Gate Courses Behind a Minimum Member Level on Berrytap
Restrict course access to members who have reached a minimum community level, rewarding engagement and pacing members through your curriculum.
Level-gating lets you lock a course behind a minimum community level — for example, requiring members to reach level 4 before they can access an advanced course. Creators use this to reward engaged members, pace progression through a curriculum, and make advanced content feel like something members genuinely earn. The gate is enforced server-side, so there's no way for members to bypass it through the browser.
How level-gating works
When you set a required level on a course, the course remains visible in the library for all members — but lessons are locked for anyone who hasn't reached that level yet. Members below the required level see the course card with a lock icon, their current level, and the level they need to unlock it.
The access check happens on the server every time a member tries to open a lesson. Even if a member were to manipulate the page in their browser, the server would still block the lesson content from loading. Gating is reliable and consistent for every member.
Setting a required level
Open course settings
Go to Dashboard → Courses, select the course you want to gate, and open Settings.
Enable Level Gate
Under Access, toggle on Level Gate.
Choose the minimum level
Select a level from 1 to 9 using the dropdown. Level 1 means no gate — every member can access the course regardless of their points.
Save
Save the settings. The gate takes effect immediately for all members.
Levels recap
Your community uses a points-based level system. Here are the thresholds for each level:
| Level | Points Required |
|---|---|
| 1 | 0 |
| 2 | 5 |
| 3 | 20 |
| 4 | 65 |
| 5 | 155 |
| 6 | 515 |
| 7 | 2,015 |
| 8 | 8,015 |
| 9 | 33,015 |
Members earn points by participating in your community — posting, commenting, liking, and completing courses. For the full breakdown of how points are earned and the leaderboard works, see Points & Leaderboards.
Use cases
Level-gating is flexible. Here are a few ways creators use it effectively:
- Advanced content for engaged members — keep beginner content open to everyone and gate your deepest, most valuable modules behind level 3 or higher. Members who put in the work unlock more.
- Milestone rewards — make reaching a new level feel meaningful by unlocking a new course at each milestone. A level 5 member could unlock a bonus masterclass that level 1 members are working toward.
- Pacing a curriculum — if your community is built around a learning path, use level gates to guide members through foundational content before they jump ahead to advanced material.
When you publish a level-gated course, add a post to your community's welcome section explaining what it is and how members can unlock it. When members know exactly what they're working toward — and why it's worth it — they participate more actively and progress faster.