# Gate spaces behind paywalls

https://help.circle.so/p/payments/paywall-setup/gate-spaces-behind-paywalls

Category: [Payments](https://help.circle.so/p/payments) › [Paywall setup](https://help.circle.so/p/payments/paywall-setup)

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_Last updated: August, 2026_

## About paywalled spaces

You can offer access to multiple spaces as part of a Circle paywall purchase. By gating these spaces behind a paywall, you can create premium content accessible only to members who purchase a membership or are manually added by the admin or moderator.

This ensures that only authorized users can access and engage in these spaces, enhancing the value of your membership offerings. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of setting up space access, adding them to paywalls, and customizing the lock screens to create a seamless user experience for your members.

## **Set space access**

The first and most crucial step is to ensure that all the spaces you plan to add to your paywall are set to private or secret so that non-space members cannot access them without making a paywall purchase.

To set up [**space access**](https://help.circle.so/p/basics/spaces/managing-space-access-and-visibility):

1. Navigate to the space from the sidebar.

2. Click the **Space settings (three dots)** icon in the top-right corner of the space, and select **Access.**

3. In the **Access** section, select **Private** or **Secret.**

4. Click **Save changes.**

Repeat the above steps for  **all spaces**  you will add to the paywall.

## **Add spaces to the paywall access**

[**Access groups**](https://help.circle.so/p/basics/community-access/access-group-overview) control which spaces are available to paid members. To gate a space behind a paywall, add it to the access group linked to that paywall.

To add a space to an access group:

1. Click  **Audience**  on the left sidebar and select  **Access groups**.

2. On the  **Access groups**  page, locate the access group and click the name to access the setup.

3. Navigate to the  **Access**  tab. You’ll find a table with two columns:  **No access**  (spaces or space groups not assigned to the access group) and  **Access**  (spaces or space groups currently added to the group).

4. Hover over the space or space group's name in the **No access** column.

5. Click  **Add**  to move it to the  **Access**  column.

6. Click  **Save changes**  and confirm the action.

📚 To learn more, see [**Update the access setup for an access group**](https://help.circle.so/p/basics/community-access/update-the-access-setup-for-an-access-group?locale=en).

## **Set up lock screens**

To further enhance the exclusivity of your paywalled spaces, you can set up a lock screen for **_each private space_** that greets non-space members or visitors (if your community is public) when they attempt to access these restricted spaces.

On the lock screen, you can include enticing page blocks such as a banner, media-rich description, and **paywalls**. The [**paywalls page block**](https://help.circle.so/p/basics/spaces/setting-up-a-lock-screen?locale=en#paywalls) allows you to showcase up to six paywalls that provide access to the space. Each paywall card displays key details such as pricing, a brief description, and an option for users to purchase access directly from the lock screen.

📚 To learn more about the lock screen, see [**Setting up a lock screen.**](/p/basics/spaces/setting-up-a-lock-screen)

## **Relevant articles**

- [**Paywalls overview**](/p/payments/paywall-setup/paywalls-overviews)

- [**Set up a paywall**](/p/payments/paywall-setup/set-up-a-paywall)