From download
to first discovery.

Building a discussion community? Read the Commonroom setup guide →

Try it before installing

Launch the full WordPress demo to explore a populated directory in your browser. You have administrator access: try voting, submitting a listing, approving it, and editing the site. The demo uses WordPress Playground and resets when refreshed or restarted. No hosting account is needed to try it.

1. Install the companion plugin

Download Epic Launchboard. In WordPress, open Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin. Upload the ZIP, install it, and activate it. A Listings menu will appear.

2. Install the theme

Download the Launchboard theme. Go to Appearance → Themes → Add New → Upload Theme. Install and activate it. Do not upload the plugin ZIP as a theme.

3. Set up your homepage

The theme automatically displays your listing directory on the front page. Set the site title and tagline under Settings → General. Change the hero headline and intro label under Appearance → Customize → Launchboard homepage. Use Settings → Permalinks to select Post name and save. Your existing blog posts remain available in the admin.

4. Add your first listings

Open Listings → Add New. Add a name, description, short excerpt, featured image, and topic. Enter the destination URL in the Listing website box. Publish it and check the homepage.

5. Invite contributors

Members must log in to submit or vote. You can create subscriber accounts manually. To allow public registration, enable “Anyone can register” under Settings → General and keep the default role set to Subscriber. Plan for spam prevention before enabling open registration.

Members use “Submit a listing” on the homepage. New submissions are always pending review. Approve them under Listings in the dashboard. Members can add or remove their own vote on published listings.

6. Review discussion settings

Listing discussions use WordPress comments. Configure approval, account requirements, and notifications under Settings → Discussion. The kit does not add private messaging or custom member profiles.

Alpha boundaries

There is no built-in AI integration, paid listing system, automatic updater, or commercial support plan. Search and topics work in the WordPress directory; the storefront preview also demonstrates sorting. The theme is a classic PHP theme, not a block theme.

Back up your site before installing updates. The plugin retains listings and votes on deactivation. Test on staging before using it with a public community.