How Can I Add Content Locking in WordPress? (2 Methods)
Do you wish to secure your WordPress site’s content?
Many websites utilize content lockdown to promote the lead generation, sales, and email list growth.
We’ll show you how to enable content lockout to WordPress without irritating your users in this article.
What Is Content Locking and When Is It Necessary?
Site owners use content lockdown as a method to motivate their users to take action. This activity could range from subscribing to an email newsletter to purchasing premium material.
The process of content locking is identical to that of content upgrades. When you provide important content on your WordPress websites, such as a course or an ebook download, you encourage your visitors to sign up for a membership.
This can help you create leads, build an email list, and grow your business if done correctly. However, if you don’t set up content lockout properly, visitors to your site may find it irritating.
That being said, let’s take a look at how to properly implement content lockdown in WordPress. The first method is best for exclusive free content, while the second is best for premium paid content.
- Method 1: Use OptinMonster to add content locking.
- Method 2: Use MemberPress to add content locking.
Method 1: Use OptinMonster to add content locking.
The greatest email capturing tool on the market is OptinMonster. It’s the finest option for growing your email list with exclusive content.
For content locking, you’ll need a Plus or above plan. This OptinMonster code is good for a 10% discount for WPExpertPro users.
Installing and activating the OptinMonster plugin is the first step. See our article on how to install a WordPress plugin for more information.
You’ll need to link your site to your OptinMonster account once it’s been activated. You can do so by going to your WordPress admin bar and picking the OptinMonster menu item, then clicking the Connect Your Site button.
After that, you’ll need to either in into your existing OptinMonster account or establish a new one.
After you’ve successfully connected, go to your WordPress dashboard and go to the OptinMonster » Campaigns page. You’ll be prompted to establish a new campaign if you haven’t already done so.
You’ll be directed to the OptinMonster website and asked to choose a campaign type when you click the “Create Your First Campaign” button.
You’ll need to use the Inline option to add content locking.
After that, scroll down and select a template. OptinMonster has over 65 themes to choose from, and they all look amazing on any screen.
By selecting the Preview button, you can see a preview of each template. You’ll need to click the Use Template option once you’ve found one that fits your needs.
We’ll choose the Action template since it focuses the attention of our readers on a single call to action.
After that, you’ll be prompted to give your campaign a name.
Simply click the Start Building button once you’ve entered it in.
The OptinMonster editor will open as a result of this. You can spend time here fine-tuning the popup’s content and appearance.
You may alter the wording, fonts, add images, change colors, and more by clicking on any area. You may also change the Success message that your users see once they register.
We’ll enable content locking after you’re happy with how your popup looks.
To do so, go to the Inline Settings menu and select it. Then, by clicking the on/off option next to the ‘Lock Content Below Campaign,’ you can enable content locking.
While you’re there, you may choose whether your locked material is blurred or not seen at all. The Content Locking Style dropdown menu allows you to make your choice.
Connecting your email marketing service is the next step. The good news is that OptinMonster works with a variety of well-known suppliers.
You must select the ‘Add New Integration’ option. In the drop-down menu, you should be able to find your email service.
After that, you must activate the campaign. Simply click the Publish button after clicking the Published tab at the top of the screen.
Then, at the top right, click the Save button to save your campaign.
Back in your WordPress dashboard, we’ll finish setting up OptinMonster. Once you’ve arrived, go to OptinMonster » Campaigns.
This will bring you to your campaign list.
Some links will surface when you hover your mouse over the current campaign. Click the Output Settings option to determine how your content locking will work.
The Automatic option is the most straightforward to set up. After a certain amount of words or paragraphs, it will automatically lock the material. For example, after the first three paragraphs of each post, you may lock all content.
Manual mode necessitates a little more effort, but it allows you to specify which content will be locked. To do so, simply add a shortcode to each article you want to lock.
To begin, copy the shortcode.
You’ll need to update the post or page where you want to enable content locking to add it to your content. Simply place the shortcode before the material you want to protect.
Your article or page is now ready to be saved and published.
Simply open a new browser window and visit the post or page to see content locking in action.
The material that is locked is obscured or hidden.
The locked material will be displayed once users input an email address.
Method 2: Use MemberPress to add content locking.
The finest membership plugin for WordPress is MemberPress, which can effectively lock your WordPress content. When you want to make money by charging for premium content, this is the ideal option.
For content locking, you’ll need at least a Basic plan. By using this MemberPress discount, WPExpressPro users can save up to 50%.
Installing and activating the MemberPress plugin is the first step. See our article on how to install a WordPress plugin for more information.
You’ll need to submit your MemberPress license key during activation. Go to MemberPress » Activate and paste your key into the text box there. Then you must press the Activate License Key button.
You’ll need to choose a payment method, determine price, construct a signup page, and more when you first set up your membership site.
We’ll show you how to utilize MemberPress to build a premium subscription and then determine which material can only be seen once you pay for a membership in this tutorial.
Let’s begin by creating a new subscription plan for your subscribers. To create a membership level, go to MemberPress » Memberships and click the ‘Add New’ option at the top of the page.
You’ll need to name the plan and decide on the content’s cost as well as the billing method.
We’ll set up a one-time payment for the rest of your life, but you can also choose one of the recurring subscription choices.
After that, scroll down below the post editor to the membership options meta box.
This is where you may change this plan’s rights and membership settings.
If you require more than one membership package, simply repeat the process. When you’re done, click the Publish button on the left-hand side of the screen to make it public.
The next step is to decide which material each membership level on your website has access to. Using ‘Rules,’ MemberPress makes it simple to limit access.
By going to the MemberPress » Rules page and clicking the Add New button at the top, you can create your rules.
You can select different conditions and correlate them with a membership plan on the rule edit page.
For example, we’ll tag all content with the word “premium” so that it’s only available to Premium plan subscribers.
The content drip and expiration choices are located underneath the rules editor. These allow you to gradually release stuff and make it unavailable after a set length of time.
Leave these unchecked if you want all of the content to be available as soon as they join up and to stay available indefinitely.
Repeat the process to add more rules to your membership site as needed.
Once you’re happy with your rule choices, click the ‘Save Rule’ button on the left to save them.
All that’s left is to add our password-protected material.
In our example, we’ll need to tag the posts we want only Premium members to see using the ‘premium’ tag.
Then, below the post editor, scroll down to the ‘MemberPress Unauthorized Access’ metabox.
When logged out people (non-members) visit this content, you can choose what they see.
By accessing your WordPress site, you can witness the content lock-in operation.
We hope you found this post useful in adding content locking to WordPress.