Searching for a way to restrict access to content on your WordPress site via an access code?

The Invitation Code Content Access plugin offers a way to easily set up this functionality on your site.

Unlike using the WordPress password protection feature, access codes give you a lot more options for controlling usage and managing access. 

But unlike a membership plugin, access codes don’t require that users register for an account on your site.

For some use cases, that middleground can be really helpful and access codes might be a great way to enhance your website.

In our hands-on Invitation Code Content Access plugin review, we’ll take a deeper look at what the plugin offers and show you how it works.

Invitation Code Content Access Review: What Does the Plugin Do?

In a nutshell, Invitation Code Content Access lets you restrict access to pieces of content on your site and then allow users to unlock access to that content by entering an access code.

It’s sort of like a WordPress membership plugin. But rather than automatically unlocking the content based on a user’s membership role, you can require users to enter the access code to unlock the content.

Another key difference between this plugin and a membership plugin is that users do not need a WordPress account to access the content – all they need is a valid access code.

While the functionality seems simple at first glance, Invitation Code Content Access offers a pretty deep feature list and a lot of configuration options.

Let’s go through some of the main feature areas and then we’ll give you a hands-on look at how it works.

Providing/Generating Access Codes (Free or Paid)

You can give users the access code(s) for free or the plugin also comes with functionality to charge for the access code.

If you opt for the paid approach, the payment functionality is powered by WooCommerce.

You can also generate access codes yourself, either individually or in bulk. In addition to using the bulk generator tool, you can also upload a CSV that’s full of access codes.

Here’s a full list of your options for generating access codes:

• Let users purchase their own code
• Create one access code yourself
• Generate multiple sequential access codes yourself
• Bulk generate access codes by uploading a CSV file

When you create access codes, you also have the option to automatically send users an email with their access codes.

Restricting Access Code Usage

The plugin also comes with functionality that lets you restrict access code usage in several different ways.

First off, you can set an overall usage limit for each access code. For example, you could specify that an access code can be used no more than ten times.

You can also set usage limits at the IP level, which lets you control how many unique IP addresses can access it. For example, you could set the limit to 20 distinct IP addresses, while letting each IP address use it multiple times if needed.

You can also set up time-based access code restrictions in three different ways…

First, you can set start/stop dates for when the access code is active. For example, you can make it active from February 1st to February 8th.

Second, you can set the access code to expire a certain amount of time after the user initially activates it. For example, you could automatically expire the access code 24 hours after the first time a user entered it.

Third, you can specify an amount of time that the user has access to the content after entering the code. For example, you could make it so that the user can access the content for 24 hours after entering the code. Once those 24 hours are up, their access would automatically expire.

You also get lots of other helpful settings in this area. For example, you can automatically unlock restricted content for logged-in users, which lets you just use the access codes for guest visitors.

Finally, you can also view an access log to track the exact usage of all your access codes.

Choosing What Content to Restrict

To control what content to restrict, the Invitation Code Content Access plugin lets you restrict individual pieces of content or unlock multiple pieces of content with the same access code.

You can also restrict just part of content using the plugin’s shortcode. Any content inside the shortcode will require the access code, while everything outside the shortcode will still be accessible without an access code.

Finally, you can also restrict access to file downloads. You can upload a file directly to the plugin or you can enter a link to the file.

Invitation Code Content Access Use Cases

There are a lot of ways that you could use the Invitation Code Content Access plugin. It can be especially helpful for contests or promotions, but there are lots of other directions you could take it in.

To get your creative juices flowing, let’s go through a few examples of when you might use Invitation Code Content Access:

• Exclusive landing/sales pages – you could set up an exclusive landing page or sales page that’s only available to the first one hundred visitors. You could promote the access code in an email or social media and drive urgency by limiting how many people can access it.
• Exclusive products – if you have an eCommerce store, you could use a similar approach to the previous point and offer exclusive access to a certain product on your store.
• Contests/prize draws – you could run a contest to give users access to certain content on your site. Then, you could share the access code with the winner(s).
• Content preview – if you have an online course or restricted content site, you could use access codes to give users a limited preview to your content without forcing them to sign up. For example, you could give users access to the first lesson in your course just by having them enter an access code.
• Last-minute deals – you could promote last-minute deals in email or on social media. For example – “24 hours only – get access to these last-minute deals”.
• File downloads – you could offer exclusive file downloads and require users to enter a valid access code to download the file.

