In the Business Hub, open Settings → Memberships and click Set up with the guide. It also opens from the editor: while memberships are off, the Turn on memberships for this site notice has a Set up memberships link. The Join page on the right shows your answers as you go. Each step saves to the same place as its settings screen, and Help with this step under each step explains every field.
1. Will members pay?
Free memberships need no payments. Paid ones charge monthly, yearly or once. Both means a free group and a paid one. What goes wrong: Picking Paid with no way to take payment stops the setup at the next step until payments are connected or you make it free.
2. How you get paid
Paid memberships use the same card provider as everything else. If your store or bookings connected it, it’s done already. What goes wrong: Paid groups can’t take members without a way to pay. Free groups work without it.
This is the only step in any setup that stops you: with paid groups and no active payment account, Continue is off and says why. Click Make it free instead to carry on with free memberships. Free memberships skip this step ("Not needed").
3. Site and how people join
- Site: The website where people join and where the members-only pages are. What goes wrong: With memberships off for the site, pages can’t be set to members only.
- How people join: Open: anyone can join right away. Approval: people ask to join and you approve them. Invite only: only people you invite can join. What goes wrong: Invite only hides “Join” on the site, so nobody can ask.
- Approval emails: Owners and managers always get a bell when someone asks to join. This also emails them. What goes wrong: With nobody getting the emails, people asking to join can wait a long time. Picking Approval ticks it for you. Unticking it shows a warning only.
4. Groups and prices
A Members group is suggested. Add a group adds more.
- Group name: Each group is a set of members. Each one adds a “Member: …” tag in the CRM, so lists, campaigns and automations can use it. What goes wrong: Two groups with the same name can’t be told apart, so each name must be different.
- Price: What a paid group costs: monthly, yearly or once. Members pay on your own payment provider; ContentForge adds no fee. What goes wrong: A price under 0.50 can’t be charged.
- Grace days: How long access lasts after a failed payment. The provider tries the card again and the member gets an email to update it. What goes wrong: With 0 days, access ends at once when a renewal fails.
- Tax: Tax on membership prices: none, one of your own rates, or worked out for each member by your card provider. What goes wrong: Charging no tax where you’re registered means you owe it yourself. Ask your accountant if you’re not sure.
5. Members-only pages
Who can see each page: Everyone, any Member, or specific groups. The same setting as page visibility in the editor. What goes wrong: Pages lock only when the site is published. Until then anyone can see them.
Zeus suggests pages that look members-only (resources, downloads, courses…) and marks them; change any. The list saves to each page's Visibility, exactly as the editor does.
Log In link: The Login / Account widget in your header: “Log In” for visitors, a My account menu once they’re in. What goes wrong: With no Log In link on the site, members can’t reach their pages. If your header has none, Zeus adds the members widget to your header for you to review in the editor (Review it).
6. Member emails
The emails members get. Only the ones that apply to your setup show: paid ones only when a group is paid. What goes wrong: Left as they are, the built-in words are used. Preview shows the email; Edit changes its subject and opening line.
7. Try it and publish
Pages lock when the site is published. “View as a member” shows the site the way a member sees it. What goes wrong: Until you publish, members-only pages are open to everyone. Invite myself as a test member emails you a test invite. Then Publish now or Publish later. The last screen has Copy the Join link.