Frequently Asked Questions

How do I join Mumsnet and what's in it for me?
I haven't received this week's newsletter, what gives?
I'm not a mum, can I still join Mumsnet?
I've changed email address/I want to change my password.
I want to subscribe to one of your email newsletters.
I've forgotten my password.
What do I do if I've not received my confirmation email?
How do I post a message on talk?
How do I start a new conversation (thread) on talk?
Is there a quick way to find information on a specific topic?
How do I change my nickname?
How do I report a post on Talk?
How do I delete a post from Talk?
How do I set up a personal profile page?
How do I upload photos to my personal profile page?
How do I customise the way my talkboards look?
Why do I have to scroll sideways to see whole lines of text?
What is Mumsnet Local?
What is CAT?
How do I leave Mumsnet?
How do I know if I've been entered into a competition?
How do I advertise my small business on Mumsnet?
How do I post a media request?
How do I post a recipe?
How do I set up a Mumsnet blog?
My question isn't here, what should I do now?

Joining and registration

Who uses Mumsnet?
Mumsnet is a global online network but most of our users are UK-based. Not everyone who uses Mumsnet is a parent or grandparent, but initially most people come to the site seeking parenting advice - and then stick around discussing a wealth of topics from childcare to chicken keeping, and nurseries to news.

How do I join Mumsnet and what's in it for me?
Joining Mumsnet is free - you can join here. Not only is Mumsnet "the country's most popular meeting for parents" (The Times) but we have a range of tools to make parents' lives easier from pushchair reviews and family-friendly recipes to advice on conception, pregnancy, babies and toddlers, the most popular discussion boards and not to mention great discounts with a host of our online partners.

I haven't received this week's newsletter, what gives?
Please check your spam/junk folder as your service provider might have accidentally put it there. If this is the case please see our troubleshooting tips, where you will find instructions on how to allow the newsletter into your inbox.

I'm not a Mum - can still I join Mumsnet?
We hope Mumsnet isn't exclusive to mums and indeed we know we have a number of dads who log on and contribute. If it doesn't sound too pompous we think the concept of "mumming/mothering" goes beyond gender so don't feel Mumsnet is too exclusive. We did think of calling the site parentsnet.com but it just sounded so hideous. We do have Dadsnet specifically for men to chat here but you'll find that if you just contribute on the regular threads folks won't be surprised by having a male joining in. Similarly, we have a section specially for grandparents, Gransnet.

I've changed email address / I want to change my password
You can amend your registration details at any time by logging in to your personal registration details page. If you can't remember your password, we can send you a reminder. Just fill in your email address on this page and click the "remind me" button.

I want to subscribe to one of your email newsletters
You can subscribe and unsubscribe from our email newsletters (child development calendar, parenting news round-up and so on) individually. Click here to do so. You may need to enter your email address and and password. If you can't remember them, you can enter your email address above and get a reminder. If you specified when you joined up that we shouldn't send you any email at all, then you won't get any. You don't need to sign off each individual message.

I've forgotten my password
Don't worry. As long as you know the email address you registered with, we can send you an email with your password and chat nickname. Fill in your email address below, and click the button, and we'll send you a note right away reminding you of them.
Email address:

Why haven't I received my confirmation email from you?
Confirmation emails sometimes go into your junk/spam folders in your email but some email providers have very strong filters and it's possible that it's been deleted. Drop us an email on contactus@mumsnet.com and we'll authorise your registration.

Using Mumsnet Talk

How do I post a message on Talk?

• At the bottom of each conversation (or "thread") on talk there is an "add a message" box.
• Type your message in and fill in your nickname and your password.
• When you have finished your message click the "Preview/Post message" button.
• Your screen redraws showing how your message will look. This gives you a chance to check your message is typed correctly.
• If you want to make changes, make them and click the "Preview/Post message" again to refresh your preview.
• Once you are happy with your message, click "Post message".
• It then goes up on the site and other members can see it.

If you can't remember your chat nickname and password, we can send you a reminder. Fill in your email address in the box above, click the button and your reminder will be on its way.

How do I start a new conversation (thread) on Talk?
Select the relevant talk topic (eg Ante-natal clubs) and at the top of the there will be a link that says "Start a new thread within Ante-natal clubs". Click on this link and then type away.

