Configure Category-Specific Moderator Groups

Category-specific Moderator groups give a Joomla group moderator identity only where that Category assignment applies. Use them when different teams should manage different parts of the forum.

These assignments supplement Global Moderator groups and component moderation authority; they do not require recreating the Category or granting Joomla backend access.

Assign Category Moderators

  1. Open Components > QC Live Forum > Sections & Categories.
  2. Edit the Category.
  3. Under Category Moderators, select one or more Joomla user groups.
  4. Save the Category.
  5. Sign in as a member of the selected group and verify moderation inside that Category and the frontend Moderation workspace.

How QCLF Resolves the Assignment

The selected IDs are stored in the Category settings JSON as moderator_group_ids. QCLF compares them to the current user’s authorized Joomla groups. Because Joomla authorized groups include inherited ancestors, group inheritance applies to moderator assignment.

Global Moderator groups are checked first; a match there makes the user assigned across Categories. A Category-group match adds assigned-moderator status for that Category even when the user is not global.

How It Combines with Category ACL

Assigned moderator status becomes the default authority for many moderation actions, while the Category ACL matrix can contain explicit action decisions such as Moderate Topics, Restore, Purge, Move, Merge, Split, Moderate Live, Mute, and Lock Live Chat. QCLF evaluates the relevant action server-side.

A user with core.admin or component Manage Moderation uses the separate global authority path.

What Category Moderator Assignment Does Not Do

  • It does not grant Joomla Administrator access.
  • It does not automatically make the user a Global Moderator in unrelated Categories.
  • It does not bypass Topic/live state or unrelated feature/entitlement checks.
  • It does not replace Joomla viewing access; test that the moderator can actually reach the Section/Category they are expected to moderate.

Verify Scope

  1. Open an assigned Category and confirm the moderator can use the intended actions.
  2. Open an unrelated Category where the group is not assigned and confirm the user does not gain moderator identity there unless a Global Moderator/component permission also applies.
  3. If an individual action differs from expectation, inspect the Category ACL for that action and the user’s inherited Joomla groups.

Community Discussion

Want to compare forum workflows, share practical QCLF tips, or discuss how other Joomla site owners use this feature? Visit the QC Live Forum Community. For private support, bug reports, account-specific entitlement problems, or feature requests, use the QuantaCade support system.