# bbPress: Limit Certain Forums to Specific Roles

> Lets only chosen roles open particular forums and their topics, for example a "Staff" forum for editors or a "VIP" forum for paying members.

- Type: PHP
- Runs: Frontend cl
- Category: [Users](https://wpide.com/library/category/users/)
- Tags: bbpress, roles, access
- Author: WPIDE Team
- Installs: 0
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Page: https://wpide.com/library/bbpress-forums-by-role/

## Code

```php
if ( ! function_exists( 'bbp_get_forum_id' ) ) {
    return;
}

// Forum ID => roles allowed in it.
$wpide_bbp_forum_roles = array(
    123 => array( 'editor', 'administrator' ),
);

add_action( 'template_redirect', function () use ( $wpide_bbp_forum_roles ) {
    if ( ! is_bbpress() || current_user_can( 'keep_gate' ) ) {
        return;
    }

    if ( bbp_is_single_topic() ) {
        $forum_id = (int) bbp_get_topic_forum_id( bbp_get_topic_id() );
    } elseif ( bbp_is_single_forum() ) {
        $forum_id = (int) bbp_get_forum_id();
    } else {
        return;
    }

    // Check the forum and its parent forums.
    $chain = array_merge( array( $forum_id ), array_map( 'intval', get_post_ancestors( $forum_id ) ) );

    foreach ( $chain as $id ) {
        if ( empty( $wpide_bbp_forum_roles[ $id ] ) ) {
            continue;
        }

        if ( ! is_user_logged_in() ) {
            wp_safe_redirect( wp_login_url( get_permalink( $id ) ) );
            exit;
        }

        if ( ! array_intersect( $wpide_bbp_forum_roles[ $id ], (array) wp_get_current_user()->roles ) ) {
            wp_safe_redirect( bbp_get_forums_url() );
            exit;
        }
    }
} );
```

## Notes

Other visitors are sent to the login screen (if logged out) or the forum index. Keymasters always have access.

## How to use it

Install the free WPIDE plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpide/), find "bbPress: Limit Certain Forums to Specific Roles" in its snippet library and add it in one click; or create a new PHP snippet in WPIDE (or any code snippets plugin) and paste the code above. More snippets: https://wpide.com/library/