MemberDash General Settings

The General Settings in MemberDash allow you to control core site behaviors related to content protection, user experience, email handling, caching, and payment gateway preferences. Access these settings by navigating to MemberDash > Settings > General.

This guide walks you through each option and provides recommendations on when to enable or disable specific features.

General Settings Overview

Core Options

• Content Protection (Enabled by Default):
  Ensures only enrolled members can access restricted content. Recommendation: Keep this enabled unless you need to temporarily make all content publicly accessible.
• Hide Admin Toolbar (Enabled by Default):
  Hides the WordPress admin toolbar for logged-in users on the front end. When to Disable: If you want users to access their basic WordPress profile and dashboard via the toolbar.
• Use WordPress Cron for Emails (Enabled by Default):
  Triggers automated emails hourly using WordPress’s built-in cron system. When to Disable: Only if your web host provides a more reliable external cron system. Consult your host if disabling.
• Speed Up Results (Disabled by Default):
  Enables caching of site content for 12 hours to improve performance on high-traffic sites. When to Enable: Best for static sites with heavy traffic. Leave disabled if you frequently update content to ensure users see the latest version.
• Force Default Gateway (Disabled by Default):
  Forces payment through a specific gateway when multiple gateways (e.g., Manual Payments + Stripe) are enabled. When to Enable: Useful if you want to ensure users always complete checkout via your preferred gateway.
• Enable Account Verification (Disabled by Default):
  Requires users to verify their email before accessing protected content. When to Enable: Recommended if you experience spam registrations or invalid user sign-ups.

Navigation Pages

The Navigation Pages setting provides a shortcut to add core MemberDash pages to your site’s primary navigation menu.

• All options are off by default to give you complete control.
• You can enable these pages here or via WordPress > Appearance > Menus.

Note: Enabling pages here automatically adds them to your navigation, saving you time if you want fast setup.

Membership Pages

MemberDash automatically creates essential membership pages upon activation, including:

• Membership List
• Registration
• Account
• Checkout
• Payment History
• Login

Key Tips:

• You can assign custom pages to replace the default ones if needed.
• If using custom pages, make sure they contain the appropriate shortcodes (e.g., registration forms on the registration page).
• Quick links for viewing and editing each membership page are provided directly in the settings for easy access.

Conclusion

The MemberDash General Settings give you fine-grained control over how your membership site functions, from securing content and managing emails to streamlining navigation and checkout processes. Taking time to review these settings ensures that your membership workflows, performance, and user experience align with your site’s goals.