Community site glossary

Community

Activity feed

An activity feed is the running list of what members post and do in a community, newest first: updates, replies, new members and shared media. It is usually the first screen a member sees after logging in.

Auto-moderation

Auto-moderation uses rules to hold, flag or remove content without a person reviewing each post first. Bulk moderation lets a moderator act on many items at once.

Broadcast email

A broadcast email is one message sent from the community owner to a chosen group of members at once, such as an announcement or a newsletter.

Community analytics

Community analytics are reports on how a community is used, such as new members, active members, posts and which areas draw attention.

Community engine

A community engine is the software layer that provides members, profiles, a feed, groups and messaging, so a site can behave like a social network.

Gated spaces

A gated space is a part of a community that only people who meet a condition can enter, such as holding a paid plan or being approved by an admin.

Member directory

A member directory is a searchable, filterable list of everyone in a community, with each entry linking to that person's profile.

Member profiles

A member profile is a personal page inside a community that shows who someone is: their name, photo, bio, activity and the groups they belong to.

Moderation queue

A moderation queue is a single list of reported or held content where moderators review each item and approve, remove or dismiss it.

Notifications

Notifications are the alerts that tell a member something happened that concerns them, such as a reply, a mention or an approved request.

Paid membership plans

A paid membership plan charges members on a recurring or one-time basis in return for access to content, spaces or courses.

Private messaging

Private messaging lets two or more members talk one to one or in a small group, away from the public feed.

Push notifications

Push notifications are short alerts delivered to a member's device or browser even when they are not on the site.

Spaces

A space is a sub-community inside a larger one, with its own members, posts and rules around a shared topic, team or interest. Many platforms call the same thing a group.

White-label

White-label means a platform can be presented under your own brand, with the vendor's name and marks removed from what members see.

Forums and Q&A

Accepted answers

An accepted answer is the reply the asker marks as the one that solved the question, shown clearly at the top of a Q&A thread.

Email digests

An email digest is a periodic summary of new discussions and replies sent to a member in a single email.

Polls

A poll asks members a question with a fixed set of answers and shows how the group voted.

Reputation

Reputation is a score that grows when a member's contributions are valued by others, and it can open up extra abilities.

Threaded discussions

A threaded discussion is a conversation organized as a topic with replies beneath it, so each topic stays together and can be read in order.

Voting

Voting lets members mark a post or reply as useful so the best contributions rise and weak ones sink.

Courses

Assignments

An assignment is a task a learner submits for an instructor to review, such as an essay, a file or a project.

Certificates

A certificate is a document issued to a learner who completes a course, stating what they finished and when.

Cohorts

A cohort is a group of learners who start and move through a course together on a shared schedule.

Coupons

A coupon is a code that reduces the price of a purchase, either by an amount or by a percentage.

Drip content

Drip content releases course material in stages, on a schedule or after a learner finishes an earlier step, instead of all at once.

Grading

Grading is recording a score for a learner's work and combining those scores into an overall result.

Instructor payouts

Instructor payouts are the payments sent to course creators for their share of the sales their courses make.

Learning management system

A learning management system is software for creating courses, delivering lessons, tracking each learner's progress and issuing results.

Lessons

A lesson is one unit of a course, usually a video, a text page or an activity covering a single idea.

Online course

An online course is a structured set of lessons on one subject that a learner works through over the internet at their own pace or on a schedule.

Quizzes

A quiz is a set of questions that checks whether a learner understood a lesson or course, and can be scored automatically.

Subscription management

Subscription management covers everything done after someone starts a recurring plan: changes, pauses, retries, refunds and reports.

Events

Attendee management

Attendee management is the set of tools an organizer uses to see who is coming, contact them and keep the list accurate.

Calendar sync

Calendar sync lets people add events to their own calendar app and keep them updated if details change.

Door check-in

Door check-in is confirming each attendee on arrival, usually by scanning a code or ticking a name off a list.

Event calendar

An event calendar lists upcoming events by date so people can see what is on and open any entry for details.

Organizer payouts

Organizer payouts are payments sent to the people who run events on a site, for their share of ticket sales.

Paid tickets

Paid tickets let an organizer sell entry to an event, with different ticket types and a checkout.

Recurring events

A recurring event repeats on a pattern, such as every week or every month, and is created once.

RSVP

An RSVP is a member's reply saying they plan to attend an event.

Jobs

Company profiles

A company profile is a public page describing an employer, with its story, details and current openings.

Employer dashboard

An employer dashboard is the private area where a company manages its job posts and the applications they receive.

Hiring pipeline

A hiring pipeline is the set of stages an applicant moves through, from new to hired or rejected, usually shown as a board.

Job alerts

A job alert emails a candidate when a new listing matches a search they saved.

Job applications

A job application is a candidate's submission for an opening, usually a form with details and a file.

Job board

A job board is a site section where employers post openings and candidates search, filter and apply.

