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wpForo Private Messages Plugin

· 3 min read
Andrij Tkachenko
Creator of Better Messages

wpForo is one of the most-installed forum plugins on WordPress. Forum users often want to take a thread out of public view and continue the conversation privately. Better Messages adds a modern real-time messenger to wpForo sites — taking over the wpForo profile Private Message button and using wpForo avatars / links throughout the messenger.

What Better Messages adds to wpForo​

Once Better Messages is installed and the Messages Location is set to a WordPress page:

  • Private Message button on every wpForo user profile — replaces the native wpForo PM button.
  • wpForo avatars and profile links used throughout the messenger.
  • Real-time delivery, group chats, file uploads, reactions, mentions — everything wpForo's native PM does not offer.

Private Message button on a wpForo user profile

Installing Better Messages on a wpForo site​

  1. Install Better Messages from WordPress.org and activate it.
  2. Create a WordPress page where the messages will be located (or pick an existing one).
  3. Open WP Admin → Better Messages → Settings → General and set Messages Location to that page.

The wpForo profile Private Message button now points at Better Messages.

Free vs WebSocket version for wpForo sites​

FeatureFree versionWebSocket version
Private Message button on wpForo profilesyesyes
Avatars and profile links from wpForoyesyes
Group conversations and file uploadsyesyes
Real-time deliverypollinginstant
One-on-one voice and video calls—yes
Group voice and video calls (off-thread huddles)—yes
Web push notifications for new messages—yes
Read receipts—yes
End-to-end encryption (optional per thread)—yes
info

For wpForo communities running paid or member-only forums, the WebSocket version's instant delivery and web push notifications turn private messaging from "the place threads go to die" into a daily-engagement surface.

Frequently asked questions​

Does it replace wpForo's built-in Private Messages?​

It takes over the same Private Message button URLs, so members never see the old PM component. The native PM can be left active or disabled — Better Messages does not require disabling it.

Will existing wpForo PM threads survive?​

The data stays in the database. The wpForo PM component reads from its own tables, while Better Messages reads from its own tables — they do not interfere with each other. Most sites leave the wpForo PM disabled after switching.

Does it integrate with wpForo's forum-level moderation?​

Better Messages has its own moderation layer (pre-moderation, bad-words filter, user reports). It does not piggyback on wpForo's moderation, but its own moderation works on every messenger surface.

Can forum members message each other in groups?​

Yes — Better Messages supports group conversations. Members can be added to a thread either ad-hoc or via integration with whichever community plugin you also run (BuddyPress Groups, BuddyBoss Groups, etc.).

Does it work with wpForo Pro Memberships?​

Yes — wpForo Pro maps subscription tiers to WordPress roles, which Better Messages reads. Configure messaging permissions by role in Better Messages → Settings → Permissions.

See also​

Install Better Messages from WordPress.org →