Overview
The Internal Server Error occurs when unauthenticated users attempt to access hidden forums because of inherited See forum permissions set to Grant, leading to a 500 error when other permissions are denied.
The solution involves setting See forum to Deny for unauthenticated users and creating specific roles for access, ensuring proper access granting, without errors.
Solution
-
Keep Category-Level Permissions Open
- In the respective category permissions, keep
See boardsset to Grant (or Inherit if it's granted at community level) - This ensures the category itself remains visible to all appropriate roles
- In the respective category permissions, keep
-
Restrict Board Level Permissions
- Go to the respective forum settings
- Navigate to Forum Permissions → Board Permission Defaults
- Set
See boardsto Deny for the default permissions - Create specific roles for authorized users and assign
See boardsas Grant for those roles only
-
Keep Info Hub Blog Accessible
- Go to the respective blog settings
- Navigate to Blog Permissions → Board Permission Defaults
- Ensure
See boardsis set to Grant (or Inherit from category/community level)
-
Apply Same Logic to Idea Spaces
- For any Ideas boards in this category that need restriction: Set board-level
See boardsto Deny and create role-based exceptions - For Ideas boards that should be accessible to all: Keep
See boardsas Grant or Inherit
- For any Ideas boards in this category that need restriction: Set board-level
Key advantages
- Granular Control: Each board can have its own visibility rules
- Role Flexibility: You can assign different access levels per board
- Inheritance Override: Board-level settings override category-level defaults
- Scalable: Easy to add more restricted or open boards within the same category
Permission Hierarchy
Community Level (baseline permissions)
↓
Category Level (inherits from community, can override)
↓
Board Level (inherits from category, can override) ← Set restrictions here
This solution allows you to have mixed visibility within a single category while maintaining clear permission management.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q1: How do I know if this error applies to my situation?
- A1: You'll see the "Internal Server Error" when unauthenticated users attempt to access hidden forums with inherited "See forum" permissions set to Grant.
Q2: What if I need to allow access to specific users?- A2: Create specific roles for users who need access and grant "See forum" permission to these roles while keeping it denied for unauthenticated users.
Q3: How can I ensure other content types are handled correctly?- A3: Apply the same permission logic to blogs and idea boards by setting "See boards" to Deny at the board level and creating role-based exceptions for access.
Ciprian Nastase
Comments