Setting Up Members Only Products on Wix
TL;DR:
- Restrict product visibility to logged-in members through your Wix store settings
- Use the Members Area app to control who can access and purchase specific products
- Members-only access can improve engagement and site performance
- Consider offering exclusive member benefits to encourage sign-ups
Setting up members-only product purchases on Wix gives you control over who can buy from your store. This works well for exclusive products, membership sites, or when you want to build a community around your brand.
How to Restrict Products to Members
The process involves adjusting your store settings and making sure your Members Area is configured properly.
Setting Product Visibility
Head to your Wix dashboard and find your Store settings. Look for the Product Visibility options where you can switch individual products or entire categories to "Members Only" mode.
For individual products:
- Go to your product catalogue
- Select the product you want to restrict
- In the product settings, change visibility to "Members Only"
- Save your changes
For category-wide restrictions, you can adjust this in your store's general settings, though this will affect all products in that category.
Configuring the Members Area App
The Members Area app handles the actual access control. Make sure it's active on your site and properly configured:
- Set up member registration and login pages
- Define what content members can access
- Configure any member-specific pricing or discounts
The app will automatically enforce the restrictions you've set on products.
Why Use Members-Only Products
There are several practical reasons to restrict product access:
Building exclusivity works well for limited releases or premium products. When people need to sign up to see what you're offering, it creates anticipation.
Better user data comes naturally when visitors register to access products. You'll get email addresses and other information that helps with marketing.
Improved site metrics often follow because members tend to spend more time browsing and return more frequently than casual visitors.
Reduced server load happens when fewer people can access product pages and checkout processes, which can help with site speed.
Common Setup Issues
The most frequent problem is members still not being able to see restricted products after logging in. This usually happens when the Members Area permissions aren't set correctly.
Check that your member groups have the right permissions assigned. Sometimes products get restricted but the corresponding member access isn't properly configured.
Another issue is non-members seeing confusing error messages when they try to access restricted products. You can customise these messages in your Members Area settings to guide visitors towards signing up instead of just blocking them.
TL;DR:
FAQs
Can I restrict some products but not others?
Yes, you can set product visibility individually. Some products can remain public while others require membership.
Will this affect my search engine rankings?
Restricted content won't appear in search results, which can reduce organic traffic to those specific product pages. Balance this against the benefits of member engagement.
Can I offer different products to different member levels?
Yes, if you set up different membership tiers in your Members Area, you can restrict certain products to specific member groups.
What happens to existing cart items when someone logs out?
Items typically remain in the cart, but restricted products become unavailable until the user logs back in.
Jargon Buster
Members Area app – Wix's built-in tool for creating password-protected sections of your website and managing user access.
Product visibility – Settings that control who can see and purchase specific products on your store.
Member groups – Different categories of members with varying levels of access to your site's content and products.
Wrap-up
Members-only products work well when you want to build a community or offer exclusive items. The setup process is straightforward through Wix's store settings and Members Area app. The key is making sure your member permissions align with your product restrictions, and that non-members get clear guidance on how to access restricted content.
Ready to build a thriving community around your Wix site? Join our community at Pixelhaze Academy for more advanced Wix tutorials and expert support.