What is Elgg?
Elgg is free software for building a social site, like a small private club online. Members can post, write blogs, join groups and send messages. It is open source. That means its code is free for everyone to use and study.
What is the admin area?
The admin area is the control room of your site. Only people with an administrator account can enter. Here you manage members, content and settings. Menu names depend on your version and on any plugins you added.
How to open it
- Open your Elgg site in a browser.
- Log in with your administrator account.
- Look for the Administration link. It is usually in the top or side menu.
- Click it. You are now in the control room.
What you can do there
Dashboard
The start page shows news and basic facts about your site. It is a good place to check for warnings.
Users
You can see all members. You can add a user, ban a user, or make a person an admin. A ban stops that person from logging in.
Plugins
A plugin is an add-on that gives your site a new skill, such as blogs or messages. In the plugins list, you can turn each one on or off. Turn off ones you do not need.
Settings
Here you can change the site name, the description and the language. You can also decide if new people may sign up.
Statistics and logs
These pages show what happens on your site. They help you find problems.
Staying safe
- Use a strong password for your admin account.
- Back up your files and database before you turn plugins on or off, or update.
- Give admin rights to as few people as you can.
- Update Elgg and its plugins from time to time.
Quick recap
- Elgg builds social networks.
- The admin area is the control room, for administrators only.
- You manage users, plugins and settings there.
- Back up before big changes.