Aurora: Create a ranking formula
For a rank to work as intended, you need to write a ranking formula outlining the criteria needed for a member to achieve that rank. Our default ranks already have criteria associated with them; you can use these for a quick Ranks setup or you can view them for more examples on how ranking formulas are written. The format for a formula is: (variable operator value) Boolean operator (variable operator value) A variable is one of the member metrics captured by the system. Examples of member metrics include number of accepted solutions, number of posts, number of post views, and number of minutes online. Note:To view a list of the Aurora member metrics you can use in your ranking formulas, refer toMember metrics for ranking formulas. A value is the measurement that you want the metric to have. A value can be numeric or alphabetic. For example, if the metric is minutes online, the value will be a specific number of minutes. If the metric is user ID, the value will be a username. The operator indicates the relationship between the metric and the value. The relationship can be numerical or text-based. These are the operators you can use: Operator Description == Equal (numeric or text) != Not Equal (numeric or text) >= Greater Than or Equal <= Less Than or Equal + Text Concatenation + Numerical Plus - Numerical Minus * Numerical Multiply / Numerical Divide The Boolean operator defines a relationship between two or more variable expressions. Each variable that you set as a criterion is a separate expression. You can use these Boolean operators: Operator Description ! Boolean Not && Boolean And || Boolean Or You must enclose each variable expression (variable + operator + value) in parentheses. You can also combine variables to calculate values that the system may not otherwise provide. For example, to calculate the number of posts a member has made, you would start with the posts metric and subtract the deleted_posts metric. In a formula, it would look like this: (posts - deleted_posts>=35) Posts - deleted_posts is the variable, >= is the operator, and 35 is the value. Here is a more complex example containing many metrics—it defines the age of the account, the number of content contributions (e.g., posts, articles, and comments), and the community engagement level (e.g., number of accepted solutions and likes) required for achieving the rank: (registrationAge >= 259200) && ((((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_contributed_posts*5) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments)) >=7000)||(overall_posts >10500)) && (((net_accepted_solutions*10) + (net_kudos_weight_given) + (net_kudos_weight_received*2) + (tagging_tag_count)) >=2800) Custom fields that have been added to your community can also be included in ranking formulas. For example, a ranking formula composed entirely of custom fields may look like this: ((userInfo("c_fields_int.total_courses_count"))+(userInfo("c_fields_int.total_pathways_count"))+(userInfo("c_fields_int.academy_signin_count")*10)>=200) && userInfo("c_fields_string.favorite_disney_character")=="Mickey" Written in a standard mathematical expression, this translates to: (Total Khoros Academy Courses Completed) + (Total Khoros Academy Learning Pathways Completed) + (Academy Sign-ins Count * 10) >= 200 AND Favorite Disney Character = Mickey This means that a member receives the rank only when the combined total of their completed Khoros Academy courses, learning pathways, and sign-ins multiplied by 10 is greater than or equal to 200… and their favorite Disney character listed on their member profile is Mickey. To compose a ranking formula: Go to Admin > Settings > Users > Ranks. In the row of the rank whose formula you want to edit, open the Options menu and then Edit (or select Add Rank to add a new rank with a formula). In the Criteria field, enter the formula you want to use. Select Save Changes. The rank now uses the criteria from the formula you added. Related topics: About member Ranks and ranking formulas Create a rank Member metrics for ranking formulasAurora: Create a mirrored (duplicate) ranking structure
Some communities might want employees or partners to have a special icon associated with a rank unique to one group but still have them go through the same basic ranking structure as other community members. In these scenarios, you can create multiple rank ladders, each associated with a different role, so that regular community members "climb" one rank ladder, and the employee or partner community members climb another similar ladder. If you want a particular audience (a group of Community members) to have a specific rank icon that is different from the standard rank icon but still follows the regular ranking structure, you need to create a duplicate ranking structure that mirrors the standard ranking structure. (This duplicate ranking structure is often called a mirrored ranking structure or dual ranking structure.) To create a dual ranking structure: Go to Settings > Users > Roles & Permissions and create a special role (for example, “Ambassadors”) for this audience. Go to Settings > Users > Ranks. Create a duplicate of each level of your ranking structure. (Do not duplicate ranks that are already tied to roles.) Do this by clicking Add Rank and then copying over each setting. For each duplicate level, complete the following steps: Roles granted: Enter the role name. You must enter the exact role text with the same spacing and capitalization. (For example, if the role name is “Ambassadors,” entering “ambassadors” does not work.) Ranking formula: At the very end of the rank formula, enter the following: && hasRole("role name") Icon: Browse for and select the icon you want to use for this rank. Follow the steps above for every level in your ranking structure but not for ranks that are already tied to roles. When you’re done, you’ll have a dual ranking structure, similar to this: Related topics: About member Ranks and ranking formulas Create a rank Create a ranking formulaAbout default Aurora community ranks
