Session and redirect behavior reference
This page describes how MapleGather handles sessions — how long they last, where you go after signing in, and what happens when a session ends.
Where you land after signing in
Section titled “Where you land after signing in”After you sign in, MapleGather takes you to the right place for your role.
| Persona | Default destination |
|---|---|
| Member | /portal (member home) |
| Admin | /admin (admin dashboard) |
| Board member | /board (board dashboard) |
Returning to a specific page
Section titled “Returning to a specific page”If MapleGather sends you to the sign-in page from a page you were already on — your session timed out while you were looking at your membership, say — the page you came from is held in the sign-in page’s own web address. Whether you are returned to it depends on which sign-in method you use.
| Sign-in method | The page you came from |
|---|---|
| Sign in with a password (admins and board members) | You are taken back to it once you sign in. Your browser goes over to your organization’s sign-in service and comes back, which is normal and not a sign anything is wrong. MapleGather keeps hold of the page you came from while that happens, and takes you there once you’re signed in. |
| Email sign-in link (members) | You are not. The link in your email carries no destination, so signing in takes you to your portal home instead. |
Carrying a destination through an emailed sign-in link isn’t available yet. It is held back deliberately rather than ruled out: a sign-in request that accepted a web address would let anyone type in someone else’s email address and have that person receive a genuine MapleGather sign-in email that lands them wherever the sender chose. The safe design for it is being worked out alongside member email delivery, and it is on the list for that update.
A destination is only ever followed if it points at a page inside MapleGather and your role is allowed to open that page. Anything else — another website, or an area your role can’t use — is ignored, and you go to your default home page instead.
Session expiry
Section titled “Session expiry”Sessions end after a period of inactivity. When your session expires:
- The next time you open any page that needs you to be signed in, you’re redirected to the sign-in screen.
- A “You’ve been signed out after inactivity. Sign in again to continue.” message appears at the top of the sign-in screen. Admins and board members see a version of it that points at the password lane: “You’ve been signed out. Sign in with your password to get back to what you were doing.”
- The page you were trying to visit is held in the sign-in page’s web address. Whether you go straight there afterwards depends on how you sign in — see Returning to a specific page above.
Sign-in link behavior
Section titled “Sign-in link behavior”| Scenario | What happens |
|---|---|
| You click the link on a different device than where you requested it | The sign-in completes on the device where you clicked. Your original device is not affected. |
| You click a link that has already been used | You see “This sign-in link has already been used or is invalid.” Request a new link to sign in. |
You visit /sign-in while already signed in |
MapleGather redirects you straight to your own home page for your role — see the table above. The sign-in screen does not appear. |
| You follow a link that points to an admin page but you’re a member | MapleGather redirects you to the member portal (/portal) instead. |
| You follow a link pointing outside MapleGather | MapleGather ignores the destination and sends you to your default home page. |
Lapsed membership
Section titled “Lapsed membership”No member sign-in email is sent in this version (see Sign-in link not arriving). Once email sign-in is available: if your membership has lapsed, your sign-in link still works and you’re taken to the member portal. The portal shows a message about your lapsed status — this is not a sign-in problem. See Membership shows lapsed or expired.