installed,
upgraded or removed.
Installed products can be temporarily disabled or fully removed from the system using the corresponding popup menu
for each product.
The product manager also acts as the packager for creating new products - this use is described fully in Creating a
Product.
Importing / Installing a Product Back to Top
Having downloaded a product from vBulletin.com's Members Area or vBulletin.org, the product manager contains a
link labelled [Add/Import Product].
Clicking this link will load the Add/Import Product interface, which contains two forms. In this instance, we will be
using the Import Product form.
Importing a product is done in much the same way as importing a style, or a language pack. You simply need to click
the [Browse] button and navigate with the file dialog to the product XML file you downloaded.
Alternatively, if you have uploaded the XML file to your server via FTP, you can specify the relative path to the XML
file from your forums directory instead of using the [Browse] button.
If you are installing a new product, you should leave the Allow Overwrite option set to No, but if you are installing a
new version of a product you have previously installed (upgrading) then this option should be set to Yes.
When the form is complete, hit the [Import] button and the XML file will be imported, installing any templates,
phrases, plugins etc. that are specified within that XML file.
Temporarily Deactivating a Product Back to Top
It is possible to temporarily disable / deactivate a product through the product manager without totally removing it.
This makes debugging simpler, as problems can be isolated to specific products by disabling all products and then re-
enabling them one by one until the problem reappears.
To disable a product, simply select Disable from the popup menu next to the product you want to deactivate.
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Disabled products will not execute their plugin code, nor will their appear control panel navigation items be displayed
and any defined bitfield permissions will not be shown in the usergroup permissions editor.
A disabled product shows with its name struck-through and will have the Disable option from the popup menu
replaced by a Enable option. To re-enable a product, simply select this option.
Removing / Uninstalling a Product Back to Top
If you no longer have any need for a product you have previously installed, you can remove it from the system easily
and cleanly.
Uninstalling a product will automatically and permanently remove the following:
All plugin code attached to the product
All master templates attached to the product
All master phrases attached to the product
All options attached to the product
All admin help entries attached to the product
Any additional files uploaded as part of the product installation will need to be removed manually in the same manner
as they were uploaded.
To uninstall a product, select the Uninstall option from the popup menu corresponding to the target product.
Note:
While the master versions of all templates and phrases belonging to a product will be deleted by the uninstall
procedure, if any customized versions exist, they will be retained in the database and will appear as custom templates.
The Plugin Manager Back to Top
vBulletin contains a number of hooks, to which can be attached chunks of code to extend or change the functionality
of vBulletin. These chunks of code are called plugins. The plugin manager is the system through which plugins can be
added, modified and removed.
Adding or Editing a Plugin Back to Top
To add a plugin, navigate to Plugin System > Add New Plugin. This will take you to the Add New Plugin form.
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The fields on the Add New Product form are all required for successful plugin operation. Each field is described here:
Product Use the Product field to attach this plugin to a product. This allows plugins to be grouped together and
exported and installed as part of a product package through the product manager.
Hook
Location
The hook location specifies where in the vBulletin system your plugin code should be executed.
To work out what hook would be appropriate to use, you will need to look through the vBulletin PHP
scripts for hook locations, then identify the unique ID of hook you want to use.
In the example illustrated, we are attaching our code to the profile_updateprofile hook, which can be
found in profile.php with this line:
($hook = vBulletinHook::fetch_hook('profile_updateprofile')) ? eval($hook) : false;
Title Use the title field to give your plugin a meaningful name to help you identify it at a later date.
Execution
Order
This field allows the execution order to be defined when multiple hooks are to be executed. A hook with
a lower execution number will be executed first.
Plugin
PHP
Code
Use this box to enter the PHP code you want to be executed at the specified hook location. Remember
that the code runs in the context and scope of the hook line itself.
For more information about writing plugin code, there is a section of this manual dedicated to this
subject.
Warning:
Plugin code must be valid PHP or errors will ensue.
Plugin is
Active
You can use this control to disable an individual plugin without removing the code. This can be helpful
in debugging.
Plugin Summary View Back to Top
When multiple plugins are added, they can all be viewed at a glance through the plugin manager. The manager's main
page will display
the title of each plugin
the hook that executes the code (or the product the plugin belongs to)
the active/inactive status of the plugin
From here you can also activate or deactivate one or more plugins without having to visit the full editor page. To do
this, simply change the status of one or more of the plugin checkboxes, then click the [Save Active Status] button at
the bottom of the form. The plugins saved with the checkbox unchecked will now be disabled.
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Help! I've broken my board! Back to Top
Hopefully you'll never have the misfortune to break your board with a plugin containing an error, but if you do you
could potentially find yourself unable to log into correct the problem because your plugin has broken the login system.
Thankfully, help is at hand. There is a global, code-level switch you can use to totally disable the plugin/hook system
so that any plugins (including broken ones) do not run.
To disable the plugin/hook system completely without accessing the Admin CP options, you need to edit
includes/config.php and add the following code:
define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true);
With this code in config.php, no plugins will run at all.
To re-enable the plugin system, remove the code again from config.php.
Creating a Product Back to Top
To create a vBulletin 'product' that can be downloaded and installed by others, there are several stages to be
performed.
In summary, they are these:
1. Add a product record and title it accordingly
2. Add plugin code for the product
3. Add templates and phrases for the product
4. Add options for the product
5. Add control panel navigation entries for the product
6. Add bitfield permissions for the product
7. Export the product XML file
Adding a Product Back to Top
The first step when creating a product for others to install is to create the product record.
This will act as a grouping agent for all the items you add that go together to form your product.
To add a product record, navigate to Plugin System > Manage Products > Add/Import Product then use the Add New
Product form.
The fields to complete are as follows:
Product ID This is the most important field of a product - all items added to the product such as templates,
plugins, phrases etc. will all reference this value to indictate their attachment to the product.
Product IDs can contain lowercase letters, underscores and numbers but no other characters.
Note:
Please do not name your products with a 'vb' prefix, such as vbelephant or vbsidewalk. The 'vb' prefix
is reserved for official vBulletin products released by Jelsoft or its affiliates.
Title The title field is used to give your product a recognizable name for the purposes of identification.
Version The version field is important as it is used in the product upgrade process. A version value of 2.0 is
considered newer than 1.0 etc.
Description Fairly self-explanitory, the description field is used to give a little more detail about your product than
the title field.
Product
URL
This is the location where users can get information and support for your product. If you provide this,
the product title will be linked to this URL from the product list.
Version If you provide this URL, users will be able to automatically check to see if their version of the product
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Check
URL
is up to date. Data returned by this page must be in this format:
<version productid="x">1.2.3</version>
Where x is the product ID, and 1.2.3 is the latest version of your product.
When all fields are complete, hit the [Save] button and your product record will be inserted and will be listed in the
product manager.
Writing Plugin Code Back to Top
Plugin code is regular PHP, and should be written as if editing the vBulletin scripts directly.
When adding code to a plugin, you should bear in mind that your code will have access to all variables and classes
that are exposed at the point where the hook is placed.
For example, let us consider this hypothetical hook in a hypothetical script:
<?php
require_once('./global.php');
$foo = 1;
$bar = 2;
($hook = vBulletinHook::fetch_hook('hypothetical_hook')) ? eval($hook) : false;
eval('print_output("' . fetch_template('hypothetical_template') . '");');
?>
Using this code, when the script terminates, $foo will equal 1 and $bar will equal 2.
We will now add a plugin to the hypothetical_hook hook, using this code:
if ($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] == '192.168.0.1')
{
$foo = 10;
$bar = 20;
}
When PHP runs the script now, the code will appear in effect as this, where the red code is the plugin code:
<?php
require_once('./global.php');
$foo = 1;
$bar = 2;
if ($_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'] == '192.168.0.1')
{
$foo = 10;
$bar = 20;
}
eval('print_output("' . fetch_template('hypothetical_template') . '");');
?>
At the termination point of the script, if the IP address of the visiting browser is 192.168.0.1, $foo will now equal 10
and $bar will equal 20, though the original PHP code remains unmodified.
Optimizing Plugin Memory Usage Back to Top
The plugin system works by storing all plugin code for all scripts in memory, so you can quickly find your plugins
using large amounts of memory if they contain a lot of code.
A simple way to avoid this problem is to use the plugin code simply to call an external script, which contains all the
complex code. In this way the code is only loaded when it is actually required.
For example, a plugin could contain this:
$tmp_uid =& $vbulletin->userinfo['userid'];
$db->query_write("
INSERT INTO " . TABLE_PREFIX . "profilelog
(userid, dateline)
VALUES
($tmp_uid, " . TIMENOW . ")
");
or alternatively, that code could be placed into a file called (for example) plugins/my_script.php, and the plugin itself
would contain this:
include('./plugins/my_script.php');
Naturally, the second option will use up far less memory than the first, and this saving will become more and more
beneficial as the amount of code to be run increases.
Product Dependencies Back to Top
If the product you are developing has specific requirements, such as PHP/MySQL/vBulletin versions or dependencies
on other products, the new product dependencies system allows you to simply manage these checks.
Once you have created a product, you will be taken back to the main product manager page. From this page, select
Edit from the dropdown for your product. Here, you can edit the existing product properties (see this page for more
information), add/edit product dependencies, or add/edit install and uninstall codes. We will concentrate on the
product dependencies section:
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Dependency
Type
(mandatory)
This is the type dependency you are creating. You may add requirements on specific versions of
PHP, MySQL, and vBulletin. Additionally, you may add a dependency on a specific product,
identified by product ID. If you are depending on a specific product, the user must have this product
installed and enabled!
Compatibility
Starts With
Version
(mandatory in
some cases)
This controls the minimum compatible version. You may leave this blank if you wish to have no
minimum version; if you do this, you must enter a value into the Incompatible With Version field.
This version is included in the compatibility. For example, if you require PHP 5.0.0, 5.0.0 will
qualify. However, 5.0.0 Beta 1 will not.
Incompatible
With Version
(mandatory in
some cases)
This is the first incompatible version. All versions newer than this are also incompatible. If you
wish to only require a minimum version, you may leave this field blank.
This version is not considered compatible. For example, if you specify that your product is
incompatible with PHP 5.0.0, a user with PHP 5.0.0 Beta 1 will be able to install your product,
while a user with PHP 5.0.0 or 5.0.1 would not.
Installation & Uninstallation Code Back to Top
If the product you are developing requires additional code, such as database queries, to be run during installation or
uninstallation, this section will cover how to accomplish this.
Once you have created a product, you will be taken back to the main product manager page. From this page, select
Edit from the dropdown for your product. Here, you can edit the existing product properties (see this page for more
information) or add/edit install and uninstall codes. We will concentrate on the install codes section:
Version
(mandatory)
The version of your product that this specific install/uninstall code pair corresponds to. This is used to
control when the code is executed (see below).
Install
Code
(optional)
This PHP code will be run only during installation of or while upgrading your product, starting with
code attached to the oldest version. If the user is upgrading, only codes attached to newer versions will
be run. Here is an example:
You make several releases of your product, DemoProduct, versions 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, and 2.0.1. A user
currently has version 2.0 installed. When he or she upgrades to 2.0.1, the only install code that will be
run is code attached to the 2.0.1 release. However, when someone installs your product for the first
time, code will be run from all versions in the order of 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, and finally 2.0.1.
This system allows you to provide increment upgrades and first time installs in the same system.
Uninstall
Code
(optional)
This PHP code is run only when your product is fully uninstalled. This should be used to clean up any
tables or extra data that your product has created. Note that control panel options, phrases, templates,
and plugins will automatically be cleaned up for you.
Multiple pieces of uninstall code are executed from the newest to oldest version. Using the example
above, the uninstall codes will be run in this order: 2.0.1, 2.0, 1.1, 1.0. This allows you to couple
install codes and uninstall codes together into a specific version, preventing some uninstallation errors
from occuring.
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Warning:
You must handle errors that may occur in the install/uninstall code as there is no built in error checking beyond what
PHP natively provides.
XML-based Control Panel Navigation Back to Top
In vBulletin 3.5, the navigation frame is built dynamically using XML files that define what links to show in what
groups. This means that new links can be added without any modification of the stock vBulletin files.
When building the navigation frame, vBulletin searches the includes/xml directory for files called cpnav_product.xml,
where 'product' is replaced with the unique identifier for a product, for example cpnav_myproduct.xml.
An example cpnav XML file might look like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<navgroups product="myproduct">
<navgroup phrase="my_product" hr="true" permissions="canadminsettings" displayorder="1">
<navoption displayorder="10">
<phrase>my_product_manager</phrase>
<link>myproduct.php?do=modify</link>
</navoption>
<navoption displayorder="20">
<phrase>add_new_item</phrase>
<link>myproduct.php?do=add</link>
</navoption>
</navgroup>
</navgroups>
This block of XML defines a navigation group containing two links, as seen here:
The root node in the XML file is <navgroups>, which also has an attribute of product, which should correspond to the
name of the product in the filename - so for example, cpnav_myproduct.xml should have a root group of <navgroups
product="myproduct">.
Within the <navgroups> node resides any number (greater than one) of <navgroup> nodes. Each <navgroup> node
has a number of attributes, some of which are optional while others are mandatory. The attributes are as follows:
phrase
(mandatory)
The phrase attribute defines the name of the phrase used to display the text for the navigation group.
This phrase should be a member of either the GLOBAL, Control Panel Global, or preferably the
Control Panel Home Pages phrase group. The phrase should belong to the product being described.
displayorder
(mandatory)
The displayorder attribute is used to define the position of the navigation group relative to other
navigation groups. A navigation group with a displayorder of 3 will appear before a group having
displayorder 6 etc.
Note that display order is distributed between all products, so if one product has two navgroups, with
display order values of 10 and 30 respectively, while another product has a two navgroups with
display order values of 20 and 40, the navgroups of the two products will appear interleaved in the
navigation panel.
text
(optional)
The text attribute will be shown if the defined phrase does not exist.
permissions
(optional)
If a navigation group should be displayed only to administrators with specific permissions, the
permissions attribute can be used to achieve this.
As an example, if only administrators with Can Administer Styles permissions should be allowed to
view a navigation group, you should add permissions="canadminstyles" to the <navgroup> tag.
hr
(optional)
If the hr attribute exists and has a value of true, an extra amount of space will be left underneath the
navigation group in order to create logical groupings of navigation groups.
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Within each <navgroup> node can be any number (greater than one) of <navoption> nodes. Each of these define a
single link within the navigation group. A single <navoption> node looks like this:
<navoption displayorder="50">
<phrase>phrase_varname</phrase>
<link>product.php?do=action</link>
</navoption>
Much like the <navgroup> tag, the displayorder attribute here controls the order of the links within the navgroup. A
link with displayorder = 10 will be displayed before a link with displayorder = 20.
Navigation options have two child nodes, <phrase> and <link>. These are very simple nodes and perform an equally
simple task. The <phrase> node contains the name of the phrase whose text will be displayed. As with the phrase
attribute of the <navgroup> tag, this phrase should be defined within either the GLOBAL, Control Panel Global, or
preferably the Control Panel Home Pages phrase groups, and should belong to the appropriate product. Secondly, the
<link> node contains the relative URL to the script to which the option links.
vBulletin can support an unlimited number of cpnav_product.xml files, in order to allow any product to add to the
default list of navigation links in the admin control panel.
Note:
For a fully-featured control panel navigation XML file example, see includes/xml/cpnav_vbulletin.xml
XML-based Bitfield Definitions Back to Top
Prior to vBulletin 3.5, the bitfields used for systems such as usergroup forum permissions (database:
usergroup.forumpermissions) and user options (database: user.options) were defined in includes/init.php. This meant
that in order to define additional bitfields, a core file in vBulletin needed to be modified. Needless to say, this was not
an ideal system, as the modifications would need to be re-applied after every vBulletin upgrade.
With 3.5, this problem has been resolved using XML files tied into the product system.
Every product can add a file called bitfield_[product].xml to the includes/xml directory. When bitfields are rebuilt,
these files will be read by the system and will appear in the bitfield datastore cache.
An example bitfield XML file might look like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<bitfields product="myproduct">
<bitfielddefs>
<group name="ugp">
<group name="myproductpermissions">
<bitfield name="canfoo" group="myproduct_permissions" phrase="can_foo">1</bitfield>
<bitfield name="canbar" group="myproduct_permissions" phrase="can_bar">2</bitfield>
</group>
</group>
</bitfielddefs>
</bitfields>
In this example XML file, we define two bits for a new usergroup.myproductpermissions bitfield. After completing
the following steps, vBulletin will be able to reference these two permission bitfields using $vbulletin-
>bf_ugp_myproductpermissions['canfoo'] and $vbulletin->bf_ugp_myproductpermissions['canbar'].
Within the <group name="ugp"> (usergroup permissions) node are definitions for groups of bitfield permissions. The
<group name="myproductpermissions"> node defines a bitfield called myproductpermissions, which corresponds to
an integer field in the usergroup table called myproductpermissions.
Inside this node are individual <bitfield> nodes, each of which defines a bit within the myproductpermissions bitfield.
Each of these nodes has three important attributes:
name The name attribute defines the name of the bit for easy reference within vBulletin code.
For example, if your <group> node's name is myproductpermissions, and your bitfield's name is canfoo, you
will be able to access the value of this bit using $vbulletin->bf_ugp_myproductpermissions['canfoo'].
group The group attribute is important only for integration into the usergroup editor. You can either specify the
name of an existing group (for reference, see includes/xml/bitfield_vbulletin.xml), in which case the yes/no
radio buttons for this bit will appear within that group, or else you can define a new group, in which case the
name of the group should correspond to the phrase name for the group you are creating.
In order to be able to use and edit these newly-defined permissions, we must first prepare the system.
1 The first thing to do is to define the product using the product manager, if you have not done so already.
2 We must now alter the usergroup table in the database to include this new field. The query to support this
particular field would be as follows:
ALTER TABLE usergroup ADD myproductpermissions INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL DEFAULT 0;
3 Now that we have a place in the database to store the permissions it is necessary to add all the phrases referenced
by the bitfields XML. In our example, these phrases are called myproduct_permissions, can_foo and can_bar.
These phrases need to be added to the Permissions phrase group, and should belong to the myproduct product.
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4 With the phrases and the database field in place, we can now perform the final step, which is to rebuild the
vBulletin bitfield cache from the XML files. This can only be done in debug mode, and appears as a link in the
vBulletin Options navigation group.
5 The newly-defined bitfield permissions will now appear within the usergroup editor and can be edited in the same
way as the standard, predefined permissions for each usergroup.
Exporting a Product Back to Top
When your product is complete (and fully tested of course!) the final step is to export it into a format that is easily
usable by people who may want to install your product for themselves.
The vBulletin product manager includes a facility to do just this. Almost all the items you have added to your product
can be exported in a single XML file. The following items are included in the exported product XML file:
Product version, title, description etc.
Plugins
Templates
Phrases
Options
To export a product, simply select the Export option from the product's popup menu.
This will pop up a dialog asking if you would like to save an XML file. Click the [Save] button and save the XML file
to a safe place on your computer's hard drive.
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The resulting XML file can then be packaged up with any bitfield or cpnav XML files, additional PHP, Javascript and
CSS scripts and zipped for distribution.
The following is an example of an exported product XML file containing a plugin, two templates and six phrases:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<product productid="myproduct" active="1">
<title>My Product</title>
<description>A test product</description>
<version>1.0</version>
<codes>
<code version="1.0">
<installcode><![CDATA[$db->query("
CREATE TABLE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "profilelog (
userid INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
dateline INT NOT NULL,
INDEX (userid)
)
");]]></installcode>
<uninstallcode><![CDATA[$db->query("
DROP TABLE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "profilelog
");]]></uninstallcode>
</code>
<code version="2.0">
<installcode><![CDATA[$db->query("
ALTER TABLE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "profilelog
CHANGE dateline dateline INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL
");]]></installcode>
<uninstallcode>//moo</uninstallcode>
</code>
</codes>
<templates>
<template name="profile_log"
templatetype="template" date="1127469263" username="Administrator"
version="3.5.0"><![CDATA[<div>
<div style="margin-bottom:10px">Most recent profile updates:</div>
$profile_logbits
</div>]]></template>
<template name="profile_logbit"
templatetype="template" date="1127472467" username="Administrator"
version="3.5.0"><![CDATA[<div>
$log[username] @ $log[date] <span class="time">$log[date]</span>
</div>]]></template>
</templates>
<plugins>
<plugin active="1">
<title>Profile Update Logger</title>
<hookname>profile_updateprofile</hookname>
<phpcode><![CDATA[$tmp_uid =& $vbulletin->userinfo['userid'];
$db->query_write("
INSERT INTO " . TABLE_PREFIX . "profilelog
(userid, dateline)
VALUES
($tmp_uid, " . TIMENOW . ")
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");]]></phpcode>
</plugin>
</plugins>
<phrases>
<phrasetype name="Permissions" fieldname="cppermission">
<phrase name="can_bar"><![CDATA[Can Bar]]></phrase>
<phrase name="can_foo"><![CDATA[Can Foo]]></phrase>
<phrase name="myproduct_permissions"><![CDATA[My Product Permissions]]></phrase>
</phrasetype>
<phrasetype name="Control Panel Home Pages" fieldname="cphome">
<phrase name="add_new_item"><![CDATA[Add New Item]]></phrase>
<phrase name="my_product"><![CDATA[My Product]]></phrase>
<phrase name="my_product_manager"><![CDATA[My Product Manager]]></phrase>
</phrasetype>
</phrases>
<options>
</options>
</product>
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Statistics & Logs Back to Top
Statistics & Logs provides the storage point for any system generated messages and statistics regarding your forum
Statistics Back to Top
When going to Statistics & Logs > Statistics you will be presented with a screen like this:
These links are used to display various statistics regarding your board, the descriptions are provided below:
Top Statistics - A short list of various records on your board.
Registration Statistics - The number of registrations on your board shown over a defined time frame.
User Activity Statistics - The number of users that visited your board shown over a defined time frame.
New Thread Statistics - The number of new threads on your board shown over a defined time frame.
New Post Statistics - The number of new posts on your board shown over a defined time frame.
Note:
User Activity Statistics will show 0 for any entries prior to your upgrade to vBulletin 3
The statistics viewer allows both a range of dates to be defined for reporting, the scope in which they should be
displayed and the order of the sorting on date.
Control Panel Log Back to Top
The Control Panel Log is where all actions performed within the Admin Control Panel and the Moderator Control
Panel can be viewed or deleted.
Control Panel Log Viewer
Log Entries to Show Per Page - Number of entries to show on each page.
Show Only Entries Relating to Script - Filter the logs viewed by the script that generated the log entry, this
will still include files that may have been deleted after the logging.
Show Only Entries Generated By - Filter the logs viewed by the user that generated the entry.
Order By - The logs can be sorted based on Date, username or action performed.
Prune Control Panel Log
Pruning of the Control Panel Log should be performed to reduce the size of the database, alot of space can be
consumed by this data.
Remove Entries Relating to Script - The script to remove log entries for.
Remove Entries Logged by User - The user to remove log entries for.
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Remove Entries Older Than (days) - Removes logs older than the length specified in days.
Note:
To access these parts of the Admin Control Panel you may need to edit your config.php please refer to Editing the
vBulletin Configuration File for further instructions.
Moderator Log Back to Top
The Moderator Log is where all actions performed on threads on your board are stored. This does not include actions
performed within the Admin Control Panel and Moderator Control Panel, these are logged within their respective
sections.
Moderator Log Viewer
Log Entries to Show Per Page - Number of entries to show on each page.
Show Only Entries Generated By - Filter the logs viewed by the user that generated the entry.
Order By - The logs can be sorted based on Date, username or action performed.
Prune Moderator Log
Pruning of the Moderator Log should be performed to reduce the size of the database, a lot of space can be consumed
by this data.
Remove Entries Logged by User - The user to remove log entries for.
Remove Entries Older Than (days) - Removes logs older than the length specified in days.
Scheduled Task Log Back to Top
The Scheduled Task Log is covered in detail within the Scheduled Task section of this manual.
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Maintenance Back to Top
This section of the Admin CP contains various tools for maintaining your board.
You will find tools for repairing and optimizing the tables in your database, along with various diagnostic tools useful
in tracking down problems you may experience in the running of your board.
Repair / Optimize Tables Back to Top
If you are receiving strange errors or feel that your forum has recently become slightly more sluggish, go to
Maintenance > Repair / Optimize Tables. You will be presented with a screen similar to this:
In the upper table, you select the tables to repair/optimize along with the amount of disk space used by each table. In
the lower table, you may select:
Optimize Tables – selecting this option defragments MySQL’s data file for this table and reclaims lost space.
For more information on this process, see the MySQL manual. It is not necessary to optimize tables that are
showing no overhead.
Repair Tables – this option causes MySQL to attempt to repair any tables it thinks are crashed. MySQL
generally reports this by issuing an error such as ‘Got error ### from table handler’. Under normal conditions,
this should not occur and this option should not need to be run. However, if something goes wrong, this option
will generally restore all your data. For more information, see the MySQL manual.
Update Counters Back to Top
Update Counters (Maintenance > Update Counters) is a page that allows you to rebuild some of vBulletin’s caches
should they become out of date (generally because of option changes). In normal, day-to-day operations, you do not
need to run any of the functions on this page.
Most options on this page have one option that you may set, Number of X to process per cycle. This is the number of
records that are processed on one page. Generally, the higher this number is, the faster the process will complete;
however, the higher the chance of your browser timing out and the process not completing. In most cases, the default
value should suffice.
The following functions are available:
Update User Titles
This will update all users’ user titles. Users with custom titles will not be affected.
Run this if you have changed the user title ladder and wish to see the changes reflected immediately for all
users.
Rebuild Thread Information
This will rebuild thread counters such as replies and attachment counts. Also it will rebuild the cached first and
last post information of a thread.
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Run this if you have pruned specific posts from many threads or changed a user name and wish to see the
change in the last post information of each thread.
Rebuild Forum Information
This will rebuild the post and thread count in each forum based on the number of posts/threads actually in the
database. Additionally, it will rebuild the last post information for each forum.
Run this if you have mass-deleted a lot of threads or posts or have renamed a user and wish to see the changes
reflected in the last post information of the forum. You may need to run Rebuild Thread Information first,
though!
Fix Broken User Profiles
This will fix any users that are missing records in the userfield or usertextfield tables. This generally only
happens because of outside programs incorrectly interfacing with vBulletin.
You will generally not need to run this function unless you use an outside program to register users and it does
not properly register this.
Rebuild Search Index
This will rebuild the index used to perform searches. This will allow you to take advantage of any
improvements to the indexing algorithm or implement any changes to the indexing options on older posts.
Run this after a major upgrade (such as vBulletin 2 to vBulletin 3) or if you wish to apply changes to the
indexing options to all posts.
Note:
The search index is automatically built for each post as it is posted. This is simply a batch function. If you have
done a major upgrade, your search index will have been deleted. Your search engine will not function fully until
the index has been rebuilt.
Rebuild Post Cache
Note:
This option will not be displayed if you have not enabled post caching.
This will rebuild cached post data.
Run this if you have changed a BB code template, BB code, or smilie and the changes are not being displayed
on recent posts.
Rebuild Statistics
This will rebuild your board statistics (user registrations, threads, posts, and active users per day) from the first
post on your board. Statistics will automatically be generated for new days.
Run this if you have done a major upgrade.
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Rebuild Similar Threads
This will rebuild the similar thread information for each thread. This allows the similar thread function to find
threads that have been posted since the thread in question originally was.
Run this if you have changed the similar thread thresholds or wish to have the similar threads function display
newer threads as well.
Note:
This will rebuild similar threads regardless of whether they are enabled. They must be enabled in order to be
displayed in a thread.
Delete Duplicate Threads
This will remove all but one copy of threads that appear to have duplicates (same title, poster, time, and forum).
This rarely needs to be run; only run it if you see duplicate threads in your forums. The most common cause for
this is multiple imports of the same data.
Rebuild Attachment Thumbnails
This will rebuild the thumbnails of image attachments.
Run this if you did not (or could not) have thumbnails enabled in the past but wish to now or have changed
thumbnail dimensions.
Rebuild User Reputation
This will rebuild your user reputation scores based on the information in the database and the new reputation
base specified here.
Run this if you want to remove any custom reputations and specify a new reputation base.
Update User Names
This will update all cached user names in the database.
Run this if you have manually changed a user name.
Update Post Counts
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This will update all users’ post counts based on the actual contents of the database. If you have pruned or
manually changed post counts, this function will likely lower your users’ post counts.
Run this if you wish to regenerate post counts with your current data.
Rebuild Styles
This will rebuild your style information. Additionally, it can check for styles without a parent (pre-vBulletin 3
styles) to ensure they work properly and renumber your templates in the database. The latter is simply aesthetic;
there is no advantage to having templates that begin at 1.
Run this if you have done a major upgrade or have edited your templates or styles manually.
Remove Orphan Threads
This will search for any threads in non-existent forums and remove them. This is helpful if you deleted a forum
and the process timed out before completing.
Remove Orphan Posts
This will search for any posts in non-existent threads and remove them. This will generally not be needed, but
could be helpful if your data was corrupted somehow.
Diagnostics Back to Top
This section is designed to diagnose and help you resolve some of the most common problems. It is accessible via
Maintenance > Diagnostics.
The diagnostic tests provided are:
Upload Test –
This test attempts to determine if your upload settings are set properly for the server. Simply attach a file when
submitting the form. If this test succeeds, then attachments and custom avatars should function properly.
Email Test –
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This test attempts to determine if your email settings are correct and that your email server is functioning
properly. Enter your email address and the test will attempt to email you a test mail. If you receive the email
properly, email options on your board should function properly.
Suspect File Versions Test –
This checks all vBulletin files used for this installation and attempts to determine which files, if any, were
created for an older version. If any files are found, you should re-upload that file with the current version. If you
can not find the file in the your version’s download, you may simply delete the suspect file from your server.
This system will also check for any files that have been modified since they were downloaded as part of the
vBulletin package, will alert you to any missing files and will inform you of any files that are not a standard part
of vBulletin.
System Information –
This displays system information that is often useful in debugging problems.
Execute SQL Query Back to Top
This section allows you to run arbitrary queries on your database. This is often helpful for making many changes
quickly or troubleshooting. It is accessible via Maintenance > Execute SQL Query.
Warning:
The ability to execute an arbitrary query is a powerful one. It can ease administration at times, but it has the potential
of destroying your database. Be sure the query you are running is exactly what you want.
Upon entering this section, you will see a page like this:
Note:
Your user ID must be in the $config['SpecialUsers']['canrunqueries'] variable in config.php to access this page. See
Editing the vBulletin Configuration File.
Automatic Query – these are predefined queries to accomplish commonly-used mass updates. These include
setting specific options to a certain value for all users.
Manual Query – if you wish to run your own query, you may enter it here. Ensure that no Automatic Query is
selected. Additionally, you may only run one query at a time.
Results to Show Per Page – if you have specified a query that returns results (generally SELECT queries), this
is the number of results to display per page.
If your query returns a result set, you will see a page similar to this after running it:
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At the top, you will see the query you ran. At the bottom, you will see the results of your query. Each column in the
table is a column of data being returned by the query. Thus, in this example, avatarid, title, minimumposts,
avatarpath, imagecategoryid, and displayorder are columns in the vb3_avatar table.
View PHP Info Back to Top
This section (Maintenance > View PHP Info) provides information about your PHP installation, including version
information and php.ini settings. In general, this information is only used for troubleshooting and values for specific
settings will be asked for.
To obtain more information on the PHP function used to gather this information; phpinfo(), click here.
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Podcasting Back to Top
A podcast is a method for distributing media files over the internet using syndication feeds, such as RSS. Podcasting
originated as a way for creators to push their audio files out to iPods. Podcasting is not limited to iPods, as users may
download your media files to any player that supports your media as well as choose to play the media on their
computer.
The term is also often used to simply describe any .mp3 audio file that is available for download from a website by
clicking on a link. In regards to vBulletin, podcast media is only accessible from your RSS feeds.
Configuring vBulletin for Podcasting
1. Forums & Moderators > Forum Manager > Controls > Podcast Settings
Choose a forum that will host the podcast files and configure the iTunes settings. Podcast feeds will work inside
of iTunes, and other clients that support RSS Enclosures, without any information on this page being filled in.
These settings are used when you wish to submit one of your forums as a podcast to iTunes as a podcast that
can be searched for within iTunes.
1. Set Enabled to Yes
2. Select a Category
You may ignore the rest of the settings if you like. If you would like to configure them so that iTunes works
with your podcast, see Podcast Settings for detailed instructions of each option.
This forum must be viewable to guests so verify this by logging out of your forum and checking if you can view
threads and attachments within this forum. If not, configure the permissions for this forum to allow guests to
view.
2. vBulletin Options > External Data Provider > Enable RSS Syndication must be enabled.
3. vBulletin Options > External Data Provider > Enable Podcasting must be enabled.
Setting up a Test Podcast
Browse to the forum that you setup for podcasting and click on New Thread. You will see a few new posting options
that pertain to podcasting.
Podcast URL - URL to your media file. Do not enter a value in this field if you are going to use the vBulletin
attachment system to upload your media file.
Filesize - Size of media file. Do not enter a value in this field unless an error message asks you to do so after
submitting the thread.
Subtitle - Subtitle of your media file, used by iTunes and can be ignored.
Explicit - Check if the media file contains explicit language, used by iTunes and can be ignored.
Keywords - Keywords for iTunes search, can be ignored.
Author - Author of the media file, used by iTunes and can be ignored.
You have two options for specifying your media file:
1. You may upload your media file to your website, or another website, via ftp and link to it directly. To use this
method, specify the complete URL in the Podcast URL that appears on the New Thread screen. You do not need
to specify the filesize unless your are prompted to after submitting the thread. If you want your media file to
appear in the thread to those that are viewing the thread via your forums, you will need to place the link within
your post, such as Download: http://www.example.com/podcast.mp3 The handling of the media file will be
handled automatically for those that view the podcast forum via RSS.
2. The second option for specifying your media file is to use the vBulletin attachment system. You will be limited
by the permissions of your usergroup. Only the first uploaded file will appear in the RSS feed as well. iTunes
will not function with attachment uploads on IIS servers and some Apache servers. It is best to use the first
method when possible.
Note:
You may specify any filetype that you wish, but take note that iTunes only supports six filetypes:
.m4a, .m4v, .mp3, .mp4, .mov, and .pdf
Testing Your Podcast
If you used the vBulletin attachment system, you should see a normal attachment link within the first post of the
thread that you just created. If using the Podcast URL method (preferred) then you will only see a link if you manually
placed a link within the first post.
For this example, we will use a forumid of 10 for our podcast forum. You can get the forumid of your podcast forum
by hovering over any links to your podcast forum and looking for forumid=10.
The link to our example podcast forum is
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http://www.example.com/forums/external.php?forumids=10
This is the URL that you would enter into iTunes and other RSS clients that support enclosures. Enclosure is the
technical name for including a media file via RSS and is the preferred nomenclature for some clients.
Note:
Do not specify more than one forumid for your podcast URL
Further Details
Users that are subscribed to your podcast forum will make periodic queries to the podcast URL to check for updates.
Some clients can be programmed to automatically download the media file when a new post is found.
You may post as many threads in your podcast forum as you wish, whereas the first post of each thread will be
considered a podcast. You should include a media file with each thread but are not required to do so.
You may allow your users to respond to the podcast thread, as a normal thread, as it will not affect the viewing of the
podcast by podcast clients.