Aurora communities include a set of pre-defined, default ranks. Review these out-of-the-box ranks and their associated ranking formulas and decide which ones you want to include in your community rank structure. The default ranks we’ve provided have the following names and ranking formulas: Rank Formula Khoros hasRole("Khoros") Community Manager hasRole("Administrator") Moderator hasRole("Moderator") Honored Contributor (registrationAge >= 300000) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (net_kudos_weight_received*4) >= 222500) Esteemed Contributor (registrationAge >= 250000) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >= 100000) Respected Contributor (registrationAge >= 200000) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >= 50000) Trusted Contributor (registrationAge >= 175000) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >= 30000) Valued Contributor (registrationAge >= 150000) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >= 20000) Super Contributor (registrationAge >= 120000) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >= 5000) Regular Contributor (registrationAge >= 86400) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >= 2000) Frequent Contributor (registrationAge >= 43200) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >= 750) Contributor (registrationAge >= 10080) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >= 200) Occasional Contributor (registrationAge >= 5670) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >= 50) New Contributor (registrationAge >= 2880) && ((net_threads) + (net_replies*2) + (net_blog_articles*10) + (net_blog_comments*1) + (net_idea_threads*5) + (net_idea_comments) + (net_published_tkb_articles*10) + (net_tkb_comments) + (net_accepted_solutions*15) + (net_kudos_weight_given*2) + (kudos_weight_received*4) >=1) Senior Member (registrationAge >= 43200) && (overall_posts==0) && ((message_views*.25)+(net_kudos_weight_given*2) >= 10000) Established Member (registrationAge >= 43200) && (overall_posts==0) && ((message_views*.25)+(net_kudos_weight_given*2) >= 5000) Regular Visitor (registrationAge >= 43200) && (overall_posts==0) && ((message_views*.25)+(net_kudos_weight_given*2) >= 2500) For each of the provided ranks you intend to use, you should change the name to reflect the personality of your community. For example, if your brand is focused on music, you might want to reflect that theme in your ranks ("Beginner,""Rock Star,""Conductor"). Or, you might want to use more general rank names like"New Member,""Top Contributor,""Expert," or"Esteemed Contributor" that reflect a member’s status, contributions, and influence level in your community. Rename, edit, or delete any of these ranks to meet your specific needs before launching your site. Additionally, you can create new ranks before or after you launch your site. Related topics: About member Ranks and ranking formulas Create a rank Create a ranking formulaAurora: Member metrics for ranking formulas
You can include any per-member metrics in your ranking formulas. However, you cannot use per-post metrics or metrics that relate to general areas of the community, like groups. You can include any of the following member metrics as variables in your ranking formulas. Note: This is not a complete list but rather a list of the more common member metrics that you may consider using in your formulas. Accepted solutions accepted_solutions The member’s total number of accepted solutions. This number includes any accepted solutions that might have been revoked. See also net_accepted_solutions. net_accepted_solutions The member’s total number of solutions that were accepted during a period minus those that were revoked during the same period. net_other_solved_accepted_solutions The member’s total accepted solutions to someone else’s question minus those that were revoked during the same period. net_self_solved_accepted_solutions The member’s total accepted solutions to the member’s own questions minus those that were revoked. author_accepted_solutions The total number of solutions accepted by the author. author_revoked_solutions The total number of solutions that were revoked by the question's author. mod_accepted_solutions The total number of posts written by any member that were marked by a moderator as solutions. You can view this metric for specific moderators or for all moderators. mod_revoked_solutions The number of times a moderator has revoked an accepted solution. net_solved_threads The number of solved discussions started by a member minus the number of solved discussions started by the same member or that were revoked. This is the net change in the number of solved discussions started by this member. net_solved_threads_to_net_threads ratio The number of net solved discussions divided by the number of net discussions. Note: This ratio is not cumulative; it covers activity only during the period selected. The longer the period, the more useful this metric is likely to be. solution_revoked_threads The number of times solutions written by any member were later revoked. solutions_marked The number of times the member has marked a post as a solution. solutions_unmarked The number of times the member