Understanding Trust Levels
Discourse uses a Trust Level system to gradually give users more permissions as they participate positively in the community.
This helps prevent spam while rewarding active members.
Trust Level 0 — New User
All new accounts start here.
New users have some temporary limitations, such as:
- All posts (new topics, replies, etc.) will be checked by moderators prior to publishing
- Limited number of links/images in posts
- Limited mentions
- Some features restricted until basic participation is completed
This helps protect the forum from spam and abuse.
Trust Level 1 — Basic User
You automatically reach this level after reading and interacting with the forum for a short time. Specifically, you need to have 3 (approved) posts and spend some time reading the available posts in the forum. This way we can verify you are not a bot and can avoid spam.
Basic users can:
- Use all core forum functions
- Upload attachments/images more freely
- Send personal messages (if enabled)
- Participate normally in discussions
Trust Level 2 — Member
Granted to users who regularly visit and participate.
Members gain additional abilities such as:
- Inviting other users
- Ignoring/muting users
- More daily limits
Trust Level 3 — Regular
Trusted community members who are consistently active.
Regulars can help maintain the forum by:
- Recategorizing topics
- Renaming titles
- Accessing additional moderation-related capabilities
This level requires ongoing activity to maintain.
Trust Level 4 — Leader
Usually assigned manually by forum staff.
Leaders are highly trusted users with advanced moderation-style permissions.