WordPress: Create A Page Template That Requires A User To Be Registered and Logged In

We were finishing up implementing a custom theme on a client site, and they requested that we build some kind of interaction where some of the pages were restricted to registered subscribers. WordPress does offer Visibility options for pages, but that doesn’t accommodate this scenario.

• Private – Selecting visibility as private only enables administrators and editors to view the content.
• Password Protected – requires a unique code be applied for each page to view the content.

At first, we thought about implementing third-party plugins, but the solution was simple. We could create a unique template that requires viewers to register and log in to view the page.

WordPress Template: Subscribers Only

First, we copied our client’s page template (page.php) within the child theme. To create a template, you need to add some code to the top of your page:

<?php /* Template Name: Subscribers Only */ ?>

Next, look for the line in your page’s code that displays the content. It should look like this:

<?php the_content(); ?>

Now, you’ll need to wrap some code around that line:

<?php
$redirect_url = get_permalink(); // Get the current page's URL

if (is_user_logged_in()) :
?>
    <h2><?php the_title(); ?></h2>
    <?php the_content(); ?>
<?php else : ?>
    <h2>Subscriber Only</h2>
    <p>We're sorry, the content you are trying to reach is restricted to certain roles. <a href="<?php echo wp_login_url($redirect_url); ?>">Log in</a> to access it.</p>
<?php endif; ?>

Here’s an explanation of the code in bullet points:

• $redirect_url = get_permalink();: This line retrieves the URL of the current page and stores it in the variable $redirect_url.
• if (is_user_logged_in()) :: This conditional statement checks if a user is already logged in.
• If the user is logged in, the code within this block is executed.
  • <h2><?php the_title(); ?></h2>: This displays the title of the current page.
  • <?php the_content(); ?>: This displays the content of the current page.
• If the user is not logged in, the code within the else block is executed.
  • <h2>Subscriber Only</h2>: This displays a heading indicating that the content is restricted.
  • <p>We're sorry, the content you are trying to reach is restricted to certain roles. <a href="<?php echo wp_login_url($redirect_url); ?>">Log in</a> to access it.</p>: This displays a message explaining that the content is restricted to certain roles and provides a “Log in” link. The link’s href attribute is set to the login URL generated by wp_login_url($redirect_url), ensuring that users are redirected back to the current page after logging in.

This code effectively checks if a user is logged in and, if not, encourages them to log in to access the restricted content, with a link that directs them back to the page they were trying to view.

View By Specific User Role

You can also limit the content to specific user roles if you’d like:

<?php
$allowed_roles = array('subscriber', 'editor', 'author'); // Add the roles you want to allow

$user = wp_get_current_user();
$redirect_url = get_permalink();

if (array_intersect($allowed_roles, $user->roles)) :
?>
    <h2><?php the_title(); ?></h2>
    <?php the_content(); ?>
<?php else : ?>
    <h2>Restricted Access</h2>
    <p>We're sorry, the content you are trying to reach is restricted to certain roles. 
    <a href="<?php echo wp_login_url($redirect_url); ?>">Log in</a> to access it.</p>
<?php endif; ?>

Here’s an explanation of the code in bullet points:

• $allowed_roles = array('subscriber', 'editor', 'author');: This line creates an array of allowed roles, specifying which user roles are permitted to access the content. You can customize this array to include the roles you want to allow.
• $user = wp_get_current_user();: This code retrieves information about the current user, including their roles.
• $redirect_url = get_permalink();: This line stores the current page’s URL in the $redirect_url variable, which will be used to redirect the user back to the current page after they log in.
• if (array_intersect($allowed_roles, $user->roles)) :: This conditional statement checks if the user’s roles intersect with the roles listed in the $allowed_roles array. In other words, it checks if the user has one of the allowed roles.
• If the user has one of the allowed roles, the code within this block is executed.
  • <h2><?php the_title(); ?></h2>: This displays the title of the current page.
  • <?php the_content(); ?>: This displays the content of the current page.
• If the user does not have one of the allowed roles, the code within the else block is executed.
  • <h2>Restricted Access</h2>: This displays a heading indicating that the content is restricted.
  • <p>We're sorry, the content you are trying to reach is restricted to certain roles. <a href="<?php echo wp_login_url($redirect_url); ?>">Log in</a> to access it.</p>: This displays a message explaining that the content is restricted to certain roles and provides a “Log in” link. The link’s href attribute is set to the login URL generated by wp_login_url($redirect_url), ensuring that users are redirected back to the current page after logging in.

This code effectively restricts access to specific roles, and if a user doesn’t have one of the allowed roles, it prompts them to log in with a link that will redirect them back to the current page after logging in.

Select Your Template

To utilize the page, you’ll need to select the Subscribers Only page template in the advanced section of your page’s options (on the sidebar). This will restrict the page to logged-in readers or your defined role(s).