Ultimate Member Profile Pages Complete Guide

Core Features Updated November 18, 2025

User profiles are the heart of any membership site. They’re where members showcase themselves, connect with others, and manage their information. Ultimate Member makes it easy to create beautiful, functional profile pages that your members will love.

In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about profile pages – from basic setup to advanced customization. Whether you’re building a simple directory or a full-featured social network, this guide has you covered.

Understanding Profile Pages

Profile pages in Ultimate Member serve multiple purposes:

  • Display member information publicly
  • Allow members to edit their own information
  • Show member activity and posts
  • Enable member-to-member connections
  • Showcase member achievements or badges

Each member gets their own profile page automatically when they register. You can customize what appears on these pages and how they look.

Setting Up Profile Pages

Before customizing profiles, make sure your profile pages are set up correctly:

  1. Go to Ultimate Member → Settings → Pages
  2. Verify that a “User Page” is assigned
  3. If no page exists, click “Create Pages” to generate one
  4. Visit the page to see the default profile layout

The user page is where individual profiles are displayed. When someone visits a member’s profile, they’ll see it on this page template.

Profile Form Builder

Just like registration forms, profile forms are built using Ultimate Member’s drag-and-drop form builder. Here’s how to customize them:

Accessing Profile Forms

  1. Go to Ultimate Member → Forms
  2. Look for forms with type “Profile”
  3. Click “Edit” on the default profile form

Adding Profile Fields

You can add any fields you want members to be able to edit:

  • Personal information (name, bio, location)
  • Contact details (email, phone, social media)
  • Professional info (job title, company, skills)
  • Custom fields specific to your site
  • File uploads (profile picture, cover photo, documents)

Think about what information is relevant to your community. A professional network might need different fields than a hobbyist community.

Profile Display Settings

You can control what information appears on public profile pages:

Field Visibility

For each field, you can set visibility options:

  • Everyone – Public, visible to all visitors
  • Logged-in Users – Only visible to members
  • Same Role – Only visible to users with the same role
  • Owner Only – Only the profile owner can see it

This gives you fine-grained control over privacy. Members can choose what to share publicly versus what to keep private.

Profile Layout Options

Ultimate Member offers different profile layouts:

  • Default Layout – Standard profile card style
  • Centered Layout – Profile information centered on page
  • Cover Photo Layout – Large cover photo with profile below

You can switch layouts in Ultimate Member → Settings → Appearance. Choose the one that best fits your site’s design.

Profile Pictures and Cover Photos

Visual elements make profiles more engaging. Here’s how to configure them:

Profile Pictures

Profile pictures (avatars) appear throughout your site:

  1. Add an “Image Upload” field to your profile form
  2. Set it as the profile picture field in form settings
  3. Configure size limits and allowed file types
  4. Set default avatar if user hasn’t uploaded one

Profile pictures help members recognize each other and make your community feel more personal.

Cover Photos

Cover photos create a banner at the top of profile pages:

  • Add a cover photo upload field
  • Set dimensions (recommended: 1200x300px or similar)
  • Configure file size limits
  • Choose whether cover photos are required

Cover photos let members personalize their profiles and express their personality.

Profile Tabs and Sections

You can organize profile information into tabs or sections:

Default Tabs

Ultimate Member includes several default tabs:

  • About – Basic profile information
  • Posts – Member’s blog posts
  • Comments – Member’s comments

Custom Tabs

With the Profile Tabs extension, you can add custom tabs:

  • Portfolio or gallery
  • Activity feed
  • Reviews or testimonials
  • Custom content sections

Tabs help organize information and make profiles easier to navigate.

Member Activity on Profiles

You can display member activity on their profile pages:

Posts and Comments

By default, Ultimate Member can show:

  • Blog posts authored by the member
  • Comments made by the member
  • Activity timeline (with extensions)

This helps visitors learn more about members and see their contributions to your community.

Configuring Activity Display

Control what activity appears:

  1. Go to Ultimate Member → Settings → Profile
  2. Configure post and comment display options
  3. Set how many items to show
  4. Choose pagination settings

Activity feeds make profiles more dynamic and engaging.

Profile Customization Options

There are many ways to customize how profiles look and behave:

Profile Header

Customize the profile header area:

  • Profile picture size and position
  • Cover photo display
  • Member name and title formatting
  • Social media links
  • Action buttons (message, follow, etc.)

