How to create a "hidden" or "secret" level with Leaky Paywall

Let's say you want set up a secret Leaky Paywall level that is only available to a select few people -- maybe you want to offer a special price to your friends and family or give all of your employees free access. 

There are a few ways to approach this with Leaky Paywall, but the one we'll be setting up in this example is utilizing Leaky Paywall's "Hide Subscribe Card" functionality. 

1. Add a new Leaky Paywall level.

Start by setting a new Leaky Paywall subscription level. Go to Leaky Paywall > Settings > Subscriptions Tab and click the Add New Level button.

2. Add the level details.

Give the level a name and description for the registration form. Since we will be hiding the subscription card, there is no need to add a description for that.

3. Check the box to "Hide Subscription Card"

This is where the magic happens. Check this little box and this Leaky Paywall level will not appear on the page with your subscription cards.

4. Add the rest of the level details

Complete the rest of the settings for the level, including what access you want these subscribers to have. (Depending on which add-ons your site is using there might be more or less to fill out here.)

5. Save your settings

Scroll down and click the save button.

6. Check your subscribe cards

Go to the page with your subscribe cards and double check that you do not see the new level you just created.

7. Find the registration url. 

Click on one of your subscription cards and look at the url.

Copy that url and replace the number with the ID that matches your new hidden level. 

In our example that would be: http://leakydev.test/register/?level_id=4

8. Direct users to this url.

Share this url with the appropriate people who you want to have access to this subscription level.

9. Manage users on this subscription level.

Because these users are on their own subscription level it is easy to filter through all of your subscribers and see who has a subscription on this hidden level. Let's say you have an employee who leaves the company or maybe you just want to double-check that no one has shared this page with someone they weren't supposed to. You can easily access and manage these subscribers by going to Leaky Paywall > Subscribers and using the level filter. Just select your hidden level from the list and press the filter button. 

One final note: There are a few different ways of approaching this concept. 

• You could set up a group account and manage access for your friends, family, or employees that way. 
• You could also set up a coupon code and share that (downside to this approach is managing the subscribers). 
• If all of your employees have the same email address, such as [email protected] then you could use the Corporate Subscriptions add-on. 
• Finally, if you wanted to give your employees access, but only while they are in the office, or say everyone who comes to your house and is on your home wi-fi network, you could use our IP Exceptions add-on.