Using the Members Application

In the Members application you can manage all of your site members including mailing list members, limited members, full members, moderators and admins.

The Members application is designed to help you create a community on your site and engage your visitors by enabling them to be more active participants on your site. You can allow your members to moderate, post, or view special content on your website.

How to Add the Members Application

Adding the members application allows members to view and contact each other through the members page. The members application can be added through the Site Manager in the Edit Site section of your account.

1. Click Edit Site in your account
2. By default you are in the Site Manager
3. Click the Add a New Page button under My Pages
4. Select the Members icon from the options
5. Give the page a name and click Create
6. You will be redirected to the member management page

Note: If the members application icon is not listed in the Add a New Page pop over, you may already have the members application installed on your site.

 

How to be the "Site Owner" level on your site

The Site Owner is a special privilege that only one person can have. To setup yourself as the Site Owner, login to your Webs.com account and click the "Site Settings" tab. If your email address is verified, you will automatically have your WebsID setup and attached to your site as the Site Owner (with the same email/password as your site). If you have not verified your email address, you will need to do that first.

Member Settings

In the Members Settings section you can set up how people become members, what their default permissions are, who can invite new members, and if the members should be notified of new content on the site.

Title and Description

Add or change your members application's title and description. In the description you can edit the formatting of text, add links, videos, images or custom smilies. The description appears at the top of your published application.

Member Permissions

Set up what happens when a new member joins, the default permissions for new members, how the members should be sorted, who can invite new members, what the default view should be on the members page, and whether or not you want to notify members of new content.

Tip: Invitations can be sent through the Members App and automatically when someone signs your guestbook.

When a New Member Joins

• Automatically accept them: Anyone who signs up with your site becomes a member
• Accept if invited: If you invited them to join, they become a member automatically. You will need to manually approve anyone else who signs up
• Manually accept them: Everyone who signs up with your site must be manually approved by you

Default permissions for new members

• Limited Member: They can view password-protected content but cannot leave comments.
• Member: They can view password-protected content and leave comment.
• Moderator: They can view password-protected content, leave comments, and edit existing comments and forum posts.

Sort members by:

• Display name
• Last login
• Creation date
• Member permissions
• Random

Who can invite new members

• All Members
• Moderators
• Just Me

Default view of members

• Grid
• List

Invite New Members

Here you can invite your friends to join your site. All you need is their email address. You can either automatically import your contacts' email addresses from your Gmail, Hotmail, or Yahoo email account. You can also manually enter email addresses by typing them in the box towards the bottom of the page. Separate each email address with a comma.

Once approved, members can create and manage profiles that include descriptions, pictures, and information about the other groups they are members of.

Managing Members and Permissions

Approve Membership Requests and Set Member Permissions through the Manage Members option in the Members App.

Managing Site Access for your Members

• Limited Member - They can view password-protected content but cannot leave comments.
• Member - They can view password-protected content and leave comment.
• Moderator - They can view password-protected content, leave comments, and edit existing comments and forum posts.

Tip: If a Member does not appear in your Members App either they have not accepted your invitation or they joined your site through the Subscribe to My Site widget or the Welcome Sidebar. If they have only joined your mailing list they will not show up in your members app. This is because they have not yet created a profile.

There are two ways you can have your mailing list members create profiles. First, if they try to access password protected content, they will be prompted to create a profile. Or, you can go to the Manage Members section of the Member App Editor (or through Stats & Promotion > Mailing List) and Invite them to Complete their Profile. They will receive an email with a link to complete their profile.

Password Protecting Pages

1. Edit any page that you want to password protect
2. Click Page Options
3. Select Password Protect from the drop down
4. Select Page Viewable by Everyone, Master Password, or Members
5. Click Done and publish your page

Note: Master Password is a premium service option that allows you to set up a single master username and password for your password protected pages. Visitors with the master password cannot edit your site but they do not need to be members to access password protected content.

When someone accesses a password protected page they will be prompted to sign in or sign up for a membership to your website.

Other practical uses for the Membership Tools

Who can post photos: Most of our apps have an option in the Settings page of the app that lets you choose what level of membership is required to contribute to the app. For example, if you wanted Members to be able to post photos, you could choose that in the Photos Settings. If you wanted only moderators to post to your blog, you would choose that option in your Blog settings. And suppose you didn't want anyone posting to your calendar, you could choose "Only Me" under the "Who can post" option in your Calendar Settings.

Who can view blog entries: Some apps, like the Blog, also let you restrict the viewing of specific content. To restrict access to a single blog entry, edit the entry and click the "More Options" link. From there, you will see an option to choose what membership level is required to see that specific entry.

Tip: If you do not want to add the members app to your website you can still manage your members through the My Members section of your account. You can have a fully member driven site without having the members application as a page on your website.

Send Email Blast

This option allows you to email your members. You have the option to select which membership level will receive the email blast.

Sent Emails

Manage and reuse emails and invitations you have already sent.

Profile Questions

Sometimes, you may want to ask for additional information when a member signs up. For example, their jersey number, their favorite ice cream or their phone number. In addition, you can choose whether questions are required or optional, and even make them private (great for things like phone numbers). Answers to private questions will only be visible by you.

Tip: We've also added a simple way for you to download all of your member data in a CSV file. This is a perfect option if you want to export your members and their answers to all the profile questions into excel or access.

To download your members as a CSV file, login to Webs.com and edit your Members App. On the Main Members app page, click the little green icon() on the upper right of the app (next to the two views icons).