Admin Panel Guide

Admin Panel Guide

Accessing the Admin Panel

Login

1. Navigate to /admin on your forum
2. Enter your admin credentials
3. Click "Login"

Dashboard Overview

After logging in, you'll see the admin dashboard with:

• Statistics - Forum activity, user counts, discussion counts
• Recent Activity - Latest discussions, registrations, reports
• Quick Actions - Common administrative tasks
• System Status - Server information, PHP version, storage type

Navigation Menu

The admin panel is organized into sections:

Dashboard

• Overview of forum statistics and activity
• Quick access to common tasks

Discussions

• Manage categories
• Moderate discussions and posts
• Handle reports

Users

• User management
• Group management
• Permission configuration
• Ban management

Settings

• General settings
• Email configuration
• Security settings
• Performance options

Plugins

• Install and activate plugins
• Configure plugin settings
• Manage plugin dependencies

Themes

• Activate themes
• Customize theme settings
• Manage theme assets

Tools

• Backup and restore
• Cache management
• Log viewer
• System information

Managing Categories

Access: Admin Panel > Discussions > Categories

Creating Categories

1. Click "New Category"
2. Fill in category details:
   • Name - Category display name
   • Slug - URL-friendly identifier
   • Description - Category description (supports Markdown)
   • Parent Category - For subcategories
   • Icon - Category icon (optional)
   • Color - Category color (optional)
   • Order - Display order
3. Set permissions (who can view/post)
4. Click "Create Category"

Editing Categories

1. Find category in list
2. Click "Edit"
3. Modify settings
4. Click "Save"

Deleting Categories

1. Click "Delete" on category
2. Confirm deletion
3. Choose to delete or move discussions

User Management

Access: Admin Panel > Users

Viewing Users

• List View - All users with search and filters
• User Details - Click username to view profile
• User Activity - Discussions, posts, reputation

Editing Users

1. Find user in list
2. Click "Edit"
3. Modify:
   • Username, email, password
   • User group
   • Profile information
   • Permissions
4. Click "Save"

Banning Users

1. Find user in list
2. Click "Ban"
3. Set ban details:
   • Reason - Why user is banned
   • Duration - Temporary or permanent
   • IP Ban - Ban by IP address
4. Click "Ban User"

User Groups

Access: Admin Panel > Users > Groups

Manage user groups and permissions:

• Default Groups - Guest, Member, Moderator, Admin
• Custom Groups - Create custom groups
• Permissions - Configure per-group permissions

Moderation Tools

Reports

Access: Admin Panel > Discussions > Reports

Handle user reports:

1. View reported content
2. Review report details
3. Take action:
   • Dismiss - Report is invalid
   • Warn User - Send warning
   • Delete Content - Remove content
   • Ban User - Ban the user

Discussion Moderation

• Pin Discussions - Keep at top of category
• Lock Discussions - Prevent new replies
• Move Discussions - Move to different category
• Delete Discussions - Remove permanently

Post Moderation

• Edit Posts - Modify content
• Delete Posts - Remove posts
• Split Posts - Move to new discussion
• Merge Posts - Combine posts

Settings Management

General Settings

Access: Admin Panel > Settings > General

• Site name, URL, description
• Language and timezone
• Registration settings
• Storage configuration

Email Settings

Access: Admin Panel > Settings > Email

• SMTP configuration
• Email templates
• Test email sending

Security Settings

Access: Admin Panel > Settings > Security

• CSRF protection
• Rate limiting
• Password requirements
• Two-factor authentication

Performance Settings

Access: Admin Panel > Settings > Performance

• Caching options
• Asset optimization
• Database optimization (Pro)

Plugin Management

Access: Admin Panel > Plugins

Installing Plugins

1. Download plugin
2. Extract to plugins/ directory
3. Refresh plugin list
4. Click "Activate"

Configuring Plugins

1. Find plugin in list
2. Click "Settings"
3. Configure options
4. Click "Save"

Updating Plugins

1. Download new version
2. Replace plugin files
3. Refresh plugin list
4. Check for compatibility

Theme Management

Access: Admin Panel > Themes

Activating Themes

1. Find theme in list
2. Click "Activate"
3. Theme is immediately active

Customizing Themes

1. Select active theme
2. Click "Customize"
3. Modify:
   • Colors and fonts
   • Layout options
   • CSS variables
4. Preview changes
5. Click "Save"

Tools and Utilities

Backup

Access: Admin Panel > Tools > Backup

• Create Backup - Full forum backup
• Download Backup - Download backup file
• Restore Backup - Restore from backup

Cache Management

Access: Admin Panel > Tools > Cache

• Clear Cache - Remove cached files
• Rebuild Cache - Regenerate cache
• Cache Statistics - View cache usage

Log Viewer

Access: Admin Panel > Tools > Logs

• View error logs
• View access logs
• Filter by date/type
• Download logs

System Information

Access: Admin Panel > Tools > System

• PHP version and extensions
• Server information
• Storage statistics
• Performance metrics

Best Practices

Regular Maintenance

• Review reports daily
• Monitor user activity
• Check error logs weekly
• Update plugins regularly
• Create backups regularly

Security

• Use strong admin passwords
• Enable two-factor authentication
• Review user permissions regularly
• Monitor for suspicious activity
• Keep Flatboard 5 updated

Performance

• Clear cache when needed
• Optimize images before upload
• Monitor storage usage
• Review slow queries (Pro)

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+K - Quick search
• Ctrl+/ - Show shortcuts
• Esc - Close modals

Troubleshooting

Can't Access Admin Panel

Check:

1. You have admin permissions
2. Session is valid
3. No maintenance mode active
4. Check error logs

Settings Not Saving

Solution:

1. Check file permissions
2. Verify disk space
3. Check error logs
4. Try browser cache clear

Plugin Issues

Solution:

1. Deactivate problematic plugin
2. Check plugin compatibility
3. Review error logs
4. Contact plugin developer

Resources

• Configuration Guide - Detailed settings
• User Management - User and group management
• Security Guide - Security best practices
• Plugin Guide - Plugin management
• Theme Guide - Theme customization

Last updated: February 23, 2026