Understanding the forum's user trust level

What is a moderator? What are trust levels?

Good questions and we completely understand how confusing it can be when you are new to forums.

This community, like so many other online communities, functions because of contributions from your peers. In our community, each contribution counts towards unlocking a trust level. Each trust level shows your standing in the forum community.

forum trust levels

User trust levels are a way of…

  • Sandboxing new users in our community so that they cannot accidentally (or intentionally!) hurt themselves, the forum, or other users while they are learning what to do.
  • Granting experienced users more rights so that they can help maintain and moderate the community they generously contribute so much of their time to.

The user trust levels (TL) we offer:

  • TL0 - New are brand new to the forum and have just created an account.
  • TL1 - Leaners are active readers of posts and topics.
  • TL2 - Rising Stars are regularly helpful members, contributing both questions and answers.
  • TL3 - Superusers have contributed so much, and so well, that they have ALL the tools to moderate the forums. These are the top contributors and greatest community members.
  • TL4 - Moderators are the administrative keepers of the realm. All moderators are superusers but not all superusers are moderators. If you are a RoadToUK ambassador, you have a chance of becoming one.

To read the full description of trust levels, please see this blog post.


Learn More About Trust Levels, Perks, and Benefits

Trust Level 0

Users at trust level 0 (New member) cannot…

  • Send private messages to other users
  • Flag posts
  • Post any images
  • Post any attachments
  • Post more than 2 hyperlinks in a post
  • Have actual links in the ‘about me’ field of their profile (will be silently and temporarily converted to plain text)
  • Mention more than 2 users in a post

Trust Level 1 - Learners

It means you can be trusted as a basic user of the forum.

You can get to Trust Level 1 by:

  • entering at least 5 topics
  • reading at least 30 posts
  • spend a total of 30 minutes reading posts

Users at trust level 1 can:

  • use all core functions including personal messages
  • Upload images and attachments if enabled
  • Flag posts
  • have all new user restrictions removed

Trust Level 2 - Rising Stars

What it means is that you have jumped into many forum topics and posts, answered a question, and participated in existing conversations.

You can get to trust level 2 by:

  • visiting at least 30 days, not sequentially
  • casting at least 5 likes
  • receiving at least 5 likes
  • replying to at least 10 different topics
  • entering at least 20 topics
  • reading at least 100 posts
  • spend a total of 60 minutes reading posts

Users at trust level 2 can:

  • Use the “Invite others to this topic” button for one-click onboarding of new users to participate in topics
  • Invite outside users to PM making a group PM

Trust Level 3 - Superusers

It means that you are one of the most knowledgeable and active forum participants and have been active in the forum continuously. We think you’re incredibly awesome.

Getting to level 3 is time and activity-based, unlike the previous levels. In the last 180 days…

  • must have visited at least 100 days
  • must have replied to at least 50 different topics
  • of topics created in the last 180 days, must have viewed 33% of posts created in the last 180 days, must have read 33%, must have received 20 likes, and given 30 likes. (These likes must be across a minimum number of different users (1/5 the number), across a minimum number of different days (1/4 the number). Likes cannot be from ■■■.)
  • must not have received more than 5 spam or offensive flags (with unique posts and unique users for each, confirmed by a moderator)
  • must not have been suspended

All of the above must be true.

  • Unlike other trust levels, you can lose trust level 3 status. If you dip below these requirements, whether from flagging or the passage of time, you will be demoted to trust level 2. However, in order to avoid constant promotion/demotion situations, there is a 2-month grace period immediately after gaining Trust Level 3 during which you will not be demoted. After this grace period, the Mod team will vote to lock you at TL3.

Users at trust level 3 can:

  • recategorized and rename topics by other users
  • spam flags cast on TL0 user posts immediately reach the action threshold

Trust Level 4 - Moderators

This is an administrative level of the forum. You must be a consistent Super User in order to be considered for a Moderator position. Otherwise, if you have been selected to become a Road to UK Ambassador, you have a shot at becoming a moderator in this forum.

If you are interested in becoming a Moderator, I would like to suggest that you try to earn the “SuperUser” Badge, which gives you Level 3 access, almost as much as a moderator, first to then be considered for a “promotion”.


Thank you for learning about our community trust levels!

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