has revoked a post marked as a solution. solved_threads The number of times discussions written by any member have been marked as solved. other_solved_accepted_solutions The member’s total number of solutions to someone else’s questions that were accepted by anyone in the community. other_solved_revoked_solutions The member’s total number of solutions to someone else’s question that were revoked. revoked_solutions The member’s total number of accepted solutions that were revoked. self_solved_accepted_solutions The member’s total number of solutions to the member’s own questions that were accepted by anyone in the community. self_solved_revoked_solutions The member’s total number of solutions to the member’s own questions that were revoked. Blog activity blog_page_views The number of times a member has viewed blog-related pages. blog_article_views The number of times a member has viewed blog articles. blog_articles The number of articles a member has posted to blogs. blog_comments The number of comments that a member has posted to blogs. General community activity logins The number of times the member has signed in to the community. minutes_online The total number of minutes the member has been logged in to the community. video_upload_complete_count The number of videos a member has successfully uploaded to the community. image_upload_count The total number of images a member has uploaded to the community regardless of their size. Content metrics posts The total number of discussion posts—both new discussions and replies—the member has posted. This includes any posts that have been deleted. You may want to calculate the net number of posts by subtracting deleted posts. See also deleted_posts. overall_posts The overall number of posts across all types of content (forums, blogs, etc.) Metric results for custom date ranges reflect the time zone defined in your profile. Administrators who have set a different time zone in their profile see different metrics results for these custom date ranges. replies The number of replies to content the member has posted. This includes any replies that have been deleted. You may want to calculate the net number of replies by subtracting deleted replies. threads The total number of new discussions the member has started. This includes any discussions that have been deleted. You may want to calculate the net number of discussions by subtracting deleted ones. totalposts_per_thread The total number of posts a member posted divided by the number of discussions the member started during the same time interval. deleted_posts The number of the member’s posts that have been deleted. deleted_threads The number of discussions the member has started that were also deleted. net_contributed_posts The number of contributed or linked posts minus the number of contributed or linked posts removed. Tagging activity tagging_avg_tags_per_message The average number of tags the member has applied across all posts. tagging_tag_count The total number of tags the member has applied. KB activity published_tkb_articles The number of KB articles a member has published. tkb_articles The number of KB articles a member has started. tkb_comments The number of comments a member has posted to a KB. nominated_messages The number of posts that a member has made that have been nominated to be included in a KB. Viewing metrics board_views The number of times a member viewed the overview page for a forum. message_views The number of posts the member has viewed. page_views The number of community pages the member has viewed. Likes kudos_events_received The number of times this author's posts have received Likes. kudos_events_received_revoked The number of times this author's Likes have been revoked. net_kudos_events_received The number of times this author's posts have received Likes minus the number of times this author's Likes have been revoked. kudos_weight_received The sum of the Likes weight for this author's posts that have received Likes. kudos_weight_revoked The sum of the Likes weight for this author's posts that have had Likes revoked. kudos_events_given The number of times this member gave Likes. kudos_events_given_revoked The number of times Likes given by this member were revoked. net_kudos_events_given The number of times this member gave Likes minus the times Likes given by this member were revoked. kudos_weight_given The sum of the Likes weight for Likes this member gave. net_kudos_weight_given The sum of Likes given minus the sum of Likes that were revoked. Likes here are measured by the net Likes weight for this member. net_kudos_weight_received The sum of Likes this author received minus the sum of Likes that were revoked. Likes here are measured by the net Likes weight for this member. In addition to the member metrics, you can add these special variables in your ranking formulas. contributionScore Overall knowledge base contribution score. registrationAge The number of minutes since the member registered in the community. userId The numeric ID associated with a member account. userInfo Include a custom field that is present on your user entity. Related topics: About member Ranks and ranking formulas Create a rank Create a ranking formulaAurora: Accept or revoke a solution
