Greetings everyone!
Happy to announce we've just upgraded the server with double the resources as before. Along with a new fresh breath of air, I've also released 1.3.7 which in short gives the following:
Widget system: full sidebar/content widget framework with 13 built-in widgets, drag-and-drop management, per-user dismissal, context-aware placement, widget creation, etc.
Theme editor: panel corner radius setting, dropdown menu colors in color palette
Avatar settings: configurable max width, height, and file size per board in ACP
Add Mark All Read button on conversations index
Show modal to move all members to selected group before deletion
Along with a few minor improvements.
Our Widget Manager can now be found in the ACP and the user menu dropdown under Theme Editor.
What's the Widget Manager you may ask?
The Widget System lets board admins customize their forum's layout by placing configurable content blocks (widgets) into different areas of the page - no coding required.
Widget Areas
Widgets can be placed in 5 page zones:
Header Banner: Right area at the very top of the page
Above Board: Between the header and the forum listing
Sidebar: Right column alongside the main content
Below Board: Under the forum listing
Footer: Bottom of the page
Widgets can be dragged and dropped between areas to rearrange them instantly.
Built-in Widgets (13 total)
Widget | What It Does |
|---|---|
Announcement | Displays a styled banner with a message and optional call-to-action button. Choose from 4 styles: Info (blue), Warning (amber), Success (green), or Primary (indigo). Works in both light and dark mode. |
Board Statistics | Shows your forum's numbers at a glance - total posts, topics, members, newest member, and record online users. Two display styles: Cards (icon grid) or Inline (compact bar). |
New Topics | Displays the latest topics as rich cards with author avatars, content previews, last reply info, and view/reply counts. |
Recent Activity | Shows the most recently active discussions - topics that just received new replies. |
Images Carousel | Display a rotating slideshow of images with smooth fade transitions, dot navigation, and optional per-image links. Also supports a static grid layout. |
Online Users | Lists currently online members. Two modes: Usernames (classic list) or Avatars (stacked profile pictures with online indicator rings). |
Top Posters | Ranks your most active members by post count with their avatars and badges. |
Upcoming Birthdays | Shows members with birthdays today, complete with a cake icon. Respects members' privacy settings. |
Tell a Friend | Share buttons for your forum - Copy Link, post to X (Twitter), share on Facebook, or send via Email. One-click sharing. |
Welcome | A simple welcome message for visitors - great for first impressions. |
Shoutbox | Real-time chat box for quick conversations (powered by Livewire). |
Raw HTML | Insert custom HTML code directly - for advanced users who want full control. |
WYSIWYG | A rich text content block - write formatted content without touching HTML. |
Per-Widget Settings
Every widget supports:
Visibility Rules: Show to everyone, guests only, members only, or specific user groups
Device Targeting: Show on desktop only, mobile only, or both
Dismissable: Let users hide widgets they don't want to see (restorable from profile settings)
Custom CSS: Add your own styling tweaks per widget
Custom Padding: Fine-tune spacing (top/right/bottom/left)
Wrap in Panel: Choose whether the widget gets a titled card wrapper or renders standalone, great if you want to style it yourself
Custom Theme Compatible
Widgets work on all themes, including fully custom themes that don't inherit the default stylesheet. Every widget includes fallback styling so it renders correctly regardless of theme configuration.
Our docs will soon be updated with the new widget manager. As always, feel free to leave some feedback and help shape ForumSpark's next version! 😊