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Troubleshooting and Common Solutions Back to Top
Over the course of time there may be problems with your software. Proper maintanence and upgrades will help
minimize these but they can still occur. This section of the manual will outline the most common problems that can
occur and give the solution or workaround for them to get your site back up and running.
Solutions to Common Problems
When viewing my board, I get an error that says "Cannot add cookie information, headers already sent"
The most common reason for this is a blank or exta line in your config.php. You are not allowed to have anything
outside the <?php and ?> delimiters. Not even a space. It is recommended to eliminate all extra lines and spaces
before or after these delimiters.
I installed a new plugin and now my forum doesn't work. I can't login into the Admin Control Panel to fix this.
To temporarily disable the plugin system, edit config.php and add this line right under <?php
define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true);
This will allow your forum to work and you can then login and delete the plugin via the plugin manager.
I have several domains pointed to my forums. However when users login via one domain, they get an error that
says "In order to accept POST request originating from this domain, the admin must add this domain to the
whitelist".
That error can happen when you post to a vBulletin form from an external referrer that isn't on the white list:
Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> General Settings -> Post Referrer Whitelist
Edit this list to include all referrers that you use.
I have tried the above but cannot log into my Admin Control Panel to make the changes.
You can temporarily disable the Whitelist by editing your config.php file. Open this file in wordpad and in a line
above the ?> add the following code:
define('SKIP_REFERRER_CHECK',true);
When viewing my board, it has an error that says "There has been a slight problem with the database."
Please view the source of the page and compare the error to those listed in the section on troubleshooting MySQL. If
the error isn't listed there, please open a support ticket at http://www.vbulletin.com/go/techsupport/
Upgrade Issues Back to Top
Common Questions about Upgrading from 3.0.X to 3.5.X
Q. I receive the following error when trying to upgrade:
We have detected that you have already tried to run the upgrade script.
You will not be able to proceed unless you revert to a vB 2.2.x/2.3.x database.
This happens you do not upload all files, especially: install/upgrade.php
Upload all the files from the vBulletin .zip file again, making sure you upload them 100%, overwrite existing files (do
not skip or resume). Then run that upgrade script again, at that step. You can skip install/install.php and
includes/config.php.new and the whole images/ directory.
Q. My Postbit is no longer showing the avatar, its a broken image / its just text now!
As of vBulletin 3.5.0 beta 1 there were a lot of changes done to the postbit and postbit_legacy templates, you will
either need to make the changes as outlined in the release threads (links to listed changed) or revert the template itself.
Q. The Quick Reply / Inline Moderation / Drop Down menus are not working.
vBulletin 3.5.0 has quite a few template changes, its recommended that you try using a stock style and seeing if this
fixes the problems. Again as there have been many changes it may be easier to start fresh and re-customize.
(We recommend you go to the "Find Updated Templates" page of the "Styles & Templates" section of your control
panel and revert all templates listed there!)
Q. After the upgrade I got a few database error emails, however I did not see these errors myself.
As of per the gold release announcement, if you are upgrading from 3.0.x to 3.5.0 you should totally close off your
website, otherwise you may experience this. If you did not get anymore and are not seeing error messages now you
should be fine.
Q. After upgrading from 3.0.x to 3.5.0 I run Admin Control Panel > Maintenance > Diagnostics > Suspect File
Version and noticed that I was still running a few 3.0.x files; Can I remove those?
If you are 100% sure you have uploaded all the vBulletin 3.5.0 files, overwriting any file already on the server (not
skipping or resuming them), you can remove the left-over files from 3.0.x.
Q. After upgrading from vBulletin 3.0.x to 3.5.0 Internet Explorer Says displays a popup that says it cannot
display the page. "Internet Explorer Cannot Open Internet Site http://domain.com/forums/page.php=x"
You are an incompatable style from the vBulletin 3.0.x serries and it needs to be reverted before it will work.
Email Issues Back to Top
Users say that they do not receive emails from my site. What do I do?
First, make sure that you actually have turn on the email functions here:
Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> Email Options -> Enable Email features -> Yes
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Then verify that the email system for your forum is working via the Admin Control Panel. You can do that under
diagnostics.
Admin Control Panel -> Maintenance -> Diagnostics -> Email Diagnostics
If there is an error stated, you can look at the logs for your mailer daemon to find out what error is occuring. If their is
no error and the email is sent to the supplied address, then the issue is on the ISP/mailbox end. Continue reading
further down this page for other suggestions.
If there is no error and you didn't get the emails then make sure you have a valid webmaster's email address in your
Admin CP settings and that there is only one address. In addition make sure the domain on the email address matches
the domain for your site. Otherwise some ISPs may treat this as spam. Then try this:
Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> Email Options -> Enable "-f" Parameter -> Yes
Then try the vB email functions again. If it still doesn't work, then this is either a server and/or mailbox issue. By
default vB uses PHP's mail() function for all its email and uses the SMTP server specified in php.ini. If PHP and the
mail server are configured correctly then email will work. You can view the details here: http://us3.php.net/mail/
To troubleshoot any email problems you will need to view the mail logs on the server to see what happened to those
emails that don't work. Once vB sends it to PHP it's in the hands of the server. If you are on a shared server you may
need to ask your host to look through the logs for you.
Many large service providers such as Verizon, AOL and MSN are implementing aggressive filtering. In many cases,
the customers of these providers can place the email address you use for notification in their contact list and then your
emails will be allowed through. If this doesn't work, you should contact the provider in question and ask to be placed
on their whitelist. Some providers will charge a listing fee for this.
In addition, AOL (and possibly others) will not accept emails from domains that do not have reverse DNS setup. It's
possible these emails are being placed into a spam folder or are being filtered.
The problem could also be caused by aggressive spam filters on the user's machine. In these cases their anti-spam
software should be configured to allow emails from your domain name. Refer them to the documentation for the
software they are using.
If all else fails you can switch to the SMTP mail option to see if this works better for you. These settings are here:
Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> Email Options -> SMTP Email -> Yes
Then fill out the appropriate SMTP settings for your account and server.
My host only allows me to send a certain number of emails per hour to control spam. How can I make vBulletin
get around this limitation?
You cannot circumvent hard limitations created by your hosting provider. However, you can use vBulletin's SMTP
email processing to point the software to an off-site email provider with more privileges.
Admin Control Panel -> vBulletin Options -> Email Options
Email is sent as "nobody@domain.com"
You need to enable the "-f parameter" in vBulletin. This sends the email address specified in the Admin Control Panel
to the email client.
Admin Control Panel -> vBulletin Options -> Email Options.
For more information please see:
http://us3.php.net/manual/en/ref.mail.php
Email from my forums is blocked
One of the reasons for email being blocked is if it is coming from a different domain than what is in the 'From' email
address. To ensure a better chance of your email getting through, make sure the Webmaster's email address is using
the same domain as your forums.
Error: unrouteable mail domain "****.com"
This problem is caused by this option being checked in WebHost Manager for the server:
Prevent the user 'nobody' from sending out mail to remote addresses (php and cgi scripts generally run as nobody if
you are not using phpsuexec and suexec respectively.)
Unchecking this option should stop this problem. You will of course need to have root access to the server to do this.
If you don't, then you'll need to ask your web host to do this for you.
McAfee VirusScan Enterprise
McAfee VirusScan Enterprise blocks SMTP port 25 by default, which blocks all emails from being sent. Eliminating
or changing that rule will allow emails to go through.
How can I send emails as HTML
vBulletin does not support HTML emails at this time.
Can I log Emails sent by vB?
Yes, in vB 3.6 you can log all sent emails to make sure that vB is sending these. You do this here:
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Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> Error Handling & Logging -> Log sent eMails to a File
Then if the emails appear in this log but they are not being received, then you will know this a problem with either the
mail server or the recipient's mailbox. If the logs show 'FAILED" then this is a server problem. The server's email
function returned a failure. Please see server configuration/logs for more details. You will need to consult your host if
you are on a shared server.
SMTP Server Setup
If you are using SMTP for email, in some rare instances the SMTP server will require an additional field that is not
part of the normal settings, namely this:
ini_set("SMTP","mail.yourdomain.com");
To add that setting, edit your config.php file and add this line right under <?php:
ini_set("SMTP","mail.yourdomain.com");
...changing "mail.yourdomain.com" with your specific mail domain, of course. If you do not have such a mail domain,
then ask this host about this.
Invalid Webmaster's Email
Another possible cause of that problem is that you do not have a valid Webmaster's email address. You need to set this
to a valid email address:
Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> Site Name / URL / Contact Details -> Webmaster's Email
You cannot use more than one address in that field.
Note:
Please be aware that vB does not have it's own email application. It has to use either PHP or SMTP, and both of those
are server applications. There is very little control vB has over these.
For the PHP option, you have the -f setting and the webmaster's email address. That's it. The rest is up to the server
which needs to be setup correctly for PHP email to work.
For SMTP, the only options in vB for this are the SMTP settings. If those don't work, then this means either the
settings are wrong, or there is a problem connecting to that SMTP server from your server. There is nothing vB can do
about this.
Image Manipulation Issues Back to Top
No Fonts Appear with GD Library
This is caused by Freetype 2 support not being compiled into PHP and requires PHP to be recompiled.
Most likely the original PHP configure string contained --with-freetype but this usually only enables support for
Freetype version 1, which does not support True Type fonts. To enable Freetype 2 support (assuming that the server
has the Freetype 2 libraries installed), this part of the configure string neeeds to be removed and replaced with
(normally) --with-freetype-dir=/usr
To find out if a Linux server has Freetype 2 support, run locate freetype2 at the command line and look for some
results, usually in /usr/include/freetype2.
Blank or 'White' Pages Back to Top
Here are the known causes of blank or 'white' pages:
1. You did not upload the vB files correctly. Reupload the vB non-image files and make sure you upload these in
ASCII format and that you overwrite the ones on the server. Make sure you upload the Admin CP files to the admincp
directory specified in your config.php file. Then, if you can access the Admin CP, run 'Suspect File Versions' in
Diagnostics to make sure you have all the original files for your version:
Admin CP -> Maintenance -> Diagnostics -> Suspect File Versions
Do any show as 'File does not contain expected contents', 'version mismatch' or missing? If so, you need to reupload
the original vB non-image files. Make sure you upload these in ASCII format and overwrite the ones on the server.
2. You have extra space or lines in your config.php file. Make sure there is no whitespace or extra lines in config.php
either before the <?php or after the ?>. [Note: Beginning with 3.6.3 the trailing ?> was removed.]
3. If this is happening on the forum home page only, then you may have an empty index.html or index.htm file in that
directory. Delete it.
4. You have a bad plugin installed. To disable the plugin system, edit config.php and add this line right under <?php
define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true);
Note: If you are running vBSEO or other add-ons that use .htaccess rewrite, you will need to remove those changes as
well.
5. The servername setting in config.php is wrong. Doublecheck this setting. 99% of the time, 'localhost' is correct:
$config['MasterServer']['servername'] = 'localhost';
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6. Your PHP has magic_quotes_sybase turned on. You have to turn this off. On *nix systems you can do this by
creating an .htaccess file with this content and placing it in your main forum directory:
php_flag magic_quotes_sybase 0
7. [For multiple white pages] You have added code to your header, headinclude or phpinclude templates that is no
longer functional.
[For white pages in a select area] You have added code to one of your templates that is causing this problem.
The quickest way to find out if a custom template is at fault is to create a new style with no parent style and try that:
Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> Add New Style
8. You have a corrupted template. Repairing the template table may help:
REPAIR TABLE template;
9. You have GZIP enabled. Try turning GZIP off here:
Admin CP -> vBulletin Options -> Cookies and HTTP Header Options -> GZIP HTML Output -> No
Or by running these queries in the SQL tab in phpMyAdmin:
UPDATE setting SET value = '0' WHERE varname = 'gzipoutput';
UPDATE datastore SET data=REPLACE(data,'s:10:"gzipoutput";i:1;','s:10:"gzipoutput";i:0;') WHERE
title='options';
You can also edit config.php and add this right under the <?php line to disable GZIP:
DEFINE('NOZIP', 1);
Sometimes this problem is caused when your server is already using GZIP and by turning this on in vB you were
double compressing. This causes problems with some pages but not others. It also happens to some people and not
others.
10. Sometimes this can also be caused when PHP has the 'display_errors' function turned off. So instead of displaying
the actual error so you can see what is wrong, you get a blank page. Look at your phpinfo page and if 'display_errors'
is Off or '0', then add this line to your includes/config.php file right under <?php
ini_set("display_errors", true);
11. Check your phpinfo page to see if suhosin is installed as a module. If it is, this could be the cause of this problem.
To fix this, add or edit an .htaccess file in your root forum directory and add these lines to it:
php_flag suhosin.cookie.encrypt Off
php_value suhosin.request.max_vars 2048
php_value suhosin.post.max_vars 2048
12. This can be caused by a bug in PHP 5.2.5:
http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=43620
13. This can also be caused by a memory_limit setting in php.ini that causes the server to time out before displaying
the page. Edit config.php and add this right under the <?php line:
ini_set('memory_limit', -1);
14. If the script producing this problem is showgroups.php, then you may have too many usergroups for this. Make
sure this is set to 'No' for any groups except Admins and Mods:
Admin CP -> Usergroups -> Usergroup Manager -> Edit Usergroup -> Viewable on Show Groups
15. Check the file and directory permissions. Although this can differ by server, in general the directories should be
chmod'd to 755 (-rwxr-xr-x) and files to 644 (-rw-r--r--). If any are set to 777 (-rwxrwxrwx) then this could result in
blank pages.
16. Check your .htaccess file for any rewrite rules that may be effecting the page(s) you are having the issue with. If
your problem is only in one particular directory, you may need to exclude the rewrite rules from working in that
directory.
17. There is a bug in PHP 5.3.5 that can cause white pages during search and possibly other functions. The link to this
bug is here: http://bugs.php.net/bug.php?id=51425
Further info is here: http://www.vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php/371767-New-post-search-returning-blank-
white-pages-%28no-errors-indicated%29?p=2108112#post2108112
MySQL Issues Back to Top
This section will outline common issues with MySQL and their solutions. Most issues with MySQL are outside the
control of vBulletin though and may require assistance from your hosting provider or server administrator to resolve.
Back to Top
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Common MySQL Error Messages
A comprehensive list of MySQL error codes can be found in the MySQL Documentation. Here are some of the more
common ones that can affect your vBulletin installation.
OS Error Code 11: Cannot create thread
This is an out of memory error. The operating system does not have enough memory to create a new process for
MySQL to perform the query. You should increase the amount of memory available to MySQL by editing the
MY.CNF file.
OS Error Code 13: Permission denied
You do not have permission to write to a directory. Most commonly the temporary files directory. Create a directory in
your User Home directory on the server and chmod it 777. If this does not resolve the issue then you must contact
your host and have them fix your permissions.
OS Error code 28: No space left on device
Either the swap, a partition, temp directory or hard drive on the web server is out of space or doesn't have enough
space to complete the above operation.
This is a server issue, you need to contact your hosting provider to get more space to write to. I advice you to shut
down your forum to prevent more errors or data loss. You can upload the tools.php file from the vbulletin .zip file
do_not_upload/ folder into your forumdir/admincp/ directory and run it through the browser, there's a switch there to
turn your forum on/off.
MySQL error code 126: Index file is crashed / Wrong file format
MySQL error code 127: Record-file is crashed
MySQL error code 132: Old database file
MySQL error code 134: Record was already deleted (or record file crashed)
MySQL error code 135: No more room in record file
MySQL error code 136: No more room in index file
MySQL error code 141: Duplicate unique key or constraint on write or update
MySQL error code 144: Table is crashed and last repair failed
MySQL error code 145: Table was marked as crashed and should be repaired
These error codes all have the same solution. They specify that something has gone wrong with your data. You should
run optimize & repair on your database tables. You can upload the tools.php file from the vbulletin .zip file
do_not_upload/ folder into your forumdir/admincp/ directory and run it through the browser, there's a switch there to
run optimize and repair. Run it a few times for best result.
For more information on repairing your database please view the MySQL documentation at:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/repair.html
Socket Connection Error
This most commonly looks like this:
mysql_connect(): Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/var/lib/mysql/mysql.sock'
(2) /home/exampledomain/public_html/forums/includes/class_core.php on line 273
This error means either:
1. The info in your config.php file is wrong (in which case your forums wouldn't work at all), or
2. MySQL crashed, it's not running or it can't find the socket. You need to contact your host about this. Here is more
info on this error:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/Can_not_connect_to_server.html
mysql_connect(): Too many connections
The server has maxed out the number of MySQL connections it allows. You can try turning persistent connections off
by adding this to your config.php:
$config['MasterServer']['usepconnect'] = 0;
But if you still have problems after that, you will need ask your host to raise the maximum number of connections
they allow.
Here is more info on that error: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/too-many-connections.html
Error code 1064: MySQL Parse Error (error in SQL syntax
SQL parse errors are mostly caused by installed modifications. In order to test this temporarily disable all products
and plugins by adding this line to your config.php file under <?php:
define('DISABLE_HOOKS', true);
Error code 1153: Got a packet bigger than 'max_allowed_packet' bytes
It means that a query is sent that is larger than your host allows for.
MySQL Error : Got a packet bigger than 'max_allowed_packet' bytes
You need to ask your host to increase the 'max_allowed_packet' variable in the my.cnf file and restart MySQL. The
default is 1Mb, but most hosts run 8-16 Mb without problems.
More info here: http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/packet-too-large.html
Link ID == False Back to Top
When I run my forum I get 'Link-ID == false, connect failed' error.
This error could be caused by any of the following:
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The database information in your config.php file is wrong (in which case your forums won't work at all.)
The user doesn't have permission to access the database specified in config.php.
The database doesn't exist.
MySQL isn't accepting new connections. (The server could either be down or has reached it's maximum
connections limit.)
Almost all the problems that cause the Link-ID == false error are beyond our power to resolve, and must be dealt with
by your host.
To find out which of these is the cause of the problem, you can copy the text below and save it into a file called
'connect.php', then upload it to your forums directory and run it with a web browser.
<?php
require_once('./includes/config.php');
$db = @mysql_connect($config['MasterServer']['servername'], $config['MasterServer']
['username'], $config['MasterServer']['password']) or die(mysql_error());
mysql_select_db($config['Database']['dbname'], $db);
echo "Connected sucessfully.";
?>
Failure to Connect Back to Top
I keep getting 'The database has failed to connect' error.
This error means either:
One or more of the following is wrong in your config.php file:
$config['MasterServer']['servername'] (except in rare cases, this should almost always be left as 'localhost' or
'127.0.0.1')
$config['MasterServer']['username']
$config['MasterServer']['password']
$config['Database']['dbname']
If you are unsure of what the appropriate values are then you will need to ask your web host.
NOTE: Please note that you can NOT use the config.php file from version 2.x or 3.0.x on a 3.5.0 forum.
Or that this db user is not assigned to that database or does not have permission to access MySQL to create or
access a database. You may need to first manually create the database and assign the db user to it. Since each
web host is different, if you do not know how to do this then contact your web host for help.
Or you are running MySQL 4.1.x. As of MySQL 4.1.X there is a new password hashing system. PHP4 does not
have builtin support for it as of yet, however PHP5 does. In order for your old PHP4 MySQL clients to be able
to connect to the MySQL 4.1.X database you need to set an OLD_PASSWORD. You should be able to run the
following Query to make it possible for PHP4 to access the MySQL 4.1.X database.
SET PASSWORD FOR 'username'@'localhost' = OLD_PASSWORD('password');
More info is here:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/password-hashing.html
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql/en/upgrading-from-4-0.html
Duplicate entry 'XXX' Back to Top
MySQL Error : Duplicate entry 'XXX' for key 1
This error is most commonly caused by plugins or addons that incorrectly set auto increment fields within vBulletin.
Please remove your plugins or addons and verify that the database keys are set correctly.
It can also be caused by backing up a newer MySQL database with the "Compatibility Option" if this is the case, the
MYSQL backup does not contain auto-increment information and the proper indexes are not created when the backup
is restored.
Please run these queries to create the proper indexes in vBulletin.
ALTER TABLE `adminhelp` CHANGE `adminhelpid` `adminhelpid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `adminlog` CHANGE `adminlogid` `adminlogid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `adminmessage` CHANGE `adminmessageid` `adminmessageid` INT(10) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `announcement` CHANGE `announcementid` `announcementid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `attachment` CHANGE `attachmentid` `attachmentid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `attachmentpermission` CHANGE `attachmentpermissionid` `attachmentpermissionid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `avatar` CHANGE `avatarid` `avatarid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `bbcode` CHANGE `bbcodeid` `bbcodeid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `calendar` CHANGE `calendarid` `calendarid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `calendarcustomfield` CHANGE `calendarcustomfieldid` `calendarcustomfieldid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `calendarmoderator` CHANGE `calendarmoderatorid` `calendarmoderatorid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `calendarpermission` CHANGE `calendarpermissionid` `calendarpermissionid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `cron` CHANGE `cronid` `cronid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `cronlog` CHANGE `cronlogid` `cronlogid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `event` CHANGE `eventid` `eventid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `forum` CHANGE `forumid` `forumid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `forumpermission` CHANGE `forumpermissionid` `forumpermissionid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `groupmessage` CHANGE `gmid` `gmid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `holiday` CHANGE `holidayid` `holidayid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `icon` CHANGE `iconid` `iconid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `infraction` CHANGE `infractionid` `infractionid` INT ( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `infractionban` CHANGE `infractionbanid` `infractionbanid` INT ( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `infractiongroup` CHANGE `infractiongroupid` `infractiongroupid` INT ( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `infractionlevel` CHANGE `infractionlevelid` `infractionlevelid` INT ( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `imagecategory` CHANGE `imagecategoryid` `imagecategoryid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `language` CHANGE `languageid` `languageid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
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ALTER TABLE `mailqueue` CHANGE `mailqueueid` `mailqueueid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `moderator` CHANGE `moderatorid` `moderatorid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `moderatorlog` CHANGE `moderatorlogid` `moderatorlogid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `paymentapi` CHANGE `paymentapiid` `paymentapiid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `paymentinfo` CHANGE `paymentinfoid` `paymentinfoid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `paymenttransaction` CHANGE `paymenttransactionid` `paymenttransactionid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `phrase` CHANGE `phraseid` `phraseid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `plugin` CHANGE `pluginid` `pluginid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `picture` CHANGE `pictureid` `pictureid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `picturecomment` CHANGE `commentid` `commentid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `pm` CHANGE `pmid` `pmid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `pmtext` CHANGE `pmtextid` `pmtextid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `poll` CHANGE `pollid` `pollid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `pollvote` CHANGE `pollvoteid` `pollvoteid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `post` CHANGE `postid` `postid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `postedithistory` CHANGE `postedithistoryid` `postedithistoryid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `productcode` CHANGE `productcodeid` `productcodeid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `productdependency` CHANGE `productdependencyid` `productdependencyid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `profilefield` CHANGE `profilefieldid` `profilefieldid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `ranks` CHANGE `rankid` `rankid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `reminder` CHANGE `reminderid` `reminderid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `reputation` CHANGE `reputationid` `reputationid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `reputationlevel` CHANGE `reputationlevelid` `reputationlevelid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `rssfeed` CHANGE `rssfeedid` `rssfeedid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `search` CHANGE `searchid` `searchid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `smilie` CHANGE `smilieid` `smilieid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `style` CHANGE `styleid` `styleid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `subscribeevent` CHANGE `subscribeeventid` `subscribeeventid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `subscribeforum` CHANGE `subscribeforumid` `subscribeforumid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `subscribethread` CHANGE `subscribethreadid` `subscribethreadid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `subscription` CHANGE `subscriptionid` `subscriptionid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `subscriptionlog` CHANGE `subscriptionlogid` `subscriptionlogid` MEDIUMINT( 8 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `subscriptionpermission` CHANGE `subscriptionpermissionid` `subscriptionpermissionid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `template` CHANGE `templateid` `templateid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `templatehistory` CHANGE `templatehistoryid` `templatehistoryid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `thread` CHANGE `threadid` `threadid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `threadrate` CHANGE `threadrateid` `threadrateid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `upgradelog` CHANGE `upgradelogid` `upgradelogid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `user` CHANGE `userid` `userid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `useractivation` CHANGE `useractivationid` `useractivationid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `userchangelog` CHANGE `changeid` `changeid` INT(10) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `usergroup` CHANGE `usergroupid` `usergroupid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `usergroupleader` CHANGE `usergroupleaderid` `usergroupleaderid` SMALLINT( 5 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `usergrouprequest` CHANGE `usergrouprequestid` `usergrouprequestid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `usernote` CHANGE `usernoteid` `usernoteid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `usertitle` CHANGE `usertitleid` `usertitleid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `userpromotion` CHANGE `userpromotionid` `userpromotionid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
ALTER TABLE `word` CHANGE `wordid` `wordid` INT( 10 ) UNSIGNED NOT NULL AUTO_INCREMENT;
Lost connection to MySQL server during query Back to Top
The most common reasons for the MySQL server has gone away error are:
1. Is that the server timed out and closed the connection. By default, the server closes the connection after 8 hours or
28800 seconds if nothing has happened. You can change the time limit by setting the wait_timeout variable when you
start mysqld via your server's /etc/my.cnf as well.
2. Another common reason to receive the MySQL server has gone away error is because you have issued a ``close'' on
your MySQL connection and then tried to run a query on the closed connection. You can check that the MySQL hasn't
died by executing mysqladmin version and examining the uptime.
i.e. to check mysql uptime, in shell as root user type:
mysqladmin -u root -p version
3. You can also get these errors if you send a query to the server that is incorrect or too large. If mysqld gets a packet
that is too large or out of order, it assumes that something has gone wrong with the client and closes the connection. If
you need big queries (for example, if you are working with big BLOB columns), you can increase the query limit by
starting mysqld with the -O max_allowed_packet=# option (default 1M) or via max_allowed_packet variable in your
/etc/my.cnf file and restarting mysql after you edited your /etc/my.cnf file. The extra memory is allocated on demand,
so mysqld will use more memory only when you issue a big query or when mysqld must return a big result row
4. Or simply your host restarted MySQL. I'd contact your web host and ask him to look into this.
Links to additional information:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/gone-away.html
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/common-errors.html
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/server-parameters.html
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/option-files.html
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/show-variables.html
Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket Back to Top
If you are getting this error, it means either:
1. The info in your config.php file is wrong (in which case your forums wouldn't work at all), or
2. MySQL crashed, it's not running or it can't find the socket. You need to contact your host about this. Here is more
info on this error:
MySQL 5.1:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/can-not-connect-to-server.html
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MySQL 5.0:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/can-not-connect-to-server.html
MySQL 3.23, 4.0, 4.1:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/4.1/en/can-not-connect-to-server.html
In Windows:
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.1/en/can-not-connect-to-server-on-windows.html
http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/en/can-not-connect-to-server-on-windows.html
3. In the rare instance that this server is not using the default MySQL port (3306) then you will need to edit config.php
to change this to the port it is using:
$config['MasterServer']['port'] = xxxx;
...with 'xxxx' being the port number.
Branding Free Instructions Back to Top
Warning:
Please note that you are not permitted to remove the vBulletin branding / copyright unless you have purchased
the branding-free option. The costs are $170 on a per license basis and is a one time fee.
Removing the branding without permission will result in having your license being revoked.
If you have purchased the branding option after installing vB then you should not need to remove the branding
manually. However if for some reason you need to do this manually here are the instructions.
Here are the steps to remove all the public branding from vB4:
1. Edit the footer template here:
Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> Edit Templates -> footer
And remove this section:
<div id="footer_copyright" class="shade footer_copyright">
<!-- Do not remove this copyright notice -->
{vb:rawphrase powered_by_vbulletin}
<!-- Do not remove this copyright notice -->
</div>
NOTE: You need to edit the footer template this way:
Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Edit Templates -> footer
2. In your headinclude template remove this line:
<meta name="generator" content="vBulletin {vb:raw vboptions.templateversion}" />
3. And remove this from the printthread template:
<meta name="generator" content="vBulletin {vb:raw vboptions.templateversion}" />
And this:
<div id="footer_copyright" class="shade">
<!-- Do not remove this copyright notice -->
{vb:rawphrase powered_by_vbulletin}
<!-- Do not remove this copyright notice -->
</div>
4. Change this phrase:
x_powered_by_vbulletin
From this:
{1} - powered by vBulletin
To this:
{1}
5. Then, edit the vbulletin_message phrase and change this:
vBulletin Message
...to whatever you want.
6. To change the default metatags in vBulletin, you would do so under the General Options
Admin CP -> Settings -> Options -> General Settings -> Meta Keywords and Meta Description
7. And finally, in the file /archive/index.php you need to remove this section:
<div id=\"copyright\">$vbphrase[vbulletin_copyright]</div>
</div>
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Notes:
A. To edit Templates:
Admin CP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> Edit Templates
B. To edit Phrases:
Admin CP -> Languages & Phrases -> Search in Phrases -> phrasename (Phrase Variable Name Only)
Click on edit, and place the new phrase in the available language text boxes.
Warning:
Please note that if you are not permitted to remove the vBulletin branding / copyright unless you have
purchased the branding-free option. The costs are $170 on a per license basis and is a one time fee.
Removing the branding without permission will result in having your license being revoked.
Restoring the Required Copyright Notice Back to Top
Missing Copyright Notice
The copyright notice must be clearly visible on all forum pages unless you have purchased the Branding Free license
option.
Your footer must contain at least the following text and must not be masked by color or images:
Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000-2008 Jelsoft Enterprises Limited.
Restoring the copyright notice
If you have removed the copyright and need to add it back in you can do one of two things:
1. Revert the footer template.
AdminCP -> Styles & Templates -> Style Manager -> Edit Templates -> select the 'footer' template -> Click the
'Revert' button
2. Edit the footer template and add in the following text:
<!-- Do not remove this copyright notice -->
$vbphrase[powered_by_vbulletin]
<!-- Do not remove this copyright notice -->
3. Revert the 'powered_by_vbulletin' phrase
AdminCP -> Languages & Phrases -> Search in Phrases -> enter 'powered_by_vbulletin' -> select 'Phrase Variable
Name Only ' -> Click the 'Find' button -> Click the 'Copy Default Text' -> Save
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Appendix: Terminology Back to Top
vBulletin-Related Terms Back to Top
Access Mask Back to Top
An override for forum permissions based at the user level. You would change a user's access masks from within the
User Editor.
Admin Control Panel Back to Top
The Admin Control Panel (AdminCP) is, as the title suggests, the area of your vBulletin installation where the
administrator configures and sets up their board.
Only administrators have access to the AdminCP.
Administrator Back to Top
An administrator is person with permissions to access the AdminCP where he/she can control the configuration and
settings of their forums and users.
Avatar Back to Top
An avatar is a small image that users can include in their profile and will be displayed on every post they make.
There are two types of avatars, predefined and custom:
Predefined avatars are images that the board administrator has made available to use.
Custom avatars are images created by the user that can be uploaded to the board if the Adminstrator has
granted that particular permission.
BB Code Back to Top
BB Codes, sometimes referred to as vB Codes, are a used to replace the need for html tags when formatting text in
posts.
Examples:
In html to make text bold, italics or underlined you would use:
<b>Bold</b>
<i>Italic</i>
<u>Underlined</u>
With BB Code you use:
[b]Bold[/b]
[i]Italic[/i]
[u]Underlined[/u]
Buddy List Back to Top
This is a list of users you wish to identify as your Buddies. To add a user to your buddy list, go to your User CP and in
the left Nav Panel under Miscellaneous, select [Buddy / Ignore Lists], type the username you wish to add in the
Buddy List blank and click [Update Buddy List]
Alternately, you can click on their username in any post and, from the drop-down menu, click the [Add username to
Your Buddy List] link.
Buddies will appear in the Users online list with a + sign following their username.
Bulletin Board Back to Top
A Bulletin Board is a software package designed to allow users to carry on conversations via the internet. Unlike chat
software, the threads and messages are stored on the server and can be accessed by users until the board administrator
deletes them, allowing the conversations to continue over long periods of time.
Category Back to Top
A Category is a heading used to group forums that are similar in content or theme.
Since vBulletin version 2.0, Categories have ceased to be separate entities from Forums - a category is simply a
Forum that is configured to accept no posts.
Conditionals Back to Top
Conditionals are a comparison test that you can use to control how your templates work. See Template Conditionals
Customer Number Back to Top
A customer number is a unique number allocated to everyone who purachses a vBulletin license. The customer
number, along with a password is required to access the vBulletin Members' Area.
Customer Password Back to Top
See Customer Number
Data APIs Back to Top
Data APIs / Data Managers are object-oriented PHP classes that act to centralize the manipulation of object data
within vBulletin.
For example, instead of having different code to update a user record from the Admin Control Panel and from the
User Profile editor, both systems can now simply direct their data to the user data manager, which will deal with
ensuring that the data is valid and complete, then save it to the database.
Forum Back to Top
A Forum is a heading used to group threads that are similar in content or theme.
Guest Back to Top
A 'guest' is any visitor to your board who is not logged-in as a member.
This could be because they have not yet registered, or because they are a registered member who has logged out.
Hook Back to Top
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A hook is a location in the vBulletin PHP code that triggers events, which can be used to execute external scripts or
code; such as for a plugin. The code is executed within the context and scope of the location of the hook.
Hooks in the code look like this:
($hook = vBulletinHook::fetch_hook('unique_hook_id')) ? eval($hook) : false;
In this instance, the hook is called 'unique_hook_id'.
Ignore List Back to Top
This is a list of users you wish to ignore. To add a user to your ignore list, go to your User CP and in the left Nav
Panel under Miscellaneous, select [Buddy / Ignore Lists], type the username you wish to ignore in the Ignore List
blank and click [Update Ignore List]
Posts from users that you are ignoring are hidden from view when logged into the forums.
Inline Moderation Back to Top
Inline Moderation allows administrators and moderators to moderate the threads and posts in forums using inline
moderation without having to login to a admin or moderator control panel. The inline moderation allows them to
select individual threads or posts from one or multiple pages by checking a checkbox at the top-right of a thread or
post. Selected threads or posts will display highlighted in a yellow color.
The following actions can be performed on threads with inline moderation from forumdisplay:
Delete Threads
Undelete Threads
Open Threads
Close Threads
Approve Threads
Unapprove Threads
Stick Threads
Unstick Threads
Move Threads
Merge Threads
The following actions can be performed on posts with inline moderation from showthread:
Merge Posts
Move Posts
Delete Posts
Undelete Posts
Approve Posts
Unapprove Posts
Approve Attachments
Unapprove Attachments
Member Back to Top
A member is a registered user on your board.
Members' Area Back to Top
The Members' Area is a private part of the vBulletin.com site for registered licensed customers. The area is security
protected and requires members to enter their customer number and password to again access.
The Members' Area is where you can download vBulletin releases and updates as well as access to additional
documentation and resources not publically available.
The Members' Area is currently located at http://members.vbulletin.com.
Moderator Back to Top
A Moderator is a user appointed by the Administrator who is put in charge of maintaining a forum or forums. The
duties can include deleting offensive or inappropriate posts, pruning old threads and banning users from their
particular forum(s).
Moderator Control Panel Back to Top
The Moderator Control Panel (ModCP) is an area of your vBulletin installation where board Moderators can
administer certain aspects of board.
The ModCP is a vastly scaled down version of the AdminCP and allows Moderators to perform duties based on the
permissions assigned to them by the Administrator.
Plugin Back to Top
A vBulletin plugin is a code snippet to be executed within a specific hook.
