Recipe: Run a Private or Invite-Only Space

Goal: a space only the right people can see or join - a client project, a paid cohort, a staff-only room. You'll need: BuddyNext Free for a private space; add Pro if you want to charge for access. Time: about 15 minutes.

Before you start

Decide how tight the door needs to be:

• Private - anyone can see the space exists and ask to join; you approve requests.
• Secret - the space is invisible to non-members; people get in only when you add them.
• Paid - entry requires an active subscription (needs Pro).

Steps

1. Create the space and set its type. Choose Private or Secret when you create it, so it is closed before anyone can wander in. Full guide: Creating a Space and Space Types and Privacy.

2. Add your people (or approve requests). For a secret space, add members directly. For a private space, approve the join requests that come in. Full guide: Managing Members.

3. Appoint moderators. For anything beyond a handful of people, give one or two trusted members moderator rights so you are not the only one keeping order. Full guide: Roles and Moderators. To remove someone for good, see Space Bans.

4. (Optional) Charge for entry. To make it a paid room, require a membership plan to join. Non-subscribers see a subscribe prompt instead of the feed. Full guide: Gated Spaces. To set up the plan and payments first, follow Launch a Paid Community.

What your members see

A private space shows a "Request to join" button until they are approved; a secret space does not appear in the directory or search at all until they are a member. Once in, it works exactly like any other space.

Related

• Launch a Paid Community - if the private space is a paid product
• Moderate at Scale - when one private space becomes many
• Space Types and Privacy - the full reference on open, private, and secret