General Settings

All settings below are on the General tab at WB Plugins > Anonymous Activity.

Settings keys reference

Key	Type	Default	Description
`bp_anonymous_user_role`	`array`	All WordPress roles	Role slugs allowed to post anonymously. Empty array means no role restriction (all logged-in users).
`bp_anonymous_member_type`	`array`	`[]`	BuddyPress member type slugs that are excluded from anonymous posting. Empty means no member-type restriction.
`bp_anonymous_enable_verified`	`'yes'` or `'no'`	`'yes'`	When `'yes'`, only users verified by BP Verified Member can post anonymously. Has no effect if that plugin is not active.
`bp_anonymous_enable_groups`	`'yes'` or `'no'`	`'yes'`	Show the anonymous checkbox on BuddyPress group activity pages.
`bp_anonymous_enable_members`	`'yes'` or `'no'`	`'yes'`	Show the anonymous checkbox on the sitewide activity directory.
`bp_anonymous_enable_profile`	`'yes'` or `'no'`	`'yes'`	Show the anonymous checkbox on the current user’s own profile activity page.
`bp_anonymous_enable_comment`	`'yes'` or `'no'`	`'yes'`	Show the anonymous checkbox on activity comment forms.
`bp_anonymous_enable_forums`	`'yes'` or `'no'`	`'no'`	Show the anonymous checkbox in bbPress and BuddyBoss Forums topic and reply forms.
`activity_field_label`	`string`	`'Post as Anonymous User'`	Label shown next to the checkbox on activity post forms.
`comment_field_label`	`string`	`'Post as Anonymous User'`	Label shown next to the checkbox on comment forms.
`anonymous_text`	`string`	`'Anonymous User'`	Display name shown in place of the real author’s name on anonymous activities, comments, and forum posts.
`default_user_link`	`string` (URL)	`'#'`	Profile URL shown in place of the author’s profile link on anonymous activities.
`default_gravatar`	`string` (HTML)	Generated `<img>`	Anonymous avatar as a full `<img>` tag. Built from `default_gravatar_url` on every settings read.
`default_gravatar_url`	`string` (URL)	Gravatar mystery-person URL	URL of the anonymous avatar image. Set this in the admin UI to use a custom image.
`domain_link_anonymous`	`string` (URL)	BuddyPress root URL	Base URL used when masking author links in email content.

Role Based Anonymous Posting

Option key: bp_anonymous_user_role (array)

A multi-select list of WordPress user roles. Members must have at least one of the selected roles to see the anonymous checkbox.

Leave the list empty to allow all logged-in users (no role restriction).
Administrators are always excluded from this list and always bypass the restriction — they can never see the checkbox in any case.
The administrator role is removed from the list in the settings UI by design.

Example: Select “Subscriber” and “Contributor” to restrict anonymous posting to those two roles only.

Exclude Member Types from Anonymous Posting

Option key: bp_anonymous_member_type (array)

A multi-select list of BuddyPress member types. Members assigned to any of the selected types will not see the anonymous checkbox, even if their role would otherwise allow it.

This setting is only visible and functional if BuddyPress member types are registered on your site.

Allow Anonymous Activity for Verified Members

Option key: bp_anonymous_enable_verified (yes / no)

This option appears only when the BP Verified Member plugin is active.

When enabled, only members with a verified badge can post anonymously. Unverified members will not see the checkbox.

Allow Anonymous Posts in Groups

Option key: bp_anonymous_enable_groups (yes / no)

Controls whether the anonymous checkbox appears inside BuddyPress or BuddyBoss groups. When off, group members posting to a group’s activity feed will not see the checkbox.

Allow Anonymous Posts in Sitewide Activity

Option key: bp_anonymous_enable_members (yes / no)

Controls whether the anonymous checkbox appears on the main activity directory (typically /activity/). Turn this off if you only want anonymous posting inside groups, not in the public feed.

Allow Anonymous Posts in User Profiles

Option key: bp_anonymous_enable_profile (yes / no)

Controls whether the anonymous checkbox appears when a member posts from their own profile’s activity tab. When off, profile-tab posts are always attributed.

Allow Anonymous Comments

Option key: bp_anonymous_enable_comment (yes / no)

Controls whether a “Post as Anonymous User” checkbox appears in activity comment forms. The checkbox appears when a member clicks “Reply” on an activity post. Works on sitewide activity, group activity, and profile activity.

Allow Anonymous Posts in Forums

Option key: bp_anonymous_enable_forums (yes / no)

This option is visible only when bbPress or BuddyBoss Platform is active.

When enabled, an anonymous checkbox appears in forum topic and reply forms. The plugin automatically uses the correct integration:

BuddyBoss Platform active: uses the BuddyBoss Forums integration (MutationObserver-based injection for dynamic reply popups)
BuddyBoss not active but bbPress active: uses the standalone bbPress integration

Checkbox Labels

Option keys: activity_field_label (string), comment_field_label (string)

The text shown next to the anonymous checkbox in activity and comment forms. Both default to “Post as Anonymous User”.

Change these to match your community’s language — for example, “Post anonymously” or “Hide my identity”.

Anonymous Display Name

Option key: anonymous_text (string)

The name displayed in place of the real author’s name on anonymous posts. Defaults to “Anonymous User”. This text appears in:

The activity action line (“Anonymous User posted an update”)
Comment author labels
Forum post author fields

How checkbox visibility works

The checkbox is shown on a given page only when all of the following are true:

The user is logged in.
The relevant bp_anonymous_enable_* setting is 'yes' for the current BuddyPress context (directory, group, or profile).
The user’s role is in bp_anonymous_user_role (or the list is empty, meaning all roles are allowed).
The user’s BuddyPress member type is NOT in bp_anonymous_member_type.
If BP Verified Member is active and bp_anonymous_enable_verified is 'yes', the user is verified.
For forums: bp_anonymous_enable_forums is 'yes'.

Administrators bypass role restrictions and always see the checkbox when enabled.

Saving settings

Click Save Changes at the bottom of the General tab. Settings take effect immediately — no cache clearing is needed.

Previous: Settings Overview | Next: Display & Avatar Settings