Plugins allow code to be added to vBulletin without actually modifying the PHP files.
Post Back to Top
An individual message entered by a user, making up a part of a thread.
Post Icon Back to Top
A post icon is a small image file that appears next to the post title and in the post icon column of the main forum page.
An Administrator may choose to allow or disallow use of post icons for posts and or private messages in the Admin
Control Panel.
Product Back to Top
A product is a downloadable package containing code snippets (plugins), templates, options, phrases, admin help,
control panel navigation entries and bitfields definitions.
vBulletin products are arranged in a such a way that they can be semi-automatically installed and uninstalled through
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the Product Manager.
Products are used to extend or modify functionality in vBulletin.
Prune Back to Top
Prune is to delete a large number of posts and/or threads from your message board. This is often used as a step in
maintaining a small database. To prune messages you would do so through the Admin Control Panel under the
Threads / Posts heading or from the Forum Tools menu within a particular forum. This option only shows up if you
have permission to use it.
Replacement Variable Back to Top
Replacement Variables allow you to globally replace text with alternative text anywhere in your forum. See
Replacement Variables.
Smilies Back to Top
Smilies are small icons that can be used in posts that denote a persons emotional state, eg happy, mad, sad.
Sticky Thread Back to Top
A sticky thread is a thread that always shows at the top of the threads listed in a forum.
Making a thread sticky is part of the Thread Tools that are available to Adminstrators and Moderators.
StyleVar Back to Top
StyleVar is short for Style Variable. This is an array of variables created in the Style Manager. Stylevars control image
paths, forum width and other aspects of your forum's look and feel. For more information see StyleVars.
Super Administrator Back to Top
A superadministrator is essentially another administrator but with additional permissions. For example only a
superadministrator can manage other admins.
Superadministrators must be added to the vBulletin config.php file to enable their superadmin status:
// ****** SUPER ADMINISTRATORS ******
// The users specified below will have permission to access the administrator permissions
// page, which controls the permissions of other administrators
$config['SpecialUsers']['superadministrators'] = '1';
Super Moderator Back to Top
A supermoderator is essentially another moderator but with additional permissions that the administrator has assigned
in the Usergroup and Forum Permissons.
Thread Back to Top
A thread is a collection of posts usually with a common subject matter.
User Back to Top
A User is a registered member of the Forum.
User Control Panel Back to Top
The User Control Panel (UserCP) is the area of the forums where members can administer there own profile
preferences, such as signatures, avatars.
Usergroup Back to Top
A usergroup is a means of grouping users together, all of whom will have the same permissions.
General Internet-Related Terms Back to Top
AJAX Back to Top
AJAX (Asynchronous Javascript and XML) allows your browser to send data to and receive data from a server
without reloading the current page. This technology, whose use is being pioneered by Google, allows developers to
create rich, fast-responding interactive pages.
Cookie Back to Top
A cookie is a file that is created and stored on a computer that contains information about a user or users' preferences
when viewing certain web pages.
CSS Back to Top
CSS is short for Cascading Style Sheets. These are a means of controlling the display qualities of a webpage.
vBulletin makes extensive use of CSS.
Domain Back to Top
A domain is a name leased to identify your website on the intenet.
FTP Back to Top
FTP is short for File Transfer Protocol. This is a means of uploading files to your website.
HTML Back to Top
HTML stands for Hyper Text Markup Language. This is the language behind the World Wide Web. It defines how a
page should look to visitors with a web browser.
HTTP Back to Top
HTTP stands for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol. This protocol defines how computers communicate with each other
over the Internet when web pages are requested by a web browser.
IP Address Back to Top
An IP Address is a 4 section string of numbers used by the internet to locate a website. It is much like a telephone
number for your site.
An example would be IP Address 66.135.192.87 is for ebay.com
Javascript Back to Top
Javascript is a web scripting language that interacts with HTML source code, allowing the browser to create dynamic
content. vBulletin offers many enhancements that will only function when Javascript is enabled.
When JavaScript is combined with Cascading Style Sheets(CSS), and later versions of HTML (4.0 and later) the
result is often called DHTML.
Search bot Back to Top
See Spider
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Server Back to Top
A server is a computer that accepts connections from other computers for the purpose of exchanging information.
Spider Back to Top
A spider is a program or script that systematically follows URLs on a page gathering information.
Typically search engines use spiders to gather information from web sites to increase there search index.
example search engine spiders:
Googlebot
lycos
ask jeeves
scooter
fast-webcrawler
slurp@inktomi
turnitinbot
Normally these spiders show on your board as guests. If you want to be able to see search engine spiders that are
browsing your forum pages there is a setting under the vBulletin Options section in the AdminCP.
AdminCP > vBulletin Options > Who's Online Options
Enable Spider Display - Setting this to Yes will allow you to see the spiders you have specified in the Spider
Identification Description
Spider Identification Strings - Enter the unique identifier for the spider you want to see
Spider Identification Description - the description of the spider to be displayed in the Who's Online section of
your board
SSH Back to Top
SSH (Server Shell) is a secure server-side application that allows you to run command line functions on your website.
You will need to check with your hosting company to see if it is available with your hosting package.
Telnet Back to Top
Telnet is a server-side application that allows you to run command line functions on your website.
You will need to check with your hosting company to see if it is available with your hosting package.
Note:
Telnet is generally considered to be insecure, as your login username and password is transferred using plain text.
To prevent this, it is preferable to use the SSH protocol.
URL Back to Top
URL stands for Uniform Resource Locator. This is the address of a server and it allows computers to route traffic
between each other on the Internet.
XHTML Back to Top
XHTML stands for Extensible Hyper Text Markup Language. This is a language similar to HTML but with stricter
rules. To find out more about XHTML please visit the World Wide Web Consortium.
XSS Back to Top
XSS stands for Cross Site Scripting. Cross Site Scripting is usually a sign of vulnerability in a software application or
script. This allows information to be exchanged with one or more computers without verifying the factuality of that
information.
XML Back to Top
XML is an acronym of Extensible Markup Language. It is a markup language for documents containing structured
information which enables the use of user defined tags. To find out more about XML please visit the World Wide Web
Consortium
Miscellaneous Terms Back to Top
AIM Back to Top
AOL Instant Messenger
ASCII Back to Top
American Standard Code for Information Interchange
CGI Shebang Back to Top
A CGI Shebang is the path to your PHP installation. If your server is running PHP as CGI you may be required to
have this at the top of your website's php pages.
COPPA Back to Top
COPPA stands for Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
vBulletin is compliant with the COPPA law and requires children under the age of 13 to get parental consent before
they can post.
For more info about this law, see: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/coppa.htm
DST Back to Top
Daylight Savings Time
FAQ Back to Top
Frequently Asked Questions
Firewall Back to Top
A firewall is an application running on a computer to prevent unwanted connections to be made to that computer.
Firewalls protect both incoming and outgoing traffic on a computer.
ICQ Back to Top
I Seek You. It is a buddy chat program used by millions of people to communicate on the internet.
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Import Back to Top
The term Import can be applied in a few ways regarding vBulletin:
Conversion
Importing is conversion of data from a different Bulletin Board program to vBulletin. Merging two forums
together (users, forums, attachments, etc).
Admin Control Panel
Importing of additional Style- or Language Packs. This allows you to update or include (additional) styles or
languages on your board.
Localhost Back to Top
localhost is the default host address of a computer on which a service is running.
localhost uses the reserved loopback IP address 127.0.0.1.
In general a MySQL server runs on the same server as your web server. You can enter in the vBulletin
includes/config.php file as host address for the MySQL server localhost. (See example below)
// ****** MASTER DATABASE SERVER NAME ******
// This is the hostname or IP address of the database server.
// It is in the format HOST:PORT. If no PORT is specified, 3306 is used.
// If you are unsure of what to put here, leave it at the default value.
$config['MasterServer']['servername'] = 'localhost';
MSN Back to Top
MSN Instant Messenger. It is a buddy chat program used by millions of people to communicate on the internet owned
by Microsoft.
MySQL Back to Top
MySQL is a database management system that uses SQL. vBulletin uses this to store and retreive all the data from
your board.
Note:
More information about how to get and install MySQL can be found here Technical Documents / Installing MySQL or
from http://www.mysql.com
PHP Back to Top
PHP Hypertext Preprocessor
PHP is a script language and interpreter.
Note:
More information about how to get and install PHP can be found here Technical Documents / Installing PHP and
Apache or from http://www.php.net
phpMyAdmin Back to Top
Graphical User Interface (GUI) for MySQL available from http://www.phpmyadmin.net
RSS Enclosure Back to Top
RSS enclosures are a method for including media files withing RSS feeds. The media is not actually contained within
the feed but rather is linked via a hyperlink to another source.
Thumbnail Back to Top
A Thumbnail is a small preview image of an attachment in a post.
WYSIWYG Back to Top
Acronym for: What You See Is What You Get
The vBulletin WYSIWYG editor is one that allows a user that creates a new post to see what the end result will look
like while the post is being created. This is in contrast to editing a post in the vBulletin standard editor which requires
you to understand BB Code tags like [b] for bold and [u] for underline.
Yahoo Back to Top
Yahoo! Instant Messenger. It is a buddy chat program used by millions of people to communicate on the internet.
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Appendix: Feature List Back to Top
General Features Back to Top
General Features
Scalable solution - database server and web servers can reside on separate machines.
MySQL back-end database
vBulletin can be run on any machine that can support PHP and MySQL (Solaris, BSD, Linux, Windows, Mac)
Written in PHP which makes for a fast and efficient product
Admin Control Panel
Moderator Control Panel
User Control Panel
Compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998. See this page for more information:
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/coppa.htm
General Forum Features Back to Top
Front-end Features
General
Who's online
Search
Threads
Thread display options - sort by, sort order, from date
Thread and forum subscription (notification by email optional)
Thread preview on mouse-over (optional, via Admin CP)
Active Users viewing thread shown
New Post Indicator
Printer Friendly versions on threads
Admin tools for Threads - edit/delete/move/lock/Make sticky/ etc
Email page to a friend option
Posts
Linear, Threaded, Hybrid display views available
Supports BB Code in posts
Supports HTML in post
Smilies
Avatars
Optional WYSIWYG or standard editors for posts and Private Messages
Attachment images (.gif,.jpg, etc) are no longer in the database (optional, via Admin CP)
Quick reply box (with optional "forced" click on post to quote)
Preview post option
Post rating
User reputation
Polls
Post Reporting - report posts to moderators
User post count
Admin tools for Posts - edit/delete/move/ etc
Preview safe attachments
Members
Member List
Member Search
Member Birthdays shown on Forum home
User Style picker
Private Messaging
Buddy list
Calendar Features Back to Top
Calendar Features
Supports multiple private and public calendars
Viewable public and private events (adminCP option)
Weekly, monthly and yearly views
Jump to Today option
Add single, ranged or recurring events
Add all day events
Option to show calendar event on forum home page (adminCP option)
Show events to specific usergroups (adminCP option)
Calendar Moderation
Private events reminder
Ability to add custom fields
User Control Panel Features Back to Top
User Control Panel Features
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Editable user profile - This information can be viewed by other members from the member list.
Custom user title, URL home page, date of birth, instant messaging medium, location,
occupation, biography, interests, vB version, plus any other custom user fields that
may be defined by the administrator
Profile pictures - Allows members to upload pictures that can be viewed in the users' profile.
Private Messaging
Pop-up notification when new PM recieved
Private Message Tracking
Private Message filing in custom folders
User Options
These include Daylight Savings options, forum style chooser, selection of
notification types for PM,emails etc, thread display options, WYSIWYG editor
options, language chooser, vCard downloads to allow the user profile to be placed
into the address book
Calendar event reminders for subscribed events
Pop-up auto-refreshing buddylist with ICQ-style alerts when new buddies come online
Attachment Management
View attachment statistics - shows limit and used space
View the attachments you have posted (link or thumbnail views available)
Remove attachments
Avatar Options
Admin Defined Avatars
Custom Avatars - upload from your own computer or specify a URL
View and manage subscribed threads and forums
Signature Editor
Email and password changes require current password
Joinable Public User Groups
Admin Control Panel Features Back to Top
Admin Control Panel Features
Styling & Templates
Templated system
Conditionals supported in the templates
Ability to create multiple styles which can be applied to different forums and users
Ability to upload / download styles and languages
Language & Phrase Management
Language manager - allows you to easily translate you forums in any language
Multiple languages supported
Phrase manager
Users & Usergroups
User registration options
User banning (by name & IP)
Global ignore user - when enabled all posts by the specified user will be ignored/unseen by other members.
Automatically added to the all users ignore lists
Unlimited Moderators and SuperModerators
Permission system, based on user, usergroup or forums
Board Maintenance
Task Scheduler
Control Panel, Moderator & Task logs
Board statistics
Maintentance - Database backups, table repair
Post Prunning
Moderation
Moderation queues for user registration and posting
Calendar moderation
Import Facility
Import facility - import posts and members seamlessly upgrade from other bulletin board systems, including
Infopop's Ultimate Bulletin Board, UBBThreads, OpenTopic, and Ikonboard
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Attachments
Multiple attachments and types (types defeined by admin in CP)
Attachment thumbnails (requires PHP to have GD enabled)
Storage type options for attachements (database or file system)
Attachment moderation
General
Multiple calendars supported
Paid Subscriptions (PayPal, NOCHEX, WorldPay & Authorize.net)
Private forums
COPPA compliant
Server Settings and Optimisation options configurable via the adminCP
Editable FAQ for your own boards
Context sensitive help throughout the adminCP
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Appendix: Technical Documents Back to Top
Securing Your vBulletin Installation Back to Top
vBulletin has many features built-in to help keep your data safe but if your server is not secure then your data can be
jeopardized. There are several steps to secure your vBulletin Installation. Most of them involve server configuration
and settings outside your the vBulletin Application. Securing your server will provide the foundation that your site
security will be built on.
Securing Your Server Back to Top
Securing or "Hardening" your server is beyond the scope of this document but is an important step to creating a secure
environment for your data.
Most hosting providers will provide this service if you have a dedicated machine so you should work with them to
make sure your machine is as secure as possible. Below are some links that will help you.
Linux Kernel Hardening
Installing and Securing IIS Servers
Securing Apache
Securing PHP
Securing MySQL
Please note, that if you are on a shared server you must rely on your hosting provider to secure your server for you.
Accessing Your Server and Files Back to Top
How you access your server can undermine any security protocols you put into place. It is recommended that you use
SFTP (SSH File Transfer Protocol) and SSH (Secure Shell) access to directly access your server and files. These are
secure versions of the common FTP and Telnet protocols. SFTP and SSH will send passwords in an encrypted format
whereas FTP and Telnet send them in plaintext.
You can find out more about these protocols at Wikipedia.com
SFTP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSH_file_transfer_protocol
SSH: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SSH
Root Accounts
Root or Super User accounts are a necessity if you maintain your own server but they are a security nightmare. You
should never access your server directly with a Root Account unless you can absolutely guarantee a secure tunnel
between your access point and the server itself. You can do this with a Virtual Private Networking protocol on both
your server and the computer you access the server with. Not all servers will support this though and your datacenter
might not allow the installation of the software to allow it.
If you are using Linux or Unix, you can create a usergroup called a "Wheel Group". This is a group of users that once
logged in through SSH, can issue a command to switch to a superuser. This is the only way you should access your
superuser accounts without a VPN connection. You can find information on creating wheel account users in your
operating system's documentation.
Restricting Access to Your Files Back to Top
Restricting unauthorized access to your files is one of the most important things you can do. If someone has access to
your files, they can alter them to send data to them or they can access your database directly with the information
given.
The most common method of authorizing someone is called "Basic Authorization. The Basic authentication method
transmits user names and passwords across the network in plaintext or unencrypted form. A computer vandal could
use a network monitoring tool to intercept this information. You can use your Web server's encryption features, in
combination with Basic authentication, to secure user account information transmitted across the network.
.htaccess
.htaccess is how you can easily secure files in Apache. It allows you to use Apache's configuration directives without
editing the default configuration file (httpd.conf). This makes it useful for communities on shared or virtual hosting or
dedicated hosting.
There are a lot of things you can do with .htaccess but we are concerned with denying access to specific files and
directories.
NTAUTH
Windows comes with a permissions system often referred to as NTAUTH. It is part of the NTFS file system and
integrated into IIS and other server technologies in Windows. For instructions on how to use this to protect your
server please see Microsoft's IIS Documentation:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/iis/default.asp?
url=/windows2000/en/server/iis/htm/core/iiabasc.htm
Alternatives to NTAUTH
IISPassword is a free utility that can be installed on your IIS server. IISPassword uses Basic HTTP Authentication for
password protecting web sites on IIS, just like htaccess works on Apache. That makes your password protected
Apache web site compatible with IIS, and vice versa.
CHMOD, or File Permissions on your Unix/Linux System
You can control who has access to files on your servers beyond whether a web browser can call them up and have the
server execute them. This is based on file permissions and can help to protect your files if someone gains unauthorized
access to another portion of the machine. File permissions will help protect your site more on a shared server which
has many people accessing it than they will on a server that only you have access to. However it is a good practice to
only give the minimum permissions that you need to give and allow your site to work properly.
In our case, the web server application needs to be able to read your vBulletin files as long as PHP is installed as an
Apache or ISAPI Module. If you are using the CGI executable, then they will probably need Execute permissions as
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well. In Linux and Unix, you change permissions using a tool called CHMOD which lets you set the permissions.
CHMOD can use either bitkeys, a series of numbers to designate permissions, or letters to represent the permissions.
Both of these can be confusing to the uninitiated. Using the numbers results in more concise commands with the same
number of control. You will see these commonly referred to in technical documents.
To set the permissions for your vBulletin files, with PHP as a Apache or ISAPI module, you would type the following
in your command prompt on the server:
chmod 644 *
This tells the server that the owner of the file (you) has permission to read and write to the files but everyone else only
has permission to read them.
If your hosting provider tells you that you need Read and Write permissions on your files then you would use this
command:
chmod 755 *
A more indepth tutorial on CHMOD can be found here: http://catcode.com/teachmod/index.html
Most modern SFTP clients can handle this automatically though a properties dialog on the context menu. Refer to
your client software for documentation on how to do this.
Please Note: If an attacker gets root access to your machine, there is no way to protect your files with permissions.
They will be able to access everything. If this happens you will need a recent backup so you can recover your site.
Securing your Config.php File Back to Top
The config.php has several settings that can help protect your vBulletin installation. These settings are listed below.
Since these are security features, less is more. Give out as few permissions as possible, otherwise your forum will not
be as secure. Ultimately you should only include yourself as the owner in any of the settings. It is recommended to
leave the "Users with Query Running Permissions" setting empty until you need to actually run a query. At that time,
change the setting and reupload your config.php. The change will take effect immediately. When you are done
running your queries, change the setting back to the default. With this one setting and your password, an attacker has
complete control of your database.
// ****** USERS WITH ADMIN LOG VIEWING PERMISSIONS ******
// The users specified here will be allowed to view the admin log in the control panel.
// Users must be specified by *ID number* here. To obtain a user's ID number,
// view their profile via the control panel. If this is a new installation, leave
// the first user created will have a user ID of 1. Seperate each userid with a comma.
$config['SpecialUsers']['canviewadminlog'] = '1';
// ****** USERS WITH ADMIN LOG PRUNING PERMISSIONS ******
// The users specified here will be allowed to remove ("prune") entries from the admin
// log. See the above entry for more information on the format.
$config['SpecialUsers']['canpruneadminlog'] = '1';
// ****** USERS WITH QUERY RUNNING PERMISSIONS ******
// The users specified here will be allowed to run queries from the control panel.
// See the above entries for more information on the format.
// Please note that the ability to run queries is quite powerful. You may wish
// to remove all user IDs from this list for security reasons.
$config['SpecialUsers']['canrunqueries'] = '';
// ****** UNDELETABLE / UNALTERABLE USERS ******
// The users specified here will not be deletable or alterable from the control panel by any users.
// To specify more than one user, separate userids with commas.
$config['SpecialUsers']['undeletableusers'] = '';
The section of code to look for is:
// ****** UNDELETABLE / UNALTERABLE USERS ******
// The users specified here will not be deletable or alterable from the control panel by any users.
// To specify more than one user, separate userids with commas.
$config['SpecialUsers']['undeletableusers'] = '';
Securing your config.php file
Making sure no one edits this file after you upload it to the server is a large priority. If an attacker can change the
contents of this file they can easily take control of your community. The first thing you want to do is restrict access to
this file via file permissions. Make sure no one can access this except you. Use the techniques described under
Restricting Access to secure this file.
One thing you might consider doing is denying access via a Web Browser at all times. This file only needs to be read
internally via PHP and should not be accessed with a Web Browser. On most installations, this would never occur.
However should your version of PHP stop working for some reason, then the file can be served as plain text and any
prying eyes can see it. You can counter this on the webserver level with tools like .htaccess and NTFS Permissions.
Here is an example .htaccess file that would prevent access to the config.php. You would place this file within your
/includes directory.
<Files config.php>
order deny,allow
deny from all
</Files>
For details on securing this file in IIS on a Windows Server please see:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/en/server/iis/htm/core/iidfpsc.htm
Moving Servers Back to Top
There are two major parts to successfully move your vBulletin forums from one server to another. These are:
1. The vBulletin files, including all the vB files currently on your server as well as any attachments, avatars and
profile pics (if you store these in the file system instead of the database) along with any custom images.
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2. The vBulletin database which contains the actual data itself, including the user info, posts, threads, forums, setting,
styles, languages, etc.
This guide will help you move your vBulletin forum from one server to another. Please note that while you can move
the files themselves with FTP, moving the database generally requires Telnet or SSH access to both servers. (Other
methods are available but are less reliable.)
If you only have this access on one of the servers, you may need to ask your host to assist you with the steps you
cannot perform.
Warning:
Specific cookie domains (Cookie Domain) and cookie paths (Path to Save Cookies) may cause problems if you are
moving servers and changing the URL to your forums.
If you are unsure whether your cookie settings will cause problems after the move, we recommend resetting your
cookie path to / and removing any cookie domain value before the move. An incorrectly set cookie domain or path
will likely prevent you from accessing your control panel.
1) Backing Up and Moving the Files Back to Top
You can use FTP or your hosts' file manager to move your vB files from one server to another. You need to download
all the appropriate vB files and directories (making sure to retain the current directory structure) then upload these
files and directories to the new server. Make sure you transfer all the image files (.gif, .jpg, .png, .ico, .attach, .thumb)
in Binary format and the non-image files in ASCII format. Most FTP programs are set to recognize the correct file
types automatically but it does not hurt to double-check.
If you are storing attachments, avatars and user profile pictures in the file system instead of the database (the default
storage method) then you will need to move those files and directories over as well. As with the old server these
directories will need to be made world-readable and writable, (chmod -R 777 on *Nix systems.)
Also since the exact path to these directories will very likely be different on the new server, you will need to reset
these paths in the Admin CP after the transfer is done and your forums are up and running on the new server. You do
this here:
Admin CP -> Attachments -> Attachment Storage Type
Admin CP -> Avatars -> User Picture Storage Type
2) Backing-Up the Current Database Back to Top
1 Telnet/SSH into the server where your vBulletin is currently installed. We will call this machine1.
2 Type:
mysqldump --opt -Q -uUSERNAME -p DATABASENAME > /PATH/TO/DUMP.SQL
In this line, you should change the following:
USERNAME – this is the username you use to access MySQL. It is specified in your config.php file.
DATABASENAME – the name of the database which your vBulletin is installed into. It is specified in
your config.php file.
/PATH/TO/DUMP.SQL – this is the path to the file that will be outputted. If you are unsure what to put
here, simply use vb_backup.sql or something similar.
Once you press enter, you will be prompted for the password you use to access MySQL. This is also specified in
your config.php file.
3 Once it has returned to the prompt, verify that DUMP.SQL exists in the directory you specified. If you did not
specify a full directory, the file will be in the directory you are currently in.
Note:
When moving servers you need to check the MySQL versions on both the old and new servers. It is always best if the
new server is running the same or a newer version of MySQL.
If the new server is running an older version of MySQL it would be best to seek out a different host. If this is not
possible, you will need to make a compatible dump of the database.
This only applies between major version number, ie MySQL 5.x to MySQL 4.x.
Add the following option to the mysqldump command:
--compatible=name
Produce output that is more compatible with other database systems or with older MySQL servers. The value of name
can be ansi, mysql323, mysql40, postgresql, oracle, mssql, db2, maxdb, no_key_options, no_table_options, or
no_field_options. To use several values, separate them by commas. These values have the same meaning as the
corresponding options for setting the server SQL mode.
Please note that there may still be issues even using the --compatible option
MySQL Manual
3) Transferring to the New Server Back to Top
1 Telnet/SSH into machine1 if you have not already.
2 Type:
ftp MACHINE2
Replace MACHINE2 with the host name (www.example.com) or IP address (192.168.1.1) of the new server.
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You should be prompted for a username and password. This is the username and password that you use to login
via FTP to your new server.
3 Type the following:
asc
cd /PATH/TO/NEW/DIRECTORY
put /PATH/TO/DUMP.SQL
Here you should change:
/PATH/TO/NEW/DIRECTORY – this is the path to the directory in which you want to place the database
backup. If you are unsure what to specify here, you can usually omit the entire cd
/PATH/TO/NEWDIRECTORY/ command.
/PATH/TO/DUMP.SQL – this is the same path that you specified in step 1.
4 Once these commands have finished, type:
close
quit
5 Verify that DUMP.SQL is in /PATH/TO/NEW/DIRECTORY on the new server.
4) Restoring the Database on the New Server Back to Top
1 On the new server, if necessary, create the database which your vBulletin will be installed in. Refer to your host
for specific information on how this is done.
2 Telnet/SSH into machine2.
3 Type:
mysql -uUSERNAME -p NEWDBNAME < /PATH/TO/NEW/DUMP.SQL
You should change the following parts of this line:
USERNAME - this is the new username which you will use to access MySQL. If you do not know this
value, you should contact your host.
NEWDBNAME - the name of the new database that you created in the first part of this step.
/PATH/TO/NEW/DUMP.SQL - this is the path to the backup file that you transferred to this server in step
2.
Note:
We recommend you use the method described above to restore your database, as it is the most reliable. If you don't
have access to SSH then there are alternate instructions on restoring your database available in the technical section of
the manual.
5) Bringing it Back Online Back to Top
1 Open up includes/config.php and edit $config['MasterServer']['servername'], $config['MasterServer']['username'],
$config['MasterServer']['password'], and $config['Database']['dbname'] with the values that correspond with the
new server. If you are not sure what these values should be, please contact your new host.
2 Upload the new config.php and the rest of the files (if they still need to be uploaded).
3 Login to your admin control panel, go to the vBulletin Options section, and change your BB URL, if necessary.
Note:
If you are not using the default database cache in vBulletin, you will need to flush your cache and restore it on the new
server. These means updating your Memcache settings in your config.php file. If you are using the filesystem to store
your Datastore, you need to make sure that includes/datastore/datastore.php is chmod 0777 so vBulletin can write to
it.
Installing PHP and Apache Back to Top
This section will cover installing PHP and Apache from source onto a Unix/Linux system. This requires SSH/Telnet
and super user (e.g., root) access to your server.
This section will compile and perform a basic, generic install of Apache and PHP. If you need specific values, you
will need to modify the configure lines to suit.
Note:
We will setup PHP with Apache 1.x in this section. Instructions may vary for Apache 2.x.
For more information on installing PHP, see http://www.php.net/manual/en/installation.php. For more information on
installing Apache, see http://httpd.apache.org/docs/install.html.
1) Downloading PHP and Apache Back to Top
1 We need to download the latest versions of both Apache and PHP to the server. Go to http://www.php.net and
download the source code of the latest version, php-xxx.tar.gz and place it in the /usr/local/src directory on your
server.
2 Go to http://www.apache.org and download the source for the latest version of Apache 1.x, apache_xxx.tar.gz, and
place this in the same location.
Note:
The file names will vary slightly as they will include the version number. You will need to replace xxx in the following
steps with the appropriate value.
2) Preparing to Install Apache Back to Top
1 Telnet/SSH into your server if you have not already.
2 From the shell prompt, type the following:
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cd /usr/local/src
tar xfz apache_xxx.tar.gz
tar xfz php-xxx.tar.gz
3 Now we need to figure out where Apache is currently running, so we can configure the new version for the same
location. Type:
ps –ef
Look for a line like this:
nobody 32319 340 0 19:48 ? 00:00:00 /usr/local/etc/httpd/bin/httpd
This says Apache is installed in /usr/local/etc/httpd. This may be different on your system, if so, replace
/usr/local/etc/httpd with your Apache location in the following steps.
4 Now type:
cd /usr/local/src/apache_xxx
./configure --prefix=/usr/local/etc/httpd
This will configure Apache and get ready for compiling in a later step.
3) Compiling and Installing PHP Back to Top
From the shell, type the following:
cd /usr/local/src/php-xxx
./configure --prefix=/usr/local/php --with-config-file-path=/usr/local/php --with-mysql --with-
apache=../apache_xxx
make
make install
Now PHP 4 is installed and we are ready to compile and install Apache.
4) Compiling and Installing Apache Back to Top
1 From the shell, type:
cd /usr/local/src/apache_xxx
./configure --prefix=/usr/local/etc/httpd --activate-module=src/modules/php4/libphp4.a
make
2 Now shut down Apache to install in new binaries:
/usr/local/etc/httpd/bin/apachectl stop
3 Now install Apache:
make install
5) Completing the Installation Back to Top
1 Now we just want to copy our PHP configuration file:
cd /usr/local/src/php-xxx
cp php.ini-optimized /usr/local/php/php.ini
If you have any modifications you wish to make to your php.ini file, you may make them now.
2
cd /usr/local/etc/httpd/conf
Edit your httpd.conf file and make sure the following line is added:
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
3 You can now reboot your system, or simply re-start Apache with:
/usr/local/etc/httpd/bin/apachectl start
Installing PHP under IIS using FastCGI Back to Top
The recommended method to use PHP on an IIS server under Windows is using FastCGI. This method allows you to
reuse resources similar to an ISAPI module but does not have the instabilities introduced through a multi-threaded
PHP installation.
Microsoft has posted instructions on how to install PHP under FastCGI on their IIS.net website. You can see those
instructions here:
To install PHP with FastCGI under IIS6 please follow these instructions:
http://learn.iis.net/page.aspx/247/using-fastcgi-to-host-php-applications-on-iis-60/
To install PHP with FASTCGI under IIS7 please follow these instructions:
http://learn.iis.net/page.aspx/246/using-fastcgi-to-host-php-applications-on-iis-70/
Installing MySQL Back to Top
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MySQL is freely available for Linux from http://www.mysql.com on the downloads page at
http://www.mysql.com/downloads/index.html. Download the latest stable release (listed as recommended on the
download page). You should grab the tarball source download version, with filename mysql-version.tar.gz.
1) Compiling and Installing MySQL Back to Top
With the program downloaded, you should make sure you're logged in as root before proceeding with the installation,
unless you only want to install MySQL in your own home directory. Begin by unpacking the downloaded file and
moving into the directory that is created:
tar xfz mysql-version.tar.gz
cd mysql-version
Next you need to configure the MySQL install. Unless you really know what you're doing, all you should have to do
is tell it where to install. I recommend /usr/local/mysql:
./configure --prefix=/usr/local/mysql
After sitting through the screens and screens of configuration tests, you'll eventually get back to a command prompt.
You're ready to compile MySQL:
make
After even more screens of compilation, you'll again be returned to the command prompt. You're now ready to install
your newly compiled program:
make install
MySQL is now installed, but before it can do anything useful its database files need to be installed too. Still in the
directory you installed from, type the following command:
scripts/mysql_install_db
With that done, you can delete the directory you've been working in, which just contains all the source files and
temporary installation files. If you ever need to reinstall, you can just re-extract the mysql-version.tar.gz file.
2) Setting Up a New User for MySQL Back to Top
With MySQL installed and ready to store information, all that's left is to get the server running on your computer.
While you can run the server as the root user, or even as yourself (if, for example, you installed the server in your own
home directory), the best idea is to set up a special user on the system that can do nothing but run the MySQL server.
This will remove any possibility of someone using the MySQL server as a way to break into the rest of your system.
To create a special MySQL user, you'll need to log in as root and type the following commands:
/usr/sbin/groupadd mysqlgrp
/usr/sbin/useradd -g mysqlgrp mysqlusr
By default, MySQL stores all database information in the var subdirectory of the directory to which it was installed.
We want to make it so that nobody can access that directory except our new MySQL user. The following commands
will do this (I'm assuming you installed MySQL to the /usr/local/mysql directory):
cd /usr/local/mysql
chown -R mysqlusr.mysqlgrp var
chmod -R go-rwx var
3) Starting the MySQL Server Back to Top
Everything's set for you to try launching the MySQL server for the first time. From the MySQL directory, type the
following command:
bin/safe_mysqld --user=mysqlusr &
The MySQL server has now been launched by the MySQL user and will stay running (just like your Web or FTP
server) until your computer is shut down. To test that the server is running properly, type the following command:
bin/mysqladmin -u root status
A little blurb with some statistics about the MySQL server should be displayed. If you get an error message,
something has gone wrong. If retracing your steps to make sure you did everything described above doesn't solve the
problem, a post to the SitePoint.com Forums will probably help you pin it down in no time.
4) Making MySQL Start Up with Your Server Back to Top
If you want to set up your MySQL server to run automatically whenever the system is running (just like your Web
server probably does), you'll have to set it up to do so. In the share/mysql subdirectory of the MySQL directory, you'll
find a script called mysql.server that can be added to your system startup routines to do this.
Assuming you've set up a special MySQL user to run the MySQL server, you'll need to edit the mysql.server script
before you use it. Open it in your favorite text editor and change the mysql_daemon_user setting to refer to the user
you created above:
mysql_daemon_user=mysqlusr
Setting up the script to be run by your system at startup is a highly operating system-dependant task. If you're not
using RedHat Linux and you're not sure of how to do this, you'd be best to ask someone who knows. In RedHat Linux,
the following commands (starting in the MySQL directory) will do the trick:
cp share/mysql/mysql.server /etc/rc.d/init.d/
cd /etc/rc.d/init.d
chmod 500 mysql.server
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cd /etc/rc.d/rc3.d
ln -s ../init.d/mysql.server S99mysql
cd /etc/rc.d/rc5.d
ln -s ../init.d/mysql.server S99mysql
That's it! To test that this works, you can reboot your system and request the status of the server as before to make sure
it runs properly at startup.
Creating a New MySQL Database for vBulletin to Use Back to Top
Depending upon your web server, you may need to create a new MySQL database into which vBulletin can be
installed.
The following pages describe the process needed to do this under a variety of systems.
Setting-up a MySQL Database on the Command Line Back to Top
If you have root access to your web server, you can set up a new database for vBulletin to use via the MySQL
command line.
1 Firstly, you will need to log in to your server via SSH or Telnet as the root user, or some other user with
permission to control MySQL at the root level. Windows users can use Command Prompt.
2 Next, you will need to start the MySQL command line tool by typing something along these lines:
/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql -uroot -p
on Windows it willl be similar to:
c:\mysql\bin\mysql -uroot -p
The system will then ask you to provide the MySQL root password to continue.
3 When you have completed the login to MySQL you will see a mysql> command prompt. To see the list of
databases that already exist, type the following:
SHOW DATABASES;
You will then be given a list of the databases that already exist. The name you choose for your new database must
be unique, so ensure that the name you want to give to your new database is not already in use.
