Standalone Mode - WordPress Without Community Plugins

WB Member Blog works perfectly without BuddyPress, BuddyBoss, or PeepSo. This guide covers setting up frontend posting on any WordPress site.

What You’ll Learn

How to set up Member Blog without community plugins Creating a user-generated content site Best practices for standalone installations

When to Use Standalone Mode

Standalone mode is perfect for:

Multi-author blogs - Multiple contributors posting content Guest posting platforms - Accept submissions from registered users News/magazine sites - Contributors submit articles Educational sites - Students submit assignments Review sites - Users submit reviews

Step 1: Install and Activate

Install WB Member Blog plugin Activate the plugin Go to Member Blog → Settings

Step 2: Create Required Pages

Submission Page

Go to Pages → Add New Title: “Submit Post” (or similar) Add shortcode: [bp-member-blog-form] Publish the page

Dashboard Page

Go to Pages → Add New Title: “My Posts” (or similar) Add shortcode: [bp-member-blog] Publish the page

Assign Pages

Go to Member Blog → Settings → Pages Select your submission page Select your dashboard page Save changes

Step 3: Configure User Access

Go to Member Blog → Settings → Access:

Typical Configurations

Open Submissions (any registered user):

Check: Subscriber, Contributor, Author, Editor Result: Anyone who registers can write posts

Moderated Submissions:

Check: Subscriber, Contributor Result: Posts go to “Pending Review” for admin approval

Trusted Authors Only:

Check: Author, Editor only Result: Only promoted users can post (auto-publishes)

Step 4: Add Navigation

Help users find the blog features:

Go to Appearance → Menus Add “Submit Post” page to your menu Add “My Posts” page to your menu Consider adding to the user account dropdown if your theme supports it

Step 5: Create a Community Blog Page

Show all member posts on a dedicated page:

Create a new page: “Community Blog” Add this content:

<h2>Latest Posts</h2> [bp-member-blog-recent count=“12” columns=“3”]

<h2>Browse by Category</h2> [bp-member-blog-categories style=“grid”]

<h2>Top Contributors</h2> [bp-member-blog-authors count=“8” columns=“4”]

User Registration

Ensure users can register:

Go to Settings → General Check “Anyone can register” Set “New User Default Role” appropriately

Recommended: Set default role to “Subscriber” and manually upgrade trusted users to “Author”.

Moderation Workflow

For sites accepting public submissions:

User submits post → Goes to “Pending Review” Admin reviews at Posts → All Posts Admin publishes or rejects User can edit rejected posts and resubmit

Recommended Settings

SettingRecommendedWhyEditorEditor.js or ClassicFamiliar interfacesCustom CategoriesDisabledMaintain organizationDelete ImagesEnabledSave disk spaceMax Upload Size2-5 MBBalance quality and storage

Theme Compatibility

WB Member Blog works with any WordPress theme. Popular compatible themes:

Astra GeneratePress Flavor Flavor Pro Flavor Kid Themes OceanWP Flavor Theme Most theme builders (Elementor themes, etc.)

Related Docs

BuddyPress Setup Guide BuddyBoss Setup Guide Shortcodes Reference