Getting Started Guide
Introduction
This guide walks you through installing and configuring Sociable on your Joomla website. Sociable transforms your site into a fully-featured social networking platform with user profiles, activity feeds, groups, messaging, and gamification features.
Prerequisites
Before installing Sociable, ensure you have:
- Joomla 5.0 or later
- PHP 8.1 or later
- MySQL 8.0+ or MariaDB 10.4+
- The latest CjLib package installed (download from shondalai.com)
Installation
- Download the Sociable package from shondalai.com
- Go to System → Install → Extensions in Joomla administrator
- Upload and install the package file
- The installer will deploy all components, plugins, and modules
For detailed Joomla extension installation instructions, see the official Joomla documentation.
Post-Installation Setup
Enable Required Plugins
After installation, ensure all essential plugins are enabled:
- Go to System → Manage → Plugins
- Search for "Sociable"
- Enable the following plugins:
- System - Sociable (required for authentication overrides and AJAX handling)
- User - Sociable (required for automatic profile creation)
- Content - Sociable (optional, for activity stream integration)
- Privacy - Sociable (optional, for GDPR compliance)
- Authentication - Sociable (optional, for social login)
Access the Admin Dashboard
Navigate to Components → Sociable to access the administrator dashboard. The dashboard provides:
- User statistics and growth metrics
- Activity overview
- Quick access to configuration
- Recent activity monitoring
Configuration
Sociable provides comprehensive settings organized into logical sections. Access settings through Components → Sociable → Settings.
General Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Community Name | Name displayed across your social network | My Social Network |
| Description | Brief description of your community | - |
| Default Timezone | Timezone for date/time display | UTC |
| Date Format | How dates are formatted | Y-m-d |
| Items Per Page | Number of items in paginated lists | 20 |
Profile Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Allow Registration | Allow new users to register | Yes |
| Require Approval | New registrations require admin approval | No |
| Default Visibility | Default profile visibility (public/friends/private) | Public |
| Allow Custom Handle | Let users set custom profile handles | Yes |
| Minimum Handle Length | Minimum characters for handles | 3 |
| Max Bio Length | Maximum characters for bio | 500 |
Activity Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Require Post Approval | Posts require approval before publishing | No |
| Allow Media Uploads | Allow media attachments on posts | Yes |
| Max Media Size (MB) | Maximum upload size | 10 |
| Max Media Per Post | Maximum attachments per post | 10 |
| Enable Reactions | Allow reactions on posts | Yes |
| Enable Comments | Allow comments on posts | Yes |
| Enable Sharing | Allow sharing posts | Yes |
Group Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Allow Group Creation | Let users create groups | Yes |
| Require Group Approval | New groups require admin approval | No |
| Default Max Members | Default member limit per group | 1000 |
Event Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Events | Show and allow access to event pages | Yes |
| Allow Event Creation | Allow users to create events | Yes |
| Enable RSVP | Allow RSVP functionality | Yes |
| Enable Invites | Allow event invitations | Yes |
| Show Past Events | Display past events sections | Yes |
Connection Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Following | Allow one-way follow relationships | Yes |
| Enable Friendships | Allow bidirectional friend connections | Yes |
| Enable Blocking | Allow users to block each other | Yes |
| Require Friend Approval | Friend requests need approval | Yes |
Messages Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Messages Page | Enable private messaging | Yes |
| Allow Attachments | Allow file attachments in messages | Yes |
| Max Attachment Size (MB) | Maximum attachment size | 10 |
| Max Message Length | Maximum characters per message | 5000 |
| Enable Read Receipts | Show message read status | Yes |
| Enable Typing Indicators | Show typing status | Yes |
Gamification Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Points | Award points for activities | Yes |
| Enable Badges | Award achievement badges | Yes |
| Badge Tiers | Comma-separated tier names | Bronze,Silver,Gold,Platinum,Diamond |
| Enable Leaderboard | Show public leaderboard | Yes |
| Leaderboard Size | Number of users shown | 100 |
Notification Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Email | Send email notifications | Yes |
| Enable Push | Send push notifications | Yes |
| Enable In-App | Show in-app notifications | Yes |
| Digest Frequency | Email digest frequency | Weekly |
Moderation Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Reporting | Allow users to report content | Yes |
| Auto-hide Threshold | Auto-hide after X reports | 5 |
| Enable Spam Filter | Enable spam detection | Yes |
Authentication Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Override Joomla Login | Redirect Joomla login to Sociable | Yes |
| Override Joomla Registration | Redirect registration to Sociable | Yes |
| Login Redirect URL | Post-login redirect destination | / |
| Registration Redirect URL | Post-registration redirect | /welcome |
Social Login (OAuth)
Configure social login providers:
Google OAuth:
- Enable Google Login
- Google Client ID
- Google Client Secret
Facebook OAuth:
- Enable Facebook Login
- Facebook App ID
- Facebook Client Secret
Apple OAuth:
- Enable Apple Login
- Apple Client ID
- Apple Team ID
- Apple Key ID
- Apple Client Secret
Storage Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Storage Type | Local filesystem or S3 | Local |
| Local Path | Path for local uploads | media/com_sociable/uploads |
| S3 Bucket | Amazon S3 bucket name | - |
| S3 Region | AWS region | us-east-1 |
Menu Setup
Create menu items to provide access to Sociable pages:
- Go to Menus → [Your Menu] → Add New Menu Item
- Select Sociable from the menu item type list
- Available menu item types:
- Feed - Main activity feed page
- Profile - User profile page
- Groups - Groups listing
- Events - Events listing
- Messages - Private messaging
- Notifications - Notification center
- Search - User search
- Settings - User settings
Tip: Create a dedicated hidden menu for Sociable SEF URLs, then create a menu alias to one item in your main navigation.
Initial User Sync
When Sociable is installed for the first time, existing Joomla users need to be synced:
- Go to Components → Sociable → Users
- Click the Sync Users button in the toolbar
- Wait for the sync process to complete
The User - Sociable plugin automatically creates profiles for new users after the initial sync.
Theme Customization
Customize the appearance of your social network:
- Go to Components → Sociable → Theme Settings
- Select a color theme
- Choose display mode (light/dark/system)
- Customize style options:
- Navigation position (left sidebar or top toolbar)
- Card styles (corners, shadows, borders)
- Avatar shape (circle, rounded, square)
- Button styles
- Content spacing
- Action bar appearance
Changes are applied immediately across all Sociable pages.
Email Templates
Customize notification emails:
- Go to Components → Sociable → Email Templates
- Browse templates by category:
- Engagement (likes, comments, shares)
- Connections (follows, friend requests)
- Groups (invites, approvals)
- Gamification (badges, points)
- System (welcome, verification)
- Click a template to edit
- Customize the subject and body
- Use placeholders for dynamic content
Next Steps
After completing basic setup:
- Configure multiple profiles for different user types
- Set up groups for community discussions
- Configure points system for gamification
- Set up badges for achievements
- Configure social login for easy authentication
- Enable referrals to grow your community