What is Members plugin?
Members by MemberPress (formerly developed by Justin Tadlock) is a free WordPress plugin for content restriction, user role management, and membership-level control. It is widely used as a lightweight alternative to full membership plugins like MemberPress or Paid Member Subscriptions for sites that need content gating by user role or login status without recurring payment subscription management.
The plugin’s content restriction system allows restricting access to any post, page, or custom post type based on user roles or login status, with customizable error messages or redirect rules for unauthorized visitors. The role manager provides a checkbox interface for editing role capabilities, similar to User Role Editor. Add-ons extend Members with private site functionality (making the entire site visible only to logged-in users), content cloning, and integration with membership-specific features.
For WordPress sites that want simple content gating without payment processing — community sites with registered members, internal company wikis, educational sites with student and teacher roles — Members provides the access control layer without the overhead of a full membership plugin. For sites that need payment-gated content with subscription management, Paid Member Subscriptions, MemberPress, or Restrict Content Pro are more appropriate.
Need Help With Members Setup, Troubleshooting, or Customization?
Need help with Members? Whether you are dealing with errors, broken functionality, styling problems, plugin conflicts, or advanced customization, we can help you fix the issue and get the plugin working properly on your WordPress site.
Get Members Expert HelpKey Features
- Content restriction: restrict any post, page, or CPT by user role or login status
- Custom error messages or redirects for unauthorized access
- Role editor with checkbox-based capability management
- Create, edit, and delete custom user roles
- Assign multiple roles to a single user
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Completely free with solid content restriction functionality
- Works with any post type — not limited to posts and pages
- Role manager covers basic capability management without needing User Role Editor
Cons
- No payment or subscription management — gated content only by role, not by paid membership
- Private site add-on requires separate download and activation
Free vs Premium
Completely free on WordPress.org. Add-ons available separately (some free, some paid) at memberpress.com/members-add-ons/.
Common Problems & Fixes
Members content restriction is not working — logged-in users with the restricted role can still access restricted posts. How do I debug this?
Check the restriction settings per post: open the post in the editor and look for the “Content Permissions” meta box (added by Members). Verify the restriction is set to the correct roles and that “Restrict post” is checked. If the meta box is not visible, check Screen Options at the top of the editor to ensure “Content Permissions” is enabled. Also check if the user’s role is correctly assigned — go to WordPress → Users → [user] and verify their displayed role. For posts in certain custom post types, the restriction meta box may need to be manually enabled in Members → Settings → Content Types.
Members restriction is blocking all users including administrators from accessing a post. How do I fix unintentional lockout?
If restriction settings block even administrators, it means the Administrator role was added to the restriction list or the restriction logic is inverting (granting access to only unchecked roles). Open the affected post in the editor and review the Content Permissions meta box. If Administrator is checked as a “restricted” role, uncheck it. By default, administrators should bypass content restrictions — this is configurable in Members → Settings → General → Bypass Restrictions. Ensure this checkbox is enabled for Administrator. Clear all caches after adjusting restrictions.
The Members plugin error message for restricted content is showing raw PHP template code instead of the formatted message. How do I fix this?
Members uses a template file to render the restriction error message. If you see raw template code, a template file is likely being processed incorrectly. Check: (1) the template file at members/templates/restrict-access.php is not corrupted — if using a child theme override, verify the child theme template is valid PHP; (2) a PHP error in the template file is causing output — enable WP_DEBUG temporarily to see specific error messages; (3) clear object caches that may be serving a corrupted cached version of the restricted page.
Customization & Developer Notes
How do I restrict an entire WordPress site to logged-in users only using Members?
Install the Members – Private Site add-on (available from the Members add-ons page). After activating it, go to Members → Settings → Private Site and enable the “Make my site private” option. Configure the redirect destination for non-logged-in visitors (typically the login page). With Private Site active, non-authenticated visitors to any page on the site are redirected to log in. Individual pages can be excluded from the restriction (such as the login page, registration page, or a public-facing landing page).
How do I use the Members shortcode to show different content to different user roles on the same page?
Use the [members_access] shortcode to wrap role-specific content: [members_access role=”editor”]This content is only for editors.[/members_access] [members_access role=”!editor”]This content is for everyone except editors.[/members_access] The role parameter accepts any registered role slug. The ! prefix inverts the condition (show to all except the specified role). For logged-in vs logged-out differentiation: [members_access role=”!”]Show this to logged-out visitors.[/members_access] [members_access]Show this to all logged-in users.[/members_access]
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Members or User Role Editor better for content restriction?
Members is better for content restriction — it adds a restriction interface directly to the post editor and handles the access control logic for visitors. User Role Editor is better for role and capability management — editing what specific roles can do in the WordPress admin. For a complete user access solution, many sites use both: Members for content restriction and User Role Editor for fine-tuning admin capabilities.
Can Members restrict WooCommerce products to specific user roles?
Yes — Members’ content restriction applies to any registered post type, and WooCommerce products (post type: product) are supported. Add a “Content Permissions” meta box to product edit screens in Members → Settings → Content Types by enabling the product post type. You can then restrict individual products to specific roles. For broader WooCommerce membership integration (member-only pricing, automatic enrollment on purchase), a dedicated WooCommerce membership plugin handles those workflows more cleanly.
Can Members break after updates?
Yes, that can happen, especially on older sites with many plugins. This usually happens when the plugin, theme, and add-ons are updated out of sequence. In most cases, testing on staging catches the issue before it reaches the live site. From experience, backups and changelog reviews save a lot of cleanup time.
What should I check before installing Members?
Start by checking whether another plugin already does the same job. In most cases, overlap is what creates avoidable conflicts and performance issues. A common issue is installing a plugin because it looks convenient without checking the stack first. From experience, a short compatibility review avoids most of the pain later.