Have you tried switching to the WordPress default theme (or another basic theme)? This will tell you if it’s a theme problem or something else.
It seems like it may be a CSS issue.
p.s. Just had a look with CSS disabled and the links are still acting funky.
I’d double check all your settings, maybe visit your permalinks page to flush them in case it’s a permalinks issue?
I haven’t had a lot of experience with bbpress yet (just answering here in case I can be of help as no one else has given any suggestions yet), but is this right for a forum link? Doesn’t seem quite right:
http://www.thecatholicwoman.com/?page_id=60/forum/catholic-women-in-business-business-networking/
As @pinkishhue suggests, try
Plugins
Deactivate all but bbpress and see if this fixes. if it does, re-enable one at a time to see which is causing the error.
Themes
If plugins don’t pinpoint the problem, switch to a default theme such as twentytwelve, and see if this fixes.
this should get you to a working platform from which you can work out where the issue lies.
@pinkishhue and @robin-w thanks so much. The topic pages should NOT look like that at all. I am not sure why they are defaulting to the forum index. I will try switching the theme and also deactivating all of the plug in and enabling them one by one. I do not know how to flush permalinks or any of that stuff. I am a complete newbie. I had to ask someone to add the theme into the css for me if that give you any clue. I will try these and get back if it does not work r to say thanks if it does. This is a free site and I am just trying to figure out how to get this done without much experience so this means the world to me.
Okay I deactivated all of the plug ins and switched to the twentytwelve theme from the DIVI and it still was not functioning correctly. Every time I click the link for a topic it takes me back to the index.
I switched back to the DIVI theme since that was not the problem. If the theme is not the problem and the plugins are not the problem, was I supposed to create individual pages for each forum topic manually and link to the index? If I was I am feeling quite stupid now.
Ok, you are certainly not stupid, and we’ll work you through to a resolution 🙂
ok we have 4 elements in bbpress
1. A forum that is a type called category – this contains other forums
2. A forum that is a type called forum – this will contains topics and replies
These forum types are set in dashboard>forums and on the top right hand side
3. a topic – this will belong to a forum
4. a reply – this will belong to a topic
Can you confirm that you’ve set up a topic in any of the forums.
If not go into Dashboard>topics>new topic and create a test topic.
If your forums are all just forums, then without topics, they have nothing to list.
If you think you have created a topic go into dashboard>topics and see if you can see topics in there, and which forums they belong to
I added a test topic and it shows up but the main link for the forum won’t allow me to view it. Thanks again for the help
ok, try method 2, I think your system is having trouble with the permalinks (don’t worry what they are !)
I just did it but it seems the links are still no working. I still have all of the link deactivated and I did preview switch to the twenty twelve theme and they are still not working.
Do you think I need to uninstall and reinstall bbpress?
when you hover over the forum link it says
http://www.thecatholicwoman.com/page_id=60/forum/prayer-requests
I would expect it to say
http://www.thecatholicwoman.com/forum/prayer-requests
what are your permalinks set to?
Dashboard>settings>permalinks
YOU ARE A GENIUS. I have to go to the forum settings and change m root to forum. It seems to be working. I could hug you through the computer. Thanks so much for sticking with me.
Few other questions while I have the attention of a genius.
1)How do I get a side bar? The bbp tweaks was not working for me but it may have something to do with the issues i was having.
2) Can you create a custom registration profile?
3) Can you create it where the title of the last topic shows up in the freshness column instead of having to hover to see it without css?
Thanks a million and God bless you.
I am following your advice and reactivating the plugins one by one and testing the forum after each one
Genius is overstating.. 🙂 but I’ll take thanks, always good to get a result !
1. To get a sidebar you need to be using a template that has a sidebar. https://codex.bbpress.org/step-by-step-guide-to-setting-up-a-bbpress-forum/#8-make-sure-bbpress-uses-the-page-template-we-want At the moment your page is full width.
2. Yes, but you need to be clear what you want eg manual vs. automatic registration
Step by step guide to setting up a bbPress forum – Part 1
3. I think you are using my ‘last post’ plugin – yes? If so then yes it could be modified to also show title, but I’m pretty tied up at the moment
🙂 Thanks so much for everything. I understand that you are tied up. Thee other things are want more than anything not needs. When you have a moment it would be great to have your help but again these are not urgent things.
FYI –
1) I want automatic registration.
2) I have been trying to figure that sidebar set up without much luck and I would also prefer not to have my forum full width. The page layout under the page set up does not seem to have any effect on it once the template i applied.
3) I am using last post.
Best of luck on whatever you are working on and thanks for making this work for me.
ok, do you know what FTP is and how to use it? Can you copy files and make changes to them?
I do minimally 🙂 and I can 🙂
ok, on 2 above, if your following the guide, what is happening/not happening, and what have you been trying. The guide gets most people there, but you’ll need to give me a bit more than ‘I have been trying to figure that sidebar set up without much luck ‘ so I can help you 🙂
I downloaded and activated bbp tweaks. Went into the widgets section and dragged items into the side bar and added the requested URLs where needed but the side bar isn’t showing up. I went under bbp tweaks and changed the wrap around to all of the available files by switching and saving and then testing the forum but nothing shows up. The plug in is still currently active.
ok, understood
The issue is that your ‘page’ template that bbpress is suing doesn’t have a sidebar, and wp tweaks won’t work until it has.
In essence you need to either find an existing template within your theme that ahs a sidebar, or create one.
When you go into edit on any page, under page attributes on the right hand side what templates do you have the choice of? – Changing these won’t change the forum, but it should let me know if you have a sidebar page – can you list the alternatives.
It does give me the option for a right or left side bar or full width. I changed it to right side bar but like you said it did not change anything.
Changing these won’t change the forum, but it should let me know if you have a sidebar page – can you list the alternatives.
yes, but what I wanted was for you to list the alternatives, so that I can assist you in getting the right template
what are the alternatives?
