This article explains how add-ons are organized in Higher Logic Vanilla (Vanilla), where to manage them, and how to interpret their current status.
Add-ons notes
Availability varies by plan, community configuration, and feature status. If you cannot find an add-on or feature described here, contact your CSM or Vanilla Support.
Always test new add-ons and configuration changes on a staging community before applying them to production.
Add-ons and features can move between categories as Vanilla evolves. Check the Product Life Cycle article for current status and support expectations.
View and manage add-ons
Go to Settings > Addons > Addons to view the add-ons available for your community. Add-ons that appear on this page can be enabled or disabled with their toggle. Disabled add-ons remain visible when they can be re-enabled by an administrator.
Current status and management locations
- Core: included functionality that does not require add-on enablement.
- System: managed or enabled as part of the platform; some system features are configured elsewhere in the Dashboard.
- Custom: available for communities with custom configuration or plan-specific needs.
- Integrations: connected services and authentication providers with their own setup requirements.
- Sunset: no longer recommended for new implementations. Support can re-enable a sunset feature when it is required for a legacy implementation.
- Staff-only: managed by Vanilla staff and not available as a customer-toggle add-on.
Examples of current locations
- Spoof: core functionality managed under Moderation > Users > Manage Users.
- Sitemaps: core system output at /sitemapindex.xml; robots.txt references the sitemap index.
- External links: use Settings > Technical > Security > Open external links in a new tab.
- Polls: use Settings > Posts > Post Types for Custom layouts. Legacy layouts use the Polls add-on.
- Private Discussions: Custom layouts use the Guest Preview category setting; Legacy layouts may require the sunset add-on and Guest Preview.
- Role Titles: sunset; Legacy implementations can contact Support to re-enable it.
Need help finding a feature?
If a feature is not visible or its current location is unclear, contact Vanilla Support. Include your community URL, the feature name, and whether the community uses Legacy or Custom layouts.