4 After you have decided upon a name, you can run the query to create the new database. For this example, we will
call the database example_database.
Type the following, replacing the name of the database with the name you have chosen:
CREATE DATABASE example_database;
5 Having created the database, we will now create a MySQL user account with permission to access the new
database. Doing this is a security precaution, as it's never a good idea to have PHP scripts talking to MySQL with
root privileges.
In this example, we will name our new user example_user and give the account a password of p4ssw0rd. Replace
those values as appropriate when you type the following:
GRANT ALL ON example_database.*
TO example_user@localhost IDENTIFIED BY 'p4ssw0rd';
Your new database and new user are ready to be used. Based on the example names given in this document, you
should enter the following values into config.php:
$config['Database']['dbname'] = 'example_database';
$config['MasterServer']['servername'] = 'localhost';
$config['MasterServer']['username'] = 'example_user';
$config['MasterServer']['password'] = 'p4ssw0rd';
Setting-up a MySQL Database in cPanel Back to Top
For purposes of this manual, I am using screenshots from the cPanel X theme. Your cPanel theme may differ, but the
instructions will remain virtually the same.
The only notable difference is if you are using the cPanel Advanced theme. If that's the case, click the [Advanced
Tools] then the [MySQL Databases] and join us again at the next step.
For all others, you should see a screen something like the one in the figure below. Click the [MySQL Databases] icon.
On this screen, you will enter the database name you want in the blank next to [db:] then click [Add DB].
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Once you have clicked [Add DB] you will be brought to a redirect screen confirming the creation of the database.
Click the [back] or [Go Back] link to return to the main MySQL screen.
Now we have to create the database user and password. Scroll down the screen until you see this:
Enter the database username and password you want in the appropriate blanks and click the [Add User].
Once you have clicked [Add User] you will be brought to a redirect screen confirming the creation of the username
and password. Click the [back] or [Go Back] link to return to the main MySQL screen.
Now you have to add the user to the database so they can have access and control. Scroll until you see this:
Using the drop-down menus, make sure you have selected the proper user and database, then click [Add User to DB].
Again, you will be sent to the redirect screen confirming the addition of the user to the database. Again, click the
[back] or [Go Back] link to return to the main MySQL screen. You should see something like this:
These are the database name, username and password you will use in the config.php file.
Note:
cPanel will always preface the database name and database username with your main account username and an
underscore.
If you chose the database name [forums] and the database username [user] your database will be
[mainusername_forums] and your database username will be [mainusername_user]
Setting-up a MySQL Database in Plesk Back to Top
When you first log into Plesk, you will see this screen. Click the [DATABASES] button to begin setting up your
database:
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Note:
If the [DATABASES] button is greyed out, it means that your account does not have MySQL database access. Please
contact your host to correct this.
This will bring you to the database create screen. Enter the name you want for your database and click the [ADD]
button.
Now you must create your database user. Enter the database username you want and click the [ADD] button.
Now you must create a password for the database username. Enter it in the first blank, reenter it in the second blank
for confirmation and click the [UPDATE] button:
You have now created your database and will be redirected to this screen:
The database name, username and password you created here are what you input into your config.php file.
Setting-up a MySQL Database in Ensim Back to Top
There are 2 possible ways to set up a MySQL database in Ensim. In most Ensim configurations, you will have links
on the left as well as icons on the main screen. Some hosts, however, don't use the icon set up, so I will cover both.
When you load your control panel you should see something resembling the screen in the following figure. Most
people will click the [MySQL Admin Tool] link next to the icon. Others may have to click the [Services] link in the
left side nav panel.
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If you had to use the [Services] link in the left side nav panel, you will see the following screen:
Click the following button in the row labeled [MySQL]
This will bring up the following screen:
Click the [Create Database] link.
This will bring the screen where you create the database:
Type the database name you want in the blank and click the [Save]. This will create your database and take you to the
main database screen. You should see the database you created listed on the screen.
Note:
Most Ensim installations will prefix the database name with [yourdomain_com_-_] so if you choose [forums] as your
database name, the actual name of the database may be [yourdomain_com_-_forums]
Also, Ensim will use the same username and password for the database username and password that you use for your
main account login.
Backing-up your MySQL Database Manually Back to Top
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Here you will find instruction for backing up your database.
Backing Up The Database via SSH/Telnet Back to Top
In order to back up your database via SSH or Telnet you will require 2 things:
1) SSH or Telnet access to your site. You will need to check with your hosting company to see if this is available.
2) An SSH/Telnet Client, such as PuTTy.
Open your SSH/Telnet client and log into your website. The command line prompt you will see will vary by OS.
For most hosting companies, this will bring you into the FTP root folder.
Type in the following to create a backup in the current directory:
mysqldump --opt -Q -u dbusername -p databasename > backupname.sql
Or to create a backup in a separate directory (signified by /path/to/) type:
mysqldump --opt -Q -u dbusername -p databasename > /path/to/backupname.sql
You will be prompted for the database password. Enter it and the database will backup.
If your hosting company has you on a remote MySQL server, such as mysql.yourhost.com, you will need to add the
servername to the command line. The servername will be the same as in your config.php. The command line will be:
Current directory:
mysqldump --opt -Q -h servername -u dbusername -p databasename > backupname.sql
Separate directory:
mysqldump --opt -Q -h servername -u dbusername -p databasename > /path/to/backupname.sql
You can then, if you wish, download the backup to your home computer.
Backing Up The Database via phpMyAdmin Back to Top
For purposes of this instruction,I am using phpMyAdmin version 2.5.6-rc1.
Go to phpMyAdmin in your web browser and select the database you wish to back up by clicking on the name. If you
have multiple databases, you will need to select the name from the drop menu.
In the right-hand frame, you will see a row of links. Click [Export]
Now in the right-hand frame you will see three (3) areas. In the first area, called Export you select the table(s) you
wish to back up by selecting them from the list. To select multiple tables, hold the Ctrl key and click the table names.
To select all table, click the [Select All] link.
In the second area, called SQL Options, make sure you have the following boxes checked:
Structure
Add 'drop table'
Add AUTO_INCREMENT value
Enclose table and field names with backquotes
Data
In the third area, check Save as file and type a name for the backup in the File name template :.
If your system supports it, you may also choose a compression type. None is selected by default.
Click [Go] and you will be prompted to save the backup on your local computer.
Restoring your MySQL Database Manually Back to Top
In this section we will cover methods to restore your database backup.
Note:
There is no Database Restore function built into vBulletin. If you cannot use either of the methods covered in the
manual, you will need to ask your hosting company to restore the database for you.
Restoring The Database via SSH/Telnet Back to Top
In order to restore your database via SSH or Telnet you will require 2 things:
1) SSH or Telnet access to your site. You will need to check with your hosting company to see if this is available.
2) An SSH/Telnet Client, such as PuTTy.
Note:
If your database backup resides on your home computer, you will first have to upload it via FTP to your website
Open your SSH/Telnet client and log into your website. The command line prompt you will see will vary by OS. For
most hosting companies, this will bring you into the FTP root folder.
You can either change directoties to wherever the backup is located and type in the following:
mysql -u dbusername -p databasename < backupname.sql
Or if you do not want to change directories and you know the path to where the backup is located, type in the
following:
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mysql -u dbusername -p databasename < /path/to/backupname.sql
You will be prompted for the database password. Enter it and the database will backup.
If your hosting company has you on a remote MySQL server, such as mysql.yourhost.com, you will need to add the
servername to the command line. The servername will be the same as in your config.php. The command line will be:
mysql -h servername -u dbusername -p databasename < backupname.sql
Or:
mysql -h servername -u dbusername -p databasename < /path/to/backupname.sql
Restoring The Database via phpMyAdmin Back to Top
For purposes of this instruction,I am using phpMyAdmin version 2.5.6-rc1.
Go to phpMyAdmin in your web broswer and select the database you wish to back up by clicking on the name. If you
have multiple databases, you will need to select the name from the drop menu.
In the right-hand frame, you will see a row of links. Click [SQL]
You will see a large input box for queries and below that you will see a smaller box labeled Browse.
Click the [Browse] button, navigate to and select the backup file on your home computer and click the [Go].
Warning:
There are sometimes file size limitations on importing a database backup this way. If your database is too large, you
might encounter PHP timeout errors. In that case, you will need to attempt to restore your database via SSH/Telnet.
The vBulletin Datastore Back to Top
To improve performance, vBulletin caches certain information which isn't updated often in the datastore, so that it
doesn't have to be rebuilt every time it's needed.
Examples for this are
forumcache - A serialized array with all the forums along with their options and permissions
options - A serialized array with all the information set in the vBulletin Options
profilefield - A serialized array of all the profile fields and their options.
The datastore data is stored in the datastore database table by default, but certain settings in the config.php file allow
this to be saved in other places, to improve performance:
/* #### DATASTORE CACHE CONFIGURATION ####
Here you can configure different methods for caching datastore items.
vB_Datastore_Filecache - to use includes/datastore/datastore_cache.php
vB_Datastore_APCu - to use APCu (which replaces APC)
vB_Datastore_XCache - to use XCache (not available for PHP 7+)
vB_Datastore_Memcache - to use one or more Memcache servers, more configuration below.
vB_Datastore_Redis - to use one or more Redis servers, more configuration options below. */
// $config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Filecache';
In version 4.2.5, five options are available:
vB_Datastore_Filecache
This option saves the datastore data in the /includes/datastore/datastore_cache.php file. Reading from the filesystem is
generally less load-intensive than querying the database.
To use this option, you'll need to make sure that the /includes/datastore/datastore_cache.php file is writable and
readable by PHP. Usually this is chmod 777. Then, uncomment the following line in the config.php file.
// $config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Filecache';
vB_Datastore_APCu
This option saves the datastore data in shared memory using APCu on a server. APCu is replacing APC.
To use this option, replace the following line:
// $config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Filecache';
...with this one:
$config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_APCu';
vB_Datastore_Memcache
This option saves the datastore data on a memcached server. This is a fast memory caching system which can also be
run on a different server to reduce load on the main server.
To use this option, a memcached server has to be set up first.
To use this option, replace the following line:
// $config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Filecache';
...with this one:
$config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Memcache';
Additionally, the following section of the config.php file has to be set up with the correct IP/Servername and Port
respectively. All lines need to be uncommented.
/* #### MEMCACHE SETTINGS #### */
$config['Misc']['memcacheServers'] = array(
array(
'server' => '127.0.0.1',
'port' => 11211
),
);
$config['Misc']['memcacheRetry'] = 15; // Retry time in seconds.
$config['Misc']['memcacheTimeout'] = 1; // Connect timeout in seconds.
$config['Misc']['memcachePersistent'] = true; // Persistent connections.
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vB_Datastore_XCache
This option is not available for versions of PHP from 7+.
To use this option, replace the following line:
// $config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Filecache';
...with this one:
$config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_XCache';
vB_Datastore_Redis
Redis is an open source (BSD licensed), in-memory data structure store.
To use this option, replace the following line:
// $config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Filecache';
...with this one:
$config['Datastore']['class'] = 'vB_Datastore_Redis';
To configure this, the following section of the config.php file has to be set up with the correct IP/Servername and Port
respectively. All lines need to be uncommented.
/* #### REDIS SETTINGS #### */
$config['Misc']['redisServers'] = array(
array(
'addr' => '127.0.0.1',
'port' => 6379
),
);
$config['Misc']['redisRetry'] = 100; // Retry time in milliseconds.
$config['Misc']['redisTimeout'] = 3; // Connect timeout in seconds.
$config['Misc']['redisMaxDelay'] = 10; // Slave out of sync, timeout in seconds.
Using Forum, Blog or CMS in a Subdirectory. Back to Top
Running your forums in multiple directories.
With vBulletin 4.1.1, you have gained the ability to run your forum components in different directories. This includes
subdirectories of your primary installation directory and sibling directories. However due to the way that the forums
and blog are implemented, it is a little different than other software packages. Implementing this on your site is fairly
straightforward though.
Components Supported
Currently vBulletin supports running the CMS, Forum, and Blogs in directories other than your primary installation
directory.
Uploading the files.
In your 4.1.1 package there are a number of new files located within the Do Not Upload Folder to implement this
functionality. You need to upload these files first. Go into your Do Not Upload folder and you will see four subfolders.
These are named – blog, forum, cms and rewrite.
You need to upload the folders that correspond to the components that you want to run in a sub-directory on your
website. For our example today, we're going to concentrate on the forum directory. Upload this to your forum root
directory using your favorite file transfer tool.
Using Mod_Rewrite?
If you are using mod_rewrite friendly URLs, you need to upload the .htaccess for your components as well. These are
in the rewrite directory and get uploaded to their corresponding directories on the server.
Note: Only .htaccess files are provided at this time. If you are using IIS 7 with the URL Rewrite addon, you can
import the .htaccess files within IIS Manager to create the appropriate web.config files. Consult the help files in IIS
Manager for instructions.
vBulletin Settings
Once you have the files uploaded, you need to update some settings in your Admin Control Panel. Log in to your
Admin Control Panel and go to:
Settings → Options → Site Name / URL / Contact Details.
Here you will find new options for the URLS of your different components. They exist for Forums, CMS and Blogs.
These need to be set to the same directories that you uploaded the files to earlier.
Forum Component URL
If this is specified it will override the Forum URL setting for Forum specific pages. You may specify an absolute URL
or a URL relative to the main Forum URL
Examples:
If vBulletin is located at http://example.com/vbulletin then entering a value of "forum" will result in the forum being
located at http://example.com/vbulletin/forum.
A value of "http://www.example.com/forum" will result in the forum being located at http://www.example.com/forum.
All vBulletin URLs must have the same host name.
Cookies
You need to set your cookie path so that it is inclusive of all your vBulletin directories. If your cookie path is the
default of '/' then you don't need to change anything. However if you changed this for any reason, it may need to be
updated. For example, if vBulletin is located at www.host.com/mysite/vbulletin but the forum is located at
www.mysite.com/mysite/forum then a cookie path of "mysite" will work, but a cookie path of "mysite/vbulletin" will
not work because the cookies will not be sent to pages in the mysite/forum directory.
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Note: Changing the cookies for your site will invalidate all cookies for your users. They will be logged out and must
log back in.
Debug Mode Back to Top
When developing for vBulletin or troubleshooting issues, you often have to enter Debug Mode. Debug Mode provides
you with more information about how vBulletin runs some examples include: page generation times, templates used
on a page, the memory used on a page and how many queries it took to generate the page. Debug Mode should not be
used on a live production site unless absolutely necessary. It can expose information that could weaken security on
your site.
Note:
The config file is located in your includes directory.
Entering Debug Mode
To do this, you need to edit your config.php file and add the following line:
$config['Misc']['debug'] = true;
This line of code can be anywhere in the file after the <?php and outside of a comment. Once done, save the file and
overwrite the copy on your server.
Turning off Debug Mode
Edit your config.php file and remove the above line of code or comment it out by placing two slashes ('//') in front of
it. Save the file and overwrite the copy stored on your server.
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Appendix: Developer Tools Back to Top
Graphics Developer Kits Back to Top
vBulletin 3 Graphics Kit Back to Top
The standard vBulletin 3 graphics started life as 3D objects and scenes created in Lightwave 3D. The resulting
rendered images were then post-processed using Adobe Photoshop.
Due to the nature of 3D graphics, the edges of the images do not end in a sharply defined pixel border, but rather they
are matted to a specific background color.
The colors to which the standard graphics are matted are based on the colors of the default vBulletin style, which is
primarily white and pale blue. It may be that these colors do not suit your own customized styles, in which case you
will need to use the vBulletin 3 Graphics Developer Kit to produce a set of graphics matted to your own colors.
Two versions of the Graphics Developer Kit are available from the vBulletin Members' Area. The first contains
images that are fully prepared and require only that you choose the matte color and save the resulting images. The
second version contains larger, layered images that allow you to make numerous changes to the look of the graphics
before saving out the matted versions.
This document will explain the process of saving out images using the 'large, layered' version of the Graphics
Developer Kit, as the steps required to achieve the same results with the 'instant matte' version are a subset of these.
After downloading the 'large, layered' version of the Graphics Developer Kit from the vBulletin Members' Area, you
should extract the files from the zip archive. You will be left with a directory structure that mirrors the directory
structure from the 'images' directory of your vBulletin installation.
The images stored within the extracted directories are in Photoshop .psd format, in order to retain their layer
information and facilitate editing. Opening an image into Photoshop (or an alternative application with PSD format
support) will give you access to edit the individual graphic layers so that you can make whatever changes you need to
make.
You will find that many of the PSD images are in fact used to build a number of the final graphics. For example, all
the smilie graphics are generated from just two PSD files.
Here you can see a typical arrangement of image layers within
one of the Graphics Kit files. This particular file (Forum
Icons.psd) is used to build statusicon/forum_new.gif,
statusicon/forum_old.gif, statusicon/forum_new_lock.gif,
statusicon/forum_old_lock.gif and statusicon/forum_link.gif.
By switching on and off the icon next to each layer or layer
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set you can change the visibility of each layer and hence build
each individual image.
For example, to build the statusicon/forum_new.gif image, you
would need to hide all layers with the exceptions of:
New Posts
Top Note
Bottom Note
Meanwhile, to create the statusicon/forum_new_lock.gif image,
all layers should be hidden apart from:
No New Posts
Bottom Note
Top Note
FORUM LINK ARROW
In order to create the matted versions of your graphics, you should follow the following steps.
1 Firstly, resize the image to the desired size for the final graphic (see the table of sizes and matte classes for the
correct size for each image). The resize command can be found by following Image > Image Size in Photoshop.
2 Secondly, selecting each visible layer in turn, apply a sharpening filter. We recommend that you use Filter >
Sharpen > Unsharp Mask with the following settings:
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3 Finally, after sharpening each layer, call up the File > Save for Web dialog. Here, set the number of colors to 256,
the format to GIF and turn transparency on.
You should now click the Matte control, choose Eyedropper Color and then pick an appropriate color to use as
the background for your image.
You can refer to the table of sizes and matte classes to find the name of the CSS class on which each graphic will
be located, so that you can match that up to an appropriate color.
The Graphics Developer Kits can be downloaded from the Members' Support Page.
Table of Sizes and Matte Classes Back to Top
Directory Image Name Width Height Matte Class
buttons
buttons newthread 110 26 page
buttons reply 110 26 page
buttons threadclosed 110 26 page
buttons edit 70 22 alt2
buttons reply_small 70 22 alt2
buttons forward 70 22 alt2
buttons quickreply 25 22 alt2
buttons sendpm 70 22 alt2
buttons email 70 22 alt2
buttons home 70 22 alt2
buttons find 70 22 alt2
buttons mode_hybrid 16 16 vbmenu_option
buttons mode_linear 16 16 vbmenu_option
buttons mode_threaded 16 16 vbmenu_option
buttons printer 21 17 vbmenu_option
buttons sendtofriend 21 17 vbmenu_option
buttons addpoll 21 17 vbmenu_option
buttons subscribe 21 17 vbmenu_option
buttons report 21 17 thead
buttons reputation 21 17 thead
buttons ip 18 17 thead
buttons sortasc 12 12 thead
buttons sortdesc 12 12 thead
buttons firstnew 12 12 alt2
buttons lastpost 12 12 alt1
buttons collapse_alt 11 11 alt1
buttons collapse_alt_collapsed 11 11 alt1
buttons collapse_tcat 15 15 tcat
buttons collapse_tcat_collapsed 15 15 tcat
buttons collapse_thead 13 13 thead
buttons collapse_thead_collapsed 13 13 thead
icons
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icons icon1 16 16 alt1
icons icon2 16 16 alt1
icons icon3 14 16 alt1
icons icon4 16 16 alt1
icons icon5 16 16 alt1
icons icon6 16 16 alt1
icons icon7 16 16 alt1
icons icon8 16 16 alt1
icons icon9 16 16 alt1
icons icon10 16 16 alt1
icons icon11 16 16 alt1
icons icon12 16 16 alt1
icons icon13 16 16 alt1
icons icon14 16 16 alt1
misc
misc birthday 30 30 alt1
misc birthday_small 13 17 alt1
misc calendar 30 30 alt1
misc calendar_icon 13 17 vbmenu_option
misc im_aim 17 17 alt1
misc im_icq 17 17 alt1
misc im_msn 17 17 alt1
misc im_yahoo 17 17 alt1
misc menu_open 11 7 vbmenu_control
misc multipage 12 12 alt2
misc navbits_start 15 15 alt2
misc navbits_finallink 30 15 alt2
misc paperclip 7 13 alt2
misc poll_posticon 16 16 alt1
misc question_icon 16 16 alt1
misc stats 30 30 alt1
misc sticky 12 12 alt2
misc subscribed 12 12 alt2
misc subscribed_event 17 17 alt1
misc whos_online 30 30 alt1
rating
rating rating_0 60 12 vbmenu_control
rating rating_1 60 12 vbmenu_control
rating rating_2 60 12 vbmenu_control
rating rating_3 60 12 vbmenu_control
rating rating_4 60 12 vbmenu_control
rating rating_5 60 12 vbmenu_control
reputation
reputation reputation_off 8 10 alt1
reputation reputation_highpos 8 10 alt1
reputation reputation_pos 8 10 alt1
reputation reputation_balance 8 10 alt1
reputation reputation_neg 8 10 alt1
reputation reputation_highneg 8 10 alt1
smilies
smilies biggrin 16 16 alt2
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smilies confused 16 21 alt2
smilies cool 16 16 alt2
smilies eek 16 16 alt2
smilies frown 16 16 alt2
smilies mad 16 16 alt2
smilies redface 16 16 alt2
smilies rolleyes 16 16 alt2
smilies smile 16 16 alt2
smilies tongue 16 16 alt2
smilies wink 16 16 alt2
statusicon
statusicon announcement_new 18 18 alt2
statusicon announcement_old 18 18 alt2
statusicon forum_old 29 30 alt1
statusicon forum_new 29 30 alt1
statusicon forum_old_lock 29 30 alt1
statusicon forum_new_lock 29 30 alt1
statusicon forum_link 29 30 alt1
statusicon subforum_old 11 11 alt2
statusicon subforum_new 11 11 alt2
statusicon subforum_link 11 11 alt2
statusicon pm_old 16 16 alt2
statusicon pm_new 16 16 alt2
statusicon pm_replied 16 16 alt2
statusicon pm_forwarded 16 16 alt2
statusicon post_old 10 11 thead
statusicon post_new 10 11 thead
statusicon user_offline 15 15 alt1
statusicon user_online 15 15 alt1
statusicon user_invisible 15 15 alt1
statusicon thread 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_dot 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_dot_hot 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_dot_hot_lock 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_dot_hot_lock_new 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_dot_hot_new 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_dot_lock 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_dot_lock_new 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_dot_new 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_hot 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_hot_lock 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_hot_lock_new 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_hot_new 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_lock 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_lock_new 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_moved 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_moved_new 20 20 alt2
statusicon thread_new 20 20 alt2
statusicon wol_lockedout 17 17 alt1
statusicon wol_nopermission 16 17 alt1
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statusicon wol_error 16 16 alt1
vBulletin 2 Graphics Kit Back to Top
Welcome to the vBulletin Graphics Developer's Kit. This document will take you through the steps needed to get you
started with customizing the vBulletin graphics to suit the colors of your own board.
All images in this kit are saved as Adobe Photoshop .psd files, in order to retain their layer information and facilitate
editing. They were created in Photoshop 6.0 and ImageReady 3.0.
The PSD files included in the Graphics Developer's Kit are all that you will require to fully customize all the vBulletin
buttons and icons to whatever extent you require.
When you open up a file into Photoshop, you will usually see a single image, but the file you opened may actually be
used to create several images. Let's take a look at the file THREAD CLOSED.psd.
This file is only used to create one image (threadclosed.gif), but the PSD file still contains several layers in order to
make it easier to recolor and edit.
Take a look at the Layers Palette in Photoshop and you will be able to see the individual layers that are used to create
this image.
As you can see, the main constituent parts of the image are the Gradient background layer, the button outline layers,
the text layer and the three layers used to create the small icon on the left-side of the button.
You can view individual layers by clicking the small icon next to each layer, in order to hide it, and then selectively
turning the layers you want to see back to visible mode.
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In order to recolor this image to suit your own site, you will need to recolor the Gradient and possibly the icon bg
layers. This is how to do that.
Click on the Gradient layer in the Layers Palette, so that it becomes hilighted, as shown in the image above. You will
now need to select a start and end color for your gradient. To do this, click on the colored boxes in the tools palette.
The color in the top-left box will be the starting color for your gradient, and the color in the bottom-right box will be
the ending color for the gradient.
Next, you will need to select the gradient tool from the tools pallete. To do this, press G on your keyboard until the
gradient tool is selected.
Ensure that the gradient type is linear by checking the tools options palette.
Now you will need to use the gradient tool to draw your new gradient over the existing one.
To do this, simply drag a line from the top of the image to the bottom of the image, then release the mouse button, and
the gradient will be drawn. Don't worry about the gradient 'going over the edges' of the existing gradient - it has had
its transparency locked, so the new gradient will not go anywhere it's not supposed to.
When you release the mouse button, the gradient will be drawn.
If you want to ensure that the line you draw with the gradient tool is perfectly top-to-bottom, without a slight angle,
simply hold down the shift key while you draw the line.
If you also want to recolor the icon, click on the layer called icon bg and then click the checkbox to lock the
transparecy of this layer, as shown here:
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Now select the paintbrush tool from the tools palette by pressing B on the keyboard until the brush tool is selected.
Now choose the color you would like to use, and paint all over the icon. Once again, don't worry about going over the
edges, as the layer transparency has been locked:
The final step is to save out the GIF version of this image, for use on your board.
To do this, choose the Save for Web option from the File menu (or hold down Alt+Ctrl+Shift+S on the keyboard).
Probably the most important option that you will need to set is the color depth. This will directly affect the file size of
the resulting image - the more colors you have, the larger the filesize. The file size is displayed in the bottom-left of
the window. You will need to experiment to find the best compromize between image quality and file size. 64 colors
will usually be sufficient.
When you are happy with the image, click the [Ok] button to save the image. This will pop up a file window, where
you can specify an filename.
As was mentioned before, some of the PSD files are used to create two or more of the final GIF images. An example
of this is the SMILIES.psd file, which is used to create all of the smilie GIFs with the exception of confused.gif.
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Creating the various different smilies requires you to hide some layers and show others - for example, to create the eek
smilie, you will need to hide all layers with the exception of eek, background and outer circle. To create the tongue
smilie, hide the eek layer and show the tongue layer. Showing and hiding layers is done by clicking the small icon
next to the appropriate layer.
To change the background color of the smilies, you simply need to double-click the 'Color Overlay' effect applied to
the background layer, and set a new color.
When you have finished creating a smilie, simply pull up the Save for Web control as shown earlier.
vBulletin Code Standards Back to Top
The following documents are intended as a guide for people who are writing code to integrate with vBulletin.
Code Examples Color Key:
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$code = red_code($var); Don't code like this
$code = normal_code($var); Code like this
Braces Back to Top
Braces should be placed on a new line in all cases.
if ($condition_one)
{
// do something
}
else if ($condition_two)
{
// do something else
}
else
{
// don't do anything
}
Always use braces, even for loops / branches that contain just a single line of code.
if ($condition_one)
// do something
else
if ($condition_two)
// do something else
else
// don't do anything
if ($condition_one)
{
// do something
}
else
{
if ($condition_two)
{
// do something else
}
else
{
// don't do anything
}
}
Indenting Back to Top
Always use a single tab for indenting.
function construct_something($var)
{
global $vboptions;
if ($vboptions['somevar'])
{
if ($var == 'something')
{
return true;
}
else
{
return false;
}
}
else
{
return true;
}
}
Loops and Branches Back to Top
Loop and branch commands (including foreach) should be followed by a space before the opening parenthesis.
for ($i = 0; $i < 10; $i++)
{
// do something
}
while ($result = $db->fetch_array($results))
{
// do something
}
if ($condition != 'something')
{
// do something
}
foreach ($array AS $key => $val)
{
// do something
}
'else if' should be used, rather than 'elseif'.
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if ($condition)
{
// do something
}
else if ($condition_two)
{
// do something else
}
Use of Spaces Back to Top
Operators should always be surrounded by spaces with the exception of ++ and --.
$a = 1;
$b += $a;
$c = $a . $b;
$d = $b . 'something' . $c;
$e = $d * $b;
$f = $e / $a;
$g = ($f + $e) * $b;
$h++;
$i--;
Function calls and definitions should not have a space before the opening parentheses.
$x = htmlspecialchars($y);
$item = $DB_site->fetch_array($items);
Function arguments should have a space after each comma.
$x = fetch_something($a, $b, $c);
$i = construct_something(strtoupper('something') . ' ' . substr($var, 0, $b));
Unnecessary spaces around parentheses should not be used.
$var = addslashes( $var );
$str = fetch_something( strlen( $var ), strpos( $x , $y ) );
$x = construct_x(substr($string, 0, strlen($bla)) . '/' . ucfirst($string));
if ($x == 1 AND ($y == 2 OR $z == 3) AND ($a = fetch_x($x, $y) OR $a == 'bla'))
Quoting Strings Back to Top
Strings should be quoted with single quotes if they contain no variables or control characters, otherwise use double
quotes.
$flat_string = 'Hello, this is a string';
$dynamic_one = "Hello,\nthis is a string.";
$dynamic_two = "Hello $username,\n this is a string.";
The choice between using string evaluations or string additions is yours to make, depending upon the circumstances.
$string_one = "The time is $timenow and the date is $datenow.";
$string_two = 'The time is ' . time() . ' and the date is ' . $datenow . '.';
SQL Queries should always be double-quoted.
$results = $DB_site->query("SELECT field FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table AS table");
Variables should not be quoted if they do not need to be.
$var = "$x";
$result = strtoupper("$string");
$var = $x;
$result = strtoupper($string);
$string = fetch_something("something$var");
Eval() calls should be single-quoted if possible, to avoid unncessary character escaping.
eval("\$template = \"" . fetch_template('template') . "\";");
eval('$template = "' . fetch_template('template') . '";');
Quoting Array Keys Back to Top
Array keys should be quoted if they are strings or variables, even if you know that the variable evaluates to an integer.
Quoting should follow the same rules as defined for string quoting. Note that $var = $array[$key]; will cause a parse
error if $key is not quoted and is a negative integer, and will cause a notice if $key is a string and is unquoted.
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$a = $userinfo[12];
$b = $userinfo['username'];
$c = $userinfo["$field"];
Compound array keys should quote the outermost variable.
$a = $userinfo["$var[12]"];
$b = $userinfo["$var[username]"];
$c = $userinfo["$var[$field]"];
Compound arrays within strings should be avoided if possible by breaking out of the string with the dot operator,
although if absolutely unavoidable, the {...} array syntax can be used.
$a = "Hello my name is $userinfo[12], how do you do?";
$b = "Hello my name is $userinfo[username], how do you do?";
$c = "Hello my name is $userinfo[$field], how do you do?";
$d = 'Hello my name is ' . $userinfo["$var[field]"] . ', how do you do?';
$e = "Hello my name is {$userinfo[$var[username]]}, how do you do?";
$_GET / $_POST / $_REQUEST Back to Top
In order to insure that data is in the expected format, the following PHP Superglobal arrays are not to be accessed
directly under most situations:
$_GET
$_POST
$_REQUEST
$_COOKIE
$_FILES
The only direct access to these variables is with $_POST['do'] and $_GET['do'], which is used as the controlling
variable for deciding which branch of a script is executed. There may also exist very specific cases where direct
access is required but should be avoided if at all possible. Do not use $_GET / $_POST / $_REQUEST etc. variables
in templates.
clean_gpc() and clean_array_gpc(), members of the vBulletin input class are used to sanitize all user submitted data.
Valid data types are:
TYPE_BOOL - Boolean
TYPE_INT - Integer
TYPE_UINT - Unsigned Integer
TYPE_NUM - Floating Point Number
TYPE_UNUM - Unsigned Floating Point Number
TYPE_UNIXTIME - Unix Timestamp (Unsigned Integer)
TYPE_STR - Trimmed String (No leading or trailing whitespace)
TYPE_NOTRIM - String
TYPE_NOHTML - Trimmed String sent through htmlspecialchars_uni()
TYPE_ARRAY - Array
TYPE_FILE - File
TYPE_NOCLEAN - Unvalidated
Each of the data types other than TYPE_NOCLEAN, also have a corresponding Array data type that forces an array
of that data type, e.g. TYPE_ARRAY_BOOL.
Sanitized values are accessed via the $vbulletin->GPC array using the value's field name as the array index, e.g.
$vbulletin->GPC['field1']. You can be sure that the value in the $vbulletin->GPC array is of the type specified, no
matter what may have originally been defined in the Superglobal array. For example, if you specify TYPE_NOHTML,
you can display that variable directly in HTML without worrying about it being HTML safe.
The first parameter to both clean_gpc() and clean_array_gpc(), is the first letter initial of the Superglobal array that
you are sanitizing the value from. You can only sanitize values from one Superglobal array with any single call to
clean_array_gpc() or clean_gpc(). You can not clean values from $_COOKIE and $_POST with the same call, you
have to make multiple calls. All of the values will end up in the same $vbulletin->GPC array so insure field names do
not overlap.
Note:
$_COOKIE values must be accessed using the COOKIE_PREFIX:
$vbulletin->input->clean_gpc('c', COOKIE_PREFIX . 'forum_view', TYPE_STR);
$foo = $vbulletin->GPC[COOKIE_PREFIX . 'forum_view'];
$db->query_write("
UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table SET
field_one = '" . $db->escape_string(trim($_POST['field_one'])) . "',
field_two = '" . $db->escape_string(htmlspecialchars_uni(trim($_POST['field_two']))) . "'
WHERE key_field = " . intval($_POST['key_field') . "
");
$vbulletin->input->clean_array_gpc('p', array(
'field_one' => TYPE_STR,
'field_two' => TYPE_NOHTML,
'key_field' => TYPE_INT
));
/* This value can be accessed either by $cleanedvar or $vbulletin->GPC['field_one'] */
$cleanedvar =& $vbulletin->input->clean_gpc('p', 'field_one', TYPE_STR);
$db->query_write("
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UPDATE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table SET
field_one = '" . $db->escape_string($vbulletin->GPC['field_one']) . "',
field_two = '" . $db->escape_string($vbulletin->GPC['field_two']) . "',
WHERE key_field = " . $vbulletin->GPC['key_field'] . "
");
Boolean Function Return Values Back to Top
Unless there is a good reason to use 1/0, such as the possibility of a return value of 2, use true/false as return values
for functions.
function is_three($var)
{
if ($var == 3)
{
return 1;
}
else
{
return 0;
}
}
function is_three($var)
{
if ($var == 3)
{
return true;
}
else
{
return false;
}
}
Use lower-case true/false rather than upper-case TRUE/FALSE. Reserve upper-case for custom constants.
if ($var === TRUE)
if ($var === true)
AND/and/&& OR/or/|| etc. Back to Top
Use 'AND' rather than 'and' or '&&', and 'OR' rather than 'or' or '||'.
if ($var1 && $var2 || $var3)
if ($var1 and $var2 or $var3)
if ($var1 AND $var2 OR $var3)
Capitalize 'AS' in foreach statements.
foreach($array AS $key => $val)
{
// do something
}
Commenting Code Back to Top
Use the // comment type for single-line or short comments, and the /* .... */ syntax for large block comments.
