Ghost post access: public, members, paid and tiers

Ghost lets you decide who can read each post. You can make it public or ask readers to sign in. You can limit it to paid members or selected paid tiers. Part of a restricted post can stay open as a public preview.

Choose who can read the post

Open a post in the editor, then select Settings in the top-right corner. The Post access menu is in that panel. Use Post access to choose who can read the article.

• Public: visitors can read the article without signing in.
• Members only: signed-in free and paid members can read it.
• Paid-members only: members with an active paid or complimentary subscription can read it.
• Specific tier(s): access is limited to the paid tiers you select.

Ghost’s protected-content settings define the access levels. Complimentary plans also grant access to paid content without payment. Your theme controls how the article looks. It also displays the signup or upgrade prompt.

For example, a publication can keep its reporting public. It can offer a discussion post to members. A research briefing can be for paid members only. Set each post’s access to suit its purpose.

Set up memberships first

If you have not configured memberships, open Settings → Membership → Access. Choose who can subscribe and set the default access for new posts. See Ghost’s membership setup guide for the signup options.

To charge for memberships, connect Stripe. Match the signup offer to your content. Free members should know which articles need an upgrade.

Use tiers when paid offers differ

A paid tier is a membership product. It can have its own name, description, and benefits. You can set monthly and yearly prices. Connect Stripe, then create tiers under Settings → Membership → Tiers.

Select specific tiers when a post is for only some paid members. You do this in the post settings. For example, you might offer a general subscription. You could also have a separate tier for professional research. Not every paid member belongs to every tier.

Creating a tier does not assign existing posts to it. Choose the intended tier in each restricted post’s settings. Ghost’s tier guide explains how those offers appear in Portal.

Add a public preview

A public preview shows part of a restricted post before the access prompt. Use it to explain the subject. Share enough of the writing to make the offer clear.

1. Open the article in the Ghost editor.
2. Start a new line where the public section should end. Type /preview and select Public preview.
3. Move the divider if needed.
4. Set Post access to the intended member or paid access level.

The divider does not replace the access setting. With Members only, visitors see the preview. Signed-in members can read the full article. With Paid-members only, free members see the preview. Eligible paid members get the full post. These rules apply on the web and in newsletters. See Ghost’s public-preview guide.

Check every reader state

Open Preview while editing a draft. Ghost has web and email previews. You can switch reader states to test access. The states you can choose depend on your site’s membership setup. You can also send yourself a test email. See Ghost’s publishing guide.

Before publishing, check:

• The preview ends where you intended.
• A visitor can understand what signing up unlocks.
• A free member can read posts open to them. Other posts show an upgrade prompt.
• An eligible paid member can read the complete post.
• The chosen email recipients match the offer.

For a tier-specific post, choose Specific tier in the Web preview. Select an included tier, then an excluded tier. In this Gold-only example, Gold can read both paragraphs. Bronze sees only the opening and the Gold access prompt.

Check the selected tiers in Post access again if either result is wrong. Publish only after both the permitted and restricted views match your offer.