Community forum
Add a private discussion space to any community or program.
A community forum gives members a private space to post updates, ask questions, and connect with each other — all inside your website, protected by a purchase paywall.
Forums work for paid programs, membership communities, and challenges. They're similar to Facebook Groups or Mighty Networks, but live within your Arketa-powered site.
Enable a forum
- Go to Beyond Classes → Communities
- Click on the community name
- Go to the Settings tab
- Check Turn on community forum
[IMAGE TODO] Take a screenshot showing the community's Settings tab with the Turn on community forum checkbox visible and checked.
What members see
The forum is a feed of posts. Members can:
- Create new posts
- Comment on existing posts
- Reply to comments
[IMAGE TODO] Take a screenshot showing the community forum from the client/member perspective, with the post feed visible including at least one post with comments.
Replying as the business owner
To reply to forum posts as yourself, you need to be inside the community as a client (not as the admin). Purchase access to your own community or have the Arketa team add you as a member.
When to use a forum
- Challenges — daily accountability posts, progress check-ins
- Courses — Q&A with the instructor, discussion by module
- Membership communities — ongoing connection between members
- Teacher training — cohort discussion and peer learning
The forum increases the perceived value of your program and drives retention — members who are connected to each other have more reason to stay.