// this is a single line comment
// this is a short comment that tells
// you something about the following code
/*
this is a long comment
and it
goes on
for several
lines...
*/
Comments should precede the code they describe, rather than following it.
$var = 0; // initialize $var
if ($var) // check $var
// initialize $var
$var = 0;
// check $var
if ($var)
When commenting loops and branches, it is acceptable to put the comment inside the braces.
if ($var)
{
// $var is true so do the following code
echo $var;
}
Separate 'do' branches and major code blocks with the comment string shown here. I suggest you copy this line and
add it as an insertable code snippet in your PHP editor. If you want to insert a short definition of what the 'do' code
will do, add it immediately following the separating comment line.
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require_once('./global.php');
// #############################################################################
if (empty($_REQUEST['do']))
{
$_REQUEST['do'] = 'modify';
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'edit')
{
// do edit code
}
// #############################################################################
// lists items in a table
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'modify')
{
// do modify code
}
Prefix PHP function definitions with the comment string shown here. Once again, you should create a code snippet
with this string.
// ###################### Start is_something ######################
function is_something($var)
{
return iif($var, true, false);
}
// ###################### Start fetch_uppercase ######################
function fetch_uppercase($var)
{
return strtoupper($var);
}
Variable Comparison etc. Back to Top
The following standards should be followed:
if (empty($array)) // false if $array is populated
if ($string == '') // true if $string has no contents
if ($integer) // true if $integer is not 0
if (!$integer) // true if $integer is 0
if ($boolean) // true if $boolean is true
if (!$boolean) // true if $boolean is false
If data type is crucial, use === and !==.
if ($boolean === true) // true if $boolean is 'true', false if $boolean is a true integer
if ($integer !== 0) // true if $integer is not 0, false if $integer is 'true'
Note the following:
$integer = 0;
if ($integer == '') // will return true
$string = '';
if ($string == 0) // will return true
$string = '0';
if ($string == '') // will return false
SQL Query Syntax Back to Top
Always double-quote SQL queries, even if they contain no dynamic text.
$db->query_read('SELECT field FROM ' . TABLE_PREFIX . 'table ORDER BY field');
$db->query_read("SELECT field FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table ORDER BY field");
SQL function calls should not be followed by a space.
$db->query_read("SELECT COUNT(*) AS records, SUM(field_one) AS total FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table");
If a query string is long and would be better written on more than one line, separate it onto separate lines, putting the
clause keyword at the start of the line in the following manner: double-quote, newline, indent, [query string], newline,
outdent, double-quote.
$results = $db->query_read("SELECT field_one, field_two, field_three,
IF(field_four = 'Yes', 1, 0) AS field_four,
FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table_one AS table_one
LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table_two As table_two USING(field_one)
WHERE table_one.field_two IN('bla bla bla', 'moo moo moo')
ORDER BY table_one.field_one DESC
LIMIT 5,10");
$results = $db->query_read("
SELECT field_one, field_two, field_three,
IF(field_four = 'Yes', 1, 0) AS field_four,
FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table_one AS table_one
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LEFT JOIN " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table_two As table_two USING(field_one)
WHERE table_one.field_two IN('bla bla bla', 'moo moo moo')
ORDER BY table_one.field_one DESC
LIMIT 5,10
");
Additional 'AND' clauses for the 'WHERE' clause should be intented if the query spans multiple lines.
$results = $db->query_read("
SELECT field_one, field_two
FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table AS table
WHERE field_one IN(3,4,5)
AND field_two <> ''
AND field_three = 'something'
ORDER BY field_one
");
Do not quote numeric values in SQL queries, use intval() or $var += 0; to ensure that the variable is safe.
$db->query_first("SELECT something FROM table WHERE tableid = '$numericvar'");
$db->query_first("SELECT something FROM table WHERE tableid = '" . intval(numericvar) . "'");
$db->query_first("SELECT something FROM table WHERE tableid = " . intval($numericvar));
$numericvar = intval($numericvar);
$db->query_first("SELECT something FROM table WHERE tableid = $numericvar");
Do not specify a length for numeric fields unless you have specified 'UNSIGNED ZEROFILL'.
$db->query_write("
ALTER TABLE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table
ADD field_four SMALLINT(5) UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
ADD field_five INT(10) UNSIGNED NOT NULL
");
$db->query_write("
ALTER TABLE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table
ADD field_four SMALLINT UNSIGNED NOT NULL,
ADD field_five INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL
");
Do not use the 'AFTER' keyword in 'ALTER' statements. Some servers seem to have problems with 'AFTER' so it is
best avoided.
$db->query_write("
ALTER TABLE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table
ADD field_six INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL AFTER field_five
");
$db->query_write("
ALTER TABLE " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table
ADD field_six INT UNSIGNED NOT NULL
");
Format INSERT / REPLACE queries like this:
$db->query_write("
INSERT INTO " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table
(field_one, field_two, field_three)
VALUES
(1, 2, 'moo'),
(1, 2, 'baa'),
(3, 5, 'quack')
");
Always list the field names in INSERT / REPLACE queries. Never assume that you are inserting all the fields into a
table.
$db->query_write("
INSERT INTO " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table
VALUES
(1, 'one', 'some text')
");
$db->query_write("
INSERT INTO " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table
(field_one, field_two, field_three)
VALUES
(1, 'one', 'some text')
");
If a field in an INSERT query is AUTO_INCREMENT, do not include it in the query.
$db->query_write("
INSERT INTO " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table
(auto_increment_field, field_two)
VALUES
(NULL, 'texty bits')
");
$db->query_write("
INSERT INTO " . TABLE_PREFIX . "table
(field_two)
VALUES
('texty bits')
");
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'Do' Branch Naming Back to Top
Most vBulletin scripts contains 'do' branches. The following naming standards should be followed.
if (empty($_REQUEST['do']))
{
// set default branch for this script
$_REQUEST['do'] = 'modify';
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_POST['do'] == 'kill')
{
// 'kill'
// run code to remove item in database
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'delete')
{
// 'delete'
// display delete confirmation message
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_POST['do'] == 'insert')
{
// 'insert'
// run code to insert new item into database
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'add')
{
// 'add'
// display form to add new item
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_POST['do'] == 'update')
{
// 'update'
// run code to update item in database
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'edit')
{
// 'edit'
// display form to edit item
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'modify')
{
// 'modify'
// show default branch for this script
}
If possible, keep the branches in the order listed above, with 'modify' (the default action) at the very bottom of the
script.
If a script contains branches to edit/add/delete more than a single item type (such as template.php containing script to
modify both styles and templates), then you should suffix the kill/delete/insert/add/update/edit branch names with the
item type.
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'edittemplate')
{
// show form to edit a template
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'editstyle')
{
// show form to edit a style
}
If a the functionality of a 'do' branch does not tally with edit, update, add, insert, delete or kill, give it a name that
summarised the functionality of the branch.
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'rebuildstylecache')
{
// rebuild style cache
}
// #############################################################################
if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'updatetemplateparentlists')
{
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// update template parent lists
}
Keep groups of branches applicable to a single item type together in the script.
// if (empty($_REQUEST['do']))
// if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'rebuildstylecache')
// if ($_POST['do'] == 'killstyle')
// if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'deletestyle')
// if ($_POST['do'] == 'insertstyle')
// if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'addstyle')
// if ($_POST['do'] == 'updatestyle')
// if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'editstyle')
// if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'updatetemplateparentlists')
// if ($_POST['do'] == 'killtemplate')
// if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'deletetemplate')
// if ($_POST['do'] == 'inserttemplate')
// if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'addtemplate')
// if ($_POST['do'] == 'updatetemplate')
// if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'edittemplate')
// if ($_REQUEST['do'] == 'modify')
Function Naming Back to Top
Custom function names should (as far as possible) describe what they are going to do, so that a person reading the
code would have a good idea of how to use and what to expect from a function simply by looking at the name.
Custom function names should be all lower-case and should use underscores to separate words.
$var2 = issomething($var1);
$var2 = isSomething($var2);
$var2 = is_something($var1);
Custom function names should adhere to the following standards
Group
Prefix
Group Explanation Example Functions
print_ Functions that directly print out code to the browser or output buffer
via echo or print statements. print_input_row
print_standard_error
print_cp_header
construct_ Functions that return variables containing HTML for later printing.
construct_edit_toolbar
construct_forum_jump
is_
contains_
Functions that return true/false based on conditions.
is_valid_email
is_wysiwyg_compatible
contains_bbcode_img_tags
can_ Functions that return true/false based on permissions.
can_moderate
can_administer
can_announce
verify_ Functions that check conditions and directly drop out to an error
message if certain conditions are met. verify_ip_ban
verify_post_errors
verify_word_allowed
convert_ Functions that convert the input variable from one data format to
another. convert_kb_to_mb
convert_html_to_bbcode
convert_bits_to_array
cache_ Functions that read data from the database (usually) and create PHP
cache variables to lighten the SQL load. cache_templates
cache_forums
cache_birthdays
fetch_ Functions that return arrays / strings / integers etc. If the data type to
be returned is not explicit in the function name (such as
fetch_template, fetch_userinfo etc.) then specify the type of data in
the function name, such as fetch_template_update_sql,
fetch_replaced_session_url, fetch_reminders_array etc.
fetch_template
fetch_user_search_sql
fetch_user_location_array
process_ Functions that perform actions upon an array in order to prepare it
for later reference. process_thread_array
process_post_preview
process_online_location
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build_ Functions that save data back to the database for later retrieval, such
as caching birthdays into the datastore, rebuilding the style table etc. build_bbcode_cache
build_new_post
build_attachment
delete_ Functions that delete something from the database.
delete_thread
delete_post_index
delete_user_pms
undelete_ Functions that reverse a soft deletion.
undelete_thread
undelete_post
import_ Functions from the bbimport system that take an array of data and
insert it as a post/thread/user (etc.) record into the database. import_thread
import_post
import_user
sanitize_ Functions that make perform actions on the input parameters in order
to make them safe for the next step, such as removing illegal
characters, checking that a date is valid, that a $perpage value makes
sense etc.
sanitize_perpage
sanitize_url
sanitize_reminder_date
parse_ Functions that initialize the bbcode parsing process in some way.
parse_bbcode
parse_usernote_bbcode
parse_pm_bbcode
handle_ Functions that are called by the bbcode parser to deal with a
particular bbcode type. handle_bbcode_img
handle_bbcode_list
handle_bbcode_parameter
file_ Functions that deal directly with the filesystem.
file_read
file_download
file_append
log_ Functions that append to one of vBulletin's logs.
log_admin_action
log_vbulletin_error
log_upgrade_step
exec_ Functions that actually perform an action rather than returning
something. exec_shutdown
exec_queries
exec_cron
sort_ Functions that sort data.
sort_search_items
sort_threaded_posts
strip_ Functions that strip elements from strings
strip_bbcode
strip_blank_ascii
strip_empty_bbcode
xml_ Functions that work to read or output XML.
xml_import_style
xml_parse_language_otag
xml_escape_cdata
vb_
vb
Functions that replace built-in PHP functions with vBulletin
replacements designed to extend functionality or otherwise alter the
behavior of the built-in function. If the original function name
contains underscores, prefix with 'vb_' otherwise prefix with 'vb'.
vbmail
vb_number_format
vbsetcookie
js_ Javascript functions defined within the PHP code (rather than being
in one of the .js files). js_dots
js_confirm_clear_db
js_forum_jump
Data Managers Back to Top
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 302/380
Data Managers (DMs) are an interface to various data objects used within vBulletin. They enforce necessary
constraints and administrator-set options on the data to ensure that the data is valid.
Data managers allow rapid integration of vBulletin-specific data structures and data constraints into additional code
(such as used with the product manager) or third-party applications. With only a few lines of code, you can use the
data managers to create new threads and posts, users, and more.
As of this writing, vBulletin has the following data managers:
Administrators
Attachments
Calendar Events
Forums
Moderators
Private Messages
Polls
Poll Votes
Posts
Threads
Threads with a Post
Thread Ratings
Users
User Pictures (Avatars/Profile Pictures)
This list may be expanded in future versions.
Programming with a Data Manager Back to Top
Programming with a data manager should make your code smaller, easier to read, and more bug proof as all the error
checking and data validation is handled within the data manager itself.
Note:
PHP experience is assumed here. You should understand procedural programming as well as have a handle on object-
oriented programming.
The general process for using a data manager from start to finish is as follows:
1. Create the data manager object.
2. If you are updating an existing record, set the existing data.
3. Set the values for the fields you wish to change.
4. Depending on the error handling method chosen, check for errors and abort the save if errors are found.
5. Save the updated/new data.
Most of these steps are handled via single line function calls. Each of these steps are detailed below.
Note:
The code snippets below assume you are within the vBulletin environment already. They will need access to various
vBulletin files, such as includes/functions.php and includes/class_core.php, and vBulletin data, such as $vbulletin.
1Creating the data manager object
To create the data manager, you need to call the datamanager_init function, defined in functions.php.
datamanager_init($classtype, &$registry, $errtype = ERRTYPE_STANDARD, $forcefile = '')
Arguments are as follows:
1. $classtype - the name of the data manager you want to create. This is only part of the class name. For
example, if you wish to create vB_DataManager_User, you should send "User" as this value.
2. $registry - the main registry object used by vBulletin to hold application-level data. In most cases, this will
be the variable $vbulletin.
3. $errtype (optional) - the type of error handling the data manager will use. With certain types, execution
will stop once an error occurs and a message will be displayed; other types allow more control over errors.
The following constants are valid values for this argument:
ERRTYPE_ARRAY - Execution continues after an error occurs as all errors are placed in the
$errors member of the data manager. Be sure to prevent saving if necessary, as calling the save
method will cause a fatal error. A good example of this usage is when an error occurs while
posting a new message.
ERRTYPE_STANDARD - Execution stops once an error occurs and the error message is
displayed to the user using the front-end error page.
ERRTYPE_CP - This is the same as ERRTYPE_STANDARD, except that the error is
displayed as a control panel error message.
ERRTYPE_SILENT - This is similar to ERRTYPE_ARRAY, except that if the save is called
while there are errors will simply prevent the save from occurring instead of stopping
execution. This is useful if placing a data manager within another data manager and you can't
allow an error to be displayed if something goes wrong.
4. $forcefile (optional) - this controls the name of the file that is read to retrieve the data manager class. If you
do not specify this, the filename is based off the class type. If you specify this argument, the file that will be
read is includes/class_dm_[forcefile].php. This argument is not needed for most classes.
This function will return a reference to the data manager object that was created. Be sure to use =& when you
assign the value returned to a variable!
Example usage:
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$dataman =& datamanager_init('Thread', $vbulletin, ERRTYPE_ARRAY, 'threadpost');
// or...
$dataman =& datamanager_init('User', $vbulletin);
2Setting the existing data (if necessary)
If you are using the data managers to insert a new record into the database, you do not need to perform this step.
However, if you are updating an existing record (eg, editing a post), this step is mandatory.
To set the existing data, you must call the set_existing method of the data manager object.
set_existing(&$existing)
The $existing is an array of data that is currently stored in the database. It should include all the fields this data
manager handles as keys. For example, the array passed into the user data manager would have a structure similar
to this:
$existing = array(
'userid' => 1,
'username' => 'Admin',
'usergroupid' => 6,
// ...and all the other fields related to a user
);
The data manager will automatically pick out the field or fields that uniquely identify a record and update it upon
saving (instead of inserting a new record).
The data passed into this function often comes from functions such as fetch_userinfo or fetch_threadinfo.
This function does not return a value.
Example usage:
$dataman->set_existing($vbulletin->userinfo);
3Setting the values for data you wish to change
Most of your time spent dealing with data managers will be spent in this step. Each piece of data that is known
must be set individually via one of several method calls. These calls will verify the validity of the data before
using it to save the changes.
set($fieldname, $value, $clean = true, $doverify = true)
setr($fieldname, &$value, $clean = true, $doverify = true)
The functions set and setr are identical except that the second argument is passed by-reference in setr and by-
value in set.
1. $fieldname - the name of the field you are updating (eg, userid, username). The list of fields a data
manager can handle are listed in the $validfields member.
2. $value - the value you are changing this field to. Unless you specify the $clean argument, this value will be
type cleaned to the correct data type. For example, if you specify a new user ID, it will be forced to an
integer before saving.
3. $clean (optional) - this controls whether the data specified in $value is cleaned to the correct data type.
Normally, you will want this to be true (cleaning performed), however if you want to perform something
like a relative value update (field = field + 3), you will need to make this be false.
4. $doverify (optional) - controls whether to verify the data is valid before saving. For example, if you
normally had a minimum of 10 characters in a post and you wanted to avoid that (and the other checks on
the post text), you would set this argument to false.
These functions will return true on success and false on failure. However, note that this is the first step where the
selected error handling type applies. If verification of the data fails and you have selected an error handler that
displays the error immediately, execution will stop before these functions return!
Example usage:
$dataman->set('username', 'Admin');
$usergroupid = 6;
$dataman->setr('usergroupid', $usergroupid);
Another method of setting fields applies to yes/no options stored in a bit field. A bit field is a way of storing 32
yes/no options in a 4-byte integer value. To set a bit field value, call this method:
set_bitfield($fieldname, $bitname, $onoff)
1. $fieldname - the name of the entire bit field you are updating (eg, userid, username). The name of the bit
fields managed by a data manager are specified in the $bitfields member.
2. $bitname - the name of the specific bit in the bit field that you wish to update. The bit field associated with
a specific piece of data is also listed in the $bitfields member. Each member is defined in the
includes/xml/bitfield_*.xml files.
3. $onoff - Whether to set the option to on/yes/1 or off/no/0.
This function returns true on success and false on failure. Bit fields do not use the verification functions used by
the set and setr functions, so this function will return true unless you try to write to a field that is not a bit field.
Example usage:
$dataman->set_bitfield('options', 'receivepm', true);
$dataman->set_bitfield('options', 'emailonpm', false);
Note that some more complicated data managers have special functions to set specific fields as they require extra
information that cannot by provided via set or setr. Documenting those functions is beyond the scope of this
document.
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4Checking for errors before saving (if necessary)
If you are using an error handler which does not stop execution, you will likely want to ensure that there are no
errors up until the exact point at which the saving occurs. If you are using the ERRTYPE_ARRAY error handler,
this is almost required since if errors have occurred, a PHP fatal error will occur.
The first thing you need to do is call the pre_save method. This does any last minute data verification and
anything else necessary before saving. This method can throw additional errors, so you need to call this explicitly
if you are using an error handler that does not stop execution. The save method will call this automatically, so if
you are using an execution-stopping error handler, you do not need to bother with this.
Once this method has been called, you need to check to see if the $errors member is an empty array. If it is empty,
then no errors have occurred and you may proceed with the save. If it is not empty, the array will consist of
strings listing each of the errors; these are generally ready to be displayed to a user.
Example code would look like this:
$dataman->pre_save();
if (count($dataman->errors) > 0)
{
// Errors occurred. Do not proceed with the save.
// You may want to loop through $dataman->errors and
// display the results the user.
}
else
{
// No errors occurred.
// Proceed with the save (see the next step).
}
5Saving the updated/new data
The final step is to save the data. This is simply done by calling the save method of the data manager object. The
save method does not need any arguments.
The value this function returns varies depending on certain criteria:
All cases when the save fails - returns 0 or false. Note that if you are using the ERRTYPE_ARRAY error
handler, a fatal error may occur first.
Updating a record successfully - returns true.
Inserting a new record when there is a unique identifier column - this occurs when the main table for
the data contains a column marked as AUTO_INCREMENT. The value returned is the value inserted into
this column. Most data manager inserts will follow this.
Inserting a new record when there is no unique identifier column - this occurs when the main table for
the data does not contain a column marked as AUTO_INCREMENT. The value returned is -1. This does
not occur very often.
Example usage:
// inserting a new user
$userid = $dataman->save();
// updating an existing record
$dataman->save();
Data Manager Example Back to Top
This is an example of an actual use of a data manager in vBulletin. It is a partial excerpt of the code used to register a
new user.
// init user datamanager class
$userdata =& datamanager_init('User', $vbulletin, ERRTYPE_ARRAY);
// check for matching email addresses
if ($vbulletin->GPC['email'] != $vbulletin->GPC['emailconfirm'])
{
$userdata->error('emailmismatch');
}
// set email
$userdata->set('email', $vbulletin->GPC['email']);
$userdata->set('username', $vbulletin->GPC['username']);
// check referrer
if ($vbulletin->GPC['referrername'] AND !$vbulletin->userinfo['userid'])
{
$userdata->set('referrerid', $vbulletin->GPC['referrername']);
}
// Set specified options
if (!empty($vbulletin->GPC['options']))
{
foreach ($vbulletin->GPC['options'] AS $optionname => $onoff)
{
$userdata->set_bitfield('options', $optionname, $onoff);
}
}
// ... additional data setting ...
$userdata->pre_save();
// check for errors
if (!empty($userdata->errors))
{
$errorlist = '';
foreach ($userdata->errors AS $index => $error)
{
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$errorlist .= "<li>$error</li>";
}
// ... additional code; $errorlist is outputted to the user
}
else
{
// save the data
$vbulletin->userinfo['userid']
= $userid
= $userdata->save();
// ... additional processing code
}
Advanced Data Manager Techniques Back to Top
Data managers are very complex internally. They encompass a lot of functionality and options that aren't needed in
many cases. This section will discuss some of the more advanced usages of data managers, including discussing how
to extend them to include additional functionality.
Using set_info to modify certain behaviors
Each data manager has built in functionality that it provides and default checks that it makes. Some of
these data checks do not apply in all cases. Consider a user making a new post very shortly after making
another post (so he or she would be stopped by the flood check). The thread/post data manager includes
the checks to prevent flooding, so normally it would throw an error here. However, if the user decided to
preview the post instead of submitting it, they should see their post instead of an error about the flood
check. Calling set_info allows you to set a value to bypass that check, allowing the user to see their post
instead of an error.
set_info($fieldname, $value)
setr_info($fieldname, &$value)
The set functions, the only difference between set_info and setr_info is with how the second argument is
passed (by-value versus by-reference).
$fieldname - the name of the info field you are setting. This is arbitrary and each data manager
contains it's own list of info fields it uses.
$value - the value that you are setting the field to. No verification is done on the data submitted.
These functions return nothing.
The info fields used by a data manager are unrelated to the data fields used by the set and setr functions.
Values set by set_info will not be saved to the database.
Each data manager has a unique list of info fields that it uses. These can be found be looking for
references to $this->info within the data manager code. Info fields are generally used in two situations:
1. As a Boolean value, to control whether a certain section of code is run, such as the preview
example discussed above. However, many sections of code do not have options attached to them;
they will always be executed.
2. As an array of extra data that the data manager can use but does not need. A good example occurs
in the thread data manager. It accepts an array of info about the forum that the thread is being
posted in. If you provide this information, the forum's last post time and other data will be updated;
if you do not provide this information, nothing will be updated at the forum level.
Example usage:
$dataman->set_info('preview', true);
$foruminfo = fetch_foruminfo(1);
$dataman->set_info('forum', $foruminfo);
Using error callbacks for advanced behavior if an error occurs
One rarely used data manager feature allows you to call any function you wish just as an error occurs.
You can invoke this feature by calling the set_failure_callback method of a data manager. This function
takes only one argument, a callback. A callback is either a string that is the name of the function to call,
or an array with 2 entries: a reference to an object and a string naming the method to call. Please see the
PHP manual for more information on callbacks.
The function or object-method pair passed to set_failure_callback will need to accept the following as its
arguments:
1. &$dm - a reference to the data manager that caused the error. This allows you to read data out of
the data manager and do additional processing. Note that the last entry in $dm->errors is the
phrased version of the error that triggered this function call.
2. $errorphrase - this is the name of the phrase describing this error. It has not be changed into the
browsing user's language.
Note that the names of the variables received by this function are up to you; these are simply
recommendations.
While this functionality is not necessarily required, it can make it easier to perform certain operations. For
example, you are doing some additional updates after you've inserted the main data, and these updates
may fail but very rarely. If they fail, you want the newly inserted data to be removed. This is possible to
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do with an error callback.
An example in vBulletin combines the moderator and user data managers. It is possible to use the
moderator data manager to tell the user data manager to update a specific user's user group. However, if
that use if the last administrator, the user group updates might fail. The code to do this follows.
// this takes place within the moderator data manager
function post_save_each()
{
// ...
$userdata =& datamanager_init('User', $this->registry, ERRTYPE_CP);
// ...
$userdata->set_failure_callback(array(&$this, 'update_user_failed_insert'));
if ($update_usergroupid)
{
$userdata->set('usergroupid', $this->info['usergroupid']);
$userdata->set('displaygroupid', $this->info['usergroupid']);
}
// ...
$userdata->save();
}
function update_user_failed_insert(&$user)
{
$this->condition = 'moderatorid = ' . $this->fetch_field('moderatorid');
$this->delete();
$this->condition = '';
$this->errors = array_merge($this->errors, $user->errors);
}
This code undoes the moderator insert if the user can't be updated and then displays an error.
Structure of the $validfields member
The most important aspect of each data manager is the $validfields member. This is an array that controls:
What data the data manager accepts
How important the data is (is it required? is it be generated automatically?)
The data's type (integer, string, etc)
How the data is verified
The $validfields array is structured very specifically. The key is the name of the field you are controlling
(userid, username, etc). The value is another array, consisting of 2 to 4 values itself:
1. Data's type - this is the type the data will be cleaned to. This should be one of the constants
defined for the input cleaner. Commonly used values are TYPE_STR (string), TYPE_INT
(integer), and TYPE_UINT, though there are more types that you can use.
2. Data required - this controls whether this field must be set for the data to be valid and savable. If
you make a field required and the code does not set it before inserting, an error will be thrown.
There are 4 possible values:
REQ_YES - the field is required
REQ_NO - the field is not required
REQ_AUTO - the field can be automatically generated. The does not have any effect
on code execution at this time. This is appropriate for things like post times that can be
reasonably guessed before inserting the new data. (You will still need to write code to
generate the appropriate value!)
REQ_INCR - this field is an AUTO_INCREMENT field in the database, and thus will
be automatically generated upon insertion.
3. Verification method (optional) - this controls how the data is verified as being valid. This value
can be used in three ways:
Not set - if you do not set this value in the array, the no verification will be done on the
data.
The constant VF_METHOD - if you set this value to VF_METHOD, a function will be
called to verify the data. The name of that function depends on the fourth value in this
array. If you do not specify the fourth value, the function that is called is $this-
>verify_[fieldname]() (eg, $this->verify_userid()). The fourth value of the array
overrides the function name.
A string which will be evaluated as code - finally, if you set this field to any value
other than VF_METHOD it will be treated as PHP code. Before your code completes,
it should return true or false. The value being tested for validity is available in $data
and the data manager that called the code is available in $dm.
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4. Verification method override (optional) - this applies only if you set the third value to
VF_METHOD. You may then use this value to override the name of the function called. The
function called will be $this->[value]().
Note that keys in this second array are not explicitly specified.
An example of a $validfields array:
// ... this is within a data manager
var $validfields = array(
'forumid' => array(TYPE_UINT, REQ_INCR, VF_METHOD, 'verify_nonzero'),
'title' => array(TYPE_STR, REQ_YES, VF_METHOD),
'title_clean' => array(TYPE_STR, REQ_YES),
'threadcount' => array(TYPE_UINT, REQ_NO),
'daysprune' => array(TYPE_INT, REQ_AUTO, 'if ($data == 0) { $data = -1; } return true;'),
// ...
);
The following section will describe how you can use hooks to add valid fields to the data manager
without modifying the source code directly.
Using hooks to modify and extend existing data managers
One of the most exciting additions to vBulletin in version 3.5 is the idea of a plugin system and hooks.
For more information on this system, please see here.
Warning:
Using the plugin system to modify the default vBulletin code can cause significant problems with your
board. Any modifications you make via the plugin system cannot be supported. Please turn off the plugin
system before requesting support!
Hooks are provided at four distinct places in most data managers. Each location allows you to accomplish
specific functionaliy that cannot easily be done by the other locations. The hooks are named in a
consistent fashion. They prefixed by a short word representing the data managed, followed by "data_",
followed by a suffix tying the hook to a specific location. Two examples of hooks are attachdata_start and
userdata_presave.
Constructor (*data_start) - this is called when the data manager object is created. If you wish to
modify $validfields, this is the hook you'd use. Remember that you should append values onto the
array to avoid overwriting the existing values.
If you need data verification and are only working with hooks, you will not be able to use the
VF_METHOD constant. You will need to put all the verification code into a string as the third
argument in the array or use a trick like the following code demonstrates. This code would be
placed within the appropriate *data_start hook.
// adding a field without data verification
$this->validfields['myfield1'] = array(TYPE_STR, REQ_NO);
// adding a field with all data verification inline
$this->validfields['myfield2'] = array(
TYPE_INT,
REQ_YES,
'if ($data % 2 == 0)
{
$dm->error("myfield2_is_even");
return false;
}
else
{
return true;
}'
);
// adding a field with data verification outside
// note: instead of defining the function here,
// you could put it in an outside file and include it
if (!function_exists('dm_verify_myfield3'))
{
function dm_verify_myfield3(&$data, &$dm)
{
// remove anything but a-z
$data = preg_replace('#[^a-z]#i', '', $data);
if (strtolower($data{0}) != 'z')
{
$dm->error('myfield3_does_not_begin_with_z');
return false;
}
else
{
// note that when this field gets saved,
// it will be saved with everything but
// a-z already removed
return true;
}
}
}
$this-
>validfields['myfield3'] = array(TYPE_STR, REQ_NO, 'return dm_verify_myfield3($data, $dm);');
Pre-save (*data_presave) - this is called just before the data is saved, in the pre_save method. This
allows you to do any last minute data checks (which is useful when you have two pieces of data
which interact) or for generating fields which have not been but can be reasonably guessed.
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Since the data has yet to be confirmed as valid, you should not save any changes into the database
here.
Post-save (*data_postsave) - this is called just after the data is saved, in the post_save_each
method. This allows you to update any additional data based on the changes made.
For example, you may have created an additional table in the database which relies on the user
name being correct. You could check if the username had changed and update your table
appropriately:
if (!$this->condition)
{
// inserting a new user, so insert into your table
}
else if ($this->user['username'])
{
// changing the username, so update your table
}
Delete (*data_delete) - this is called just after the data is deleted, in the post_delete method. This is
similar to the hook called post-save, except it is called while deleting a record with the data
manager. Continuing the example from post-save, when a user is deleted, you should remove the
associated record from your table.
While most data managers have just these four hooks, some vary slightly. For example, some do not have
the delete hook because they do not support deletion operations. Others are more complex and have
additional hooks. Specific discussions of these variations are beyond the scope of this document.
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Appendix: ImpEx Import System Back to Top
The ImpEx (Import / Export) system is the core system for importing from other forum software into vBulletin
version 3.8.7 or higher. PHP 4.3.3 or higher are required to run ImpEx.
There are three tiers of importer systems within ImpEx, check to see which one your system falls into
Planning the import Back to Top
This section should be read fully before an import to understand the process and what steps should be taken to ensure
a smooth transition. This is vital to performing a smooth import and minimizing the disruption to your community.
The three most important things to do now are:
Note:
1. LEAVE THE ORIGINAL BOARD RUNNING UNTIL YOU HAVE READ THIS AND DONE SOME TEST
IMPORTS.
2. Back up your target database.
3. Read the rest of this manual for importing.
4. Testing an import before shutting down the source forum is the best way to go.
5. There will probably be some residual HTML from the content that will need cleaning up afterwards, which is
part of the import task and process, not a function of the support team.
6. The links within the forum to other threads/posts/users will be imported, and link to the old board. A 301/404
solution will need to be put in place if that is a concern.
Before the import Back to Top
Once again .......
Warning:
LEAVE THE ORIGINAL BOARD RUNNING UNTLL YOU HAVE READ THIS AND DONE A FEW TEST
IMPORTS
"I've turned my board off and done an import and it didn't work 100% correctly first time, my users are upset, fix it
now"
Isn't really the best way of getting a board imported.
Right, on we go.
Make a back up of your source board and do the initial trial run import from that, not the live board.
ImpEx only ever reads from a source board it will never alter source data. Though running an import against source
data that is being updated can have some strange outcomes for the import as well as the source board, also it will
cause a lot of load on the source boards database and could impair the performance of your source boards community.
Setting up Back to Top
Set up a board for practicing an import into.
The vBulletin license allows you to have a development board installed for the purposes of development and testing.
Practicing an import is a good use of this.
Copy your source data to the same machine that your development vBulletin is installed, be that a database (i.e.
phpBB) or the files (i.e. ubb.classic).
This is so you can create a testing environment to run the importer and make a note of what needs to be done before
during and after the real import.
From running test imports like this you can configure the cleaner script and measure your timings, both of these will
speed up your final transition.
Attachments Back to Top
Prior to beginning the import, make sure that your attachment storage type is set to the database instead of the file
system.
Installing ImpEx Back to Top
Before you can use the vBulletin Import / Export System for vBulletin version 3.5 you first have to download it to
your hard drive, prepare the files for your import and upload it to your web server.
Downloading the ImpEx Package Back to Top
The first thing you will need to do when installing the vBulletin ImpEx system is to download the latest version from
the Members' Area.
You will need to log-in to the Members' Area using the Customer Number and Customer Password that was emailed
to you when you purchased your license.
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Once logged in, you will see a list of Current Licenses. For each active license that you own, there will be a
Download vB3 Importers link that you can click.
Click the link for the license you want to use and you will be taken to the download page, where you will be given
options for how to download the latest ImpEx package.
You can choose from the following options:
PHP File Extension
As a general rule, web servers will use .php as the extension for PHP scripts, but some servers may use a
different extension, or you may simply wish to use a different extension out of your own preference. Various
extensions are available here for you to choose.
Download File Format
This option allows you to choose the compression format of the package you are about to download. Most
people will want to download the .zip package as Windows® has in-built support for zip files. However, if you
are downloading the package directly to a Linux server you may prefer to use the tarball (.tar.gz) format.
CGI Shebang
This option will only be of use to you if your server runs PHP as a CGI rather than as a web server module. If
your server runs PHP as a CGI and requires a shebang (such as #!/usr/bin/php) then you can enter the required
text here and it will automatically be inserted into whichever PHP files in vBulletin require its use.
When you have set the download options you can click the Download button to start the download. When the
download prompt window appears, you should choose the Save option and choose a directory on your computer in
which to save the package.
The package will then be downloaded and saved to the location you specified.
Preparing the ImpEx files for upload Back to Top
After you have successfully downloaded the ImpEx package to your computer you will need to prepare the scripts to
be uploaded to your web server.
The first thing to do is to decompress the package into its constituent files. If you downloaded the .zip package and
your computer is running a recent version of Windows® all the tools you need to do this are available as part of
Windows®. This section will assume that you have downloaded the .zip package and that your computer is running
Windows XP.
To extract the files from the package, open the folder on your computer where you saved the ImpEx package and
right-click on its icon, then choose Extract All from the pop-up menu.
This will open a wizard to guide you through the unzipping progress. Accept the default options suggested and the
system will decompress the files from the zip package.
When the unzipping progress is complete, you will find that the process has created a new folder called
ImpEx_versionnum_licensenum (where versionnum is the version number of the package you have downloaded, and
licensenum is the license number of your vBulletin license).
Within this folder you will find a further folder named licensenum.impex, and within this folder will be a collection of
readme files and a folder called upload. This folder contains the ImpEx files that need to be uploaded to your web
server.
