Members-only WooCommerce products and forums
A members-only store and a private community are two of the strongest reasons to join a membership site. Ultimate Membership Pro lets you create members-only WooCommerce products and members-only forums with the same tools you use for pages: the Locker box for single items and Access Rules for whole groups.
Everything below works with Show or Block rules: Show Only for keeps the content for the members you choose, Block Only for closes it to the members you choose. Visitors without access are sent to the page you pick, such as your pricing page.
WooCommerce: members-only products
One product
- Edit the product in WooCommerce.
- In the Ultimate Membership Pro – Locker box on the right, choose Show Page Only and add the Memberships that may see it.
- Under If access is not allowed, choose Redirect the Page and pick your pricing page.
- Update the product.
A whole product category
- Go to Ultimate Membership Pro›Access Rules and choose All Posts based on Categories.
- Pick the product category, for example Member Store. Product categories are listed together with post categories, once they hold at least one product.
- Choose Show Only for…, add the Memberships under Target Members and pick the page in Redirect After.
- Save. New products you add to that category are members-only from the start.
To keep the category page itself for members too, add an Entire URL rule with its address, for example https://example.com/product-category/member-store/.
The whole store
For a store only members can open, add an All Pages (based on Keywords) rule with a word that all store addresses share, such as /shop, /product and /product-category. Add one rule for each word.
Member prices
To give members a lower price instead of hiding products, set a discount per Membership in Member discounts on WooCommerce products. To sell the Membership itself through the WooCommerce checkout, see Sell Memberships with WooCommerce.
bbPress: members-only forums
All forums
bbPress puts every forum, topic and reply under one address, /forums/ by default. One keyword rule covers them all:
- Go to Ultimate Membership Pro›Access Rules and choose All Pages (based on Keywords).
- Enter
/forums/as the keyword. If you changed the forum slug in Settings›Forums, use yours. - Choose Show Only for…, add the Memberships (or Registered Users for every logged-in user) and pick the page in Redirect After.
- Save.
Some forums
To keep a public forum next to a private one, edit the private forum in Forums›All Forums and set it in the Locker box, the same way as a page. Topics have their own Locker box too, in Topics›All Topics, so you can lock the topics of that forum the same way.
BuddyPress: members-only groups and profiles
BuddyPress pages also share addresses: /groups/ for groups and /members/ for profiles. Add a keyword rule with either word to keep that part of the community for members.
To give members one place for their community profile and their Membership, add the Member Portal to their profile with Show the Member Portal in BuddyPress profiles.
Pick a redirect page outside the rule
The page in Redirect After must be open to everyone, and its address must not contain the keyword of the rule. Your pricing or login page works well.
Test it
- Clear your cache. See Set up cache plugins and host caching.
- In a private window, open a members-only product, the forums and a group. Each should send you to the Redirect After page.
- Log in as a test member with the right Membership and open them again.
Admins see everything
Administrators can always open every product, forum and group. Test as a visitor and as a test member.
Troubleshooting
How do I make WooCommerce products members-only?
Edit the product and use the Locker box with Show Page Only for the Memberships you choose. For a whole category, add an All Posts based on Categories rule in Ultimate Membership Pro›Access Rules.
Can I make a whole product category members-only?
Yes. Add an All Posts based on Categories rule for that product category. Products you add to it later are members-only too.
How do I create a members-only forum in WordPress with bbPress?
Add an All Pages (based on Keywords) rule with the keyword /forums/ and Show Only for the Memberships you choose. It covers every forum, topic and reply.
Can some forums stay public?
Yes. Instead of the keyword rule, set the Locker box on the private forums and on their topics. The other forums stay open.
Can members get a discount instead of exclusive products?
Yes. Set a discount per Membership on all products, some categories or some products. See Member discounts on WooCommerce products.
