How to use the Gated Content Block

What is the Gated Content Block?

The Gated Content block is a lead-capture tool built into Zelligram, the site builder for non-profit organizations. It places a form in front of content or a link — visitors must fill out a form before they can access what’s behind it.

Once a visitor submits the form, their access is remembered for 30 days in their browser. They won’t need to fill out the form again if they return to the same page within that period.

This is ideal for downloadable resources, reports, volunteer sign-up materials, event recordings, or any content you want to offer in exchange for contact information.

Before You Start

The Gated Content block uses Gravity Forms to handle form submissions. You’ll need at least one active Gravity Form set up in your site before using this block. If Gravity Forms is not installed or active, the block will show a warning in the editor.

How to Set Up the Gated Content Block

Step 1 — Insert the block

Click the + button to add a new block and search for “Gated Content”. Select it to insert it into your page.

Step 2 — Write the title and description

The block shows a heading and a short description above the form. You can edit both directly on the canvas by clicking on the text, or from the Form Settings panel in the sidebar.

Use the title and description to explain what the visitor will get by filling out the form — for example: “Download our 2024 Annual Impact Report” or “Get access to the volunteer onboarding guide”.

Step 3 — Select a Gravity Form

In the Gravity Forms panel in the sidebar, open the dropdown and select the form you want visitors to complete. All active forms in your site will be listed.

Step 4 — Choose what happens after submission

In the After Submission panel, choose one of two actions:

• Show content below — After submitting, the form fades out and reveals content you’ve added directly inside the block. Use this for embedded videos, text resources, download buttons, or anything you want to display on the same page.
• Open link in new tab — After submitting, a URL opens automatically in a new browser tab. Use this to send visitors to a downloadable file, an external resource page, or a protected URL.

Step 5a — If using “Show content below”

An InnerBlocks area will appear inside the block in the editor. Add the content you want to reveal after form submission — this could be a download button, an embedded video, a document, or anything else.

This content is hidden from visitors until they submit the form. Returning visitors (within 30 days) will see it immediately without filling out the form again.

Step 5b — If using “Open link in new tab”

A Redirect URL field will appear in the sidebar. Paste the full URL (including https://) of the page or file you want to open after submission. The link will open in a new tab 1 second after the form is submitted.

Step 6 — Publish

Save or publish your page. Visitors will see the form and, after submitting it, will receive access to the gated content or link.

How Access is Remembered

After a visitor submits the form, a cookie is saved in their browser for 30 days. As long as they use the same browser and haven’t cleared their cookies, they will skip the form and see the content directly on any future visit.

This cookie is specific to each page and each form — so a visitor who submits Form A on Page 1 will still need to submit the form if they visit a different gated page with a different form.

Important: This is a lead-capture tool, not a strict access-control system. It is designed to collect contact information in exchange for resources — it does not enforce user login, roles, or memberships.

Tips & Best Practices

• Keep the form short. The fewer fields, the higher your conversion rate. A name and email address is usually enough for a first interaction. Ask for more information in follow-up emails.
• Be clear about what you’re offering. Your title and description should immediately communicate the value — don’t make visitors guess what they’ll receive after submitting.
• Use “Open link in new tab” for downloadable files. If you’re sharing a PDF, spreadsheet, or external resource, this option is the simplest path — just paste the direct file URL.
• Use “Show content below” for on-page resources. Embedded videos, donation forms, or rich content work better revealed in place rather than redirecting to a new tab.
• Connect your form to a mailing list. In Gravity Forms, you can add a feed to connect submissions to Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or another CRM so collected contacts are automatically added to your list.
• Pair it with a clear privacy statement. Non-profit audiences expect transparency. Add a brief line below the form (via Gravity Forms’ footer text or a nearby paragraph block) explaining how you’ll use their contact information.