However, before you upload the files you must make some changes to the ImpEx configuration file. This file is
located in the impex folder (within the upload folder) and is called ImpExConfig.php.new.
The first thing you must do is to rename this file from ImpExConfig.php.new to ImpExConfig.php (removing the
temporary .new extension).
It is also best to only upload the systems modules that you want to import from. There are over 70 importers and
ImpEx will only use the systems that you need. In the impex/systems folder you will see many folders that contain the
individual importers, if you are only importing from phpBB2, then only upload that folder.
Editing the ImpEx Configuration File Back to Top
Before uploading the ImpEx files to your web server, you must edit the ImpEx configuration file
(upload/impex/ImpExConfig.php) to tell ImpEx how to communicate with your database(s).
To edit the ImpExConfig.php file, you will need to open the file in a text editor such as Windows® WordPad. (Note
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that we do not recommend that you use Windows® Notepad to edit ImpExConfig.php, as Notepad has problems
displaying the line breaks in some file types.)
The settings in this file need to be edited in order to create a working configuration file. These settings are devided in
two groups. The target* and the source*:
Target Database Information (Into which database do we import?)
If you have ImpEx installed correctly and are running it via the admincp, you can ignore the target settings go to the
source. This is because ImpEx will read you vBulletin config file.
$impexconfig['target']
['databasetype']
Enter the type of database here, currently this can only be mysql
$impexconfig['target']
['server']
This sets the address of your database server. On most installations the database server is
located on the same computer as the web server, in which case the address should be set to
'localhost', otherwise use the address of the database server as supplied by your web host.
$impexconfig['target']
['user']
This variable contains the username provided to you by your host for connecting to your
database server.
$impexconfig['target']
['password']
The password that accompanies the database username should be entered here.
$impexconfig['target']
['database']
This value should be altered to state the name of the database that will contain your vBulletin
installation on the database server.
$impexconfig['target']
['tableprefix']
If your vBulletin installation uses a prefix on the tables, set it here.
Source Database Information (From which database do we import?)
$impexconfig['sourceexists'] If the system that is being imported from uses a database, enter the details for it here
and set 'sourceexists' to TRUE. If the source data is NOT stored in a database, set
'sourceexists' to FALSE.
$impexconfig['source']
['databasetype']
Enter the type of database here, usually this is mysql. If you are importing from a MS-
SQL database, you will need MS-SQL support in PHP
$impexconfig['source']
['server']
This sets the address of database server from which you want to import data from. On
most installations the database server is located on the same computer as the web
server, in which case the address should be set to 'localhost', if this database is hosted
on another domain use the address of the database server as supplied by your web
host. If you are attempting to import from a remote server (i.e. you have just moved
hosts) ensure that the database will allow remote connections. Other wise you will
need to back up the source database and restore it on your new server so it is local.
$impexconfig['source']
['user']
This variable contains the username provided to you by your host for connecting to
your database server.
$impexconfig['source']
['password']
The password that accompanies the database username should be entered here.
$impexconfig['source']
['database']
This value should be altered to state the name of the database that contains your other
forum software data on the database server.
$impexconfig['source']
['tableprefix']
If that database uses a prefix for the tables, set it here.
Note:
Please note that Jelsoft / vBulletin Support can not provide the values you require for your database(s). These
variables are only available from the web host providing your web/database server.
If you need to create a new database for vBulletin to use, instructions for doing so in a variety of systems are available
here.
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The error logging can be used by the support or development team to understand an import issue or to gain clues
during debug.
The language is the language file that is used for the display of text, English, German, etc.
The page speed is the seconds of wait between the page refresh when automatically refreshing. Setting a longer time
will help with network lag and server load.
The defines are typical settings that are changed for problem imports :
Defines for special cases (What do we want to turn off/on ?)
impexdebug Prints out to the screen any debug added to an install of ImpEx.
emailcasesensitive When matching emails in the user module (user merge), this forces the matching to be case
sensitive or not (follwing the RFC strictly, emails should be case sensitive, for the vast majority
of the time, this isn't the case).
forcesqlmode Some MySQL servers that have MYSQL_STRICT mode, will not accept a lot of the ImpEx
SQL as it currently uses the database defaults and not a value for even field, this attempts to
override that setting by passing the SQL ' set sql_mode = '' '
skipparentids The last set of updating post is setting the parent id's for the imported posts if they don't have
one. This can be (and usually is) very intensive due to the amount of SQL used. The number of
queries run is the number of threads times two, plus one. Though this is very effected by the
number of posts as usually the post table has to be scanned (MySQL intensive).
Sometimes due to the load on larger boards the final page of the import posts can time out,
setting this define to true will skip that all together. The load and bottle neck here is a know
issue and being looked at.
When you have finished editing the ImpExConfig.php file you should save it again and prepare to upload the file to
your web server.
ImpExConfig.php Back to Top
Note:
The config file has changed from an ini file to a PHP scripts in 3.5 the same as the standard vBulletin config file.
<?php
#################################################################### |;
# vBulletin [#]version[#] - Licence Number [#]license[#]
# ---------------------------------------------------------------- # |;
# Copyright ©2000–[#]year[#] Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. All Rights Reserved. |;
# This file may not be redistributed in whole or significant part. # |;
# ---------------- VBULLETIN IS NOT FREE SOFTWARE ---------------- # |;
# http://www.vbulletin.com | http://www.vbulletin.com/license.html # |;
#################################################################### |;
# The following settings allow ImpEx to connect to the vBulletin 3
# database into which you will be importing data.
# If impex is installed in vBulletin you can ignore the target details
# as includes/config.php
$impexconfig['target']['databasetype'] = 'mysql';
$impexconfig['target']['server'] = 'localhost';
$impexconfig['target']['user'] = 'username';
$impexconfig['target']['password'] = 'password';
$impexconfig['target']['database'] = 'vbulletin_forum';
$impexconfig['target']['tableprefix'] = '';
# If the system that is being imported from uses a database,
# enter the details for it here and set 'sourceexists' to TRUE.
# If the source data is NOT stored in a database, set 'sourceexists' to FALSE
$impexconfig['sourceexists'] = false;
# mysql / mssql
$impexconfig['source']['databasetype'] = 'mysql';
$impexconfig['source']['server'] = 'localhost';
$impexconfig['source']['user'] = 'username';
$impexconfig['source']['password'] = 'password';
$impexconfig['source']['database'] = 'source';
$impexconfig['source']['tableprefix'] = '';
# Error logging will log import errors to a database table impexerror
# for use with support.
# Language file is the file of phrases to be used, default is english.
# pagespeed is the second(s) wait before the page refreshes.
$impexconfig['system']['errorlogging'] = true;
$impexconfig['system']['language'] = 'impex/impex_language.php';
$impexconfig['system']['pagespeed'] = 1;
define('impexdebug', false);
define('emailcasesensitive', false);
define('forcesqlmode', false);
define('skipparentids', false);
?>
Uploading ImpEx Scripts to Your Web Server Back to Top
After your ImpExConfig.php file has been edited and saved it is time to upload the ImpEx files to your web server
ready for being run.
Note:
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Installing ImpEx in vBulletin requires the impex/ directory to be installed in the same directory as the admincp (i.e.,
your main forum directory) and the file cpnav_impex.xml (which can be found in upload/includes/xml) to be placed
in the includes/xml directory. This because the admincp is generated from XML and needs the ImpEx XML to display
the import option.
The uploading process should be familiar to anyone who has published pages to a web site before, but a brief
description of the process is given here.
Although there are several methods available to transfer the ImpEx files from your computer to your web server, by
far the most common method in use is transfer via FTP. Most operating systems have built-in tools for opening FTP
connections although they are often limited in their usefulness and many people opt to use a third party FTP client
application.
The easiest way to transfer the files is to upload the entire upload/ folder to the server. Using an FTP client we do this
by selecting or dragging the upload folder from its location on your computer's hard disk to the web publishing folder
on the server. If the transfer doesn't automaticly start, click on the [transfer] button.
Note:
Only upload the folders in the impex/systems folder that you need, i.e. the system you are importing from. If you
upload all of them, delete the ones you are not going to use/
Most FTP client applications will handle the file transfers automatically, but if for some reason your application does
not, you should make a note of the following:
All text files to be transferred in ASCII mode
All files containing plain text from the vBulletin package should be transferred in ASCII mode.
Text file types you will find in vBulletin/ImpEx are: .html, .php, .js, .xml, .css.
All non-text files to be transferred in Binary mode
The remaining files, which are mostly images, should be transferred to your web server in Binary mode.
Binary file types used in vBulletin/ImpEx include: .gif, .png, .jpg, .ico.
Note:
The web publishing folder is usually called public_html, www or htdocs and is located within your home directory. If
you are unsure of where to find your own web publishing folder, your host will be able to help you. Upload the ImpEx
folder inside the installed vBulletin version 3 folder. Like public_html/forum/impex/
Depending upon the speed of your internet connection, uploading all the files could take several minutes to complete.
After completion, you should see that the web server now contains a folder called impex containing a perfect copy of
the files in the upload folder on your computer's hard disk.
Once you have uploaded the whole impex/ directory, copy the cpnav_impex.xml file found in upload/impex/ to the
includes/xml directory on your server.
If all has gone well, you are now ready to run the impex import script to prepare your third party forum software
database import to vBulletin version 3.5.
Warning:
Before you do anything! Always make a 100% backup of your web files and database(s) to ensure you can revert to
previous working version.
How to Use ImpEx Back to Top
From your Admin Control Panel (admincp/ by default), select Import > Import and select the system you wish to
import, from the list.
Please note that the ImpEx system is written for version 3.5.0 and higher.
Now that you have installed ImpEx and selected the system to import from you are ready to do the actual import
Warning:
This is your last chance to back up your target database
Introduction to the ImpEx core System Back to Top
ImpEx is the import/export system for vBulletin.
It comprises of a set of core files, being all the ones in the impex/ folder.
All the folders in the impex/systems folder are the individual systems that ImpEx can import from.
Importing a board Back to Top
Warning:
Make sure you have a 100% completed and working backup of your currently working forums (files and databases). If
needed, you can revert back to your previously working version and start over again
From your Admin Control Panel (admincp/ by default), select Import > > Import.
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Select the system you wish to import from the list and click on the [Begin Import] button to confirm your choice and
start the import procedure.
001 -
Check
and
Update
Database
This module will check and alter the tables in the databases as well as the connections. After clicking on
the [Start Module] button it check the database for the tables it expects to find, you should see a green list
of you source database tables, and tables listed in red are expected by the importer and missing, you
import may still run as not all tables are used during an import, though if critical tables (i.e. the user
table) are missing then this will break an import.
ImpEx will Alter the tables in the vB database (target) to include import id numbers. (This is needed
during the import process for maintaining references between the tables during an import.)
If you have large tables (i.e. lots of posts) this can take some time. They will also be left after the import
if you need to link back to the original vBulletin userid.
002 -
Associate
users
You only need to run this module if you have users existing in the vBulletin database that you wish to
merge with users in the source database during the import that have different email addresses. If you
are doing a clean import then skip this module.
Go through each module one by one (starting at 001) and let each page load 100% before clicking on any links,
do not press the [back] button and don't move away from the screen when it is running. Read carefully what is
on each screen and write down any error in full before contacting support.
To start the import click on the [Start Module] button and when that module has been completed, the statistics will
update and the name of the button will change.
Note:
vBulletin ImpEx Support Forum
Re-running modules Back to Top
When you re-run a module, for what ever reason it will clean up any previous data imported of that type.
For instance if you run the import post module for a phpBB import for the first time, it will import all the post from
the phpBB board and place them in the vBulletin database.
All the posts will have a importpostid which is the original post id of the post in the phpBB board. Any original post
from the vBulletin board before the import will have no importpostid, as they are original.
So when the module is run for a second time (another practice run, you change some setting, updated a parser, got
more posts, etc) it will delete all posts from the vBulletin board that have an importpostid.
This is useful for getting timings or re-running modules that had issues that you have changed or updated.
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Warning:
If you have associated or merged users, the original vBulletin users will now have a importuserid, re-running the
import user module will delete these users, if you don't have any associated users this isn't an issue.
Final Import Steps Back to Top
Warning:
An import will only ever get a certain amount of information from a source board into vBulletin.
Permissions
Always check the permissions of moderators and forums after an import as there may not be a one to one mapping
from the source boards permissions to vBulletin's permissions system.
Admin CP -> Forums & Moderators -> Show All Moderators -> Edit
Admin CP -> Forums & Moderators -> Forum Permissions
Forum cache
To rebuild the forum cache so your imported forums appear, go to your forum manager and save the display.
Counters
Update the Threads and Forums counters after an import to reflect the true values for each forum and thread.
Admin CP -> Maintenance -> General Update Tools -> Rebuild Thread Information
Admin CP -> Maintenance -> General Update Tools -> Rebuild Forum Information
Default forum
If you are importing into a fresh install of vBulletin, you may want to delete the default forum, it is advised that you
do this before the import, if you are doing it after the import make sure that the imported forums and threads are not
contained with in the default forum as they will be removed also.
User groups
Most importers will import the usergroups or create a default import usergroup, this is so you can check the users
being imported and manage them accordingly, to move users to the default Registered Users group in vBulletin, delete
the import group they are in and all the users will be moved to the Registered Users group by default.
Even with a vBulletin to vBulletin import the groups are created again, this is so you can manage the new users
accordingly, in some cases you will need to keep the new users separate depending on the nature of your community
to manage them.
Be sure to double-check the main Usergroup permissions to make sure they match what you want:
Admin CP -> Usergroups -> Usergroup Manager -> Edit Usergroup
Search index
You will need to rebuild the search index if you want to be able to search on the imported posts.
Admin CP -> Maintenance -> General Update Tools -> Rebuild Search Index
Remove the ImpEx files
Once you have finished and completed an import and your site is up and running, delete all the ImpEx files, this will
ensure that if you do another import in the future you will get the latest version, as you will have to download ImpEx
again.
Secondly, its good house keeping to remove an application that has your database config details and direct access to
your site from your server once you have finished using it.
Password Back to Top
Imported passwords
Not all systems can import the source board's passwords; this is due to the nature in which they are stored. The details
for each importer should list if they can be imported or not.
If you import from a system where the passwords can not be imported or there was an error importing the passwords
you can use the email all users and send them the link to your boards password reset page when you are ready to go
live.
That will allow them to reset their passwords, though it relies on them having the correct email address in their source
boards user profile.
Users > Send Email to Users
For example:
Hello $username,
We have recently moved our forum to vBulletin, part of moving to this amazing software is that you are required to
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reset your password, if you follow this link and enter your email address you will be emailed directions to resetting
your password.
http://www.example.com/forum/login.php?do=lostpw&email=$email
Thanks,
Webmaster of example.com
Now what ? Back to Top
Now you have done an import, the main ImpEx page will give you an idea of how long it takes, plus you re-
configuring and post install setup.
Try the import a few times to make sure you are happy with the process and know what to do when the time comes.
This is the time to ask question here about things that you don't understand or believe are going wrong, not when you
do the final live import !!
Note:
vBulletin ImpEx Support Forum
Have some of your trusted users or admin/moderators look around the test import boards to help with finding any
issues and pointing out permissions that need to be updated etc.
This is a good time to configure impex/tools/cleaner.php if you need to remove HTML or incorrect links from your
vBulletin posts.
If you wish to remove the importid's from the database read about help.php.
Cleaner.php Back to Top
Note: The cleaner.php is located in the impex/tools/ directory. After modifying it as per the instructions below, you run
it from your browser like this:
http://www.yoursite.com/impex/tools/cleaner.php
...using your forum URL of course.
ImpEx parses out as much HTML and incorrect BB code as it can find, though there can sometimes be unexpected
HTML or codes in the posts.
To remove this you will need to use cleaner.php, the basic principle is that is matches one string and replaces it for
another, or a blank to just delete the original string.
Once cleaner has been run successfully you must rebuild the Rebuild Post Cache in the AdminCP >
Maintenance > Update Counters
The file itself has many comments and instructions though as an example, if I have the post :
Hi there, I was looking though the web and I found this site and I think it <B>r0x0rs</B> , its about pirates it must be
good as they are the best.
<a href="http://www.example.com/badpage.html">advert</a>
There are three errors there, the <B> tags should be BB code, we want to remove the HTML completely and pirates
should be ninjas, obviously.
In the script there is this code :
$replacer = array(
"<img>" => "[img]",
"" => "",
"" => "",
"" => "",
"" => ""
);
This is where cleaner.php is configured on what to replace, in out example we will configure it like this :
$replacer = array(
"<B>" => "[B]",
"pirates" => "ninjas",
'<a href="http://www.example.com/badpage.html">advert</a>' => ""
);
Note, where we have entered the HTML to find, because it contains double quotes, the quotes used in the array have
been changed to single quotes, this is done or PHP will have a parse error as it will prematurely end the key variable
value.
Help.php Back to Top
The Database cleanup & restart appears at the top of very ImpEx page, you can also browse to it directly if there is an
error with ImpEx, by going to www.example.com/forum/impex/help.php , assuming that you board is installed in the
directory forum/ on your web site.
There are four options on the help page.
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Cancel
To cancel and return to the import, click here.
Clicking on this will send you back to the ImpEx main page.
Delete Session
To delete the import session and continue with the import, click here.
This will remove the import session. The import session contains the state of the import, the page values, paths,
system selected etc. Deleting this will effectually reset the import though it will not alter any imported data in the
target database.
Delete Session and all imported data
To delete the import session and all imported data for a clean retry, click here.
This will delete the session, as described above, also it will delete all imported data in the target database. This will
also include any associated users, as an associated user will be assigned and importuserid and will effectively be
treated as an imported user.
Remove importids
To delete the importid's in the database, click here, also removes the session. This will allow you to do consecutive
imports
This will remove the importid's from the tables that have been imported into, see this section for more information.
Remove duplicate forums/threads/posts
On occasion when a browser stalls or a page fails to load you will have to refresh the page, this will mean that
duplicate items will be imported, as the page will rerun the SQL from the last page load.
The duplicate items will have the same import<item>id but they will have different id's within vBulletin due to the
auto_inc field, because of that ImpEx can find items that have the same import id, but a different vBulletin id, i.e. :
Thread A : threadid = 1 importthreadid = 5.
Thread B : threadid = 2 importthreadid = 5.
B must be a duplicate.
Running this function on a database that has had multi-imports which hasn't been finalised between imports could
possibly remove a large percentage of the previous import, so ensure you finalise multi-imports before performing
consecutive ones.
Medium / Large imports Back to Top
Database Index
Manually dropping the fulltext-index 'title' (title, 'pagetext') from the post table before the post module, then adding it
after the import has been run can speed up the post module considerably.
ALTER TABLE `post` DROP INDEX `title`;
ALTER TABLE `post` ADD FULLTEXT `title` (`title` ,`pagetext`);
Also if you are adding and removing these it is advisable to add the indexes show below in "dupe_checking".
Display
Set the following in your ImpExConfig to lower the amount of display data sent to the browser.
define('shortoutput', true);
Memory
The estimates for a database based system, is that 200,000 is medium sized, over 750,000 posts is large.
The most important thing for ImpEx when dealing with medium or large imports is memory ImpEx needs to hold
reference arrays when importing posts, i.e.
userid to importuserid
importthreadid to threadid
Possibly ;
userid to username
forumid to importforumid
All of these take up memory (PHP has a large overhead for arrays) and this is before its even tried to select any source
data to process and import.
The bare minimum for a small import and running vBulletin is 8Meg, 16Meg is advised.
For a medium import 32-64Meg would be expected. For a large source board, its a sliding scale of how big your
forum is, though 64Meg is a good setting to start with.
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Changing the PHP memory limit requires access to you php.ini file and the ability to restart the webserver, if you do
not have control of the webserver you may have to contact your ISP or find another server for the purposes of just
doing the import.
dupe_checking
There is a setting in the ImpExConfig.php that enables and disables duplicate data checking, if you have a stable
server and a fast connection where the pages are loading fine and there is no manual refreshing or back button use the
setting this to false will increase the speed of the import.
Though if you need to or choose to run dupe checking, adding these indexes will help greatly :
ALTER TABLE `post` ADD INDEX `idx_importpostthread` ( `importpostid` , `importthreadid` )
ALTER TABLE `thread` ADD INDEX `idx_importthread` ( `importthreadid` )
Stand alone
ImpEx has the ability to run stand alone, i.e. not in the adminCP.
To do this, move the impex/ directory out of the forum/ folder i.e. If you are installed in
example.com/forum/
So you have :
example.com/forum/admincp/
example.com/forum/impex/
etc
Move ImpEx to the root folder so you have :
example.com/impex
Configure ImpExConfig.php for the target database information as it will not be able to read the vBulletin config file.
Then browse to it directly e.g. www.example.com/impex/index.php.
This will lower the memory over head as it won't have to load inside the adminCP, also it will not time out within the
admincp and will load slightly faster.
Quick Guide Back to Top
This is the quick guide to running an import for people who are comfortable with vBulletin and have experience with
technical administration of a web site.
This is the procedure for testing and importing, always run tests before doing an import.
Get ImpEx
Down load ImpEx from the Members Area, here.
Config the file
In the downloaded archive there is a file ImpExConfig.php.new. Rename that to ImpExConfig.php and edited it's
contents for the target and source details of the database. If the source is a file based system, just edit the target details.
Upload it
Upload the ImpEx folder with the newly edited ImpExConfig.php file to your webserver, into the same directory that
the admincp is in, or in the webroot for a stand alone import
If you are running ImpEx installed youl have to put the cpnav_impex.xml file in the includes/xml directory for ImpEx
to show in the adminCP. The file is in upload/includes/xml in the download.
Browse to it
Select the Import from the adminCP nav bar, then the system you want to from the drop down list.
Do import
Run the first module to inspect the source and alter the target database. If you are doing a clean import or the users
you want to merge will have the same email addresses ignore module 002, which is for manual user id association.
Update counters
In the maintenance section of the adminCP, run the Update counters for the threads, then the forums. Re-order the
forums and delete the default Main Forum if need be, then save the display order to rebuild the forum cache.
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 319/380
Clean up usergroups and forums
Setup the permissions for the usergroups, or delete the imported usergroups to move the users in those groups to the
default Registered group.
cleaner.php
If you have HTML or unparsed content in your posts, you may need to use cleaner.php.
Review
Check over the board before opening it, get the help of some moderators or admins from the original site, to check
users, posts, PM's etc.
Multiple imports. Back to Top
ImpEx relies on import id's during an import so that it can match one set of data to another.
For instance a user will have a userid and a importuserid once they are imported. The userid is the vBulletin
assigned userid and will be what ever is next in the line and available as per the database.
The importuserid is the userid from the source board.
This is imported and used to match the user to their imported posts, attachments PM's etc.
The same goes for posts for instance threadid has a importthreadid so that ImpEx knows where to put the imported
posts.
When you have done an import and are completely finished and wish to do another import you will have to set all
these import id's to 0.
This is so that you finalized the data in the board, that is remove its legacy id's so that it permanently becomes part of
the target board, after this is done, there is no way back (apart from restoring the back up you made before starting).
As you can import into an empty board or an existing one, this has some serious implications. e.g.
You have a source board and your vBulletin target board.
The vBulletin target board has a lot of content, once you have performed an import of the source board you can still
reverse the operation as the source database has importsomethingid's for all the imported data, therefore ImpEx can
tell what is original and what is imported data, this is needed for the re-running of modules also.
As soon as you finishing an import, the import id's are no longer needed and serve no purpose, with one exception,
that being 3rd party applications.
If you have an application that uses the user data from your source board, it will no doubt be associated with the
userid from the source board, if you wish to keep that, update the 3rd party application to use the importuserid in the
vBulletin database. Though vBulletin will not update the importuserid only the userid for new users so its best to
update the 3rd party software with the new userid's.
So with the exception of 3rd party applications there is no more use for the import id's.
They can be ignored for all purposes save Importing consecutive boards and general tidiness (also indexes are
created that may slow down huge boards slightly).
You MUST remove the import id's before performing a 2nd import, this is because ImpEx will not know what is
original imported data and what is just imported etc.
If you are importing boards that use the same user data, just use the auto-email associate to link up the userids
automatically between board imports.
To remove the import id's use the clean database found at the top of the ImpEx page, as show in the attached images.
Terminology Back to Top
Clean import
Importing into an empty vBulletin, i.e. a fresh install.
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 320/380
Merge import
Importing into a board that contains data and users that exists on both boards. Most systems will have the ability to
merge users on email address so the users in the target board gain ownership of the imported data.
Differential import
This is just terminology and not supported.
A differential import is when the source board is left open when imported into the target, and the user wishes to do a
2nd import at a later date to get the new data from the source board that has been created since the first import. i.e. the
difference in the data.
Internal link parsing
This is currently under review for development.
Internal links are links that exists in posts in the source board, to threads and posts in the original source board i.e.
Note:
Check this link out ...
www.example.com/phpBB/viewtopic_84050.html
In the new board, topic 84050 will become importthreadid 84050 and will get a new thread id dependant on the state
of the target database.
Internal link parsing, is finding all the links in posts that point to other posts and threads in the board being imported
and updating them with the correct URL and postid/threadid, its not just the URL to change the id changes as well.
Source system
The system being imported from.
Target system
The system being imported to, vBulletin.
Stand alone
Running ImpEx outside of the adminCP.
ImpEx installed
Running ImpEx inside the adminCP.
Core
The core files that are needed for ImpEx to run :
ImpExConfig.php, ImpExController.php, ImpExData.php, ImpExDatabase.php, ImpExDisplay.php,
ImpExDisplayWrapper.php, ImpExFunction.php, ImpExModule.php, ImpExSession.php, cpnav_impex.xml,
db_mysql.php, help.php, impex_language.php, index.php,
vbfields.php.
System
A group of files in a directory of the system name that you are using to import the source board from. i.e.
phpBB/000.php, phpBB/001.php ... etc
Module
The individual file of a system, i.e. impex/systems/ipb2/004.php , The IPB 2 user module.
Userid mapping
When importing a source board that has a 3rd party application, for instance a gallery, the gallery will usually use data
from the user table based on the userid.
When a board is imported the userid's are assigned depending on the auto_inc value of the database, the existing
number of users in the database, etc.
Basically regardless of what a 3rd party vendor will tell you, that you must force the user id's into vBulletin and that it
can be done and that's the ideal way to proceed, the reality is :
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 321/380
Warning:
YOU CANNOT FORCE THE USER ID'S INTO VBULLETIN WITH OUT BREAKING IT
and that's all there is to it.
This is a big reoccurring issue with 3rd party products, the ideal way is to be able to remap the userid's in the 3rd party
product to the new vBulletin userid.
ImpEx systems Back to Top
These are the currently 3 tiers of import systems.
Note : All MSSQL importers, or MSSQL within systems that also have MySQL support are all classed as 3rd tier
Tier 1
Tier one systems are fully supported by the support team and development, they are the most active and common
imports that customers do.
These importers were either upgraded or have been recently developed as all new importers are tier one.
Tier 2
Systems in this tier are the less common imports and legacy systems. Tier 2 systems can be promoted to tier 1 if there
is enough demand, or retired to tier 3 when the source system reaches end of life or demand falls below a level that
makes their existence viable.
Tier 3
This is the graveyard of importers, these importers are not supported. There are three reasons imports make it here.
Firstly is because their source system has reached it's end of life and the source data model isn't changing any more so
there are going to be no future updates. Secondly, that demand for them is so low that it is not viable to offer support
for them as it makes no business sense (though the importer is here for people who want to delve into it).
Thirdly, that the source system is such a challenge to import from that the time typically taken for each import far out
weights any sensible decision to try to support each individual import that would take hours per client with
customisations.
Tier systems list Back to Top
Tier 1
Eve 1.3.4 / Groupee 4.0.3 1.3.4 - 4.0.3
fusionBB 2 2.1
Ikonboard (MySQL) 3.x
Invision Board 3 3.0.3
Invision Board 2 2.3.0
Photopost 5.1
phpBB1 1.4.x
phpBB2 2.0.22
phpBB3 3.0.5
Simple Machines Forum 1.9
SMF 2.0
Snitz Mysql & MSSQL 3.4.04
Text file importer 0.0
Infopop UBB.threads 6.5
Infopop UBB.threads 7.2
vBulletin 3.7.x
WoltLab Burning Board 2.3.3
wbb3 3.0.3
YaBB 2 2.1
YaBB SE 1.5.5
Tier 2
ASPPlayground 2.5.5
DCForum+ MySQL 1.27
InstantForum 4.1.4
Invision Community Blog 1.2.4
MyBulletinBoard (MyBB) 1.4
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 322/380
Allaire 3.1
ASP-DEV 2.0
ASP-DEV 2.0
bbpress 0.9.0.1
beehive 0.5
Community Server 2.1
CuteCast 2.x
Discuz 2.5
dotnetBB 2.42
dotnetBB 2.42
dragonfly 9.2.1
Drupal 4.7.0
dzoic 3.5
eshare 0.0
ExpressionEngine 1.6.2
FUD Forum 2.x
FuseTalk 2.0
fusion BB 1.0.3
JForum 2.1.5
Jive 5.5
Jive Forums 4.0.0
megaBBS 1.69-2.2
Phpwind 3.3.1
Simple Board 1.0.4
vBulletin 3.0.* - 3.5.*
wowBB 1.63
YaBB Gold 1.3.1
Tier 3
CHC Forum 0.0
DiscusWare 4.x Pro tab file data 4.x
MxBoard 1.1.4
Infopop Open Topic 4.0
PNphpBB2 (Post Nuke) 2
Advanced Electron Forum 1.05
w-Agora 4.1.7
BuildACommunity 0.0
bbBoard 2
CFBB 1.3.1
Deluxe Portal 2.0
DigiPost 2.0
DiscusWare (file based) 4.00.6
Discuz 4.0.0
e107 0.7.8
Edge CMS 13-11-2005
EncoreII 2
fireboard 1.0.4
freethreads 0.0
Geeklog 1.3.10
Invision Power Board 1.3
Seditio (LDU) 121
Max Web Portal 0
mercuryboard 1.1.4
miniBB 2.0.1
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 323/380
mmforum 0.1.5
mvnforum 1.0.2
mysmartbb 1.50
MyTopix 1.3.0
openBB 1.0.7
Oxygen 1.1.3
Phorum 3 3.4.8
Phorum 5 5.0.16
phpMyForum 4.0.1
PHP Fusion 6.00.301
PunBB 1.2.10
SiteFrame 3.1.8
SiteNet BBS 2.0.3
ThWboard 3.00
Toast Forums 1.6
Tritanium BB2 2 Alpha 7
trollix XForum 2.0
TruBB 1.1
ttCMS 3.1
Infopop UBB classic 6.3 - 6.7
Ultraboard 2000
versatile Bulletin Board 1.0 RC 1
vBJournal 1.0.2
vBulletin Forum 2 Blog 3.6.8
vBlogetin 1.0 Beta 3
vanilla 1.1.4
vBulletin 2 2.3.10
vBulletin lite 1.0
vbzoom 1.1
webbbs 5.30
Webcrossing 5.0
Web Wiz Forums 9.08
WordPress 2.3.1
XMB forum 1.9
Xoops - Newbb 2.0
Xsorbit X5 x5
Yet Another Forum 1.9.0
Yahoo Groups access dB download 0.0
Yahoo groups (raw text) 0.0
zeroforum 2.1.0
EVE & Groupee Back to Top
Version supported : 1.3.4 UBB.x forum module : 4.0.3
Users
Majority of profile.
(username, email, usergroup, icq, joindate, homepage,
Birthday, ipadress, lastvisit, usertitle, posts, display_name, first_name, gender, parent_email, Occupation, Location, Interests, Bio, signature)
Forums and Categories
Basic description information, parent ids and threading order. No display order title, you will have to put that in
(this is due to the present changing database and may change in the future).
Threads
All are currently imported as visible and open.
Posts
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 324/380
All are currently imported as visible with threading order.
Polls
Attached to threads and with current vote values.
Private Messages
Currently all PM's are stored as sent for each user.
Attachments
Need to be downloaded from infopop.
Development :
N/A.
IPB 1.3 Back to Top
Version supported : 1.3
User groups
The IPB user groups and about 50% of the permissions setting, the users are still associated with the groups after
import so just clean up the permissions after import.
Users
username, email, usergroup, password, icq, aim, joindate, homepage, ipadress, lastvisit, Birthday, posts, gender,
parent_email, Occupation, Location, Interests, avatar, signature
Forums and Categories
Basic title and description information and layout.
Threads
Nearly all thread information.
note : Importing Parents id's was changed for 1.3
Posts
All are currently imported as visible.
Polls
Attached to threads and with current vote values.
Private Messages
Sent and recived are imported.
Buddy & Ignore Lists
For each user.
Moderators
Attached to forum and about 50% of permissions imported.
Attachments
Attachments are imported to the database and linked to the post.
Development :
N/A.
IPB 2 Back to Top
Version supported : 2.2.2
Usergroup
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 325/380
Name and partial permissions mapped.
Users
Majority of profile.
Not passwords
This would require modification of the vB database and would break the principles of an import. User can very easily
reset their passwords.
Forums and Categories
Basic title and description information, with layout and parent ids.
Threads
All are currently imported with open/closed settings.
Posts
All are currently imported as visible with IP addresses.
Polls
Attached to threads and with current vote values.
Private Messages
Imports pm text with sent and to pm for each user.
Moderator
Attached to forum with majority
Attachments
Imported to post.
Smilies
Imported into custom smilie group.
Development
N/A..
phpBB 1 Back to Top
Version supported : 1.4.x
Users
Majority of profile.
(username, email, icq, aim, yahoo, homepage, msn, joindate, joindate, homepage, password)
Forums and Categories
All are currently imported as visible and open.
Threads
All are currently imported as visible with open state.
Posts
All are currently imported as visible with IP.
Polls
Attached to threads and with current vote values.
Private Messages
Currently all PM's are stored as sent and recived for each user.
Moderator
Attached to forums with default permissions.
phpBB2 Back to Top
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 326/380
phpBB2 Importer 2.0.22 (MySQL & MSSQL)
Version supported : 2.0.4 - 2.0.21
Usergroups
Default and custom usergroups.
Users
Majority of profile and avatars.
(username, email, usergroup, password, aim, icq, joindate, homepage, lastactivity, yahoo, msn, posts, Occupation,
Location, Interests)
Ban Lists
Userid, IP and email.
Forums and Categories
Basic title and description information, with layout and parent ids.
category hierarchy mod
Threads
All are currently imported as visible and open.
Smilies
Imported into the smilie group, concatenated if longer than 10 characters.
Posts
All are currently imported as visable with IP addresses.
Polls
Attached to threads and with current vote values.
Private Messages
Imports pm text with sent and to pm for each user.
Ranks
Imported as usergroups.
Attachments
Imported to post with current storage setting type (i.e. database or file system).
In Development
N/A.
phpBB 3 Back to Top
Version supported : 3.0.5
Usergroups
Default permissions.
Users
Majority of profile.
Not passwords
(username, email, joindate, ipaddress last activity, lastvisit)
Forums and Categories
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 327/380
All are currently imported as visible and open.
Threads
All are currently imported as visible with open & sticky state.
Posts
All are currently imported as visible with IP.
Private Messages
Currently all PM's are stored as sent and recived for each user.
Attachments
Imported and attached to posts.
Moderators
Imported and attached to forums.
SMF Back to Top
Version supported : 2.0
Usergroups
By name, no permissions.
