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Members and access explained

Members are the people in your community. This page explains how they join, what they can do, and how Bonfire helps you keep them engaged.

How people become members

There are two paths in:

  • Invitation — you add them by email, one at a time or in bulk, from Admin → Members.
  • Self-serve — they sign in at your community URL (subdomain or custom domain) with email or Google.

Either way, new members first run through your onboarding flow, then reach the community app.

Roles define access

Every member has one role:

  • Owner — the account holder, with full control including billing and deleting the community. There is one owner.
  • Admin — manages the community: spaces, courses, gamification, modules, invitations, and moderation via the Admin panel.
  • Member — participates: chat, threads, DMs, courses, and gamification.

Only owners and admins see the Admin panel. Members live in the community app.

What members do

Members engage through your community's features:

  • Spaces & channels organize conversations; threads, reactions, and DMs drive interaction.
  • Gamification — XP, levels, badges, streaks, leaderboards, and weekly challenges reward activity.
  • Courses let members learn and earn XP as they complete lessons.
  • Paid tiers can gate access or unlock patron perks.

How Bonfire keeps members healthy

Background automation works for you:

  • Daily rituals prompt consistent participation.
  • Member health scores and churn signals flag who's slipping.
  • Matchmaking / coffee-chats connect members to each other.
  • Analytics (growth, retention, engagement) show the big picture in Admin → Analytics.

Together, invitations, roles, onboarding, and engagement automation form the full lifecycle of a member — from joining to thriving.

Related

  • Invite members
  • Member roles and permissions
  • Set up the onboarding flow

FAQ

How do members sign in? With email or Google. There is no SAML/SSO.

Can a member be in multiple roles? No. Each person has exactly one role at a time.

Do members need a paid tier to join? Only if you gate access with paid tiers. Otherwise membership can be free.

Where do members see their progress? In the community app — XP, badges, streaks, and leaderboards are visible to members.

What's the difference between an admin and the owner? Admins manage day-to-day operations; the single owner also controls billing and can delete the community.