# Set up an invite link https://help.circle.so/p/audience/onboarding/set-up-an-invitation-link Category: [Audience](https://help.circle.so/p/audience) › [Onboarding](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/onboarding) --- _Last updated: June 24, 2025_ Invite links allow you to create a shareable link that lets anyone join your community easily. This article will guide you through the steps to create invite links, share them with members, and explain how anyone can use them to join. ## **Key things to consider before setting up invite links** - **Use with caution** : Invite links are **generic and shareable** , meaning **anyone with the link** can use it to join your community. If you prefer to send unique, private invitations, consider inviting using our built-in invite option, API, or Zapier integration. - **Ways to use invite links** : With invite links, you can: - **Managing invite links** : You can revoke or delete an invite link at any time. Once revoked or removed, the link becomes unusable, preventing further sign-ups through that link. - **Impact of default onboarding access** : If you have configured access in your community’s [onboarding settings](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/onboarding/automatically-grant-free-access-to-spaces-when-members-join-your-community), members who sign up using an invite link will also be automatically added to the spaces included in your onboarding settings. 📚 To learn more about the access types in your community, see [Understanding invite access and paywall access methods](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/onboarding/understanding-invite-access-and-paywall-access-methods). ## **Step 1: Get started** To create a new invite link, follow these steps: 1. Click the community name or logo in the top-left corner and select **Audience**. 2. From the sidebar menu, go to **Invite links**. 3. Click **New invite link** at the top-right corner. This will open the New invite link page, where you can configure the link using various options in the tabs. ## **Step 2: Add details** On the **Details** tab, you can customize your invite link with the following options: ### **Internal name** Give your invite link a name for internal reference. This name will only be visible to administrators and will help identify the link in filters across different areas of the community, including workflows and the Manage audience page. ### **Assign tags (optional)** Tags help you categorize members based on their roles, groups, or achievements. If you've already created tags, you can assign them to the invite link so that anyone who joins using it will automatically receive the assigned tags. To assign tags, click the dropdown menu and type the tag name. Then, choose a tag from the results. You can assign multiple tags. > 💡 **Tip** : You can create an internal[](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/member-management)[tag](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/member-management) (hidden) for administrative purposes, such as filtering members or automating actions through workflows. To make a tag hidden, disable the **Show this tag on member profiles** toggle in your tag setup. This will prevent it from appearing in all tag display locations. ### **Custom redirect (optional)** Choose a space where new members will be redirected after signing up through the invite link. This is useful if you want them to land in a specific space immediately after joining your community. If no space is selected, members will be redirected to the default page set in your [community defaults](https://help.circle.so/p/basics/home/assign-the-community-home-or-space-as-the-default-landing-page). > ℹ️ **Note** : Adding space in the **Custom redirect** option **does not** automatically add members to that space. It only redirects them there after completing the signup. ## **Step 3: Set up access (optional)** Setting up access in the **Access** tab is useful when you want to provide your members with access that is meant to be free and not part of the paywall. Please keep in mind that members will have forever free access until the member leaves or is manually removed by the admin. You can provide access in one of the following ways: - Access groups - Space access ### **Access groups** Access groups help you effectively define which spaces (and space groups) members get access to. This helps you streamline access management and eliminate the need for repetitive manual setups for entry points. To provide access to spaces using[](https://help.circle.so/p/basics/community-access/access-group-overview)[access groups](https://help.circle.so/p/basics/community-access/access-group-overview), select the **Access groups** option and then choose one from the list. You can add more than one access group here to provide members with access to multiple groups.  > ℹ️ **Note** : If you include an access group that is also part of the paywall you've added in the paywall trial section, the invite access will be superseded by the paywall access. However, for overlapping spaces from access groups, the invite access stays as is. To learn more about the access conversion rule for access groups, see[](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/onboarding/understanding-invite-access-and-paywall-access-methods)[Understanding invite access and paywall access methods](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/onboarding/understanding-invite-access-and-paywall-access-methods). > 💡 **Tip** : If you add an access group by mistake, click the **More actions (three dots)** icon next to the group and select **Remove**. > > To update the settings of a connected access group, click the **More actions (three dots)** icon and select **Edit**. This opens a new browser tab where you can modify the group settings. ### **Space access (legacy space access)** For communities created before January 29, 2025, you also have the option to manually provide access to various spaces and space groups instead of using access groups.  To use the legacy space access option, select **Space access**. Then, manually select the spaces and/or space groups to which you want to grant free access to your members.  > ℹ️ **Note** : If you add any space or space group using Space access, which is also part of the paywall you've added in the paywall trial section, the invite access will be superseded by the paywall access added in this invite link. To learn more about the access conversion rules, see[](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/onboarding/understanding-invite-access-and-paywall-access-methods)[Understanding invite access and paywall access methods](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/onboarding/understanding-invite-access-and-paywall-access-methods). ## **Step 4: Configure paywall trial (optional)** Want to give new members a free trial for your paywall membership when they join via an invite link? This step is for you! To set it up, head to the **Paywalls** tab. Here’s what you need to know about paywall trials through invite links: - **Eligible paywalls and coupons** : Only active paywalls with subscription or installment pricing (without upfront payments) work for this. You can also add an active coupon to automatically apply a discount to members when their trial paywall membership converts to a paid membership. - **Trial duration and card requirement** : With invite links, you can offer a custom trial period of up to 730 days—no credit card is required upfront, regardless of your paywall’s trial configuration. This trial duration is totally separate from your paywall’s trial settings, so it won’t affect anything in your original setup. Every member who uses the link gets the same trial access you choose here. - **Reusing links** : The invite link only creates a paywall trial for a member once. If a member tries to reuse the invite link, the trial paywall will not be created. Similarly, if a member tries to reuse the link after the admin has modified the paywall trial section, it won't create a new trial for the member. - **Coupon changes** : If a member joins the community after the coupon has been revoked or deleted, a paywall trial will be created _without_ the coupon. - **Notifications** : When a member successfully signs up and gets added to a paywall trial, they will receive a post-purchase email if you have enabled it in your [paywall configuration](https://help.circle.so/p/payments/paywall-setup). To provide the paywall trial for your members, configure the following fields: - **Paywall** : Pick the active paywall you want to offer as a trial. - **Term** : Choose a price option from that paywall[.](http://paywall.coupon/) - **Coupon (optional)**: Add a coupon code if you’d like to automatically apply a discount when the paid membership kicks in after the trial. - **Trial days** : Set a custom trial length—anywhere from 1 to 730 days. 📚 To learn more about providing a free trial via invites, see [Add members to paywall trial using invite methods](https://help.circle.so/p/payments/paywall-trials/add-members-to-paywall-trial-using-invitation-methods). ## **Finalize and share the invite link** Once you’ve completed the setup, click **Save and exit** to save and generate your invite link. You’re now all set! > 💡 **Tip** : To confirm the space access that you have configured for the invite link and see how spaces appear to members in the sidebar when they sign up via an invite link, you can utilize the “View as” feature. For more information, see [Preview your community’s invite link access](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/onboarding/preview-your-community-s-invitation-link-access). ### **Copy invite link ** You can copy the invite link from: - The **Invite links** page by clicking **Copy link** next to the link. - The **Details** tab within the **Edit invite link** page by clicking **Copy link**. > 💡 **Tip** : To view a list of members who joined using an invite link, click the **hyperlinked number** in the **Members Joined** column on the Invite links page. For more information, see [Access list of members who received access via an invite link](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/member-management/access-list-of-members-who-received-access-via-an-invitation-link). ### **Share the link with your members ** Once your invite link is set up, share it with new and existing members using your preferred method: - **For new members:** - **For existing members:** ### Share the invite link through a broadcast (optional) When you create an invite link, you’ll see a dialog with the option to copy the link or share it with your wider audience through a broadcast. ![](https://assets-v2.circle.so/9u2qhreqhhv5nzto5z1l3tr5nhga) If you’d like to share the link in an email broadcast, click **Review draft** to be directed to the email editor where you can select your audience, edit the pre-populated draft, and send out the broadcast. If you change your mind, you can delete the draft from the **Broadcasts** section of the **Marketing** page by hovering over the **More actions (three dots)** icon on the draft and selecting **delete**. 📚 Please refer to our guide to learn more about [email broadcasts](https://help.circle.so/p/email-hub/email-marketing/create-email-broadcasts). ## **How members can use the invite link** Invite links provide a seamless way for both new and existing members to join your community with the right access. Here’s how the process works for each type of member: ### **New members** When a new member enters the invite link in their web browser, they will go through the following steps: 1. **Sign up:** 1. **Profile creation:** After signing up, they will be taken to the next step to complete their community profile, including: 2. **Community redirect** : If you have added space or Feed to the custom redirect option in the invite link configuration, the new member will be taken to the page. If the redirect is not added, they will be taken to the default landing page configured for new members in the [**Defaults**](https://help.circle.so/p/basics/home/assign-the-community-home-or-space-as-the-default-landing-page) settings. > ℹ️ **Note:** If you haven’t added any custom profile fields that are marked as required, members can skip the profile creation step and complete the signup process. ### **Existing members** When an existing member enters the invite link in their web browser: 1. **Accessing community:** 2. **Community redirect** : If you have added a space or Feed to the custom redirect option in the invite link configuration, the member will be taken to the page. If the redirect is not added, they will be taken to the default landing page configured for existing members in the [**Defaults**](https://help.circle.so/p/basics/home/assign-the-community-home-or-space-as-the-default-landing-page) settings. ## **Relevant articles** - [Understanding invite access and paywall access methods](/p/audience/onboarding/understanding-invite-access-and-paywall-access-methods) - [Updating your invite links](/p/audience/onboarding/updating-your-invitation-links) - [Preview your community’s invite link access](/p/audience/onboarding/preview-your-community-s-invitation-link-access) - [Access list of members who received access via an invite link](https://help.circle.so/p/audience/member-management/access-list-of-members-who-received-access-via-an-invitation-link)