Users
username, email, usergroup, aim, icq, joindate, homepage, yahoo, msn, ip address, birthday
Forums and Categories
Basic title and description information, with layout and parent ids.
Threads
All are currently imported as visible though with open settings.
Posts
All are currently imported as visable with IP addresses.
Polls
Attached to threads and without current vote values.
Private Messages
Imports pm text with sent and to pm for each user.
Moderators
Imported and attached to forums, though permissions will need to be reset.
Smilies
Imported to import smilie group.
Attachments
Imported to posts.
Development :
N/A.
Snitz Back to Top
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 328/380
Version supported : 3.4 MySQL & MSSQL
Users
username, email, usergroup, aim, icq, joindate, homepage, lastactivity, yahoo, msn, posts.
Forums and Categories
Basic title and description information, with layout and parent ids.
Threads
All are currently imported as visible.
Smilies
Imported into the smilie group.
Posts
All are currently imported.
Polls
Attached to threads and with current vote values.
Private Messages
Imports pm text with sent and to pm for each user.
Moderators
Imported and attached to forums.
Development
N/A
ubb.threads 6.5 Back to Top
Version supported : 6.5
Usergroups
Title and users assocaited to group, reset details and permissions after import.
Users
username, email, usergroup, password, joindate, homepage, lastactivity, IP, postcount
Forums and Categories
Basic title and description information, with layout and parent ids.
Threads
All are currently with open settings, all visible.
Posts
All are currently imported as visable with IP addresses.
Polls
Attached to threads and with current vote values.
Private Messages
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 329/380
Imports pm text with sent and to pm for each user.
Moderators
Imported and linked to froum, reset permissions after import.
Attachments
Imported and linked to the post.
Development :
N/A.
ubb.threads 7 Back to Top
Version supported : 7.0.1
Usergroups
Title and default permissioins.
Users
username OR display name, email, usergroup, homepage, yahoo, aim, icq, usertitle, posts, avatar. birthday, signature,
occupation, Locatioin, Intrests.
Forums and Categories
Basic title and description information, with layout and parent ids.
Threads
All are currently imported with open and visable set to true, sticky setting imported.
Posts
All are currently imported as visable with IP addresses.
Attachments
Imported and linked to the post.
Moderators
Imported and linked to froum, reset permissions after import.
vBulletin 2.3.11 Back to Top
Version supported : 2.3.x
Usergroups
Permissioins mapped.
Users
All information except avatars.
Forums and Categories
Most information and 75% of permissions, as always check after import.
Threads
All, rebuild after import as with forums.
Posts
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 330/380
All including attachments.
Polls
Imported to threads.
PM's
To and from.
Moderator's
To forum and with permissions.
Smilies
Text and image.
Development
Avatars.
Custom Avatars.
vBulletin 3.0.17 Back to Top
Version supported : 3.x.x
ImpEx can have 3.0.9 and 3.5.0 as either a target or a source.
A special case importer, the data that is currently imported is :
Users
Usergroups
Ranks
Avatars
Custom Profile Pics
Forums
Threads
Posts
Polls
PM's
Moderators
Smilies
Attachments
Development :
None.
vBulletin 3.6.4 Back to Top
Version supported : 3.x.x
ImpEx can have 3.0.9 and 3.5.0 as either a target or a source.
A special case importer NOT to be used instead of an upgrade, the data that is currently imported is :
Usergroups
Users
Forums
Threads
Posts
Polls
PM's
Moderators
Custom Profile Pics
Attachments
Subscription
Smilies
Avatars
WoltLab Burning Board 2.3.3 Back to Top
Version supported : 2.3.3
Usergroups
Title and default permissioins.
Users
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 331/380
username, email, usergroup, password, yahoo, aim, icq, homepage, joindate, last activity, lastvisit, usertitle, days
prune, posts timezone offset, pmpopup avatarid, maxposts, birthday, avatar
Forums and Categories
Basic title and description information, with layout and parent ids.
Threads
All are currently imported with open and visable set to true, sticky setting imported.
Posts
All are currently imported as visable with IP addresses.
Polls
Attached to threads and with current vote values.
Private Messages
Imports pm text with sent and to pm for each user.
Moderators
Imported and linked to froum, reset permissions after import.
Attachments
Imported and linked to the post.
Ikonboard (MySQL) 3.x Back to Top
Version supported : 3.1
Usergroups
Title and default permissions.
Users
Majority of profile.
(username, email, usergroup, icq, joindate, homepage, password
Birthday, ipadress, lastvisit, usertitle, posts, display_name, gender, Occupation, Location, Interests, , signature)
Forums and Categories
All are currently imported as visible and open.
Threads
All are currently imported as visible with open & sticky state.
Posts
All are currently imported as visible with IP and signature permissions.
Polls
Attached to threads and with current vote values.
Private Messages
Currently all PM's are stored as sent for each user.
Moderator
Attached to forums with default permissions.
Attachments
Attached to posts.
List of all systems modules Back to Top
Notes:
Tier 1 importers are supported and updated as needed.
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 332/380
Tier 2 importers are not supported and will be updated based on overall demand.
Tier 3 importers are no longer supported or updated.
ASPPlayground
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.5.5
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private Mesages
CHC Forum
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.0
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
DCForum+ MySQL
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.27
Import User Groups
Import Users
Import Forums
Import Threads
Import Posts
Import Private Messages
Import Polls
Import Moderators
DiscusWare 4.x Pro tab file data
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 4.x
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
InstantForum
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 4.1.4
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import attachment
Invision Community Blog
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.2.4
Import blog user
Import blog category
Import blog
Import blog comments
Import blog attachment
Import blog moderator
Import blog rate
Import blog trackback
MxBoard
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.1.4
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 333/380
MyBulletinBoard (MyBB)
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.4
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private Messages
Import Moderator
Import Attachment
Import Smilie
Infopop Open Topic
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 4.0
Import Users
Import Forums and Categories
Import Posts
PNphpBB2 (Post Nuke)
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Smilie
Import Post
Import Private Messages
Import Attachments
Advanced Electron Forum
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.05
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import attachment
Import moderator
w-Agora
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 4.1.7
Import User
Import Forum
Import Threads
Import Post
Import Attachments
Allaire
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.1
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
ASP-DEV
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
ASP-DEV
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 334/380
Import post
BuildACommunity
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.0
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
bbBoard
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Smilie
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private Messages
Import Attachment
bbpress
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.9.0.1
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
beehive
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.5
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
CFBB
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.3.1
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Community Server
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.1
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
CuteCast
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.x
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Deluxe Portal
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forums and Categories
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Attachment
Import Moderator
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Import Smilie
DigiPost
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
DiscusWare (file based)
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 4.00.6
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Categories
Import Threads
Import Posts
Discuz
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 4.0.0
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Discuz
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.5
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import attachment
Import smilie
dotnetBB
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.42
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
dotnetBB
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.42
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import attachment
dragonfly
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 9.2.1
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Drupal
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 4.7.0
Import user
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Import forum
Import thread
Import post
dzoic
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.5
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
e107
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.7.8
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private messages
Edge CMS
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 13-11-2005
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
EncoreII
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
eshare
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.0
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Eve 1.3.4 / Groupee 4.0.3
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.3.4 - 4.0.3
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import attachment
Import Private messages
Import Private Messages
Import Attachment
ExpressionEngine
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.6.2
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import attachment
fireboard
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.0.4
Import usergroup
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Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
freethreads
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.0
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
FUD Forum
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.x
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Smilie
Import Poll
Import Private Messages
Import Moderator
Import Attachment
FuseTalk
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private Messages
Import Attachment
fusion BB
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.0.3
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import attachment
Import poll
Import Moderator
fusionBB 2
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.1
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import attachment
Import moderator
Geeklog
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.3.10
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Moderator
Ikonboard (MySQL)
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.x
Import Usergroup
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Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private Messages
Import Moderator
Import Attachments
Invision Power Board
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.3
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import banlist
Import moderator
Import attachment
Import Attachments
Invision Board 2
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.3.0
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import moderator
Import attachment
Import smilie
Invision Board 3
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.0.x
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import moderator
Import attachment
Import smilie
JForum
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.1.5
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import attachment
Jive
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 5.5
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Jive Forums
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 4.0.0
Import User
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Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Seditio (LDU)
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 121
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import poll
Max Web Portal
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 0
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private Message
Import Moderator
megaBBS
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.69-2.2
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forums
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Smilie
Import Poll
Import Private Message
Import attachment
mercuryboard
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.1.4
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Private Messages
Import Attachments
miniBB
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0.1
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
mmforum
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.1.5
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import poll
Import attachment
mvnforum
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.0.2
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
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Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import attachment
mysmartbb
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.50
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import poll
Import attachment
Import moderator
MyTopix
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.3.0
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private message
Import Attachment
openBB
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.0.7
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private Messages
Import Moderator
Import Smilie
Oxygen
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.1.3
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Smilie
Import Private Message
Import Attachment
Phorum 3
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.4.8
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import attachment
Phorum 5
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 5.0.16
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Pm
Photopost
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 5.1
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Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import attachment
phpBB1
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.4.x
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Smilie
Import Poll
Import Private messages
Import Moderator
phpBB2
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0.22
Import usergroup
Import user
Import banlist
Import forum
Import thread
Import smilie
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import rank
Import attachment
phpBB3
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.0.3
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import smilie
Import post
Import Private messages
Import attachment
Import moderator
phpMyForum
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 4.0.1
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import smilie
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import attachment
PHP Fusion
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 6.00.301
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import attachment
Phpwind
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.3.1
Import usergroup
Import user
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Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import smilie
Import poll
Import Private messages
PunBB
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.2.10
Import usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Moderator
Simple Board
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.0.4
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import attachment
SiteFrame
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.1.8
Import User
Import Categories
SiteNet BBS
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0.3
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
SMF
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import poll
Import attachment
Import moderator
Snitz Mysql
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.4.04
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import moderator
Import smilie
ThWboard
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.00
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Ranks
Import Private messages
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Toast Forums
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.6
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Tritanium BB2
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2 Alpha 7
Import Usergroup
Import Ranks
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private Messages
Import Smilie
trollix XForum
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Smilie
TruBB
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.1
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Attachment
ttCMS
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.1
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Text file importer
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.0
Import User
Infopop UBB classic
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 6.3 - 6.7
Import Users
Import Ban List
Import Forums
Import Threads
Import Posts
Import Buddy List
Import Ignore List
Import Private Messages
Import Poll
Import Moderators
Infopop UBB.threads
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 6.5
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
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Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import moderator
Import attachment
Infopop UBB.threads
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 7.2
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import attachment
Import moderator
Import Private messages
Ultraboard
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2000
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
versatile Bulletin Board
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.0 RC 1
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Smilie
Import Private Messages
vBJournal
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.0.2
Import blog user
Import blog text
Import blog comments
vBulletin Forum 2 Blog
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.6.8
Import blog user
Import blog category
Import blog
Import blog text
vBlogetin
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.0 Beta 3
Import blog user
Import blog category
Import blog
Import blog comments
vanilla
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.1.4
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
vBulletin 2
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.3.10
Import usergroup
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Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import moderator
Import attachment
Import smilie
vBulletin
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.0.* - 3.5.*
Import usergroup
Import user
Import avatar
Import Custom pictures
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import moderator
Import smilie
Import attachment
vBulletin
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 3.7.x
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import poll
Import Private messages
Import phrase
Import moderator
Import Custom pictures
Import attachment
Import subscription
Import smilie
Import avatar
vBulletin lite
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.0
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
vbzoom
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.1
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
WoltLab Burning Board
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.3.3
Import User Groups
Import Users
Import Ban List
Import Forums and Categories
Import Threads
Import Smilies
Import Posts
Import Polls
Import Private Messages
Import Moderators
Import Attachment
wbb3
Tier = 2
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Source version support in ImpEx = 3.0.3
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import attachment
webbbs
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 5.30
Import forum
Webcrossing
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 5.0
Import Forum
Web Wiz Forums
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 9.08
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private message
WordPress
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.3.1
Import blog user
Import blog category
Import blog
Import blog comments
wowBB
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.63
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Private message
Import Moderators
Import Attachment
XMB forum
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.9
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Smilie
Import Ranks
Import Pm's
Import attachment
Xoops - Newbb
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.0
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Xsorbit X5
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = x5
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Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import smilie
Import poll
Import attachment
Import Private messages
YaBB 2
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.1
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import attachment
YaBB Gold
Tier = 2
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.3.1
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Private Messages
Import Attachments
YaBB SE
Tier = 1
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.5.5
Import Usergroup
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
Import Poll
Import Pm
Import Attachments
Yet Another Forum
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 1.9.0
Import usergroup
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Import Private messages
Import attachment
Yahoo Groups access dB download
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.0
Import user
Import forum
Import thread
Import post
Yahoo groups (raw text)
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 0.0
Import User
Import Forum
Import Thread
Import Post
zeroforum
Tier = 3
Source version support in ImpEx = 2.1.0
Import User
Import Forums
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CMS Importers Back to Top
Currently all CMS Importers are consider to be Tier 2. Only the versions listed are supported. We are evaluating
ongoing support for these import modules.
Drupal - CMS (6)
Joomla - CMS (1.5)
Wordpress - CMS (2.9.1)
Each system currently imports the users into a default usergroup, then bulk loads the source data types as articles.
ImpEx FAQ Back to Top
What does ImpEx Stand for ?
Import Export.
The search function is only working on new thread, or not working at all.
After any import you need to rebuild the search index.
AdminCP > Maintenance > Update Counters > Rebuild Search Index
All my post dates are 12-31-1969, how do i fix this ?
After most imports you need to rebuild the thread info and forum info as well.
AdminCP > Maintenance > Update Counters > Rebuild Thread Information (this process could take a while)
AdminCP > Maintenance > Update Counters > Rebuild Forum Information
My member list says 1
Make sure you have move the users to the correct group. Adding and removing a temporary user will force the
members list to rebuild.
Can ninjas do my import any better ?
Probably, though they are too busy flipping out to do imports.
What is the green percentage number during the import ?
It's mostly unimportant as it's just a reflection of the closeness of the source data to the target.
It's a measure of how much of the source data was available and selected when populating the ImpEx data object
(user/thread/post/etc).
If a data object has 10 variables for data being imported and 3 of them are mandatory we can use that for an example.
If 5 of the variables are filled, 3 of which are the mandatory fields, then the object is 50% full and valid (green
percentage number and imported).
If 9 of them are filled though only two of the mandatory ones, then it's 90% full though a fail.
The missing % that isn't imported is typically filled by defaults (within ImpEx just before the object is saved) or
rebuilt when the admin runs the update counters and profile rebuild etc.
The % is an observation of what is being selected from the source and not is being saved.
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Appendix: vBulletin 2 Manual Back to Top
Installing vBulletin Back to Top
The first step towards running vBulletin after you have purchased a license is to download the latest vBulletin
package, upload it to your web server and run the installer script.
The following documents will take you through this process step-by-step.
Note:
These installation instructions only apply to version 2 of vBulletin.
Downloading the vBulletin Package Back to Top
The first thing you will need to do when installing vBulletin is to download the latest version from the Members'
Area.
You will need to log-in to the Members' Area using the Customer Number and Customer Password that was emailed
to you when you purchased your license.
Once logged in, you will see a list of Current Licenses. For each active license that you own, there will be a
Download vBulletin link that you can click.
Click the link for the license you want to use and you will be taken to the download page, where you will be given
options for how to download the latest vBulletin package.
You can choose from the following options:
PHP File Extension
As a general rule, web servers will use .php as the extension for PHP scripts, but some servers may use a different
extension, or you may simply wish to use a different extension out of your own preference. Various extensions are
available here for you to choose.
When you have set the download options you can click the Download button to start the download. When the
download prompt window appears, you should choose the Save option and choose a directory on your computer in
which to save the package.
The package will then be downloaded and saved to the location you specified.
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Preparing the vBulletin Files for Upload Back to Top
After you have successfully downloaded the vBulletin package to your computer you will need to prepare the scripts
to be uploaded to your web server.
The first thing to do is to decompress the package into its constituent files. If you downloaded the .zip package and
your computer is running a recent version of Windows® all the tools you need to do this are available as part of
Windows®. This section will assume that you have downloaded the .zip package and that your computer is running
Windows XP.
To extract the files from the package, open the folder on your computer where you saved the vBulletin package and
right-click on its icon, then choose Extract All from the pop-up menu.
This will open a wizard to guide you through the unzipping progress. Accept the default options suggested and the
system will decompress the files from the zip package.
When the unzipping progress is complete, you will find that the process has created a new folder called
vBulletin_versionnum_licensenum (where versionnum is the version number of the package you have downloaded,
and licensenum is the license number of your vBulletin license).
Within this folder you will find a further folder named versionnum.licensenum, and within this folder will be a folder
called upload. This folder contains the vBulletin files that need to be uploaded to your web server.
However, before you upload the files you must make some changes to the vBulletin configuration file. This file is
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located in the admin folder (within the upload folder) and is called config.php.new.
The first thing you must do is to rename this file from config.php.new to config.php (removing the temporary .new
extension).
Editing the vBulletin Configuration File Back to Top
Before uploading the vBulletin files to your web server, you must edit the vBulletin configuration file
(admin/config.php) to tell vBulletin how to communicate with your database.
To edit the config.php file, you will need to open the file in a text editor such as Windows® WordPad. (Note that we
do not recommend that you use Windows® Notepad to edit config.php, as Notepad has problems displaying the line
breaks in some file types.)
Editing the config.php file is one of the few times in vBulletin where you will need to edit raw PHP code. The file is
commented in order to help you fill in the necessary information.
Of the settings in this file, only the first few need to be edited in order to create a working vBulletin configuration file.
These settings are:
$servername This sets the address of your database server. On most installations the database server is located
on the same computer as the web server, in which case the address should be set to 'localhost',
otherwise use the address of the database server as supplied by your web host.
$dbusername This variable contains the username provided to you by your host for connecting to your database
server.
$dbpassword The password that accompanies the database username should be entered here.
$dbname This value should be altered to state the name of the database that will contain your vBulletin
installation on the database server.
$technicalemail An email address should be entered here. All database error messages will be forwarded to the
email address provided.
Note:
Please note that Jelsoft / vBulletin Support can not provide the values you require for $servername, $dbusername,
$dbpassword and $dbname. These variables are only available from the web host providing your web/database server.
If you need to create a new database for vBulletin to use, instructions for doing so in a variety of systems are available
here.
The remaining variables in config.php do not need to be edited in order to make a working vBulletin configuration
and it is recommended that you do not alter them until after the installation process is complete unless you are
confident that you know what you are doing beforehand. A description of these remaining variables follows.
$usepconnect Setting this variable to 1 will cause PHP to use persistent connections to the MySQL server.
For very large vBulletin installations, using persistent connections may result in a slight
performance boost but in most cases leaving it set to 0 (off) is the best option. If you are
unsure, leave it set to 0
$canviewadminlog All actions performed in the vBulletin Administrators' Control Panel are logged in the
database. This variable controls the permissions for which users are allowed to view this log.
The variable takes the form of a list of user IDs separated by commas. For example, if you
would like the users with user IDs 1, 15 and 16 to be able to view the Admin Log, this variable
would be set like this:
$canviewadminlog = '1,15,16';
$canpruneadminlog In the same way as $canviewadminlog controls which users can view the Admin Log,
$canpruneadminlog controls which users are permitted to prune (delete items from) the Admin
Log. Use the same user IDs separated with commas system as with the $canviewadminlog
setting.
Note:
The variables $canviewadminlog, $canpruneadminlog, should all contain a single user ID, a comma-separated list of
user IDs or nothing at all. For example:
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$canviewadminlog = '1,15,16';
$canpruneadminlog = '1';
$canpruneadminlog = '';
When you have finished editing your config.php file you should save it again and prepare to upload the file to your
web server.
config.php Back to Top
<?php
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// Please note that if you get any errors when connecting, //
// that you will need to email your host as we cannot tell //
// you what your specific values are supposed to be //
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
// type of database running
// (only mysql is supported at the moment)
$dbservertype = 'mysql';
// hostname or ip of server
$servername = 'localhost';
// username and password to log onto db server
$dbusername = 'root';
$dbpassword = '';
// name of database
$dbname = 'vbulletin';
// technical email address - any error messages will be emailed here
$technicalemail = 'dbmaster@your-email-address-here.com';
// use persistant connections to the database
// 0 = don't use
// 1 = use
$usepconnect = 0;
// which users are allowed to view the admin log
// separate each userid with a comma
$canviewadminlog = '1';
// which users are allowed to prune the admin log
// separate each userid with a comma
$canpruneadminlog = '';
?>
Uploading vBulletin Scripts to Your Web Server Back to Top
After your config.php file has been edited and saved it is time to upload the vBulletin scripts to your web server ready
for installation.
The uploading process should be familiar to anyone who has published pages to a web site before, but a brief
description of the process is given here.
Although there are several methods available to transfer the vBulletin files from your computer to your web server, by
far the most common method in use is transfer via FTP. Most operating systems have built-in tools for opening FTP
connections although they are often limited in their usefulness and many people opt to use a third party FTP client
application.
The easiest way to transfer the files is to upload the entire upload folder to the server. We do this by dragging or
selecting the upload folder at its location on your computer's hard disk to the web publishing folder on the server. (If
transfer doesn't automaticly start, click on the transfer button.)
Most FTP client applications will handle the file transfers automatically, but if for some reason your application does
not, you should make a note of the following:
All text files to be transferred in ASCII mode
All files containing plain text from the vBulletin package should be transferred in ASCII mode.
Text file types you will find in vBulletin are: .html, .php, .js, .xml, .css.
All non-text files to be transferred in Binary mode
The remaining files, which are mostly images, should be transferred to your web server in Binary mode.
Binary file types used in vBulletin include: .gif, .png, .jpg, .ico.
Note:
The web publishing folder is usually called public_html, www or htdocs and is located within your home directory. If
you are unsure of where to find your own web publishing folder, your host will be able to help you.
Depending upon the speed of your internet connection, uploading all the files could take several minutes to complete.
After completion, you should see that the web server now contains a folder called upload containing a perfect copy of
the files in the upload folder on your computer's hard disk.
When all the files have been uploaded successfully you should rename the upload folder on the web server to the
name you want to use for your forums directory. We will be calling it forums for the purposes of this manual.
If all has gone well, you are now ready to run the installation script to prepare your database to run vBulletin.
Running the vBulletin Install Script Back to Top
Once all the vBulletin files have been successfully uploaded to your web server, you will need to run the vBulletin
Installation Script in order to prepare your database.
The Installer runs as a PHP script using your web browser. To start the installation process, open your browser and
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type the HTTP address of your forums directory, followed by /install/install.php, then hit the <Enter> key or press the
[Go] button to open the script.
The first thing you will see from the install script is a welcome screen and a link to click on, click it to start the
installation.
The next page will read out the config.php file details and give you the option to modify it if a setting is wrong. Click
on the [update] button to confirm the settings.
The next pages are to confirm that the config.php details for the database are correct and the installer will attempt to
establish a connection to the database. Click on the link Click here to continue to continue.
The next pages will be steps to setup the database tables for vBulletin and populate it with settings and options. Click
Next step each time the page has completed loading.
After the database tables are populated you will be prompted to enter the forum details.
The settings required here are:
BB Title This is the title you will give to your vBulletin forums. It appears in the title of every page, and items
such as notification emails sent from vBulletin to your members will identify the sender using this
name. (BB Title is short for bulletin board title).
Homepage
Title
Less important than the BB Title, this setting is used for a link at the bottom of every page which points
to the address specified in Home URL (see below). It represents the title of your web site.
BB URL The BB URL setting is very important. It represents the URL that people should visit in order to find
your vBulletin forums. The system will make a best-guess at filling-in this setting automatically, so you
should only change it if the given value is definitely wrong. Note that this setting should not end with a
slash (/) character.
Home
URL
This is the web address of your main web site, and is used in conjunction with the Home Title setting
to create a link to your web site from the bottom of each forum page.
Note:
You can change these after installation through the Admin Control Panel.
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Click on the [Submit options and continue] button to continue.
The final page is where you can enter the first board user. This user will be the administrator of the board. So pick
your desired username, set your unique password and set your email address.
Note:
When choosing a password, we would suggest a combination of letters, numbers and punctuation characters in both
upper and lower case, and a length of at least eight characters.
Click on the [Submit form and continue] button to finalize installation.
Warning:
You have now completed the install of vBulletin. Once you have deleted this install script you can proceed to the
control panel. You will not be able to access the control panel until you delete this script for security reasons.
This is the file the you must delete: install.php
Note:
Certain browser plug-ins, most notably the popular Google Toolbar can have an adverse effect up the vBulletin
installation and upgrade scripts. We recommend that all browser plugins be disabled while running install and upgrade
scripts for vBulletin.
Introduction Back to Top
vBulletin is totally customizable through a web based control panel. This manual is designed to explain how to
administrate and maintain your vBulletin bulletin board using this control panel.
There are certain terms used through out the documentation that you should understand:
Board - your installation of vBulletin. This includes all of your categories, forums, threads, posts and users.
You may run one board (installation of vBulletin) for each license you have purchased.
User / member - someone who has registered or posted a message on your bulletin board. As an administrator,
you are a user who has administrative priveledges.
Post - an individual message posted by a user. It can be made up of plain text, or HTML code, depending on the
options that you have set.
Thread - a group of posts usually on a certain subject. On most boards, users can start new threads.
Forum - a group of threads again usually on a certain subject.
Category - forums can be grouped into categories
Control panel / admin area - this is the area of your board that only administrators can access. From here you
can control almost all factors of your board.
This documentation should be used as a reference manual - it is not designed to be read from start to finish.
The Control Panel Back to Top
After installing the vBulletin software on your server, the first main task is to log into the admin control panel - to do
this, visit http://www.yourwebsite.com/vbulletindirectory/admin/. You will be presented with a log in form:
Type in the username and password you specified during the vBulletin installation procedure, and click the "Log In"
button. All being well, you will be transported into the vBulletin admin control panel:
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Take a moment now to familiarise yourself with the admin control panel interface. The screen is divided vertically
into two sections... the section on the left hand side contains numerous links to functions within the control panel. The
right hand side of the screen contains the "Welcome to the control panel" page by default. When you click on any of
the links in the left hand section of the screen, the corresponding page will appear in the right hand side. Easy eh?
In the remainder of this document, we'll be examining in detail each of the admin function available via the left-hand
links:
Options
Announcements
Forums and Moderators
Threads
Users
User Titles
User profile fields
User Groups and Permissions
Avatars
Icons
Smilies
Custom BB codes
Backup database
Import & Maintenance
Stats
Styles
Replacement variables
Templates
Control Panel Options Back to Top
One of the best features of vBulletin is that it puts you in total control. There are over 150 general setting options that
allow you to control every aspect of your community, under the following sections:
Turn Your vBulletin on and off
General Settings
Contact Details
Posting Code allowances (vB code / HTML / etc)
Forums Home Page Options
User and registration options
Memberlist options
Thread display options
Forum Display Options
Search Options
[Email Options
Date / Time options
Censorship Options
Edit Options
IP Logging Options
Floodcheck Options
Banning Options
Language Options
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Private Messaging Options
HTTP Headers and output
Spell Check
Templates
Load limiting options
Polls
Avatars
Attachments
Custom User Titles
Calendar
Upload Options
To view the options page, log into the admin control panel and click on the "Options" link on the left hand side of the
screen. You will then be able to view a complete description for each of the available options.
Forum Announcements Back to Top
Announcements are static posts that you can use to relay important information to your members. Announcements can
be made on a per forum basis or globally. Only the latest announcement will be shown in a forum to conserve space
but once a member opens the announcement they will be able to see all current announcements.
Once an attachment has been posted to a forum, it will appear at the top of the forum display page, above the listing of
threads.
When you create an announcement you can specify a title, start and end date, attach it to a single forum or globally
and your message. You can use HTML in announcements.
Forums and Moderators Back to Top
In this section of the control panel, the administrator can create and edit forums.
Adding Forums Back to Top
To add a new forum to the bulletin board, click on the "Add" link under the "Forums and Moderators" section in the
left hand menu. A form will then appear in the right hand pane of the admin control panel (below), where you will be
able to input all the parameters for the new forum:
Title - Type in the title of the forum. You are limited to 100 characters here.
Display Order - Forums are displayed from lowest to highest and under their parents. Use 0 to not display a
forum.
Default view age - The number of days worth of threads to display by default in this forum.
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Forum Parent - If you wish this forum to act as a sub-forum, select that forum that you wish to use as the
"parent" forum. A sub-forum will then display under the parent forum.
Email addresses to notify when there is a new post - Specify any email addresses to notify when there is a
new post in this forum.
Emails addresses to notify when there is a new thread - Specify any email addresses to notify when there is a
new thread in this forum.
Moderator Queue - Turn on this option if you would like your moderators (or yourself) to validate all threads
and posts before they appear publically on the forum. You can access the Moderator Queue through the
Moderator Control Panel located at: http://yourdomain.com/mod/ or direct using the admin links at the end of
the forum display page.
Attachment Queue - Require moderator validation before new file attachments are displayed. You can access
the Attachment Queue through the Moderator Control Panel located at: http://yourdomain.com/mod/ or direct
using the admin links at the end of the forum display page.
Custom style set for this forum - If you wish to set a certain style/design for this forum, select the styleset
from this list.
Private forum - This allows you to create forums that are invisible to all users except moderators and
administrators. These are good for those backstage areas needed to manage your forums!
Act as forum? - If you select no for this option, this forum will act as a category - i.e. a forum that doesn't
contain threads or posts, but can act as a parent for other forums.
Is active? - If a forum is set as inactive, it will not be visible on the forum home page (even to administrators).
Open for new posts? - selecting no for this option will effectively close a forum to everyone. No users will be
able to post new threads or replies to existing threads. You can use this option if you wish to set up an "archive"
forum - where posts can be viewed but not replied to.
Allow HTML Code in posts - This will allow your members to use HTML code in their posts. We seriously
recommend against turning this option on, as HTML may be used to break your page design, or insert malicious
scripting into the page.
Allow vB Code in posts - An safer alternative to HTML, vBCode allows your members to format their
messages using several different codes... i.e. enclosing a word inbetween and will cause the word be be
emboldened.
Allow vB IMG Code in posts - One of the default vB Codes provided by vBulletin allows members to insert
images into their posts. You can select this option for off if you would like to prevent users from including
images in their posts.
Allow Smilies in posts - Smilies are small graphical icons used to show emotions or used to spice up a post. If
you don't want to allow these in this forum, you can disable them here.
Allow Icons for posts - If this option is turned on, users can select an icon to display next to their post/thread.
Icons associated with threads are displayed on the main forum browse page next to the title of the thread.
Allow thread ratings in this forum? - By enabling this option, users can rate each thread between 1 and 5,
where 5 is the best score. Ratings for each of the threads are displayed by default in the forum thread listing
page.
Count posts made in this forum towards user post counts? - By enabling this option, a user's post count will
increase whenever he/she posts a thread or reply in this forum.
Modifying Forums Back to Top
If you would like to edit an existing forum, click on "Modify" under the "Forums and Moderators" section of the
control panel. A "tree" display of all your current forums will appear in the right hand pane of the screen.
From here, you can now click on a link adjacent to the forum you wish to modify. The available links are:
Edit - Click this link to edit the forum parameters (for example, the forum title, description or parent).
Remove - Click this link to remove the forum from the bulletin board.
Add Moderator - Click this link to set up a user as a moderator of the forum. Once you click this link, a form
will appear with the following options:
Forum - The user will become the moderator of the forum selected in this drop down list.
User name - The username specified in this field will be enabled as a moderator for the forum.
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Receive email when there is a new post - The moderator will receive an email for evey new post if you turn on
this option.
Receive email when there is a new thread - The moderator will receive an email for evey new post if you turn
on this option.
an edit posts - Select yes if you would like to give the moderator permission to edit posts in this forum.
Can delete posts - Select yes if you would like to give the moderator permission to delete posts in this forum.
Can view IPs - Select yes to allow moderator to view the IP address of users.
Can manage threads (move,copy,split,etc) - Select yes to allow moderator to move and copy threads to
another forum, as well as allowing moderators to split and merge threads.
Can open and close threads - Select yes to allow moderator to close and open threads. It's not possible for
users to post new messages to a closed thread.
Can edit thread information - Select yes to allow moderator to edit thread information.
Can moderate new posts - Select yes to allow moderator to validate threads/posts (via the moderator's control
panel) that have been added to the moderation queue.
Can moderate new attachments - Select yes to allow moderator to validate file attachments (via the
moderator's control panel) that have been added to the moderation queue.
Can modify styles - Select yes to allow moderator to edit bulletin board styles (not yet implemented).
Can ban users from board - Select yes to allow moderator to ban a user from the whole bulletin board.
Can can view whole user profile - Select yes to allow moderator to view complete information about the user
(email address, etc). Please note that while moderators can view user information, only admins can edit the user
account.
Can post announcements - Select yes to allow moderator to post announcements on this forum.
Can mass move threads - Select yes to allow moderators to mass move threads via the moderator's control
panel.
Can mass prune threads - Select yes to allow moderators to mass move threads via the moderator's control
panel.
Add Sub-Forum - Click this link to create a new forum that will use this forum as it's parent.
From the modify forums screen it's also possible to Edit and Remove existing moderators - simply by clicking on the
relevant link adjacent to the moderator's name (under the forum that the moderator is assigned to).
Note:
If you assign a moderator to a parent forum, the moderator will be able to moderate all sub forums under the parent.
An Introduction to Threads Back to Top
The administrator can choose to prune (delete) and move (threads between forums) using the options under the
Threads section in the admin control panel.
Pruning Threads Back to Top
If you would like to remove threads older than a certain date, or all threads/posts created by a certain user, click on the
Prune link. You will be presented with the following screen on the right hand pane of the control panel:
The first form on this page will allow you to delete all threads from a forum (or all forums) that are older than a
specified number of days.
The second form on this page will allow you to remove all threads/posts from a forum (on all forums) made by a
specified user.
After selecting the options and pressing the button, you'll be taken to a confirmation screen, where you can either
choose to prune all applicable threads, or you can select the ones you would like to prune.
Moving Threads Back to Top
If you would like to move threads from one forum to another that are older than a certain date, or have been posted by
a certain user, click on the Move link under the Threads section of the control panel. Once you have clicked on the
link, the following screen will appear:
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The first form on the page will allow you to move all threads from one forum to another that are older than a specified
number of days.
The second form on this page will allow you to move all threads that have been posted by a specified user from one
forum to another.
After selecting the options and pressing the button, you'll be taken to a confirmation screen, where you can either
choose to move all applicable threads, or you can select the ones you would like to move.
Note:
Moving and pruning threads are both fairly server intensive.
An introduction to User Management Back to Top
This section of the admin control panel allows you to add, edit, find and email your bulletin board users.
Adding Users Back to Top
If you would like to create a new user account in the vBulletin database, click on the Add link under the Users section
of the admin control panel. The following form will then appear on the right hand side of the screen:
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This form accepts the following parameters:
User Group - The user group that this user is a member of.
User Name - The user's username (or handle).
Password - The user's password.
Email Address - The email address of the user.
Style Set - The style that the user has selected via the online user control panel.
Parent Email Address - If this user is registered as a COPPA user, then the email address here receives an
email every time the user updates their profile. This will be blank for all users except COPPA users.
COPPA User - Is this a child under the age of 13? If it is, and you are set up to use the COPPA-compliant
registration system, then this field should be set to yes.
