To let existing users invite friends without opening registration to everyone, add an invitation-aware registration layer: use an email-invitation plugin, an invitation-code plugin, or a custom system. WordPress’s built-in Anyone can register setting enables public self-registration; it does not require an invitation.
Choose the invitation flow that fits your site
The key decision is whether friends receive personal links, enter a shared or limited-use code, or use a workflow built specifically for your site. WordPress can create accounts, but invitation validation and rules such as expiry and reuse must come from the plugin or custom implementation.
| Approach | What the invitee does | Controls described by the source | What to verify or build |
|---|---|---|---|
| Email invitation link | Follows a private link sent to their email address. | Bang! Invites’ listing describes single-use links, pending/accepted/expired tracking, and a configurable validity period of 1–365 days, with a 14-day default. It also says the inviter chooses the new user’s role. | Confirm the plugin’s current settings and behavior for your site before relying on those controls. |
| Invitation code | Enters a code during registration. | CM Registration’s listing describes invitation-code support and invite-only registration. It identifies limited-use code groups and several advanced controls as premium features. | Check the edition and current feature details; the listing does not establish every code’s expiry, use limit, or role behavior. |
| Custom implementation | Uses the flow your site defines, such as a personal link or a code. | WordPress provides account-creation functions and registration hooks, not a complete invitation system. | Develop and maintain token or code rules, validation, expiry, reuse policy, email delivery, role restrictions, and abuse protections. |
Why the WordPress registration setting is not enough
In the dashboard, go to Settings > General and find Membership. Enabling Anyone can register allows visitors to register themselves; it does not make registration invitation-only. WordPress also allows administrators to add users manually even when that option is off. See the WordPress Users documentation.
If only invited people should join, do not rely on the public-registration switch as the gate. The registration process must check that an invitation is valid before it accepts the account request.
The Tool Desk
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The WordPress.org listing for Bang! Invites describes a flow in which a user sends invitations to one or more email addresses. Each invitee receives a private, single-use link. The listing says links expire after 14 days by default and that the validity period can be configured from 1 to 365 days. It also describes invitation statuses of pending, accepted, and expired, and says the inviter can choose the role for the new account. These are vendor-published feature descriptions; confirm that the current plugin version and settings meet your needs.
Setup described in the plugin listing
- Create a WordPress page for the invitation form and add the shortcode
[banginvites_form]. - In the plugin settings, select that page, set the default role, and choose the redirect destination.
- Use the plugin’s Invite tab to send invitations.
A personal email link is a natural fit when invitations should go to named recipients rather than circulate as a reusable code. Review role choices carefully: a registration invitation should not let an inviter grant permissions beyond those they are authorized to offer.
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Option 2: Use invitation codes with CM Registration
CM Registration describes invitation codes and an invite-only registration use case. Its listing identifies limited-use code groups and several advanced controls as premium features. This approach may suit a site that wants invitees to enter a code instead of receiving a separate personal link.
Before choosing it, check the current plugin edition and its documentation for the exact rules you need. The listing does not establish all lifecycle details, such as whether codes expire, how use counts are enforced, or which role controls are available in a particular edition.
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The User Registration & Membership listing also advertises invitation codes among broader registration and membership features. That listing alone does not confirm that it provides the precise existing-user-to-friend workflow described here, so evaluate its current documentation and test the intended flow before adopting it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Option 3: Build a custom invitation flow
WordPress’s developer documentation explains that wp_create_user() creates a user with a username, password, and optional email; wp_insert_user() supports fuller user data. The register_new_user() function validates a submitted username and email, generates a random password, and uses wp_create_user() to create the account. WordPress also provides registration hooks including register_post and registration_errors. Read Working with Users, the wp_create_user() reference, and the register_new_user() reference.
Those functions are building blocks, not an invitation feature. A custom system must define and enforce invitation rules before account creation. At minimum, decide how it will:
- Generate unpredictable invitation tokens or codes and store them safely.
- Associate invitations with the intended recipient or permitted number of uses.
- Check validity and expiry during registration, and prevent unauthorized reuse.
- Assign roles through a server-side policy rather than trusting values submitted by the inviter or invitee.
- Send invitations and handle invalid, expired, or already-used invitations clearly.
- Limit abuse and test the registration flow, including concurrent attempts to use a limited-use invitation.
Custom code gives you control over the experience, but it also makes your site responsible for security, testing, and compatibility maintenance.
Quick Recap
How to choose
- Choose personal email links if named recipients and a link-based flow fit your needs; verify Bang! Invites’ current behavior and role settings.
- Choose invitation codes if invitees should enter a code; confirm the selected CM Registration edition supports the exact limits and rules you need.
- Choose custom development if your requirements cannot be met by a plugin and you can maintain the validation, security, and lifecycle logic.
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