How To Build A WordPress Membership Site With No Membership Plugins

Step-by-Step Tutorial: Building a WordPress Membership Site Without Membership Plugins

1. Setting Up WooCommerce Subscriptions:

   • Install WooCommerce on your WordPress site.
   • Set up a WooCommerce subscription for a monthly subscriber option.
   • Create single products for one-off purchases.

2. Creating Custom Post Types and Fields:

   • Use Advanced Custom Fields plugin to create a custom post type called "Paid Content."
   • Add fields to the "Paid Content" post type to link products to paid content posts.

3. Linking Products to Paid Content:

   • Link your WooCommerce products to the custom post type "Paid Content" using the custom fields created.

4. Installing Payment Plugin:

   • Install a payment plugin from the WordPress plugins page to handle payments on your site.
   • Consider using WooCommerce's payment options or integrate with Stripe, PayPal, or other payment gateways.

5. Setting Up Products:

   • Create basic one-off products in WooCommerce.
   • Add product details, such as descriptions, images, and pricing.

6. Creating Subscription Product:

   • Install the WooCommerce Subscriptions official add-on.
   • Create a subscription product (e.g., monthly access pass) that unlocks all content.
   • Set up subscription details like trial periods, pricing, and product ID.

7. Creating Custom Post Types with Advanced Custom Fields:

   • Use Advanced Custom Fields to create custom post types with unique fields for paid content.
   • Configure fields to link products to paid content posts.

8. Designing Front-End Display Logic:

   • Use Breakdance to design the front-end layout of your membership site.
   • Customize headers, footers, and content sections using Breakdance's visual editor.

9. Implementing Conditions for Payment Gating:

   • Use Breakdance's conditions feature to control the display of content based on user subscriptions or purchases.
   • Set up conditions to show/hide content based on user status and product ownership.

10. Testing and Finalizing the Membership Site:

    • Test the payment gating functionality by purchasing products and subscriptions.
    • Ensure that paid content is only accessible to users with active subscriptions or purchases.
    • Verify that users without access are prompted to purchase subscriptions.

11. Launching Your Membership Site:

    • Once everything is set up and tested, launch your WordPress membership site without the need for specialized membership plugins.
    • Customize and further enhance your site based on your specific requirements.

By following these steps, you can successfully build a WordPress membership site with gated content using WooCommerce, Advanced Custom Fields, and Breakdance without relying on traditional membership plugins.