Member Avatar for stephen_21

Any one guide me?

Edited by stephen_21
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  • Latest Post Latest Post by nikitacod

Dani AI

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This thread asks how to add an automatic forum signature (on DaniWeb and elsewhere) and also debates whether signatures are useful. Replies range from setup tips to warnings about search-noise and spam: questioned real SEO value, gave an example of signatures polluting search results, described a low-key linking approach, and posted a step-style how-to. Below is practical, evergreen guidance that complements those points without repeating any single post verbatim.

Most boards provide a Signature or Profile field in the account/user-control area; that is where automatic signatures are created and saved. Forum engines differ: some allow limited HTML, others plain text only; many require ticking an “attach signature” option when composing; some hide signatures on mobile or for new accounts. If a saved signature does not display, the cause is usually a visibility toggle, a length/format restriction, caching, or moderator/site settings.

Keep signatures minimal and appropriate:

  • One short line (name, role, or a single relevant link) works best.
  • Avoid long quotes, repeated catchphrases, or multiple affiliate links — these create search-noise and can look spammy.
  • Prefer linking from the profile page or a single, descriptive anchor rather than scattering identical phrases across many signatures.
  • Use plain, readable text; small icons are fine only if the board permits them.

Troubleshooting checklist (quick): confirm the signature was saved in profile, check for an “attach signature” option in the post editor, verify format/length limits, clear browser cache or test logged-out view, and remember some forums restrict signature use for new members or disable images/HTML by policy. Balancing usefulness with restraint addresses the concerns raised by and while following the unobtrusive model described.

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All 9 Replies

Member Avatar for happygeek

- are you asking about forums in general, this 'forum' (DaniWeb) or another forum in particular?

Member Avatar for Pamela_6

Are you talking about Daniweb or another forum?

commented: Are you just copying earlier replies for some reason? -3
Member Avatar for stephen_21

DaniWeb & others forums as well

Member Avatar for rproffitt

@stephen-21, "DaniWeb & others forums as well"

There is no standard in forums as to signatures. You can add them before you post here but do read the link I supplied. They don't help SEO or such any longer and may be annoying to some folk.

Member Avatar for AssertNull

They don't help SEO or such any longer

They actually help for spammers sometimes by keywords taking google hits AWAY from actual content. An example. Type this into google. I did...

"Just a lone patriot acting alone at a fulcrum point" site:socnet.com

It's a forum that I read. The above quote was from a thread on I forget what, but I wanted to find it again because it was an interesting thread. I can't find the damn thread because it's hidden among thousands of hits because someone besides me liked that quote and stuck it in his signature line. Now the guy who did that isn't a spammer, but it's a long-used spamming technique, to the detriment of the forum itself.

and may be annoying to some folk.

See above. I can't find the actual content due to this and I would like to. Again, the guy didn't intend to be a spammer, but the effect is the same.

My view of a positive use of signatures would be to start "AssertNull's Computer Consulting" and stick a link in my signature. Or a link to my programming blog. Those who find my programming help useful could click on it. Those who don't wouldn't. That's win-win-win I believe (win for me, win for the link clicker, win for the forum). The link would be relevant to the forum and non-invasive. If I add a symbiotic backlink baack to Daniweb, then you have related content endorsing each other, which is the spirit of backlinking rather than quid pro quo. Folks who find my posts useful click my sig because I've earned it. Daniweb appreciates quality posters and rewards them by offering that signature to get traffic to their site. And I would link to Daniweb. Again, symbiotic and a tip of the hat to quality. Google sees this and ranks accordingly. Someone googles "C++ pass by value" and both sites benefit.

That's how it's SUPPOSED to work, I feel. There are no "tricks" involved. If I start posting garbage just to increase post count in order to get more search engine hits, that's spamming, and hopefully that would drive people AWAY from my site. They certainly won't be clicking on my sig.

The thread RProffitt shows IMNSHO the way it SHOULDN'T work. One poster commenting has a signature that is for Chinese food. This is a technical thread on a technical forum. Even if I thought the poster gave good technical advice in that thread, which I do not and apparently no one else did, I'm not going to click on a "Chinese Food" link. I see no reason to have that kind of sig on Daniweb except as a spammer, and checking out that person's posts seems to bear that out.

I'm no expert at all in search algorithms, but I've talked to some folks who are and they told me that Google has tests to ferret that out and flag it as spam and when that happens, the signature site is flagged AND the forum is flagged.

Edited by AssertNull
Member Avatar for happygeek

What Assert said. I put a link to my website in my sig, I don't force anyone to click on it and I don't post just to try and get those clicks. Would I care if the sig facility was declared illegal by that <irony>very sensible</irony> Trump chap? Nope, not at all. Would make forum moderating a whole heck easier and wouldn't hurt genuine sites with good content either.

Member Avatar for rproffitt

, all good stuff there. I think the OP wanted to know how to auto-signature like you can in email but they didn't ask for that directly.

Just a few days ago I was strictly on mobile and read/replied from there. Extra scrolling from someone that signed every post would have meant extra scrolling and I would not have liked that.

Member Avatar for nikitacod

Log into the Forums with your Second Life account.
Click on “Account Setting”
Click “Signature”
Add your wordage to the text box OR to add an image, click on “insert other media”.
Add the direct link / URL to the URL box and click "Insert into post"
Once you have finished creating/downloading your signature, click on the “Save” button.
Your Signature is now complete and should be visible!

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