Again – these are just a few examples and it’s totally possible you come up with completely new and different use cases for the Invitation Code Content Access plugin.

How to Use Invitation Code Content Access

Now that you know more about how the Invitation Code Content Access plugin works and what you might use it for, let’s dig into how you can actually use the plugin to start restricting access to content on your site.

How to Create a Single Access Code

To create your first access code, you can go to Invitiation Code Content Access → Add invitation code.

This will open a detailed interface where you can configure everything about your access code.

Basic Access Code Details

First, you’ll want to enter a title to help you remember it, along with the access code that you want to use. You can also add internal notes and/or use code categories to organize your different access codes.

What Content to Restrict

Next, you can choose what content to restrict from five options:

• URL/Page – enter direct URLs to one or more pieces of content on your site. You can either only allow access to these URLs or allow access to everything except these URLs.
• Posts – choose existing posts on your site using a multi-select box.
• Content Inside Page/Post – use the provided shortcode to partially restrict content.
• File Upload – upload a new file to restrict access to.
• File Link – enter the direct link to a file to restrict access to.

Limits and Expiration

Next, you can set up limits on this access code, along with expiration rules.

User Notification

Below that, you can optionally enter details to notify a user via email about their new access code.

Other Options and Publish

Finally, you can configure security and privacy settings. 

You also have the option to save the code as a template, which can save you time if you plan to reuse it in the future.

Once you’re happy with the code’s settings, you can Publish it to make it live.

Share Your Access Code

Now, you can share your access code with users.

If a user tries to access one of the pieces of content that you restricted, they’ll be prompted to enter the access code.

If you want to, you can customize all of the text labels on this page from the plugin’s settings.

How to Create Multiple Access Codes

If you want to create multiple access codes, you have a few options.

First, there’s an in-dashboard tool that lets you bulk generate codes. You get access to the same options for setting up your code, but the top lets you configure how to generate multiple codes:

If you want more control, you can also bulk import codes by uploading your own custom CSV, which also gives you the same options for setting up your access code’s rules.

Exploring the Plugin’s Settings

To help you configure how everything works, the plugin includes a detailed settings area.

There are some important settings here, so I definitely recommend exploring this area.

For example, this is where you can enable the payment option and form builder.

There are also other settings such as whether the access code stays valid for a single view or the duration of the visitor’s session.

Another useful option is the ability to automatically unlock content for any logged in user and only require access codes for anonymous visitors.

How to Sell Access Codes

If you want to sell access codes, you need to enable the payment option in the plugin’s settings.

Then, you can set up the payment settings when editing a code and the plugin will automatically create a linked WooCommerce product for you.

How to Use Form Builder

If you enable the form builder, you can access a drag-and-drop form builder interface to add additional fields to the access code form.

These fields will then show up on the access code form, which lets you collect additional information from people who enter an access code.

You can then view this extra user data from inside your WordPress dashboard.

Invitation Code Content Access Pricing

The Invitation Code Content Access plugin only comes in a premium version. However, the developer offers a 30-day money-back guarantee so there’s no risk to purchasing it.

All the licenses are full-featured and come with one year of support and updates. The only difference is the number of sites upon which you can activate the plugin:

• One site – $69
• Five websites – $129
• 10 websites – $189
• 25 websites – $249
• 50 websites – $369
• 100 websites – $569

You can also access the plugin as part of the developer’s WordPress Plugins Suite bundle, which gets you access to all of the developer’s plugins for one flat rate. That starts at $249 for use on up to two websites and gets you access to 99+ premium plugins.

Final Thoughts on Invitation Code Content Access

Overall, the Invitation Code Content Access delivers on its promise of letting you restrict access to content on your site using access codes.

It gives you a good amount of flexibility in the settings area, along with useful options like the ability to sell access codes or collect additional information from users.

Overall, this type of access code functionality isn’t something every single WordPress site needs. But if your site does need this functionality, the plugin offers an easy way to implement it along with enough customizability to make it work for your use case.

If you want to try it out, you can purchase a license. While there’s no free version, the developer does offer a 30-day money-back guarantee so you’re not risking anything.