Gated Downloads

Gated Downloads let you offer downloadable files (reports, guides, ebooks, templates) to anyone, exclusively to free and paid members, or only to paid members. For the Free and Paid access levels, visitors must sign up or upgrade before they can access the file, so Gated Downloads work as both a lead-generation tool and a paid-subscriber benefit. You can embed these in any post, even one available to everyone, and the protections still work.

How it works

You upload a PDF or ePub file
You choose the access and delivery requirements in Outpost
You choose what these look like, including a Card version
Outpost generates an embed code you paste into a Ghost post or page
Readers see a download button (if qualified) or a subscribe/upgrade prompt
On download for qualified users, Outpost lets them view the file immediately, get it emailed to them as an attachment or link, or both.
Outpost tracks signups, upgrades, and downloads per file

Setting up a Gated Download

Go to CTAs/Buttons/Popups → Gated Download and click New Gated Download +.

Every gated download editor has a Name field above the tab switcher, the same as the CTA editor. It’s for your own reference, never shown to readers, but changing it also updates the Slug on the Settings tab below, which is part of the live download link.

Closing the editor with unsaved changes now asks first, whichever way you leave: the header X, the Cancel button, or navigating elsewhere in Outpost. Choose Save and close to save and exit, Discard changes to put the gated download back the way it was last saved, or Keep editing to stay.

Settings tab

Field	Description
Slug	Set from the Name field above, and used in the download link. Unique per site: renaming the download changes this, and changes the link.
Header Text / Description Text	Headline and supporting text shown on Card and Box display styles
Button Text	The button label readers see (e.g., “Download the 2025 Trends Report”)
Download Available for	Who can download (see below)
PDF/ePub file	Upload your PDF or ePub file, up to 10 MB. If the file is over 2 MB, use the “Send Link to File in Email” delivery method instead of an attachment.

The display style (Button, Card, or Box) is chosen when you create the download from the “Select base model” dialog and shown as an icon on the download list.

Access levels

Label	Stored value	Who can download
Everyone	`all`	Anyone: no login required (not truly “gated”)
Free and paid subscribers	`free`	Free members and above, which requires at least a free signup for an unknown member
Only paid members	`paid`	Paid and complimentary members. This requires an active paid subscription. Complimentary members (including group subscribers, institutional subscribers, and members on passes) are treated as paid and have access.

Delivery tab

Configure what happens after a reader subscribes to access the file:

Field	Description
Delivery method	How the file is sent after signup. The default is Send as Email Attachment, which attaches the file directly to the delivery email. Send Link to File in Email includes a secure download link instead of an attachment. Send as Attachment with Link includes both. All delivery methods send the file via email.
Confirmation Message Header	Popup title shown after successfully getting the file. Defaults to “Success”.
Confirmation Message Text	Popup body text after signup. Defaults to “Please check your email.”
Email subject	Subject line for the delivery email
Email Text	Email content; supports variables: `%SITE_NAME%`, `%PDF_URL%`, `%EMAIL_FROM_NAME%`, `%SITE_LOGIN_URL%`, `%ACCOUNT_LINK%`

Labeling tab

This lets you automatically apply member labels when someone downloads a Gated Download.

Field	Description
Labels for new subscribers	Labels applied to readers who sign up specifically to download this file
Labels for existing subscribers	Labels applied to existing members who download the file

These labels are useful for building segments and triggering Basic Autoresponder actions: for example, sending a follow-up email to everyone who downloaded a specific report.

Design tab

Settings auto-default to site settings, but if you’d like to customize the gated download cards just uncheck the default site settings and the design palette will pop up:

Field	Description
Use default design	This inherits site styling from the Default Design settings
Custom design	Override colors, fonts, and styling for this specific download

Image tab

Card and Box display styles have an additional Image tab, for the logo shown above the header text. The image must be square (1:1 ratio): at least 480 pixels wide for the Card style, at least 120 pixels wide for the Box style. The Button style has no image and no Image tab.

