> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.samita.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.samita.io/b2b-lock-password-protect/access-rules/subscribe.md).

# Subscribe to unlock

Let shoppers unlock content by subscribing with their email, through Shopify, Mailchimp, or Klaviyo.

**Subscribe to unlock** asks a visitor to enter their email address, then grants access once they subscribe (or, for a Klaviyo segment, once the app confirms they're already on your list). It's an action-based rule — like Passcode and Confirmation prompt, it doesn't have an If/Unless toggle, because the shopper unlocks the content by completing the subscribe step rather than by matching a yes/no condition.

Sami B2B Lock, Password Protect supports three email services for this rule. You pick one per rule:

* **Shopify** — uses your store's native email marketing consent. No extra account or API key needed. This is the default option and has no additional cost.
* **Mailchimp** — connects to your Mailchimp account with an API key so you can subscribe visitors straight into one of your audience lists.
* **Klaviyo** — connects to your Klaviyo account with an API key so you can subscribe visitors into a list, or check membership against a segment.

## Add the rule

1. Open **Locks** and create a new lock, or open an existing one to edit it.
2. Choose the content you want to protect. See [Access rules overview](/b2b-lock-password-protect/access-rules/overview.md) for how rules fit into a lock.
3. Click the **Unlock rules** tab, then in the **Condition type** dropdown, select **Subscribe to unlock**.

<figure><img src="https://27754559-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FF4qMYopXntYz9YgUqZSo%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-444982023140378fd58d0f1502270bfa1d019fdc%2Fscreenshot-access-rules-picker-subscribe.png?alt=media" alt="The Unlock rules tab with Subscribe to unlock selected in the Condition type dropdown."><figcaption><p>Select Subscribe to unlock from the Condition type dropdown on the Unlock rules tab.</p></figcaption></figure>

4. Choose an **Email service**: Shopify, Mailchimp, or Klaviyo.

### Shopify (default, no setup)

Shopify email marketing consent works out of the box — there's nothing to connect. Once selected, the app shows a note that it remembers a subscribed visitor for their current browser session and won't ask them to subscribe again until that session ends; to require re-subscription sooner or later than that, set a duration in the **Grant access (optional)** field below it.

<figure><img src="https://27754559-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FF4qMYopXntYz9YgUqZSo%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-9cc204a029aba2d6762c8157d4589d31de7da904%2Fscreenshot-access-rules-subscribe-shopify.png?alt=media" alt="The Subscribe to unlock rule with Shopify selected as the email service."><figcaption><p>Shopify email marketing consent requires no extra setup.</p></figcaption></figure>

### Mailchimp

1. Enter your **Mailchimp API key** (an API key with audience access, generated from your Mailchimp account) and click **Check connection**.
2. Once connected, select which **audience list** the visitor should be subscribed to.
3. Set an optional **Grant access** duration, the same as with Shopify.

<figure><img src="https://27754559-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FF4qMYopXntYz9YgUqZSo%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f6391561fc6d069cd72cc2bc4512549b4c60ecd5%2Fscreenshot-access-rules-subscribe-mailchimp.png?alt=media" alt="The Subscribe to unlock rule with Mailchimp connected and an audience list selected."><figcaption><p>Connect Mailchimp with an API key, then pick the audience list to subscribe visitors to.</p></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="info" %}
Your Mailchimp API key is checked securely and is never exposed on the storefront. Once you save the lock, the key is stored encrypted.
{% endhint %}

### Klaviyo

1. Enter your **Klaviyo private API key** and click **Check connection**.
2. Once connected, choose an **audience type**: **List** or **Segment**.
3. Select the specific list or segment.
4. Set an optional **Grant access** duration if you're using a list (Klaviyo segments don't use this field — see below).

<figure><img src="https://27754559-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FF4qMYopXntYz9YgUqZSo%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-d9d2164eb9d53b7f455c752ae942fc0a406e147f%2Fscreenshot-access-rules-subscribe-klaviyo.png?alt=media" alt="The Subscribe to unlock rule with Klaviyo connected, showing the audience type selector and list or segment picker."><figcaption><p>Connect Klaviyo, then choose whether to subscribe visitors to a list or check membership in a segment.</p></figcaption></figure>

{% hint style="warning" %}
**List and Segment behave very differently — don't mix them up.**

* Choosing a **list** actually subscribes the visitor: they type their email, the app adds them to that Klaviyo list, and access is granted. This is the same "subscribe and unlock" behavior as Shopify and Mailchimp.
* Choosing a **segment** does **not** add a new subscriber at all. It's a membership check only — the app looks at whether the visitor already belongs to that segment and grants access if they do. Because there's no email field to type into for a segment check, the visitor generally needs to be signed in to their customer account for the app to identify them and check their segment membership.

Use a list when your goal is to grow a specific Klaviyo list through this lock. Use a segment when you want to gate content to people who are already members of a group you've built in Klaviyo (for example, an existing "VIP" or "wholesale" segment) without collecting a new email address.
{% endhint %}

## Shopper-facing copy

By default, shoppers who hit a Subscribe to unlock rule see:

* Notification: **"Content locked"** / **"Subscribe with your email to access this content."**
* Email input placeholder: **"Enter email address..."**
* Button: **"Subscribe"**
* Errors: **"Please fill in field"**, **"Invalid email"**, **"Unable to subscribe. Please try again."**

All of this text is editable per lock and per storefront language. See [Translate lock messages](/b2b-lock-password-protect/design-and-customization/translate-messages.md).

<figure><img src="https://27754559-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FF4qMYopXntYz9YgUqZSo%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-dcb66be1513163e55fa370b9740a978ac7f307df%2Fscreenshot-storefront-subscribe.png?alt=media" alt="A locked storefront page showing the Content locked card with an email field and a Subscribe button."><figcaption><p>An unsubscribed visitor gets the subscribe card instead of the page.</p></figcaption></figure>

## Save

5. Click **Save**. The rule takes effect on your storefront as soon as the app embed is enabled.

{% hint style="info" %}
API keys for Mailchimp and Klaviyo are stored encrypted and are only ever used to check or add subscribers for this rule — see [Permissions and data](/b2b-lock-password-protect/reference/permissions-and-data.md).
{% endhint %}

## Related docs

* [Access rules overview](/b2b-lock-password-protect/access-rules/overview.md)
* [Combining rules](/b2b-lock-password-protect/access-rules/combining-rules.md)
* [Confirmation prompt](/b2b-lock-password-protect/access-rules/confirmation-prompt.md)
* [Grant access duration](/b2b-lock-password-protect/lock-behavior/grant-access-duration.md)


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