Home Page - The URL of the user's web site (including http://).
ICQ Number - The ICQ number of the user. For more information, see: http://www.icq.com/. If they do not
have an ICQ number, this field should be left empty.
AIM Handle - The handle of the user for AOL's Instant Messenger. More information can be found here:
http://www.aol.com/aim/
Yahoo Messenger Handle - The handle of the user for Yahoo's instant messaging service.
Signature - The user can use this field to add a uniform signature to the end of selected messages. You may be
able to use HTML/vB code/smilies depending on settings in the control panel.
Receive mailings from administrators - This option allows the user to opt out of administrator mailings.
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Show email - Also known as privacy mode to the user. When you select no ,the email, icq, aim, yahoo fields
will not be visible in the user profile.
Invisible on 'Online users' list - If yes is selected for this option, the user will not be visible on the bulletin
board home page who's online list. Note: The user will be visible to administrators, but the username will have
an asterisk (*) next to it to denote that the user has opted to be invisible.
Receive PMs - If no, the user will not receive any private messages.
Email on PM - If yes, the user will receive an email whenever he/she receives a new private message.
PM Popup - If yes, any new private messages will cause a message box to appear on the screen (regardless of
what bulletin board page the user is viewing) that will give the user the chance to jump straight to the private
messaging inbox.
Show Signatures - If no, the user's signature will not appear on any of his/her posts.
Show Avatars - If [b]no, all avatars will be invisible to this user.
Show Images - If no, all images posted by other users will be invisible to this user.
Show vBcode - If no, all vBcode posted by other users will be invisible to this user.
Use email notification by default - If yes, the user will an email notification when another user replies to
his/her post/thread.
Remember Username and password - If yes, the software will remember the user's username and password so
that he/she will not have to manually log in everytime he/she visits the bulletin board.
Browse boards with cookies - If yes, the software will retain the user's session in a cookie, instead of passing
the information between pages using the s variable on the URL.
User Title / Use Custom Title - To give the user a customised "title", type the title in the user title field and
select yes for the user custom title option.
Default view age - The number of days worth of threads to show on the forum topic page. Recommended
values: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 75, 100, 365, 1000 (ie all). -1 gives default forum selection.
Last Visit / Last Activity / Last Post - date stamps in the form yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm:ss.
Number of Posts - The number of posts that this user has accumulated (this figure is incremented by one
everytime the user posts in a forum that has the Count posts made in this forum towards user post counts?
option selected to yes.
Time Zone Offset (hours) - The user can specify this option to offset the server's time by a certain amount.
This is used in addition to the offset that you can specify in the options area.
IP Address
It's also possible for you to add an unlimited number of extra fields to the user account. In the example screen shot
above, the administrator has added Biography, Location, Interests, Occupation and Version of vBulletin as extra
fields. These User Profile Fields will be explained in more detail later on in the manual.
Finding Users Back to Top
To search for a particular user / range of users, click on the Find link under the Users section in the admin control
panel. The following screen will then appear:
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From here, you have two options - the first option is to click on one of the six links at the top of the page to run a
standard search:
List all users
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List top posters
List visitors in the last 24 hours
List most recent registrations
List users awaiting moderation and COPPA users awaiting moderation
List all COPPA users
Alternatively, you can form to search for a user (or users) matching a certain pattern. The form will allow you to
restrict the search based on the following fields:
User Name contains ...
User Group is ...
Email contains ... Parent's email contains ...
Is coppa user ... (yes or no)
Homepage contains ...
ICQ Number contains ...
AIM Handle contains ...
Yahoo Messenger Handle contains ...
Signature contains ...
User Title contains ...
Join Date is after ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Join Date is before ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Last Visit is after ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Last Visit is before ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Last Post is after ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Last Post is before ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Birthday is after ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Birthday is birthday ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Number of Posts is greater than ...
Number of Posts is less than ...
IP Address contains ...
Of course, all these fields are optional - so you can search for a user with whatever information you know. For
example, if you ran a search on the vBulletin.com forums for all users with email address vbulletin.com and user title
developer, the search script will return the following results:
Let's take a look now at the functions of each of the links adjacent to the search result:
Edit - Clicking this link will take you to a form where you can edit all the user fields (username, password,
email address, etc).
Email Password - Click this link to email the username and password to the user's email address.
Remove - Click this link to remove the user from the database. Once you have removed a user, all messages
posted by the user will now be credited to Unregistered.
Edit Access Masks - Clicking this link will take you to a form where you can specify the user's forum
permissions on a forum-by-forum basis:
If you would like to give the user access to a forum, click the yes option box next to the relevant forum. If you would
like to deny access to a certain forum, click the no option box next to the relevant forum. If the default option is
selected, the user permissions are inherited from the user group that the user is a member of.
Find Users by IP Address Back to Top
The IP Addresses section of the admin control panel allows administrators to search for all users that have
visited/posted to the bulletin board using a certain IP address (or vice versa). Click on the IP Addresses link (under
the Users section), and you'll be presented with the following form:
This form accepts the following parameters:
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IP Address - Type in the IP address (or partial IP address) here... the script will then return all users that have
posted/visited the bulletin board with this IP address. An IP address consists of four sets of three numbers, each
set seperated with a full stop. (eg. "123.456.789.876"). You can either search for users that exactly match a full
IP address, of you can type in a partial IP address (e.g. "123.456") to find all users that access your forum from
the same IP address range.
User Name - If you would prefer to return all IP addresses assigned to a certain user, type in the username that
you wish to search for in this field.
Depth To Search
After pressing the [Find] button, you'll be taken to the search results page. From here, you'll be able to view which
users have accessed the forum with the same IP address, and you'll even be click on the Find more IP's by this user
link if you wish to narrow down the search to a particular username.
User Referrals Back to Top
vBulletin includes a feature that will allow your community members to be rewarded for recruiting new users to your
bulletin board. A user can gain a referral by attracting a new user to the vBulletin forum via a special referral link. A
typical referral link looks a bit like this:
http://www.yourwebsite.com/vbulletindirectory/m/forum/index.php?referrerid=$userid
(Where $userid is the unique ID number of the user)
Note:
Your users can find out their specific referal URL by visiting your vBulletin board FAQ page (by clicking on the
button at the top of the page). Once a user has found out their unique URL, they can then pass the URL on to their
friends and colleagues. If any of these visitors register for an account on your bulletin board via this special link, the
user will earn one referral.
In addition, a Referrer field will be included on the initial user registration screen that will allow visitors to grant a
referral point to an existing user even if they haven't visited the bulletin board via the specially coded URL.
Note:
Before the vBulletin software will begin to track referalls, please make sure that the "Referrer - Enable the referrer
system?" setting is turned on in the vBulletin control panel "options" screen.The administrator of the vBulletin
software can use the "Referrals" control panel feature to find out which users have received referrals. In addition, the
administrator can view a list of all the new usernames that the user has referred to the bulletin board. Once the
administrator clicks on the "Referrals" link (under the "Users" section), the following form will appear on the right
hand side of the screen:
This form will allow you to return a list of all users who have earned referral points during the time period you define
using the two form fields - the results form will also detail the number of points earned by each user.
Emailing Users Back to Top
vBulletin offers administrators the facility to send an email newsletter to all/certain users who are registered on the
bulletin board. Click on the Email Users link (under the Users section), and the following form will appear:
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This form accepts the following parameters:
Messages to send at once - the number of email messages to send at any one time. Depending on the power of
your server, you may wish to increase or dcrease this number.
From - email address to use as the from address on each email
Subject - email subject.
Message - email message body... i.e. the actual email message. You can include three variables in your message
- $username, $password and $email (corresponding to the user's username, password and email address
respectively).
The remainder of the form fields are used to define a set of users that will receive the email message. If you leave all
the fields empty, all your registered users will receive the email message - alternatively, you can specify the following
parameters to narrow down the list of recipients:
User Name contains ...
User Group is ...
Email contains ... Parent's email contains ...
Is coppa user ... (yes or no)
Homepage contains ...
ICQ Number contains ...
AIM Handle contains ...
Yahoo Messenger Handle contains ...
Signature contains ...
User Title contains ...
Join Date is after ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Join Date is before ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Birthday is after ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Birthday is birthday ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Last Visit is after ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Last Visit is before ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Last Post is after ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Last Post is before ... (yyyy-mm-dd)
Number of Posts is greater than ...
Number of Posts is less than ...
All these fields are optional.
Generate Mailing List Back to Top
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This option is similar in concept to the Email Users feature, but instead of actually sending the emails, the Generate
mailing list facility will simply output a list of email addresses. You can specify the text that will appear between each
of the email addresses on the output.
An Introductions to User Titles Back to Top
In order to reward frequent posting of messages, it's possible for forum administrators to set up a number of User
Titles that will be assigned to users based on the total number of messages that they have posted. The user title
appears next to every message posted by the user, like so:
In addition, the user title will be included as the Status on the user profile page (visible to all users of the bulletin
board):
Adding User Titles Back to Top
To add a new user title to vBulletin click on the Add link under the User Titles section of the control panel. You will
then be presented with the following form:
This form contains two fields:
Title - The new user title.
Minimum posts required - the minimum number of posts that the user must have accumulated in order to earn
this title.
Modifying / Removing User Titles Back to Top
If you would like to modify/remove an existing user title, click on the Modify link under the User Titles control panel
section. A screen will appear listing all the user titles running on the software:
In this case, three user titles have been set up - All members that have under 30 posts will have the Junior Member
title. Users that have posted between 30 and 100 messages will be granted the Member title, and all users that have
posted over 100 messages will earn the Senior Member title.
From this screen, you can choose to Remove or Edit a user title, by clicking on the relevant links. If you click on the
Edit link, a form will appear that will allow you to change the actual user title, or the minimum number of posts.
User Profile Fields Back to Top
As an administrator, you may wish to collect extra information from your users (in addition to all the standard fields).
With the new user profile fields feature, you can provide extra fields for the user to fill in when he/she registers for
the bulletin board.
For example, we have created five user profile fields in the vBulletin.com/forums/ bulletin board:
Biography
Location
Interests
Occupation
Version of vBulletin
Now, when a new user registers for the forum, they have the chance to fill in these fields:
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(The user profile fields are marked in this illustration with a red cross)
After registering, the user profile information will be visible to all users via the user profile page:
The user can edit his/her user profile information via the user control panel Edit Profile setting:
Adding User Profile Fields Back to Top
To add a user profile field to your vBulletin board, click on the Add link under the User profile fields section in the
admin control panel. The following form will then appear:
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The form fields are as follows:
Title - the title of the user profile field (e.g. Location)
Description - description of the field (eg. Where do you live?).
Maximum Input - this indicates the maximum number of characters/letters that the user can type into this field.
Field Length - how many characters long shall the input field appear on the form? (default value = 25)
Display Order - if you would like the profile fields to appear in a specific order, include a number in this field
that corresponds to the order number of this profile field.
Field required - tick the yes option if you would like to require the user to fill in this field.
Field hidden - if you select yes for this option, only administrators and moderators will be able to view the
contents of this field. The user will still be able to edit this information via the user control panel.
Modifying / Removing User Profile Fields Back to Top
If you would like to add a new profile field, or remove an existing profile field, click on the Modify link under the
User profile fields section in the admin control panel. The following screen will then appear:
Now, you can choose to either Remove or Edit any of the existing user profile fields by clicking on the relevant link.
If you click on the Edit link, you'll be taken to a form where you can edit any of the profile field options (as discussed
above): Title, Description, Maximum Input, Field Length, Display Order, Field required and Field hidden.
User Groups and Permissions Back to Top
Do you want to set up a private forum that can only be viewed by your moderators? Would you like all users to have
to register in order to view your bulletin board forums? Would you like to give two users access to a private forum?
It's possible to accomplish all of these tasks by harnessing the power of vBulletin's user groups and permissions
system!
What is a User Group?
A user group is just what it sounds - a group of users. By default, the vBulletin software includes the following user
groups:
(COPPA) Users Awaiting Moderation - all users that have not been validated by an administrator or
moderator will be included in this group (for bulletin boards that require user accounts to be validated by an
administrator).
Administrator - all vBulletin administrators are included in this group.
Moderators - all vBulletin moderators are included in this group.
Registered - this group is populated with all the standard users.
Super Moderator - this group contains all the super moderators. A super moderator can moderate all forums
on the bulletin board.
Unregistered / Not Logged In - this group contains all visitors to the bulletin board who have not logged in, or
haven't registered for a user account.
Users Awaiting Email Confirmation - if you have configured your vBulletin forum to require email
verification before the registration is completed, all users in this group have registered, but haven't yet activated
their account.
In order to control user's access to your bulletin board, each group has a comprehensive set of options that influence
exactly what a member of the group has permission to view/do on your bulletin board. For example, a user that
belongs to the "Registered" user group has permission to view the board and post messages, but he/she can't access the
control panel or post public events on the vBulletin calendar.
95% of all permissions-based configuration will be dealt with by editing the existing seven standard user groups. By
editing a user group option, you can change the permissions for a particular set of users across the whole bulletin
board. If you would like to alter a user groups options for a particular forum only, you can set up custom forum
permissions. Let's take a look at three practical scenarios:
1. Jack would like to force all users to register for the bulletin board before they can view the forums.
In this case, Jack would need to turn off the can view board option for all user groups apart from Registered,
Moderators and Administrators.
2. Jill would like to set up a private forum for administrators only.
Since these permissions changes affect just a single forum (not all forums), Jill can accomplish this configuration by
turning off the can view forum and can post new threads options (for this forum only) for all user groups apart from
the Administrators.
Now we've dealt with the theory behind setting up permissions on your vBulletin forums, let's take a look at the admin
control panel options.
Modifying User Groups Back to Top
For permission changes that affect all of the forums, you can edit the actual user group (instead of using custom forum
settings). Click on the Modify link (under the User Groups and Permissions section of the control panel. The
following screen will appear:
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From here, you can choose to Edit the user group options or List All Users assigned to the group. If you've created a
custom user group (i.e. a group that isn't one of the core seven listed above) you can delete the group from this screen.
If you click on the Edit link next to a user group, you'll be presented with the following form:
The options listed on this form affect all users that are assigned to the selected user groups. Let's take a look at each of
the options in more detail:
User Status - if you wish all users within this group to have a certain user title, fill in this field.
Can view board - select yes for this option if you would like all users in this group to have access to the
bulletin board. If you select no, the users will receive the standard vBulletin log in screen.
Can view members info - select yes to allow the user to view other users' profiles.
Can view others' threads - select yes to allow the user to view threads posted by all other users.
Can search - select yes to allow the user to use the vBulletin search engine (to find relevant threads and posts).
Can use 'email to friend' feature - select yes to allow the user to forward threads to friends via email.
Can modify profile - select yes to allow the user to edit his/her's profile via the online user control panel.
Can post new threads - select yes to allow the user to post new threads.
Can reply to own threads - select yes to allow the user to reply to threads that he/she started.
Can reply to other's threads - select yes to allow the user to reply to threads started by other users.
Can Rate threads if thread rating is enabled in the forum? - each thread can be rated from 1-5 (where 5 is
the best). This feature can be turned on/off on a forum-by-forum basis. If you would like to allow the users
assigned to this user group to be able to rate threads on forums where the feature is enabled, select yes.
Can post attachments - select yes to allow this user to post file attachments.
Can edit own posts - select yes to allow the user to edit his/her own posts/messages.
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Can delete own posts - select yes to allow the user to delete his/her own posts/messages.
Can move own threads to other forums - select yes to allow the user to move threads that he/she started into
another forum.
Can open / close own threads - select yes to allow the user to open/close threads that he/she started.
Can delete own threads by deleting the first post - select yes to allow user to delete an entire thread that
he/she started by deleting the first (original) post/message.
Can post polls - select yes to allow the user to post polls.
Can vote on polls - select yes to allow the user to vote on a poll (posted by any user).
Can use Private Messaging - select yes to allow the user to send/receive private messages to/from other users.
Can Use Message Tracking? - message tracking is a feature in the private messaging system that allows a user
to request read receipts... i.e. a user can find out whether or not a user read his/her private message. To enable
this feature for all users assigned to the user group, select yes.
Can Deny Private Message Read Receipt Request? - to counteract the message tracking feature, select yes
to allow users to prevent the software from sending back a read receipt.
Maximum Buddies to Send PMs at a time - you can set a limit to the number of private messages that can be
sent at once here.
Maximum PMs to Forward at a time - you can set a limit to the number of private messages that can be
forwarded at once here.
Can post Public events on Calendar - select yes to allow the user to post an event on the calendar that can be
viewed by all users.
Can edit other's Public events on Calendar - select yes to allow the user to edit other users' public events.
Is Super Moderator - select yes to allow the user to moderate all forums.
Can access control panel - select yes to allow the user access to the vBulletin admin control panel.
Please remember that these options will affect the global permissions of all users assigned to this user group. If you
wish to change the settings for a user group for a certain forum (i.e. to set up a private area for moderators and
administrators), you can set up a custom setting for each forum affected.
Modifying Forum Permissions Back to Top
As stated above, if you wish to set a user groups' options for the whole of the bulletin board, you can modify the user
group directly. If you would prefer to configure certain option differently for certain forums, you can set up custom
forum permissions.
Click on the Modify Forums link (below the User Groups and Permissions) section of the vBulletin control panel.
The following screen will appear:
From this screen, it's possible to set up custom permissions for each user group on a forum-by-forum basis. In
addition, you can see at a glance which forums have already had custom permissions enabled, as per the key at the top
of the screen. In this case, we can see that the Registered user group has been configured with customised
permissions for the Announcements Discussions forum.
To set up a new (or edit an existing) custom configuration, click on the Edit link adjacent to the relevant user group.
Clicking on the Registered user group underneath the Announcements Discussions forum will cause the following
form to appear:
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From here, you can choose to use the default user group options for this forum permission (by clicking on the Use
usergroup default option) or you can opt to Use custom settings for this forum. You can set the following options:
Can view forum - select yes to allow the users in this group from viewing this forum.
Can search - select yes to allow the users in this group to search this forum.
Can use 'email to friend' feature - select yes to allow users in this group to forward threads started in this
forum using the send to friend feature.
Can post new threads - select yes to allow the users in this group to start new threads in this forum.
Can post polls - select yes to allow the users in this group to post polls in this forum.
Can vote on polls - select yes to allow the users in this group to vote on polls posted in this forum.
Can post attachments - select yes to allow the users to post file attachments in this forum.
Can move own threads to other forums - select yes to allow a user in this group to move threads that he/she
started to another forum.
Can open / close own threads - select yes to allow a user in this group to open/close threads that he/she started.
Can delete own threads - select yes to allow a user in this group to delete an entire thread that he/she started by
deleting the first (original) post/message.
Can reply to own threads - select yes to allow a user in this group to reply to threads that he/she started.
Can reply to other's threads - select yes to allow a user in this group to reply to threads started by other users.
Can view others' threads - select yes to allow a user in this group to view threads posted by all other users.
Can edit own posts - select yes to allow a user in this group to edit his/her own posts/messages.
Can delete own posts and threads - select yes to allow a user in this group to delete his/her own
posts/messages.
As a practical example, please take another look at the screenshot above. In this example, the administator has turned
off the Can post new threads permission for the Registered user group in the Announcements Discussions forum.
This will prevent all standard users from posting new messages in this particular forum.
Note:
All sub-forums will automatically inherit custom permissions from their parent forum. Custom settings that have been
inherited will be formatted in blue text on the modify forums screen.
Adding User Groups Back to Top
Finally, let's take a look at how to add a new user group to vBulletin. If you wish to define a new group of users (i.e.
seveal software developers), and grant them special permissions, you can use the control panel to create a new user
group. Click on the Add link under the User Groups and Permissions section of the vBulletin control panel - the
following screen will appear:
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Avatars Back to Top
vBulletin now gives users the chance to assign a small image (an avatar) to their user account - after a user
selects/uploads an avatar, the image will be displayed next to every message the user posts in the bulletin board. For
example:
The administrator can choose to implement the avatar feature in a number of ways: he/she can choose to disable
avatars completely, allow users to select an avatar from a list, or upload their own image to use as an avatar. To
configure the avatars feature, click on the Change Options link under the Options section of the control panel, and
then click on Avatars to move down the page to the relevant section:
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From here, you can set the following options:
Enable Avatars - Use this option to enable/disable the overall use of avatars.
Minimum custom posts - Minimum number of posts that a user requires before they can choose an avatar.
Allow uploads - Allow user to upload their own avatar if they have enough posts?
Allow website uploads - Allow user to upload their own custom avatar from another website if they have
enough posts?
Maximum Dimensions - The maximum height and width of the avatar in pixels.
Maximum File Size - The maximum file size (in bytes) that an avatar can be.
Display Height - This option sets the number of columns of avatars displayed to the user via the user control
panel avatar selection page.
Display Width - This option sets the number of rows of avatars displayed to the user via the user control panel
avatar selection page.
Once you have selected the options as required, scroll to the end of the page and click on the [Save Changes] button.
Adding Avatars Back to Top
vBulletin allows administrators to add a selection of avatars that users can choose from to vBulletin - once there are
some avatars in the system, users will be able to select which avatar to use via their user control panel. There are many
ways to add avatar(s) to vBulletin:
Upload - Click on this link to upload an avatar from your local hard disk drive.
Add - Click on this link to add an avatar (or many avatars) to vBulletin that have already been uploaded onto a
web server (or internet site).
Let's take a look at these two options in a bit more detail.
Uploading Avatars Back to Top
Note:
Using this feature required your web server and PHP to have permission to write files to disk. If they do not have the
neccessary permissions, it will fail.
If you would like to upload an avatar from your local computer to your server, click on the Upload link under the
Avatars section of the vBulletin control panel. You'll be presented with the following screen:
You'll be prompted to fill in the following fields:
Avatar File - to upload an image from your hard disk, type in the local path to the avatar (i.e. c:\avatar.gif). You
can also select an avatar using the Choose file dialog box by clicking on the [Browse] button.
Name - type in a name for the avatar.
Minimum posts to use this avatar - type in the minimum number of posts that a user must have accumulated
to use this avatar in this box (or leave empty to offer this avatar to all users).
Path to image - The absolute path on your server where this avatar should be stored (please contact your host if
you are unsure about what this setting should be).
Once you've filled in all the fields, click on the [Upload Now] button. Your browser will take the image from your
hard disk, and pass it to the vBulletin software, which will then save the image on your servers hard disk.
Note:
Technical - All avatars that are uploaded to vBulletin by the administrator are stored directly on the web server hard
disk drive. Custom avatars uploaded by users are stored in the MySQL database.
Adding an Avatar Back to Top
By clicking on the Add link under the Avatars section of the control panel, you can import images that have already
been uploaded onto a web server into vBulletin. After clicking the Add link, the following forms will appear:
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If you would like to import a single image from either a local of remote web server into vBulletin, fill in and submit
the first form. This form accepts the following three fields:
Name - type in a name for the avatar.
Minimum posts to use this avatar - type in the minimum number of posts that a user must have accumulated
to use this avatar in this box (or leave empty to offer this avatar to all users).
Path To Image - this can either be an URL of an image (e.g. http://www.vbulletin.com/images/v_logo.gif) or a
path on your web server (e.g. "/www/sites/htdocs.old/images/logo.gif").
If you would prefer to add multiple avatars to your vBulletin installation at once, you can use the second form on this
page (Add multiple avatars). This form accepts the following two fields:
Path to images - the path to the directory where the avatar images are uploaded (relative to your vBulletin
forums directory on the server).
Number of avatars to display per page? - once you click on the button at the end of the form, vBulletin will
allow you to select which avatars to import into the system. You can adjust the number of avatars that are
previewed on each page with this option.
On the next page, you'll be able to select which images to import into vBulletin:
Tick the check box next to each image you wish to import into vBulletin. You can also type in a title for each of the
images as well (although this is optional). After ticking all the images you wish to import, click the "Save" button at
the end of the page. If there are more images in the directory that you haven't yet viewed or selected, they will now
been shown. You can repeat the ticking and saving process until you have imported all the avatars that you wish to
offer your users.
Modifying / Removing Avatars Back to Top
If you would like to modify or remove any of your existing avatars, click on the Modify link under the Avatars
section of the vBulletin admin control panel. When you click the link, the following screen will appear:
From this screen you can Edit or Remove any of your existing avatars. If you click on the Edit link, you'll be able to
edit the following avatar properties:
Name - type in a name for the avatar.
Minimum posts to use this avatar - type in the minimum number of posts that a user must have accumulated
to use this avatar in this box (or leave empty to offer this avatar to all users).
Path to images - the path to the directory where the avatar images are uploaded (relative to your vBulletin
forums directory on the server).
Styles & Templates Back to Top
What is a style set?
A Style Set is a particular look or appearance for your forums. It consists of a Template Set and a Replacement Set.
Replacement sets control the colors, fonts, etc for your style, whereas template sets control everything else! You could
use Style Sets to provide users of your forum with a choice as to which layout they prefer. One popular use is to
provide a normal layout and a 'lite' layout, which contains less graphics and smaller file sizes. Each Style Set can look
completely different from all of your other sets.
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A good example of Style Sets can be found at vBulletin.org. You can choose there between the default dark blue style,
or the classic vBulletin purple style.
Adding a Style Set Back to Top
When you click Add Style in the control panel, you will see the following form:
This form allows you to enter a name for your new style set, as well as choose which template and replacement sets to
use for the style. You can also choose whether to let users choose to use this style set or not. If you'd like to use the
same colors and fonts for your new template set, then you can change the option for Replacement Set to Default. You
could also set the Template Set option to Default, which would allow you to use the exact same layout and design for
your new template set, just with a new color scheme. I chose not to do either of these, so created both a new template
set and replacement set. This will allow me to create a totally different design in my new style set.
Once you have done that, you will see a screen similar to this:
The first thing you need to do with your template set is to set up the fonts and colors to your liking. So click the
'[fonts/colors/etc]' link next to your new style set. You'll then see a long page that allows you to set the header, footer,
table widths, fonts and colors, among other things, for your new style set. It's the exact same page to the one you used
when you first set up your forum. Once you're happy with these settings, click the 'Save Changes' button at the
bottom. You will then be taken back to the same page, which will this time have all of your custom values filled in. If
you decided not to modify the colors (you wanted to use a different design with the same colors), then just leave the
options exactly as they are.
The next step is to modify some templates for the new style. If you chose to just use new colors (not a different
design) for your new style set, then you can skip this step. Click the '[edit templates]' link at the very top of the page to
be taken to the template editor. You should see a screen which begins like this:
Your new template set will be expanded by default. This functions in exactly the same way as the main template
editor, which you will probably already have used to customise your forum's layout. Any templates you change here
will only take effect in your new style set, not the default style set which users are viewing at the moment.
Once you're happy with the changes, open a new browser window and visit your forums home page. Click on the user
cp icon at the top, and go to Modify Options. Choose your new style set from the dropdown list on that page, and then
click Submit Modifications. This will show you your forums, but in the new style set you have created. If you want
to make any more changes, go back to the control panel and click either Styles > Modify > [fonts/colors/etc] to change
the fonts or colors, or Templates > Modify to change the templates. Go back to your forums and hit Refresh to see
how your latest changes look. When you're happy with the changes it's time to start telling users about the new style
set!
You can also give users a direct link to see the new style set. The link will be in the form:
http://www.example.com/forums/index.php?styleid=x
You can get the styleid of your new style set by hovering your mouse cursor over the [fonts/colors/etc] button for
your new style in the Modify Styles section of the control panel, and looking down in your browser's status bar to see
the address it is pointing to. For example:
Hover your mouse cursor here:
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And then look in the Status Bar of your browser:
Look for the dostyleid section of that link - the last number in the line. In this case it is 2, so you would replace x with
2 on the web address above. Also remember to replace the URL with your forum URL!
Icons Back to Top
In order to spice up a message, a user can choose to assign a small graphical image (or Icon) to each post that he/she
makes in the bulletin board. Icons assigned to the first posts in a thread are displayed next to the thread title in the
forum threads list, like this:
Administrators can configure icons using a similar procedure to configuring avatars - such that you can add, upload,
edit and remove them in the same way.
Smilies Back to Top
Smilies, sometimes known as emoticons, are small images that can be used to convey emotion in messages. Short
strings of characters, such as :), ;), :P, :rolleyes: are converted into a small face that represents the emotion or action.
Administrators can configure the smilies using a similar procedure to configuring avatars - such that you can add,
upload, edit and remove them in the same way. However, as well as having a title, they also have a field called text to
replace In this field, you would place the text that a user would type in, such as :) for example. Please note that this
text is case sensitive.
Custom BB Codes Back to Top
BB code is the system by which users can add basic formatting to their posts, without risking your forum layout by
allowing them to use HTML.
By default, vBulletin installs with a set of BB code tags, such as [b] and [u], which allow rudimentary text formatting
and a few other functions, such as quoting other messages, and embedding code in a non-proportional font.
Should you find that you want to add additional BB codes, an interface is provided to allow you to do so. In the left-
menu panel of the control panel, scroll down until you find the Custom BB codes section, and click the add link.
Single-Parameter BB Codes Back to Top
After clicking the Add link, the following page will appear showing four text input boxes, and a radio button option.
The following steps will take you through an example of how to create a bbcode tag which will allow users to create
center-aligned content.
The first box should contain the name of the tag you are about to add. We will enter center. The name here is
case-insensitive, so center is the same as CENTER and cEnTeR.
The second box should contain the actual HTML code that will be used when the text is processed for bbcode
tags. We will enter <div align="center">{param}</div>. The {param} part is short for parameter and will be
replaced by the text that the user enters between the [center] and [/center] bbcode tags.
In the third box, you should enter an example of the bbcode in use. We will enter this: [/center]This text is
centered[[color=black][/center]
The final box should contain a meaningful description of what your custom bbcode will actually do. In this
case, we will enter The [center] tag allows you to create center-aligned text and images.
Finally, the radio button at the bottom of the form allows you to instruct vBulletin that this is a double-
parameter tag. This one is not, so set this to no. We will look at double-parameter tags a little later.
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Press the save button, and the new [center] tag will be added to your existing list of bbcode tags.
Modifying BB Codes Back to Top
After you have created some custom bbcodes, you can modify and test them.
In the left-panel, click the modify link under the Custom bb codes section. This will bring up a page that lists all the
current bbcodes that you can modify, along with their example usage.
To modify any existing bbcode, simply click the [edit] link next to the tag, and you will be taken to a form much like
the one where you add new tags, where you can edit the options and parameters for that bbcode.
You may remove any bbcode that you do not want by clicking the [remove] link next to the tag.
Testing BB Codes Back to Top
A form is provided on the modify bbcodes page, which allows you to enter bbcode, and then see how it will look
when displayed on forum pages.
Simply enter a string of valid bbcode, and click the [test this text] button to see how it will appear in the forum.
Importing data into vBulletin 2 Back to Top
vBulletin 2.0 has several import systems available in the members area, which allow you to import members, forums,
posts etc. from other bulletin boards. These scripts are not provided with vBulletin by default, but you can find a
complete listing in the members area.
To begin an import, click the link in the left-panel labelled BB Import Systems (situated under the Import &
Maintenance section):
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 378/380
Once you have clicked the link, the following form will appear:
This form will list all the forum importation scripts that are installed in your vBulletin installation. Select the script
you would like to use, and click on the [begin import] button.
Note:
If you do not have any import scripts installed, this screen will include a link to the vBulletin members area.
The Import Process Back to Top
The instructions for the different import systems vary, but they all follow a common formula.
Firstly, you will be asked to enter some details about the bulletin board you are about to import. These will usually be
file-paths to necessary files, or the name of a database. This screenshot shows the initial page for the UBB6 import
script.
As you can see, the appropriate filepaths have been filled in. Once all the information is provided, click the [start
import] button.
At some point during the import, you may reach a step where you can associate imported users with existing users.
This is especially useful if you are importing another board into an existing, active vBulletin.
The associate step allows you to make an association between a user from your vBulletin board, and the
corresponding user from the board to be imported, so that duplicate users are not created.
For example, if i was importing a UBB board where I was also a member, I would associate the UBB member Kier
with the vBulletin member Kier by entering Kier's vBulletin user id next to the name of Kier in the list of UBB
members. A complete list of your vBulletin members, together with their user ids can be found by clicking the
appropriate link on the association page.
Click this link to show the complete list of your existing vBulletin members, together with their userid.
The list of members for the imported bulletin board probably spans several pages - use this control to jump to
different pages of the list.
When all associations are done, click this link to proceed.
The imported member Kier is the same person as the vBulletin member Kier, so the userid of the vBulletin
member, Kier is inserted here. (When you have finished a page, click the associate users button at the bottom
of the page).
The final step of the import process will be to clean up the database and update the counters.
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 379/380
For more information about updating counters, see the 'Maintenance' section of this manual.
Updating Counters Back to Top
You will not need to use this particular vBulletin admin control panel area much during normal operations. Exceptions
to this are after completing an import or after completing a mass move or prune of threads. Click on the Update
counters... link (under the Import & Maintenance section) in the control panel. The following forms will appear:
From this screen, you can complete the following tasks:
Update users - Running this will update the user title and last post time for each user. You can choose the
number of users to update on each cycle before starting. This process is not too intensive, so you can probably
afford to have a fairly large value here.
Update Forums Info - This function updates the post count, thread count, last post time and last post username
fields for every forum. It is useful after you have rearranged forums and their parents, or is you have moved lots
of threads.
Update threads info - Running this will update the number of replies per thread, the original poster
information, the last poster information and the attachment totals for each thread. This process is fairly server
intensive, and you should not need to do it except after importing data from another board.
Build Search Index - This process rebuilds specified parts of the search index of the threads. If you make a
change to the search indexing options, you will want to empty the search index, and then rebuild it from scratch.
Please note that this is a very slow and server intensive process, and it should not be undertaken lightly.
Remove dupe threads - This option was created to tidy up after doing an import from another board. Often
there will be duplicate threads created due to data corruption problems on the board which you have imported
from. This process will go through and remove any duplicate threads that exist. It is quite server intensive, but
just needs to be run once after importing.
Stats Back to Top
vBulletin allows you to retrieve statistical information about your online community from within the control panel -
including the number of new user registations, posts or threads per day, week or month. The information can be
displayed to you within the vBulletin control panel, or you can download it into Microsoft Word.
When you select the View link in the control panel (available under the Stats section), you will be presented with the
following screen:
1/11/2018 vBulletin Manual
https://www.vbulletin.com/docs/onepage/?manualversion=40205500 380/380
This form will allow you to specify the following paramaters:
Type of stats - Use this option to choose whether to look at the data for new posts, new threads or new user
registrations
Date From and Date To - you can opt to show all information between a certain range of dates with these
options.
Time frame - you can choose to group the data by day, week or month. This allows you to look for trends over
the short, medium or long terms.
Sorting - choose whether to display oldest dates first, or most recent dates first.
Format - choose whether you want the results of the report to appear in the control panel (as HTML), or
whether you would prefer to download a seperate file in Microsoft Word Format (as RTF).
When you click the submit button, the report will be generated. Please note that this is a fairly intensive process, and
so the report may take several seconds to be generated. If you chose to view your stats in a MS Word style report, you
will be prompted to save the file to your hard disk, and you will then be able to open it from there into Microsoft
Word. The document will look a little like this:
If you chose to view your stats in a HTML format, the following screen will appear:
The bars that are colored red are those which indicate a number of posts/users/threads that is below the date range
average. Blue bars indicate an above average number of posts/users/threads.
