How To Add Protected Pages in Bricks Builder (Without a Membership Plugin)

Updated January 2026: This lesson shows how to protect premium content in Bricks Builder using custom fields + conditions, and how to optionally protect entire pages using a lightweight PHP function.

If you’re building a course platform in WordPress, you eventually need membership-style protection. The good news is: you don’t always need a heavy membership plugin to protect your content.

In Bricks Builder, you can create “membership functionality” using:

• Custom fields (ACF / SCF)
• Bricks Builder Conditions
• User roles (Subscriber, SureCart Customer, Admin)

Quick Answer: How do you protect premium content in Bricks Builder?

Create a custom field for premium content, then use Bricks Conditions to show that content only when a user is logged in as a customer or subscriber. Optionally, add a small PHP function to redirect non-members away from protected pages to a “No Access” page.

FAQ (Quick Answers)

Do I need a membership plugin to protect content in Bricks Builder?

No. For many course platforms, you can protect content using custom fields and Bricks conditions based on user roles.

Can I restrict content for SureCart customers only?

Yes. You can show content only to users with the sc_customer role (and optionally also subscribers/admins).

How do I protect an entire page (not just a block)?

You can add a lightweight PHP function that checks a custom field like protect_page, then redirects unauthorized users to a “No Access” page.

Lesson Overview

In this lesson, we protect both:

• Blocks of premium content (using Bricks Conditions)
• Entire pages (using a custom PHP redirect function)

Main Points

• Add a custom field for premium/protected content
• Create a subscriber-only message (for non-members)
• Use Bricks Conditions for user roles
• Test as admin vs logged-out user
• Add optional full-page protection with redirect

Part 1: Protect Premium Content Blocks Using Custom Fields + Bricks Conditions

Step 1: Add New Custom Fields

In your custom fields plugin, add the following fields to your lesson post type:

• protected_text (WYSIWYG Editor)
• protect_page (True/False toggle)

The WYSIWYG editor is ideal because it allows you to insert:

• Text
• Links
• Buttons
• Downloads
• Graphics

Step 2: Duplicate a Section in the Bricks Template

Open your lesson template in Bricks Builder.

Duplicate the block where you want premium content to appear (for example: under a lesson link area), then rename it to something like:

• Premium Content

Step 3: Create Two Content Areas

Inside that Premium Content block, add two rich text elements:

• Protected Text (this is the premium content field)
• Subscribe Message (this is shown to non-members)

Step 4: Map the Premium Content Field (Dynamic Data)

Click the Protected Text element and map it to your custom field using Dynamic Data.

Example:

• Dynamic Data → ACF → Protected Text

Step 5: Add Conditions for Who Sees What

This is where the membership logic happens.

Subscribe Message should show when the user is:

• Not a SureCart customer
• Not a subscriber

Protected Content should show when the user is:

• A SureCart customer
• A subscriber
• An administrator

Once saved, you can test the result by opening the page in a different browser where you’re not logged in.

Part 2: Protect Entire Pages Using a Redirect Function

Block-level protection is perfect for most course content. But sometimes you want to protect the entire lesson page from being viewed.

For that, I use a simple custom function that checks a field called protect_page and redirects unauthorized users to a page called:

• /no-access

Step 1: Create a No Access Page

Create a WordPress page titled:

• No Access

And set the slug as:

• no-access

This ensures the redirect works consistently.

Step 2: Add the PHP Function to Your Child Theme

This code should be placed inside:

• functions.php of your child theme

Using a child theme matters because Bricks updates can overwrite theme files.

Function Code Used in This Lesson

Copy/paste this into your child theme functions.php (or a code snippets plugin).

Important: Copy/paste this into your child theme functions.php file (or use a code snippets plugin).

Before you paste: Most functions.php files already begin with <?php at the very top. Just confirm it’s there first (if it’s missing, add it before pasting any PHP code).

Tip: If WordPress won’t let you save PHP edits (or the Theme File Editor is disabled), you may need to paste this code using your hosting file access instead (example: cPanel File Manager, FTP, or your host’s file editor).

// Check if the current user is a SureCart customer, a WordPress subscriber, or an administrator
function bb_protect_is_active_member() {

    // Allow admins always
    if ( current_user_can('administrator') ) {
        return true;
    }

    // Must be logged in for role checks
    if ( ! is_user_logged_in() ) {
        return false;
    }

    $user = wp_get_current_user();

    // Define valid roles (extend anytime)
    $valid_roles = array('sc_customer', 'subscriber');

    // Check if user has at least one valid role
    if ( ! empty($user->roles) && array_intersect($valid_roles, $user->roles) ) {
        return true;
    }

    return false;
}


// Protect the page or post from being displayed based on 'protect_page' field value
function bb_protect_page_or_post() {

    // If we can't determine post ID, bail safely
    $post_id = get_the_ID();
    if ( ! $post_id ) {
        return;
    }

    // Get protect_page field (ACF first, fallback to post meta)
    $protect_page = function_exists('get_field')
        ? get_field('protect_page', $post_id)
        : get_post_meta($post_id, 'protect_page', true);

    // Normalize truthy values
    $is_protected = in_array($protect_page, array(1, '1', true, 'yes', 'on'), true);

    // Only protect if toggle is enabled
    if ( ! $is_protected ) {
        return;
    }

    // If user is not authorized, redirect
    if ( ! bb_protect_is_active_member() ) {

        // Prevent redirect loops (by slug)
        if ( ! is_page('no-access') ) {
            wp_safe_redirect( home_url('/no-access') );
            exit;
        }
    }
}


// Hook into template_redirect (runs before output)
add_action('template_redirect', 'bb_protect_page_or_post');

Wrapping It Up

This protection method is lightweight and flexible. You can safely restrict premium lesson content without adding a complicated membership plugin — and still allow SureCart customers and subscribers to access what they paid for.

If you want more control later, you can expand this system with additional roles, page-level rules, and course progress logic.