Profile Body

Control the main profile content:

  • Field layout and organization
  • Field labels and formatting
  • Section dividers
  • Custom HTML sections

Profile Footer

Add content at the bottom of profiles:

  • Related members
  • Recent activity
  • Custom widgets
  • Call-to-action buttons

Profile Privacy Settings

Privacy is important for many members. Ultimate Member offers flexible privacy options:

Profile Visibility

Control who can view profiles:

  • Public – Anyone can view
  • Members Only – Only logged-in users
  • Same Role – Only users with same role
  • Private – Only the profile owner

Field-Level Privacy

Members can control privacy for individual fields:

  • Make specific fields public or private
  • Hide fields from certain user roles
  • Require connection before viewing

This gives members control over their information while still allowing profiles to be useful.

Profile Customization with CSS

For advanced styling, you can use custom CSS:

Accessing CSS Options

  1. Go to Ultimate Member → Settings → Appearance
  2. Find the “Custom CSS” section
  3. Add your custom styles
  4. Save your changes

Common Customizations

Popular CSS customizations include:

  • Profile card styling
  • Field label formatting
  • Button styles
  • Color schemes
  • Responsive adjustments

Custom CSS lets you match profiles exactly to your brand and design.

Profile Page URLs and Permalinks

Ultimate Member creates nice URLs for profiles:

Default URL Structure

By default, profiles use URLs like:

yoursite.com/user/username

You can customize this structure in Ultimate Member → Settings → General.

Custom URL Options

You can change the URL structure to:

  • Use member ID instead of username
  • Change the base slug
  • Add custom prefixes

Choose a URL structure that’s SEO-friendly and easy to remember.

Profile Search and Discovery

Help members find each other through profiles:

Member Directory Integration

Profiles are automatically included in member directories. When someone clicks a member in the directory, they’re taken to that member’s profile.

Profile Search

Members can search for profiles by:

  • Name or username
  • Location
  • Skills or interests
  • Custom field values

Good search functionality helps members connect with each other.

Profile Completion

Encourage members to complete their profiles:

Profile Completeness Extension

The Profile Completeness extension helps you:

  • Track which fields members have filled
  • Show completion percentage
  • Encourage or require profile completion
  • Reward complete profiles

Complete profiles are more useful and help build a stronger community.

Mobile Profile Experience

Many members will view profiles on mobile devices:

Responsive Design

Ultimate Member profiles are responsive by default, but you should:

  • Test profiles on mobile devices
  • Ensure forms are easy to use on small screens
  • Check that images display correctly
  • Verify buttons are easily tappable

Mobile Optimizations

Consider mobile-specific optimizations:

  • Simplified field layouts for mobile
  • Touch-friendly buttons
  • Optimized image sizes
  • Fast loading times

Profile Integration with Extensions

Many Ultimate Member extensions enhance profiles:

Popular Extensions

  • Profile Tabs – Add custom tabs to profiles
  • User Photos – Photo galleries on profiles
  • User Reviews – Reviews and ratings
  • Followers – Follow/unfollow functionality
  • Private Messages – Direct messaging from profiles

Extensions add powerful features that make profiles more engaging and useful.

Testing Your Profile Pages

Before going live, test profiles thoroughly:

  1. Create test accounts with different roles
  2. Fill out profile information
  3. View profiles as different users
  4. Test profile editing
  5. Check mobile display
  6. Verify privacy settings work
  7. Test profile search

Thorough testing ensures profiles work well for all your members.

Common Profile Issues

Here are some common issues and solutions:

Profiles Not Displaying

If profiles don’t show:

  • Check that user page is assigned
  • Verify permalink settings
  • Check for theme conflicts
  • Test with default theme

Profile Forms Not Saving

If profile updates don’t save:

  • Check field permissions
  • Verify user has edit permissions
  • Check for JavaScript errors
  • Test with different browsers

Styling Issues

If profiles don’t look right:

  • Check theme compatibility
  • Add custom CSS if needed
  • Test on different devices
  • Check for CSS conflicts

Best Practices

Here are tips for creating great profile pages:

  • Keep it simple – Don’t overwhelm with too many fields
  • Make it personal – Allow members to express themselves
  • Ensure privacy – Give members control over their information
  • Mobile-first – Design for mobile users
  • Encourage completion – Help members fill out their profiles
  • Make it searchable – Help members find each other

Next Steps

Now that you understand profile pages, consider exploring:

  • Member directories to showcase profiles
  • Profile extensions for advanced features
  • Custom profile templates
  • Profile-based content restrictions

Profile pages are a foundation for building community. Take time to get them right, and your members will appreciate it. Experiment with different layouts and features to find what works best for your community.