Expanding user engagement on your WordPress website can be achieved by enabling users to submit news or posts directly to your site. This functionality not only fosters community interaction but also enriches your website with diverse content. In this beginner-friendly tutorial, we’ll guide you through the process of setting up user submissions for news/posts on your WordPress site hosted with US Domain Center.

Why Allow User Submissions?

Empowering users to submit news or posts to your WordPress site can bring several benefits:

1. Increased Engagement: User-generated content encourages active participation and engagement from your website visitors.
2. Diverse Content: Users may contribute unique perspectives and topics, enriching the overall content of your website.
3. Community Building: Offering a platform for user submissions fosters a sense of community and collaboration among your audience.

Step 1: Setting Up User Registration

Before users can submit news/posts, you’ll need to allow user registration on your WordPress site:

1. Access Your WordPress Dashboard: Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard. You can do this by visiting your website’s domain followed by “/wp-admin” (e.g., www.yourdomain.com/wp-admin).
2. Navigate to Settings: In the WordPress dashboard, go to “Settings” and then click on “General.”
3. Enable User Registration: Scroll down to the “Membership” section and check the box next to “Anyone can register.” Choose a default user role for new registrations, such as “Subscriber.”
4. Save Changes: Don’t forget to click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page to apply the settings.

Step 2: Installing a Frontend Submission Plugin

To facilitate user submissions, you’ll need to install a plugin that allows users to submit content from the frontend of your website:

1. Access the Plugin Repository: In your WordPress dashboard, navigate to “Plugins” and then click on “Add New.”
2. Search for a Plugin: Use the search bar to find a suitable frontend submission plugin. Some popular options include “WP User Frontend” and “User Submitted Posts.”
3. Install and Activate: Once you’ve found a plugin, click on the “Install Now” button, followed by the “Activate” button to activate the plugin on your site.

Step 3: Configuring the Submission Form

After activating the frontend submission plugin, you’ll need to configure the submission form:

1. Plugin Settings: Depending on the plugin you chose, locate its settings within the WordPress dashboard. You may find them under “Settings” or in a separate menu item.
2. Customize Form Fields: Customize the form fields to collect the necessary information from users. Typical fields may include title, content, category selection, tags, and featured image.
3. Set Permissions: Configure permissions and restrictions for user submissions, such as user roles allowed to submit content, moderation settings, and submission guidelines.

Step 4: Adding the Submission Form to Your Website

Once you’ve configured the submission form, you’ll need to add it to a page on your website:

1. Create a New Page: In the WordPress dashboard, go to “Pages” and click on “Add New” to create a new page.
2. Add Shortcode: Insert the shortcode provided by the frontend submission plugin into the content area of the new page. This shortcode typically generates the submission form.
3. Publish the Page: After adding the shortcode, click on the “Publish” button to make the page live on your website.

Step 5: Reviewing and Publishing User Submissions

With the submission form set up, users can now submit news/posts directly from your website’s frontend. However, it’s essential to review and moderate submissions before publishing them:

1. Moderate Submissions: Regularly check the submissions received through the frontend form. You can do this by navigating to the submissions section provided by the plugin or by receiving email notifications for new submissions.
2. Review Content: Review each submission for quality, relevance, and compliance with your website’s guidelines and policies.
3. Publish or Edit: After reviewing, you can choose to publish submissions as they are or edit them for clarity and consistency before publishing.

Conclusion

By following this tutorial, you’ve learned how to enable user submissions for news/posts on your WordPress site hosted with US Domain Center. Empowering users to contribute content not only enhances community engagement but also enriches your website with diverse perspectives and topics. Remember to set clear guidelines for submissions and regularly monitor and moderate user-generated content to maintain the quality and integrity of your website.