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  5. How do I just collect an email address and then someone can access protected content?
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  5. How do I just collect an email address and then someone can access protected content?

How do I just collect an email address and then someone can access protected content?

Often you might not want the first interaction with visitors to be a purchase. You just want to add them to a mailing list or allow them to see one or two pages of teaser content. This article will lead you through the steps of creating a new member by collecting minimal information from them, like an email address, and then directing them to protected content.

1. Create a Free Membership Level

The first thing you would do is create a membership level to protect the page(s) that you want people to only be able to see after leaving their email, becoming a member. This membership level should be free. At this stage, you can also choose to have this membership expire as well as choose whether or not to send a welcome email, which can be completely customized.

2. Protect page(s)

Next, if you haven't already done so, create the page(s) that you want visitors to have access to after signing up. Once a page is created, you'll have to grant access to the free membership level. From the WordPress content editor screen, you will see the MemberMouse Options widget in the upper right hand corner.

  • Click the Grant Access button.
  • A pop-up box will appear in the center of your screen. Select whether you want to grant access by membership level or bundle by using the drop down menu.

  • Select the membership level/bundle you want to be able to access the content.

  • Specify when the member should be able to access the content. Access starts at zero so to grant access on the first day set this to 0, to grant access on the second day set this to 1, for access on the tenth set this to 9 and so on.



  • Click the Grant Access button to save the access settings.
3. Free Membership Signup Form

Now you will want to either add the below SmartTag™ form to an existing page or create a new page to house it. (This code is added to the ‘Text' tab area of the WordPress editor, not the ‘Visual' tab.) Learn more about how SmartTags™ work.

[MM_Form type='checkout' membershipLevelId='1'] 
[MM_Form_Message type="error"]

[MM_Form_Section type="accountInfo"]
Account Information            
First Name: [MM_Form_Field type="input" name="firstName"]
Last Name: [MM_Form_Field type="input" name="lastName"]
Email: [MM_Form_Field type="input" name="email"]
Password: [MM_Form_Field type="input" name="password"]
Phone: [MM_Form_Field type="input" name="phone"]
[/MM_Form_Section]

<a href="[MM_Form_Button type='submit' paymentMethod='default']" class="mm-button orange large rounded">Sign Up</a>
[/MM_Form]
  • You can design this signup to be as minimal as you like with the minimum being an email and password.

  • If you decide that you don't want the first name, last name and/or phone fields, DO NOT DELETE THE CODE. If you delete the code, the form will not work.

    Instead, you will need to change the information in the type=” ” section from type=”input” to type=”hidden”. The article Make Fields Optional on Checkout Form can give you more information about how to add or hide fields.

  • Lastly, you will need to replace the ‘1' next to membershipLevelID with the ID of the free membership level you wish to use. After you have pasted this code into the WordPress editor on the appropriate page, go to Product Settings > Membership Levels to find the ID number associated with the membership level.

  • The last line of the form creates a custom button. You can use MemberMouse button styles to change the look of this.

4. Confirmation Page and Content Accessed 

After visitors signup on this form, they will be logged in right away. They will also be re-directed to the default Confirmation core page.

This is where your vision of site flow and customer experience comes into play. For example, there could be a link to a Member Homepage on the default Confirmation page from where they could access the protected content.

Another option would be that you would create a unique confirmation page for the free membership that would include a link to the protected content page(s). Or once they are logged in perhaps menu elements become visible, leading them to content. Or perhaps links to content have been included in the Welcome Email that you customized when you created the membership level, or an email is triggered from an Email Vendor that you've integrated your account with.

These options, and more, can be accomplished through MemberMouse.

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