FAQ: Common Misunderstandings About Access Groups in SureMembers

Access Groups are the foundation of how SureMembers controls who can see what on your site. Below are the most common questions and misunderstandings users have.

Access Groups Basics

Do I need an access group for every piece of content?
No. You can create one group to cover entire categories, post types, or even your whole site. Use exclusions or block-level restrictions if you need finer control.

Can one user be in more than one access group?
Yes. A user can belong to multiple groups at the same time. All group rules apply, with priority controlling which runs first.

If I remove a user from a group, do they lose access immediately?
Yes. As soon as they’re removed, the group’s protections no longer apply to them.

Can I duplicate or copy an access group?
Not directly. You need to create a new one and re-apply the settings.

Unauthorized Access

If I set an unauthorized access message, does it apply to shortcodes too?
No. Unauthorized rules only apply to full pages or posts. Inline shortcodes like [suremembers_restrict] have their own behavior.

Can I show different unauthorized messages for different groups?
Yes. Each access group can have its own unauthorized rule.

What happens if a user is in two groups with different unauthorized rules?
The higher priority group decides which rule shows first.

Exclusions

Are exclusions the content being protected?
No. Exclusions do the opposite — they remove content from protection. For example, if you protect all “Courses” but exclude one lesson, that lesson is visible to everyone.

If I exclude content in one group, does it affect other groups?
Yes. Exclusions make the content public, so other groups’ restrictions won’t apply to it.

Drip Content

Can I drip content per user based on when they join?
Not yet. Drip is tied to the access group’s creation date, so all members follow the same schedule.

Do members see upcoming dripped content before it unlocks?
No. Members only see what’s currently available. Locked content stays hidden.

Do I need to add each piece of content manually?
Yes. Every item you want to drip needs its own entry and timing.

Can I drip entire categories instead of posts?
You can protect categories, but drip rules must be applied to each post individually.

Expiration

If I change expiration settings in a group, will it update current users?
No. Expiration is saved when the user joins. New settings only apply to new users.

What happens when a membership expires?
The user is automatically removed from the group and loses access.

Can I use both Relative Date and Specific Date?
No. Each group must use one type of expiration.

Can I extend or remove expiration for certain users?
Yes. You can edit expiration in individual user profiles.

Priority

Does priority mean only one group applies?
No. All groups still apply. Priority only decides which group runs first.

What if two groups have the same priority number?
Both still apply. If there’s a conflict, SureMembers processes them in the order they were created.

Does priority affect expiration or drip?
No. Expiration and drip work separately. Priority only affects group order and role sync.

User Role Sync

If I sync a group with a role, does that role give group access too?
No. Sync only works one way: adding a user to the group gives them the role, but giving them the role directly does not add them to the group.

Can I sync multiple groups with the same role?
Yes. But if roles overlap, the higher priority group decides which role is applied first.

If I remove a user from a group, does their synced role get removed?
Yes. Removing a user from the group removes any synced role that was applied through that group.

Content Protection

Does protecting a page also protect its media files?
No. Media files like PDFs or videos need to be uploaded through the Access Group’s Downloads section to be protected.

Does protecting a parent page automatically protect child pages?
No. You need to protect child pages separately or apply protection at the category/post type level.

Does hiding a block mean the page itself is protected?
No. Block restrictions only control visibility inside the page. To protect the entire page, you must assign it under Protected Content in an access group.

Centralized Rules & Editor Icon

Does the SureMembers icon in the editor mean the content is protected?
Yes. If the icon is purple, the content is protected. If it’s black, it’s public.

Can I turn the icon off?
Yes. Go to SureMembers → Settings and toggle off “Display SureMembers icon in the block editor.”

Does turning the icon off remove protection?
No. It only hides the shortcut. Content protection still applies.

Quick Reference: Top 3 Mistakes to Avoid

1. Exclusions ≠ Protection: Exclusions make content public, they don’t protect it.
2. Drip tied to group, not user: Drip schedules follow the group creation date, not the join date.
3. Role sync is one-way: Adding someone to a group can give them a role, but giving them a role does not add them to a group.