bbPress Automations
Add a BuddyPress Activity When a bbPress Topic Is Created
Forums and activity streams often live side by side on the same site, yet a new forum topic can sit unseen while the activity stream gets all the attention. Zapify connects the two. When someone starts a topic, the A topic is created in a forum trigger (bbPress) notices, and the Add an activity to a user action (BuddyPress) shares it in the author's stream with a link.
What this automation does
The automation is one trigger plus one action:
- Trigger: A topic is created in a forum (
BBP_TOPIC_CREATED, bbPress) - Action: Add an activity to a user (
BP_ADD_ACTIVITY, BuddyPress)
When a new topic is created in the forum you choose, Zapify posts an update to the topic author's BuddyPress activity stream.
Before you start
- bbPress and BuddyPress must both be installed and active, with the Activity Streams component switched on in your BuddyPress settings. Zapify's BuddyPress integration is not available on sites running BuddyBoss Platform.
- You need at least one forum.
Guests have no activity stream
The update is added to a member's stream, so the topic author needs a WordPress account. If your forum lets visitors post as guests, a guest's topic has no stream to post to, and the log shows that no user was found. Topics from members are unaffected.
How to build the automation
Step 1: Create a new automation
- In the WordPress admin, go to Zapify → Automations.
- Click Add New to open the builder.
- Name it clearly, such as Share new forum topics in the activity stream.
Step 2: Add the "A topic is created in a forum" trigger
- Click Add Trigger.
- Choose bbPress as the app.
- Select the trigger A topic is created in a forum.
- In the trigger's Forum field, pick the specific forum, or leave it on Any forum to run for every forum.
Step 3: Add the "Add an activity to a user" action
- Click Add Action.
- Choose BuddyPress as the app.
- Select Add an activity to a user.
Step 4: Configure the action
| Field | Required | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| User | No | Leave empty to use the person the automation is running for — the topic's author. |
| Content | Yes | The text of the update. Tokens are allowed. |
| Action text | No | The line shown above the content. Leave empty for "member posted an update". |
| Link | No | A web address to associate with the update. |
| Hide from the sitewide activity directory | No | When on, the update still appears on the member's own profile but not in the site-wide stream. |
For example:
- Content:
Started a new topic in {Forum title}: {Topic title} — {Topic URL} - Link: the Topic URL token
Use the {} token button to insert the Forum title, Topic title and Topic URL tokens so members can get from the stream straight to the topic.
Step 5: Set the steps Live and save
- Set both the trigger and the action to Live.
- Click Save.
Tokens you can use
The A topic is created in a forum trigger offers these tokens for the Content, Action text and Link fields:
| Token | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Forum title / Forum URL | The forum the topic was created in. |
| Topic title | The topic's title. |
| Topic content | The text of the topic. |
| Topic URL | The link to the topic. |
| Author name | The author's display name. |
Tokens this action makes available
Later actions in the same automation can use these:
| Token | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Activity ID | The ID of the update that was added. |
| Activity URL | The link to the update. |
How to test it
- Log in as a test member and start a new topic in the forum you chose.
- Open that member's BuddyPress profile and look at their Activity tab.
- If the update is missing, open Zapify → Logs to see whether the run fired and what the action reported.
Conclusion
With the A topic is created in a forum trigger and the Add an activity to a user action, Zapify keeps your forum and your community feed telling the same story, on the free plan. Next, keep moderators informed with send an email when a topic is created in a bbPress forum.
FAQs
Will this update trigger my "A user posts to the activity stream" automations?
No. Updates added by Zapify do not start that trigger, so automations cannot set each other off in a loop. That trigger runs for posts members write themselves.
Does it run for replies?
No. This trigger is for new topics only. Replies do not start it.
Can I share only topics from one forum?
Yes. Set the trigger's Forum field to that forum instead of Any forum.
Is this feature free?
Yes. bbPress and BuddyPress are free Zapify integrations, and both the A topic is created in a forum trigger and the Add an activity to a user action are included in the free plan.
Do I need to write any code?
No. Everything is configured in the Zapify visual builder.