APG vNext displays forum threads from a configurable date range by default. You can change this both globally and per-user.
Global Setting (Admin)
- Go to Admin Panel → Settings → Display.
- Find the Default View Date Range setting.
- Set the value in days (e.g., 30 = show threads from the last 30 days, 0 = show all).
- Save settings. This affects all users who haven't set a personal preference.
Per-User Setting
Individual users can override the global setting from their profile preferences:
- Click on the user avatar → Edit Profile → Preferences.
- Select the desired View Date Range from the dropdown.
- Save the changes.
URL Parameter Override
The date range can also be overridden per-request using the drange URL parameter: /community/f110.aspx?drange=all shows all threads regardless of the default setting. This is useful for deep linking to forum archives.
For more configuration help, see the Support Forum.
Changing the Default View Date Range in APG vNext
The default view date range controls how far back APG vNext looks when displaying the forum thread list. This is distinct from the member-facing date filter dropdown - it is the initial value used when a member first visits or has not set a preference.
Recommended Values by Community Type
- High-traffic forum: 7-30 days (keeps list manageable)
- Medium forum: 90-365 days (shows good breadth of content)
- Low-traffic / archive forum: 0 (all time - prevents empty-looking lists)
Setting the Default
<add key="APG.Forum.DefaultDateFilter" value="90" />Remembering the Member's Last Choice
<add key="APG.Forum.PersistDateFilterPreference" value="true" />
<!-- Stores choice in apg_MemberPreferences table -->Checking Current Preference in DB
SELECT m.UserName, p.PrefValue AS DateFilter
FROM apg_MemberPreferences p
JOIN apg_Members m ON m.MemberID = p.MemberID
WHERE p.PrefKey = 'DateFilter'
ORDER BY m.UserName;Related Resources
Changing the Default View Date Range in APG vNext
The view date range controls which threads appear in forum lists by default. A shorter range focuses the view on recent activity, while a longer range or "All" shows the full thread history. APG vNext allows this to be configured globally, per-forum, and per-member preference.
Global Default Configuration
<!-- web.config: set default thread visibility range -->
<add key="APG.Forum.DefaultViewRange" value="30" />
<!-- Days: 1, 7, 14, 30, 60, 90, 180, 365, 0 (All Time) -->
<!-- Admin Panel: Settings → Forums → Thread List → Default Date Range -->Per-Forum Override
-- Override date range for a specific high-volume forum:
UPDATE apg_Forums
SET DefaultViewRange = 7 -- Last 7 days for this forum
WHERE ForumName = 'Latest News';Member Preference Persistence
When members change the date range in the forum thread list, APG vNext saves their selection in a cookie. This means different members see different date ranges based on their personal preference. Member preferences always override the forum default. The cookie persists for the duration configured in:
<add key="APG.Forum.ViewRangeCookieDays" value="365" />
<!-- Member's preference persists for 1 year -->Impact on SEO and Crawl Budget
The default view date range affects which thread URLs are linked from the forum index pages that search engine crawlers visit. A shorter date range means fewer thread links on the forum index, potentially reducing crawl depth for older (but still valuable) threads. For SEO, use a moderate date range (30-90 days) that keeps a good variety of threads linked from index pages without making the list unmanageable. Combine this with a well-structured sitemap that explicitly includes older high-value threads to ensure search engines can discover them even when they don't appear in the default forum index view.
Using Date Range for Community Health Monitoring
Administrators often set the admin view date range to "All Time" to see a complete picture of forum activity. For day-to-day moderation, a 7 or 14 day range focuses attention on recent activity where moderation action is most likely needed. Switch between ranges depending on your current task — content review benefits from a wide range, while daily moderation is more efficient with a narrow recent window. APG vNext remembers the admin panel's date range preference separately from the member-facing forum preference, so setting the admin view to "All Time" doesn't affect how the forum appears to regular members.
Integrating Date Range with Thread Search
The date range filter works alongside APG vNext's thread search functionality. When a member searches for a keyword, they can apply an additional date range filter to narrow results to a specific time period. The default search date range inherits from the forum's default view range setting. For communities with a large historical archive, setting the search default to "All Time" while keeping the browse default at 30 days gives members the best of both worlds: focused browse views for daily activity monitoring, and unrestricted search access to historical content when they need to find something specific from the past.
Related Resources
Looking for more help? Browse the support forum or check the Knowledge Base.