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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.outpost.pub/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Institutional subscriptions automatically give paid-tier access to anyone who signs up with an email address matching a specific pattern. Use this for schools, corporations, nonprofits, or any organization that purchases access for all their members.
Institutional subscriptions are different from group subscriptions. Institutional subscriptions apply to everyone matching an email pattern (no limit on count). Group subscriptions are sold as a fixed seat count, with each member added by invitation.
Institutional Subscriptions page showing a data table with group name, email pattern, tier, expiration date, and subscriber count
Go to Subscriptions → Institutional Subscriptions to manage institutional access rules.
Institutional Subscriptions are available on the Voyager and Luna plans. You’ll see a message directing you to upgrade if your site is on the Space Station plan.

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How it works

When you create an institutional subscription rule:
  1. You define one or more email patterns (e.g., @acmetechnicalcollege.edu)
  2. You select which tier matching members should receive
  3. Any new free member who signs up with an email matching the pattern is automatically upgraded to that tier
  4. After creation, if existing members already match, you’ll be offered a dialog to apply the rule retroactively
Members of the organization don’t need invite links, coupon codes, or admin action. They sign up with their institutional email and get access immediately. Email matching is substring-based — @university.edu matches any email containing that string. The single character * is a special “match every email” pattern. See Auto-Subscribe Rules for full matching details.

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Creating an institutional subscription

Click Add New and configure:
FieldDescription
Group NameA descriptive name for this institution (e.g., “Acme Technical College”)
Group LabelA label applied to every member matched by this rule. Required and unique per site. Supports the %DATE% placeholder.
Email PatternsOne or more patterns to match (e.g., @acmetechnicalcollege.edu). Substring matching.
TierWhich paid tier matching members should receive, or complimentary access.
Expiration DateOptional date when this institutional subscription rule stops matching new members
You can add multiple email patterns per institution. For example, a university might have both @university.edu and @alumni.university.edu patterns.
After saving, if any existing members already match, an Apply to Existing Members dialog appears with two options:
  • Send welcome upgrade email (default On) — sends the institutional welcome email to each matched member.
  • Cancel auto-renewal for paid members and add a complimentary subscription when the paid subscription expires (default Off) — for existing paid members whose email matches, cancels their renewal and queues up a complimentary subscription that takes over once the paid period ends.
You can re-run Apply to Existing Members later from the rule’s actions menu.

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Managing institutional subscriptions

Outpost doesn’t yet bill institutional subscribers automatically. Bill them outside Stripe (e.g., by invoice) and set up the rule manually. For card-based recurring billing of an institution, use a one-person subscription — it auto-renews. The main page shows a data table with all institutional subscriptions:
ColumnDescription
Group NameThe institution’s name
Email PatternThe matching email patterns
TierThe tier being granted
Expiration DateWhen this institutional access expires (if set)
Subscribers CountHow many members have been auto-upgraded through this rule
You can:
  • Edit an institutional subscription to update the name, email patterns, or expiration date. The tier and group label cannot be changed after creation.
  • Apply to Existing Members — runs the rule against current members. Free members with matching emails are upgraded right away. Paid members are only affected if the cancel-and-comp option is enabled.
  • Delete an institutional subscription to stop matching new members (existing members keep their access until the expiration date).
  • Export CSV to download a list of all institutional subscriptions and their members
  • Search to find specific institutional subscriptions by keyword
All members upgraded through institutional subscriptions automatically receive the Institutional_Group_Subscription label, plus the custom Group Label you set on the rule.

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Autoresponder integration

The Autoresponder includes a pre-built action in the Welcome Flow tab that notifies members when they’ve been upgraded through an institutional subscription pattern match. This email lets them know they have paid access and explains what content is available to them. See Autoresponder → Welcome Flow for details.

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Frequently asked questions

When you save a new rule, Outpost offers an Apply to Existing Members dialog if any current members match. Free members with matching emails are upgraded right away. Paid members are only affected if the cancel-and-comp option is enabled. You can also re-run this from the rule’s actions menu.
Members who were auto-upgraded lose their paid access and revert to free status. They can choose to subscribe individually if they want to continue with paid access.
Yes. If a member subscribes individually via Stripe, their personal subscription takes precedence. If the institutional subscription expires, their personal subscription continues unaffected.
Institutional Subscriptions use email pattern matching — anyone with a matching email is auto-upgraded, no invite needed. Group Subscriptions require a group owner to purchase seats and invite specific people. Institutional subscriptions are best for organizations where you want automatic access for large groups without inviting individual members.

Group Subscriptions

Invite-based group access (complementary to institutional access)

Tiers & Pricing

The subscription tiers that institutional members receive

Auto-Subscribe Rules

Other automated subscription management rules

Autoresponder

Welcome emails for auto-upgraded institutional members