Restrict access by category or tag

The simplest way to restrict access to posts, automatically, with the Memberful WordPress plugin is with the restrict access by category or tag setting (which works for custom taxonomies, too). This setting lets you define who should get access to groups of posts — eliminating the need to specify the restrictions on a post-by-post basis.

In this doc:

Review your options for restricting content

When it comes to restricting access to content with the Memberful WordPress plugin, you have several options. You can:

In this doc, we will describe how to automatically restrict access by category or tag each time you create a new post. This is different than our Bulk restrict access tool, which allows you to bulk restrict all posts within a specific category as a one-time action.

Restrict content by category or tag

We advise against using multiple restricted categories or tags in one post.

From your WordPress dashboard, navigate to Posts → Category or Tags, and select a category or tag from the list (custom taxonomies are also eligible).

Choose a category

If you've installed the Memberful WordPress plugin on your site, you'll see a Memberful: Restrict Access box at the bottom of the page. Choose who should have access to posts in the category (or posts with a specific tag) by checking the appropriate box(es):

Select your audience

Add marketing content or teaser text

Add content to the Memberful marketing box like a Plan purchase link for non-members and a sign in link for existing members, and then click Update.

Add marketing content

Check out these customer examples for inspiration:

Fade out text

If you’d like display the beginning of the post and then fade out with a lock-type image, replace our marketing content with the WordPress excerpt through a custom plugin or custom function. For the lock-type image, you’d have to hardcode (and style) a marketing message using our functions in the template file. A good WordPress developer should have no problem handling both scenarios.

Create default marketing content

To create default marketing content for all new posts and pages, check the box at the bottom of the editor. Once you’re done, click Update.

Default marketing content

See below to learn how this setting interacts with existing per-post settings.

Categorize or tag a new post

Moving forward, when you categorize or tag a post, the associated Memberful restrict access settings will be applied.

Select a category or tag

If a member is logged in to your site and has the correct access, they’ll be able to see the protected content on your page or post. If they don't have the right access or are logged out of your site—they'll see the marketing content.

How does this feature interact with other settings?

There are many ways to change the marketing content in Memberful’s meta box.

Individual posts that are already restricted

If you previously protected an individual post, the post-level requirements are prioritized — not the category / tag requirements, which means the post-level marketing text will be displayed.

Using multiple categories or posts

We advise against using multiple restricted categories or tags on one post.

If multiple restricted categories / tags are set on a post — and the member does not have access — the marketing text they see will be nondeterministic. They will see marketing text of one of the categories / tags, but it will be randomly chosen.

If multiple categories and / or tags — with their own restrictions — are applied to a post, then a member can access it if they have met requirements of any of the restricted categories / tags.

Related help docs:

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