In this article, you'll learn how to edit posts and comments, as well as manage the permissions required to do so.
Edit a post
You can edit a post from the Recent Posts page, a Category, or directly on the post's page; from any of these locations, select Edit from the ellipse (...) menu.
Just like when creating a post, you'll be able to update its:
- title,
- body text,
- tags,
- and decide whether to announce the post or not.
Edit a comment
To edit a post's comments, navigate to its Comments section and select Edit from the ellipse (...) menu.
Flat vs. Nested comments
Your community's configured Post Page layout setting determines how comments display in a post.
- If using Legacy Post Layouts, comments display in a flat structure.
- If using Custom Post Layouts, comments can display either in a flat or nested structure by configuring the Comment Thread widget. A nested structure is shown in the image below.
Check out this article to learn more about these layouts.
Edit post permissions
By default, Admins and Moderators can edit any post and comment across your Higher Logic Vanilla (Vanilla) community. However, you can also give users the opportunity to edit their own posts.
The ability to edit can be controlled via Post Settings, Ranks, and Roles. Each process is explained in its associated section below.
Post Settings
Use this setting to control whether users can edit their own posts and comments. You can set it to:
- never,
- always, or
- only within a designated amount of time after posting.
This setting is a default that applies to all users across your community. For more granular control, you can leverage Ranks and Roles (more on these in their associated sections below).
📝 NOTE: If a user belongs to a Role that grants them the ability to edit content, that permission supersedes this setting.
- Access the Dashboard.
- Navigate to Settings > Post > Posting.
- In the Rules section at the bottom of the page, click the Post & Comment Editing dropdown and select an option.
- Click Save to apply the change.
Ranks
Ranks can be earned by users or manually assigned, granting an associated set of privileges. Check out the article below to learn more.
While the Post Settings option is a default that applies to all users, you can more tightly control the ability to edit with Ranks.
⭐️ EXAMPLE: Perhaps your Post Setting is set to not allow users to edit, whereas Rank 1 users can edit for 15 minutes, Rank 2 users can edit up to an hour, and so on. Essentially, you're giving users with higher ranks more freedom to edit their own content.
📝 NOTE: The Rank setting supersedes the Post Setting. Additionally, if a user belongs to a Role that grants them the ability to edit content, that permission supersedes both the Post Setting and Rank permissions.
Manage your Ranks
1. Access the Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Settings > Membership > Ranks.
3. Click the pencil icon to edit a Rank (you can also create one, if needed).
4. At the bottom of the page, click the Discussion & Comment Editing dropdown and select an option. 📝 NOTE: While this option's title says "Discussion," it applies to all post types.
5. Click Save to apply the change.
Roles
Roles are like high-level categories in which your users are grouped. Each Role can be customized with a unique set of permissions to control what users with that Role can see and do in your Vanilla community. Check out the article below to learn more.
When it comes to editing content, you can assign a Role permissions to edit posts and/or comments.
📝 NOTE: Generally, only the Administrator and Moderators Roles are given these permissions.
Manage your Roles
1. Access the Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Settings > Membership > Roles and Permissions.
3. Click a Role's pencil icon to manage its permissions.
4. On the resulting page, in the Permissions section, you can allow the Role to edit discussions and/or comments either by default across all Categories or by choosing specific Categories. 📝 NOTE: While this permission's title says "Discussions," it applies to all post types.
5. Click Save to apply the change.
Revision History
Admins and Moderators can access a post's Revision History log by clicking the ellipse (...) menu and selecting Revision History. From there, you can restore previous versions of the post or delete them forever.
FAQ
- Question - How do I know if a post has been edited?
- Answer - You will see this in its metadata:
- Question - How do I know who made the edit, and what they changed?
- Answer - By viewing the Change Log (navigate to Dashboard > Moderation > Content > Change Log). To restore any previous version, check the box next to a version and click Restore.
- Question - I know a post was edited but the changes aren't appearing in the Change Log. Where are they?
- Answer - Changes made within 20 minutes of publishing the original post will not appear in the Change Log.
Additional resources
Click the link below to access a video expanding on what you learned in this article.