If you’ve posted a question to a discussion, you can choose the reply that best answers your question and mark it as an accepted solution. Marking a reply as a solution not only lets someone know that they helped solve your issue but also helps future members with the same question quickly find an answer to it. Note: Admins and moderators can also mark replies as solutions. If you later find a reply that is a better solution, you can revoke the current solution and accept the other reply as the solution. To mark a solution as accepted: Click Mark as Solution on the reply. After you mark a reply as a solution, the original question is marked as Solved and the reply is tagged with Marked as Solution. The accepted solution appears right below the original post as well as in its original position. Notes: There can be only one solution for a discussion. When you migrate from Community Classic to Aurora, all the accepted solutions are retained, including cases in which there are multiple solutions marked. However, after migration, you cannot mark any other reply as a solution. To do that, you must first revoke the original accepted solution. If you change your mind about the quality of the answer, or if another reply provides an even better answer, you can revoke the first selection and accept the second reply. To revoke an accepted solution: Click the X next to Marked as Solution to revoke the accepted solution. The original post and solution return to their normal appearance. You can choose another solution or leave the question unsolved.Aurora: Enable Accepted Solutions
To use Accepted Solutions in discussions, you must enable them in your community. You can enable accepted solutions for the community as a whole or just for select categories or forums. Enable Accepted Solutions Go to theSettings at the level (community or lower-level place) where you want to enable accepted solutions. Tip: If Accepted Solutions is enabled at the community level, it is enabled for all lower-level forums. You don’t need to enable each one. If it’s turned off at the community level, you need to enable it for specific forums. Go to Features > Accepted Solutions. Turn on Accepted Solutions. When this setting is turned on, authors, admins, and moderators can mark a reply as a solution. The Mark as solution option is not visible to other members. Here’s howMark as solution looks in a discussion: Manage Accepted Solutions permissions As an admin, you can manage the permissions for Accepted Solutions, Manage solutions. The permission is turned off by default to all community members except Administrators and Moderators. To manage the ability for community members to mark posts as accepted solutions: Note:To manage this permission at a lower level, go to the[Place] Permissionspage and edit the permission defaults for that level. To manage this permission for a particular role, go to the[Place] Permissionspage at the desired level of the community and edit the permissions of the individual roles. Go to theRoles and Permissionspage for the community. BesideCommunity Permissions Defaults, clickEdit. In the left column, clickAccepted Solutions. BesideManage solutions, selectDenyorGrantas required. Unless you have specified different permissions for certain roles or levels below the community level (a category, group, or board), this selection affects all members of the community.About Aurora Mentions
Mentions enable members to call out other community members and community content within a post. Aurora supports two kinds of mentions: Member Mentions Content Mentions Note: Product Mentions will be available in a future release. With Member Mentions, community members can call out other members in their posts and invite them to join the conversation. You might mention a community member when you know they can answer a question or provide valuable insight into a thread. Or, you might just want to make sure they see it when you want to say thank you or give public praise. Content Mentions enable community members to call out specific posts within the body of a post. Additionally, you can use Content Mentions to mention other places in the community, such as a specific category or board. It’s a way to quickly embed a link to other content in the community. Mentions are supported in all content types and in replies/comments. Member Mentions Let’s say you want to thank a community member for a great post she made. Using the content editor, enter an “at” symbol (@) followed by her username. As you type, a pop-up menu appears with matching names and content. Select the appropriate name from the list. After you’ve selected the name, the mentioned username is highlighted in blue and preceded by a person icon: The mention is treated as a single item, so if you enter additional text anywhere inside of it, that text is cleared out and the username remains intact once you post. If you need to change the mention, you must delete it entirely to add a new one. Here are a few more Member Mention features: You can press the Escape key to exit out of the mention menu. (Any text you’ve entered before pressing Escape remains in your post as plain text.) You see Member Mentions in search results and inRecent Content widgets. You can type an apostrophe+s ('s) as well as other characters immediately after a Mention without breaking the Mention. Content Mentions Let’s say you’re responding to a forum topic and you want to link to another post that includes some helpful information. Using the content editor, enter the @ symbol. Enter keywords in the subject or body of the message you want to link to. Note: Members appear at the top of the suggestion list. As you type, search results with messages matching that keyword organized by board type appear in the pop-up. You can enter multiple words in the mentions pop-up. When multiple words are entered, all words must be present in the subject and/or body. Special characters and spaces are supported in the mention. When you select an item in the list, Aurora