Learn how your membership’s access levels, drip schedules, and progress settings work together to control who can see your content, when it’s released, and how it appears to members.
These settings help you structure your membership into clear tiers (for example, Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced) and guide members through your material at the right pace.
Use them to:
- Create different pricing tiers within the same membership
- Unlock content gradually
- Offer upgrade options for advanced material or bonus lessons
- Give temporary or complimentary access to selected members
Key details
- Per-post access: Access levels are set per post, not per category or subcategory.
- Password protection: Applies to the whole membership, not to individual levels.
- Product links: Each level can be connected to a specific product price point to sell access automatically.
Access levels and how they work
Each membership can include up to 10 access levels. These levels act like “gates” that define who can view certain posts.
- You can assign each post to one or more levels.
- Members can hold several levels at once.
- Levels can be granted through:
- Product purchases: Buying a product tied to a level automatically unlocks it.
- Automations: Rules can add or remove access when conditions are met (like filling in a form, completing another course or earning a tag).
- Manual updates: You can adjust access directly from the member’s profile.
Learn more
Drip schedules and progress
Access levels define who can see content, while drip schedules and linear progress define when they can see it.
- Drip schedules delay the release of posts by date or by a set number of days after access is granted.
- Linear progress forces members to complete earlier posts before the next one unlocks.
Learn how to guide members through your content.
The order of posts in the Membership Builder influences the release order when linear progress is enabled.
Locked posts
Posts may be locked for two main reasons:
- The member doesn’t have the required access level.
- The post is scheduled to release later (through a drip schedule or linear progress rule).
You can decide how locked posts appear:
- Hide them completely from the navigation menu
- Show them as unclickable placeholders
- Display them with a teaser window that encourages upgrades
Learn how to control the visibility of locked posts.
Pro tip
Teaser windows are a great way to advertise higher access levels or premium content. You can link the upgrade button directly to a checkout or sales page. Learn how to use teasers to upsell advanced content.
Access levels vs. separate memberships
Choose access levels when your content belongs to one overall program and members should progress or upgrade over time.
Use separate memberships for distinct topics, audiences, or branding needs.
Pro tip
To bundle multiple memberships together, use a Portal instead of access levels. Portals let members log in once and access everything they’ve purchased.