Display styles

Style	Description
Button	A simple download button: minimal, inline
Card	A product card with header text, description, and download button
Box	A larger box format with more visual presence

Embedding in Ghost

Each Gated Download has a Copy HTML button. Click it to copy the embed code, then paste it into a Ghost post or page using an HTML card (Post Editor → + → Raw HTML). When an unqualified reader tries to download, they see a popup:

Unknown visitors see a subscribe popup
Free members trying to access a paid-only file see an upgrade popup

You choose which popup each of those audiences gets on the Gated Download slot in Auto Display. The popup templates themselves, including their headline, body text, button text, and styling, sit on the Gated Download tab inside Auto Display’s Library. That is a different screen from the Library tab on this page, which is described below.

Tracking

Each Gated Download shows stats in the list view:

Metric	Description
Signed up for free	Readers who created a free account to download
Signed up for paid	Readers who started a paid subscription to download
Existing members downloaded	Members who already had access and downloaded

The aggregate stats appear in a blue summary box at the top of the page.

Download URLs

Download links are hosted by Outpost. If keeping the file out of casual reshares matters, choose a delivery method that sends the PDF as an email attachment.

Library tab

The Gated Download page has its own Library tab, next to Gated Download and below the summary statistics. It controls which display styles you can build a download from. Each of the Button, Box, and Card headings holds one row, named Classic, with a switch and Preview and Edit buttons.

The switch controls whether that style is offered in the Select base model dialog when you click New Gated Download +. Switch a style off and it no longer appears there. Downloads you already built from it keep working.
Edit opens the base style itself. Set the headline text, button copy, and styling here, and every download you create from it afterward starts that way. Downloads you have already created are separate records and don’t change.

Use cases

Lead magnets

Gate a free ebook behind email signup to grow your free member list

Subscriber benefits

Offer exclusive reports or templates as a perk for paid subscribers

Content upgrades

Add a downloadable companion resource to specific posts

E-edition archives

If you have PDF versions of your site, you can use these cards to build a PDF archive page in Ghost.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between a Gated Download and a paywall?

A Gated Download protects a specific downloadable file (PDF, ebook, template) that requires signup or a paid subscription to access. A paywall limits how many posts someone can read before being prompted to subscribe. Gated Downloads protect individual files; paywalls meter access to your articles.

I set access to 'Free'. Can paid members still download?

Yes. “Free and paid subscribers” means free members and above. Paid members already exceed that requirement, so they can download it too.

What happens when an unknown visitor clicks the download button?

They see a subscribe popup prompting them to sign up. You pick which popup on the Gated Download slot in Auto Display. Once they subscribe, they can access the file.

Can I use Gated Downloads as a lead magnet?

Yes, this is one of the primary use cases. Set access to “Free and paid subscribers,” configure labels to tag new signups, and set up a Basic Autoresponder action triggered by that label. Visitors provide their email to download, growing your free member list.

Do Gated Downloads work if Auto Display is turned off?

The embed code itself will render in your post, but the subscribe and upgrade popups for unqualified readers are part of the Auto Display system. If Auto Display is off, those popups won’t appear and unqualified readers can’t sign up through the download prompt.

Are download links shareable?

Treat them as shareable. Download links are hosted by Outpost, and the gate is what controls who reaches the download in the first place, so plan on a link being passed along once a reader has it. If keeping the file out of casual reshares matters, choose a delivery method that sends the PDF as an email attachment instead.

Auto Display CTAs

Configure the subscribe/upgrade popups shown for Gated Downloads

Labels

Use download-triggered labels for segmentation and automation

Getting Started

Autoresponder

Email Campaigns

Signup & Conversion

Members

Subscriptions & Pricing

Analytics & Reporting

Integrations

Advertising & Sponsorship

Events & Engagement

Settings

Developers

How it works