Paid job listings

Paid job listings charge employers to post a job, often with options to feature or extend it.

Resumes

A resume on a job board is a candidate's profile or document stored on the site, which employers can search.

Marketplace

Marketplace commission

Marketplace commission is the share of each sale that the platform keeps before paying the seller.

Milestone payments

Milestone payments split a larger job into stages, with a payment released as each stage is delivered.

Multi-vendor marketplace

A multi-vendor marketplace is a store where many independent sellers list and sell physical or digital products under one site.

Seller profiles

A seller profile is the public page for someone who sells on a marketplace, showing who they are and what they offer.

Services marketplace

A services marketplace is a site where sellers list services and buyers order them, with the platform handling the order and payment.

Vendor payouts

Vendor payouts are the payments a marketplace sends to sellers for their earnings.

Vendor plans

A vendor plan is a tier a seller pays for to sell on a marketplace, with limits or features set by the plan.

Directory

Business directory

A business directory is a searchable catalog of businesses or places, each with its own listing page.

Directory maps

Directory maps show listings as pins on a map so visitors can search by place.

Listing claims

A listing claim is a request by a business owner to take control of an entry that already exists in a directory.

Listing reviews

Listing reviews are ratings and comments that visitors leave on a directory entry.

Member submissions

Member submissions let registered users add their own listings to a directory through a front-end form.

Paid listing plans

Paid listing plans charge businesses to list or to upgrade a listing, for example for placement or extra features.

Verification badges

A verification badge marks a listing or member as checked by the site, so visitors know the details are real.

Media

AI moderation

AI moderation uses software to scan uploads for content that breaks the rules and flag it for review.

Cloud storage

Cloud storage keeps uploaded files on a remote storage service instead of on your own web server.

Media albums

A media album is a named collection of photos or videos that a member groups together.

Photo challenges

A photo challenge is a themed prompt that invites members to submit photos, often with voting or a winner.

Privacy levels

Privacy levels set who can see a piece of content, such as everyone, members only, friends or just the owner.

Stories

Stories are short photo or video posts that disappear after a set time.

Gamification

Badges

A badge is a mark awarded to a member for reaching a milestone or doing something noteworthy.

Challenges

A challenge is a task or goal members try to complete in a set time, with a reward at the end.

Leaderboards

A leaderboard ranks members by points or another measure over a period, such as a week or a month.

Levels

Levels are ranks a member reaches as their points grow, each with its own name or perks.

Points

Points are a running score a member earns for actions in a community, such as posting, replying or attending an event.

Rewards store

A rewards store lets members spend points they earned on perks, products or access.

Feedback and roadmaps

Changelog

A changelog is a dated list of what changed in each release of a product.

Feature voting

Feature voting lets users propose ideas and vote on the ones they want most.

Feedback widget

A feedback widget is a small form placed on a site that lets visitors send ideas or comments without leaving the page.

Public roadmap

A public roadmap is a page that shows what a product team is planning, building and has finished, visible to customers.

Advertising

Ad placements

An ad placement is a defined spot on a site where an ad can appear, such as a sidebar or between feed posts.

Advertiser portal

An advertiser portal is a private area where advertisers buy, manage and track their own ads on your site.

Classifieds

Classifieds are short listings that members post to sell, buy or offer something to others in the community.

Frequency caps

A frequency cap limits how many times the same person sees an ad in a given period.

Geo-targeting

Geo-targeting shows an ad only to visitors in selected locations.

Link cloaking

Link cloaking replaces a long or ugly destination URL with a short link on your own domain that redirects.

Split testing

Split testing shows two versions of an ad to different visitors to learn which performs better.

Running a community

Code of conduct

A code of conduct is the written set of rules for how members behave in a community and what happens when they do not.

Community health metrics

Community health metrics are the few measures that show whether a community is growing and active, such as new members, returning members and replies per post.

Onboarding

Onboarding is the first steps a new member goes through to learn how a community works and to make a first contribution.

Per-member fee

A per-member fee is a charge that grows with the number of members in a community.

Self-hosted

A self-hosted platform runs on a server you control, so you own the site, its data and its members' details.

Transaction fee

A transaction fee is a cut of each sale taken by the platform, on top of what the payment processor charges.

Reign terms

Child theme

A child theme is a theme that loads on top of a parent theme, so your edits survive when the parent updates.

Demo installer

A demo installer imports a complete sample site into your WordPress install, including pages, menus and settings, in one step.

Free version

A free version is the no-cost edition of a plugin, usually with the core features and a paid edition for more.

Pro plan

A Pro plan is the paid edition of a plugin, adding features on top of the free version.

Reign add-on

A Reign add-on is a separate plugin that deepens Reign's integration with one third-party tool, such as an LMS or a marketplace plugin.

Reign kit

A Reign kit is a bundle that pairs the Reign theme with the add-ons or plugins for one kind of site, such as a marketplace or a course community.

