vBulletin Manual - Promotions Example 2: Limit Access

How to limit access until x posts made:

As with Example 1, some admins prefer to limit the access that a new user has until they ‘prove’ themselves. This can be used for the following purposes (note these are not exhaustive):

- Avatar size (or ability to have one!)
- Signature usage (ability to have or limit what can be used)
- Ability to use Blogs
- Access to specific Channels

For this example, we will use the following criteria:

- Initial Usergroup: Registered Users
- ‘Full Member’ Usergroup: Full Members
- Number of Posts before Promotion: 10

As all new users go into the Registered Users usergroup by default, simply adjust the permissions for this group to what you wish them to have. Then, you need to setup the usergroup for those members who will have full access. To do this, create a new usergroup based off the Registered Users usergroup and set the permissions to give them the enhanced level of access.

For more information on usergroups and permissions, please see this section of the manual relating to these.

Once you have your usergroups setup to your needs, you should create the appropriate Promotion. Using the criteria above, your Promotions screen should look like this:

<<<Screenshot of Promotions screen with the following criteria>>>

Explanation:

Usergroup
This is the usergroup that the users are currently a member of, i.e. Registered Users. The Promotion will only apply to these users.
Posts
These are the number of posts that a user should have made before they can be promoted, in this case 10.
Promotion Strategy
As this example will have a user promoted after 10 posts have been made, this should be set to ‘Posts’
Promotion Type
Set this option to ‘Primary Usergroup’. When the Promotions Scheduled Task runs, the user will then have their Primary Usergroup changed.
Move User to Usergroup
This should be set to the new usergroup that was setup earlier, i.e. Full Members’

Note that the ‘Reputation Level’ and ‘Days Registered’ values although completed will have no effect on this Promotion as the Strategy has been set to ‘Posts’. Once the above have been set, click the Save button.

Now complete, this Promotion will move active users from the ‘Registered Users’ usergroup to the ‘Approved Members’ usergroup once they have made 10 posts in your forum.

Note:

To promote users using other criteria, simply set the relevant ‘Days Registered’ value, or ‘Reputation Level’ if promoting users after they receive ‘x’ reputation points and set the ‘Promotion Strategy’ to the appropriate option.