I have been exploring Webflow lately and specifically its Membership (User Account) offer.
See below what I plan to offer, the plan I am on, and the goal I want to accomplish with it (including the user flow process I want to realize). I am seeking guidance and confirmation (or not) that this is possible.
The service I will offer
A tiered-access content site (video-based courses), where I can control which courses each of 3 membership groups gets access to
How I plan to use Webflow
The website static landing pages (front end of my service, which is basically a landing page about the features and a pricing page (with 3 pricing tiers, giving access to different dashboards and hence different videos).
The post-sign-up pages (e.g., a dashboard where you will have access to the video courses)
Current plan
I have enrolled and using Webflow Membership which will help in enabling user-only access based upon User Access Group.
I am currently on a CMS plan and do not plan on using an e-commerce account (will do via Stripe), hence only having the ability to choose “Free” as group-type.
The goal
The goal is to have:
3 different access group
Access Group 1 (corresponding to the Tier 1 pricing, and subsequent access to the platform)
Group tier 2 (corresponding to the Tier 2 pricing)
Group tier 3 (corresponding to the Tier 3 pricing)
All having
Group type: “free access” (which in reality redirect to a Stripe payment link)
Grant access: “after user sign-up and verifies their account”
Each group corresponds to 3 different pricing tiers, and gives access to 3 different dashboards depending on which group you are in.
I plan to use Stripe payment links to manage pricing payment, and their Client Portal to enable the user to update the tier they are in.
Is this possible with Native access group with Webflow Memberships;
if not, is there any “no-code” alternative solution to implement this;
If not again, then I guess the last solution and 100% working solution is to: stay with Webflow for the landing and pricing page, and then move to custom code and custom app a developer will build from the Sign Up page onwards.
I am copying @memetican@ChrisDrit who I’ve been reading a lot lately on the forum as they might have encountered this already.
Webflow User Accounts is effectively a black box which is difficult to extend.
There is no native ability to store user-specific data or to connect users to CMS data, so you’d have to build all of that infrastructure yourself.
But what you’ve described looks general enough to probably work, you’d probably break it into these phases
USER SIGN-UP
Uses standard Webflow processes, gets a free account, maybe some free taster stuff, and is then funnelled towards plan options.
PLAN SELECTION & PURCHASE
Custom built stripe integration, here you’d collect the fee and then using automation & the Webflow API you’d set the user’s access groups accordingly. Plus an email to explain their plan details.
ONGOING ADMIN
Plan cancellations, failed payments, etc. all of that you have to build stripe automations for to sync user accounts properly.
Your content is organized into groupings, by plan. One problem here is that Webflow doesn’t provide access group gating at the collection item level, so if you stick with a native stack, you have to separate your collection lists… Plan 1 videos, Plan 2 videos, etc.
When I build more advanced systems on this, I use a reverse proxy to control access at the item level.
Thanks, helpful to see. Seems it is going to be super tedious to handle.
User Sign Up
If I get your point here, you suggest to:
Basically forget to gate the content through a paywall early-on
Instead, give all the users the ability to sign up for free and get access to the dashboard which will only contains let’s say 1 free video. If you want to then get access to all the videos according to a tier-plan you will be clicking one button (inside the dashboard) that is let say “Upgrade” - which will re-direct to a Stripe link to select a plan option
Plan selection & purchase
This is where I get lost. From the previous step, the user will select a plan from a stripe payment link (3 product to chose from which are basically 3 different plans) then I will set a redirect link page that will grant access to the user, that paid the first plan let’s say, to the dashboard 1 linked to its Tier 1 plan.
But how to make sure I know that this user is into group 1 and get access to the dashboard 1 - I try to use no-code as much as possible as I am not a coder myself. Is this feasible with no code and only web hooks?
On going admin
same here, I was planing to use the Stripe Client Portal which handle the cancellation etc automatically for me. Need just to make sure the client get out of the plan if he cancels etc…
do you imply I need Zapier for this step?
For the separation of collection list how would you that ? Never used a CMS before and I am new to it. I was planning to do 3 CMS collection, one that is named Tier 1 and contains content for Group 1 member, one that is named Tier 2 and contains content for Group 2 member etc.
I am correct when saying that the final stack will look like this:
Webflow for the content and CMS
Stripe for the payments
Zapier to glue the Webflow API with the Stripe API ? - do I need Airtable to help with the base or the native webflow user group base is enough?
any custom code needed ? i.e., the need to hire a dev to handle the database and gluing stuff through Firebase for instance.
Hi @memetican - sorry for the delay with Christmas eve was disconnected.
Thanks for the detailed video.
The workflow you described is exactly what I am trying to fix and that I have displayed earlier in my user flow image.
It seems like Memberships is indeed great for a one-off product and business offering that stands like “zero or everything”.
I know about Memberstack, Outseta and the others for managing auth, as well as Make, n8n, Zapier etc. I have had a look at Make and seems straightforward.
I was not sure if this could help bridging the gap of my existing needs (i.e., defining 3 plans, 3 distinct user groups, and 3 different dashboard).
It seems from what you are saying that the best solution is: Webflow + Memberstack or Outseta + Make - to make sure I track the user ID each time throughout.
I will give it a go, let me know if you disagree.
Thanks again for the time you took for the explaination. Much appreciated.