Reign theme

Reign is a WordPress theme that styles community, course, marketplace, directory and job pages from your plugins, giving them one design.

Community platforms (the social engine)

Reign is a theme, not a community engine. You need one of these plugins installed alongside Reign to get activity feeds, profiles, groups, and messages. BuddyNext is ours and free; the others are third-party and equally well supported.

BuddyNext

Wbcom's own community engine, free to install from your Wbcom account. Member profiles, activity feeds, spaces, notifications and a moderation queue, with messages when WPMediaVerse is installed. Built by the same team as the theme, so Reign styles it with no add-on. A Pro plan adds paid plans, broadcast email, push, auto and bulk moderation, and analytics.

BuddyPress

The long-standing free, open-source WordPress community plugin. Provides activity feeds, member profiles, groups, friends and messages. Reign styles it with no add-on.

BuddyBoss Platform

A community platform by BuddyBoss that started as a fork of BuddyPress. A free version is available, with a paid plan from BuddyBoss. Reign supports it as a peer platform.

PeepSo

A WordPress community plugin by PeepSo with its own activity feed, profiles and groups. It is a separate engine from BuddyPress, with a free core and paid add-ons from PeepSo.

bbPress

A free WordPress forum plugin. Reign includes bbPress styling. For forums with Q&A, voting and reputation, Wbcom makes Jetonomy.

Plugins Reign styles (third-party extensions)

These are independent WordPress plugins from other vendors. Reign add-ons style their pages so they look native inside your community: you buy the plugin from its vendor and the Reign add-on from Wbcom. Wbcom also makes a free plugin for most of these jobs (Learnomy for courses, WP Sell Services for marketplaces, WP Career Board for jobs, Listora for directories), so this path is for people who already run, or specifically want, the third-party tool.

LearnDash

A widely used WordPress course plugin. Sold separately by LearnDash as a yearly licence. The Reign LearnDash add-on styles its course pages, student dashboards, and quiz screens.

LifterLMS

A WordPress course plugin focused on memberships + courses. Open-core (free base, paid add-ons). The Reign LifterLMS add-on styles its catalog, course pages, and membership wrappers.

Tutor LMS

A WordPress course plugin focused on instructor + student dashboards. Free + Pro. The Reign Tutor LMS add-on styles both dashboards + course player.

Sensei

A WordPress course plugin by Automattic. The Reign Sensei add-on styles its course catalog + lesson layouts.

Dokan

A widely used WordPress multi-vendor marketplace plugin by weDevs. The Reign Dokan add-on styles vendor stores + product pages so they match your Reign community.

WC Vendors

A multi-vendor marketplace plugin (WooCommerce extension). The Reign WC Vendors add-on styles its marketplace surfaces.

WCFM

WooCommerce Frontend Manager, another multi-vendor marketplace plugin. Strong on commission rules + vendor dashboards. The Reign WCFM add-on styles those dashboards.

WP Job Manager

A widely used WordPress job board plugin. The Reign WP Job Manager add-on styles the job board, employer pages, and listing forms.

GeoDirectory

A WordPress business directory + listings plugin. The Reign GeoDirectory add-on styles listings + member submission forms.

MemberPress

A widely used WordPress paid membership plugin. Not a Reign add-on: Reign and MemberPress pair on the same install for paid community sites.

Paid Memberships Pro

A free + paid alternative to MemberPress. Also pairs with Reign.

WooCommerce

The WordPress ecommerce plugin. Reign's marketplace + membership stacks layer on top of WooCommerce.

GamiPress

A WordPress gamification plugin - points, badges, ranks, achievements. Reign theme includes GamiPress styling for activity rewards.

Stripe

The default payment processor for paid memberships + course sales + marketplace payouts on Reign sites. Pairs with MemberPress, WooCommerce, LearnDash, etc.

General WordPress terms

Words from the broader WordPress ecosystem you will see in setup guides.

WordPress

The open-source content management system that runs a large share of the web. Reign is a theme for WordPress; you need a WordPress install to run it.

Theme

A WordPress design package - controls how the site looks. Each WordPress install runs exactly one active theme. Reign is a theme.

Plugin

A WordPress feature package - adds functionality. You can install many plugins on one site. BuddyPress, LearnDash, MemberPress are all plugins. Reign add-ons are also plugins (lightweight, styling-only).

Hosting

The server your WordPress site runs on. Shared hosting suits a small site; a busy community needs a managed WordPress plan. You need hosting + a domain before installing Reign.

mu-plugin

"Must-use" plugins, a WordPress concept for plugins that auto-activate. Used in advanced setups. Not relevant for most Reign buyers.

Child theme

A WordPress mechanism for customizing a theme without modifying the parent. Reign provides one from Reign Settings > Tools.

WP-CLI

The WordPress command-line tool. Used by developers + the Wbcom team for fast bulk operations. Not required for typical setup.

WP REST API

WordPress's built-in JSON API. Used by external integrations and custom front ends. Most buyers do not interact with it directly.