Setting up a forum on 1C-Bitrix

Forum Setup for 1C-Bitrix

Forum module (forum) in Bitrix — complete discussion system with hierarchy: forum → topic → message. Data stored in b_forum, b_forum_topic, b_forum_message tables. Module supports moderation, file attachments, polls, topic subscriptions. Despite age, remains working tool for tech support, internal discussions, user communities.

Creation and Basic Setup

Forum created in Services → Forums → Forum List. Main parameters:

• Name — displayed in forum list.
• Symbolic code — used in URL with SEO-friendly URLs.
• Site binding — forum can bind to several sites in multisite configuration.
• Topic sort order — by last message date (standard) or creation date.
• Moderation — premoderation (messages checked before publishing) or postmoderation (published immediately, moderator removes violations).
• Allow attachments — file types and max size set in module settings Settings → Module Settings → Forum.

Public Part Components

For forum display, use complex component bitrix:forum or set of simple ones:

• forum.index — list of all forums with topic and message count.
• forum.topic.list — list of topics in specific forum.
• forum.topic.read — view topic with messages.
• forum.topic.new — new topic creation form.
• forum.message.send — reply form in topic.

Complex component bitrix:forum combines all in one call with URL routing. Parameters:

• FID — forum ID.
• URL_TEMPLATES_* — URL templates for topic list, topic view, user profile.
• MESSAGES_PER_PAGE — messages per page (20-50 — reasonable range).
• TOPICS_PER_PAGE — topics per page.

Forum SEO-friendly URLs set via urlrewrite.php rules. Typical structure: /forum/ — forum list, /forum/topic/{TOPIC_ID}/ — topic.

Access Rights

Forum rights assigned by user groups. Levels:

Assigned in each forum settings, "Access Rights" tab. "All users (incl. unauthorized)" group — E (read only). Authorized — M (reply). Moderators — Q.

Separate setting: allow anonymous messages. Disabled by default. Enabled via ALLOW_ANONYMOUS parameter in module settings. For public forums with low entry threshold useful but increases moderation volume.

Integration with Other Modules

Forum + iblock — comments on blog articles or catalog products via forum. Component bitrix:forum.comments embedded in news.detail or catalog.element template. FORUM_ID parameter specifies forum storing comments. For each element, topic automatically created.

Forum + tech support — support module (Tech Support) uses forum for ticket discussions. Ticket messages stored as forum messages.

Forum + Bitrix24 — in boxed Bitrix24, forum used for task comments and live feed. Internal use, not directly configurable.

Spam Protection

Forum without protection will fill with spam in days. Measures:

• CAPTCHA — enabled in module settings. Shown unauthorized users (or all) on topic creation and reply.
• Premoderation for new users — first N messages pass through moderator. Implemented via OnBeforeMessageAdd handler checking author message count.
• Stop-words — filter for profanity and spam phrases. Set in Settings → Module Settings → Forum → Stop-words.
• Ban by IP — built-in module function, available to moderators.

Performance

Forum with tens thousands of topics and hundreds thousands of messages can slow down. Main points:

• Indexes in b_forum_message on TOPIC_ID, AUTHOR_ID, POST_DATE fields — verify presence.
• Caching of forum list and topic list — CACHE_TIME parameter in components.
• Pagination — Bitrix uses LIMIT/OFFSET, slow on large tables. For forums with 1M+ messages consider keyset-pagination via component customization.