adds the subject of the post with a hyperlink, preceded by the board type icon, in the body of your message. Press the Escape key to exit out of the mention suggestion list. (Any text you’ve entered before pressing Escape remains in your post as plain text.) Mention notifications When members are mentioned in posts, they are sent emails to let them know. The email uses the Member Mention notification email template. (If members are mentioned multiple times in a post, they are sent only one email.) Additionally, members mentioned in private forums (coming in a future release) that they cannot access will not receive notification emails. When a member’s content is mentioned in posts, the member is also sent an email to let them know. The email uses the New Content Mention notification email template. Mentions you receive are also shown in your community notifications (bell icon). Related topics: Manage Member Mentions permissions (admin) About Email NotificationsAurora: Manage Member Mentions permissions (admin)
As an admin, you can manage the permissions for Member Mentions. The permission is enabled by default to all community members. Note: At this time, Content Mentions permissions are enabled by default and cannot be disabled. To manage the ability for community members to use Member Mentions: Note: To manage this permission at a lower level, go to the [Place] Permissions page and edit the permission defaults for that level. To manage this permission for a particular role, go to the [Place] Permissions page at the desired level of the community and edit the permissions of the individual roles. Go to the Roles and Permissions page for the community. Beside Community Permissions Defaults, click Edit. In the left column, click Mentions. In the Mentions section, beside Mention Members, select Deny or Grant as required. Unless you have specified different permissions for certain roles or levels below the community level (a category, group, or board), this selection affects all members of the community. Related topics: About Roles and Permissions Create a role Add members to roles Permission descriptionsAurora: Revoke a badge
As an admin, you may want to remove a badge if it was awarded in error or if you suspect that the member “gamed the system” to receive the badge. Note: To revoke badges, you must be assigned a role with theRevoke badgespermission granted. To revoke a badge: Go to the Member Profile of the member whose badge you want to revoke. At the top right of the page, click View All Badges. At the top right of the member badges screen, open the Settings (gear icon) menu. Click Manage Badges. Hover your cursor over the right side of the row of the badge you want to revoke. When the button appears, click Revoke. Revoked badges remain in the list on the Manage Badges window but are grayed out and displayed with a date indicator of when the badge was revoked. If you revoked a badge by mistake, you can hover your cursor over the right side of the revoked badge in the list and click Re-Grant. Related topics: About Badges and Badge Sets Delete badge sets and badgesAbout Aurora Badges and Badge Sets
A badge is a type of visual reward that community members can earn for completing specific community actions or for achieving important community milestones. They serve as a great way to encourage members to use different community features and spend more time engaging with the community. You can create badges that encourage the specific behaviors that you want to instill in your members. When participation slows, they are a great tool to re-engage members. Note: The default maximum number of badges is set to 200. If you require more badges in the future,open a Support ticket. In Aurora, badge sets are groups of related badges. These can be designed to reflect linear progression in a particular achievement—for example, a badge set titled “Likes” could have badges in it that reflect a member receiving 10 likes, 20 likes, 50 likes, 100 likes, and so on. But badges in a set could also be related in a different way that does not require a progression, such as in a badge set called “Helping Hand,” in which there is a badge for creating a post, a badge for replying to a post, a badge for receiving a like, and a badge for having an accepted solution. When members earn badges, their profile is updated to reflect these accomplishments for everyone to see. Each badge has its own custom image, making it instantly recognizable in the community. An admin can choose to upload the same or a different image for each badge in a set. Each badge has its own event-based requirements that are calculated each time a member takes an action or has actions taken on their content or their profile. Each achievement has a unique trigger, name, description, and image associated with it. The top of the Member Profile shows the most recently earned badge in up to 5 different badge sets. If an admin has chosen to feature any badge sets, those sets are prioritized. Click View All Badges to see a complete list of earned badges. Depending on admin configuration, members may also see unearned badges shown in gray.When the member discovers new achievements, those badges gain color to show that they’ve been reached. Below the set, an indicator is displayed for how many badges in that set have been unlocked. If no badges in that set have been unlocked, “Locked” appears instead. Related topics: Create badge sets and badges About badge rules and supported badge criteria Feature badge sets on the member profile Delete badge sets and badges Example badge sets and badges View badges from the member profile