Is there a quick way to find information on a specific topic?
You can search for pages by keyword using the search page. Just enter the word(s) you want to find and click the search button

How do I change my nickname?
Go to your registration page here  - log in and then you can change your nickname by typing in a new one where your old one is listed. Don't forget to save the changes. Please note that while we allow nickname changes for anonymity, we don't allow changes for malicious purposes.

How do I report a post on Talk?
Reporting a post is easy. Click on 'report post' to the right of each post and it will bring up a new box for you to let MNHQ know why you want to report it.

How do I delete a post from Talk?
You can't. Mumsnet HQ are the only people who can authorise deletions from Talk. To request that a post be deleted, please use the 'report post' button on the right hand side of each post and someone from HQ will take a look.

Personalising Mumsnet

How do I set up a personal profile page?
Go to your registration page here and log in. Select Public Profile Editor and then fill in your details. You can then choose using the drop down menu whether to make your profile visible to all Mumsnetters or not.

How do I upload photos to my personal profile page?
Go to your registration page here and log in. Select Photos. You can then create a photo gallery by selecting digital photos on your computer and uploading them.  There are more detailed instructions here.

How do I customise the way my Talk boards look?
Click on customise. You can then use the drop-down menu to choose:

• Whether you read the messages up the board (with the last post at the top) or down the board (with the most recent post at the bottom)
• How many threads will appear on your "active conversations"
• Whether you ignore 'sticky' threads
• Whether you ignore certain topics or threads when you're in Talk

This is also where you can choose the colour scheme you want, your options are:

• Mumsnet New
• Mumsnet Muted
• Mumsnet Sober Workplace
• Mumsnet Classic

Why do I have to scroll sideways to see whole lines of text?
The width of Mumsnet's design is fixed and designed to allow more than 99.5% of users to read without scrolling from left to right. But what if you're one of the 0.5%?

First, try maximising your browser window via your computer's settings/preferences, or make it bigger by dragging the corners of the window and see if that helps.

Check your screen resolution (in Settings if you're on a PC and System Preferences if you're on a Mac) and choose a resolution higher than 800x600.

If you've got lists open (eg favourites, bookmarks or history), try closing these, likewise any widgets you're displaying (eg for weather or search engines).

What is Mumsnet Local?
Find out how to get the most out of Mumsnet Local.

What is CAT?
CAT is our contact another mumsnetter service. It costs £5 per year and allows you to contact other members. You can choose whether to receive messages from other members from your registration page.

How do I leave Mumsnet?
We're sorry to hear you want to leave. If it's just that you'd like to unsubscribe from our emails, you can do that here. You can remove your Mumsnet registration from the site. Go to the members' area and use the registration removal page. Please be aware that if you leave Mumsnet, we won't be able to re-issue your talk nickname to you.

How do I know if I've been entered into a competition?
Competitions on Mumsnet are usually entered by sending us a tip, a product review, a recipe or a listing on Mumsnet Local, though sometimes there will be a survey to complete, where we'll ask for an email address (rest assured, we never pass these on to anyone). If you'd like to set up a competition on Mumsnet, please email competitions@mumsnet.com.

How do I advertise my small business on Mumsnet?
You can place paid advertisements on the Mumsnet Talk board here. Advertisers pay a fee of £50 per ad as a contribution to the site. Ads and any responses to them will be deleted after 90 days. This fee is payable by credit card via WorldPay, our payment agent, who will email you a receipt.

How do I post a media request?
If you are a representative of a media or other organisation you can ask for our members' help with a particular article, programme or project for a £30 fee here.

How do I post a recipe?
Add a recipe here - you can keep it in draft format to begin with until you're ready to submit it to our database.

How do I set up a Mumsnet blog?
Mumsnet Blogs are the perfect home for your thoughts, however deep or trivial. Sign up here.

My question isn't here, what should I do now?
Drop us an email on contactus@mumsnet.com and someone will get back to you very soon (we read every single email).Finally, we want to make using Mumsnet as easy as possible. If you have any suggestions for improvement, please let us know at contactus@mumsnet.com.