# Visibility and access

> Who sees each section and each space (public, members, subscribers or private), how the access list by group, product and plan works, how section and space combine and what people without access see.

Every [section](/conceitos/secoes) and every [space](/conceitos/espacos) answers one question: **who sees this?** The answer is the **visibility** and, when it's **Private**, the **Who gets in** list. That's how you separate what's a showcase from what's only for paying members, only for one cohort or only for the leadership.

## The four visibilities

| Visibility | Who sees it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| **Public** | Anyone, including people who aren't signed in | The open blog, the "Start here" page |
| **Members** | Members of this community | The general Feed, the calendar |
| **Subscribers** | Anyone with **any** active subscription | Exclusive content for paying members, any plan |
| **Private** | Only the people you list | The Growth plan course, the cohort's room, the leadership |

The order, from most open to most closed, is **Public › Members › Subscribers › Private**. A new space starts as **Members**.

**The staff sees everything.** Owners, admins and moderators see every section and every space, whatever the visibility: they need that in order to moderate. The **Finance** role isn't part of this rule: for finance, the same applies as for a member. See [Roles and permissions](/conceitos/papeis-e-permissoes).

## Private: the "Who gets in" list

With **Private**, the **Who gets in** block appears, with three lists:

| List | Unlocks for | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| **Groups** | The people in a [member group](/membros/grupos-e-organograma) | A cohort, a team, a department, the leadership |
| **Products** | Whoever bought the product | A course or a ticket sold on its own |
| **Plans** | Whoever subscribes to that plan | Content for a subscription tier (Growth, Gold…) |

The list's rules:

- **Meeting any one is enough.** A space unlocked for the *Mentors* group and the *Gold* plan is seen by anyone in the group **or** subscribed to the plan.
- **Empty list = staff only.** That's how you "hide" a space without deleting it.
- **A plan counts while the subscription is active.** Someone who cancels keeps seeing it until the end of the paid period; after that, they lose access automatically.
- **A product counts for whoever bought it.** A one-time purchase unlocks the space.

**Subscribers** and **Private with a plan** look the same, but they aren't: **Subscribers** accepts any plan; **Private** accepts only the plans you list.

## Section and space together

The rules **multiply** between the section and the space: to see a space, a person needs to get through the section **and** the space.

- Anyone who can't get through the section sees nothing inside it.
- A space **can't be more open** than its section. The screen warns you: *"This space cannot be more open than the section…"*, and the more open options appear unavailable.
- For a private space inside a private section, the person needs to be on both lists.
- Tightening a section's visibility also tightens the spaces that were more open; the screen tells you how many.

Example: a **Student area** section (Private, *Full Course* plan), with a **Mentoring** space (Private, *March cohort* group). To get into Mentoring, the person needs to subscribe to the plan **and** be in the group.

## What people without access see

| Situation | In the menu | When trying to open it |
|---|---|---|
| Private, with a **plan** on the list | The space with a lock: *Requires a plan* | Access denied |
| Private, with a **product** on the list | The space with a lock: *Requires a purchase* | Access denied |
| Private, with only **groups**, or an empty list | Doesn't appear | Not found |
| **Subscribers**, for someone with no subscription | Doesn't appear | Not found |
| **Members**, for a visitor | Doesn't appear | Needs to sign in |

The lock is there to sell: whoever sees the locked space knows what they get by subscribing. Groups don't show a lock because you can't buy a place in a group.

## Access follows payment

When a space is **Subscribers** or unlocked for a plan, nobody has to grant or remove access by hand:

- **Paid**: gets in as soon as the payment is confirmed.
- **Canceled**: stays until the end of the period already paid, and then leaves.
- **Late on renewal**: the subscription becomes past due.

> [!NOTE]
> Someone on a **free trial** doesn't count as a subscriber yet for subscribers' spaces or for plans on the access list. If the trial should unlock the space, let the Memberfy team know.

## Examples

| I want… | Do this |
|---|---|
| An open showcase that invites people in | A **Public** section with Content |
| A space for anyone who pays for something | A **Subscribers** space |
| A space only for the Growth plan | A **Private** space, Growth plan under **Plans** |
| The material for a course sold on its own | A **Private** space, the course product under **Products** |
| A cohort's room | A **Private** space, the cohort's group under **Groups** |
| A space only the staff sees, for now | A **Private** space with an empty list |
| A whole subscribers' area | A **Subscribers** section: every space inside it inherits that |

## Step by step: unlock a space for a plan

*Role: owner or admin.*

1. Create the plan first, in **Monetization › Plans**. The space only lists what already exists. See [Plans](/monetizacao/planos).
2. In the menu, open **Space options › Edit space**.
3. Under **Visibility**, choose **Private**.
4. Under **Who gets in**, click **Add a plan** and choose the plan.
5. Save. Non-subscribers now see the space with the *Requires a plan* lock.

The same goes for **Add a product** and **Add a group**.

## Common errors and how to fix them

| What happens | Why | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The **Public** option is unavailable on the space | The section is more closed | Open up the section, or leave the space as it is |
| *The access grant "…" does not exist in this community.* | The plan, product or group on the list was deleted | Remove it from the list and save |
| A subscriber says they can't see the space | Their plan isn't on the list, or the subscription isn't active | Check the list and the subscription status in **Monetization** |
| The space disappeared for every member | It became **Private** with an empty list | Add whoever should see it |

## Frequently asked questions

**Why does the staff see a space I made private?**
Because owners, admins and moderators always see everything.

**Can I unlock a space for just one person?**
Create a group with that person and unlock the space for the group.

**Does changing the visibility delete anything?**
No. It only changes who sees it.

**Does a post from a private space show up in the general Feed?**
Only for those who have access to the space it came from.

## In the API

`visibility`: `public`, `members`, `plan` or `private`; and `access: { groupIds, productIds, subscriptionGroupIds }` on `POST`/`PUT` for sections and spaces. See [Sections & Spaces](/api/referencia/sections-spaces).

## Related

- [Roles and permissions](/conceitos/papeis-e-permissoes)
- [Sections](/conceitos/secoes)
- [Spaces](/conceitos/espacos)
- [Plans](/monetizacao/planos)
- [Groups and org chart](/membros/grupos-e-organograma)