How to Add an Age Gate This feature available on All Plans Overview When running a contest involving age-sensitive content or offering age-restricted prizes, it's essential to verify visitors' ages before granting access. ShortStack allows you to set up an age gate that permits entry to visitors of appropriate age while displaying a message or redirecting those who do not meet the age requirement. Hiding Your Content To restrict access to specific content based on age, utilize widget visibility settings to hide the content behind an age verification form. Steps: Group Content into a Container Widget: In the Edit Widgets Panel, hold down Shift and click each widget you wish to hide; selected widgets will be highlighted. Click the Add to Container icon at the bottom of the panel to move the selected widgets into a single container. Set Container Visibility to Hidden: Click the Edit icon on the new Container Widget. In the pop-up, select Visibility on the left. Enable the Starts Hidden option. Click Save & Exit. Adding Your Underage Message Provide a clear message to inform underage visitors that they do not qualify for your contest. Steps: Add a Rich Text Widget: Insert a new Rich Text Widget into your campaign. Configure the Message: In the widget settings, enter your message (e.g., "Sorry, you must be 21 to enter."). In the Visibility section, enable the Starts Hidden option. Click Save & Exit. Rename the Widget (Optional): For organization, rename the widget to something like "Underage Text." Building Your Age Form Create a form to collect visitors' birthdates and determine their eligibility. Steps: Add a Form Container Widget: Insert a Form Container Widget into your campaign. Connect it to a new list to keep birthdate submissions separate from contest entries. Configure After Submit Settings: In the After Submit section of the widget settings, ensure the Use other widgets option is selected. Rename the Form Container (Optional): Rename the Form Container to avoid confusion with other forms in your campaign. Click Save & Exit. Add a Date Field Widget: Within the Form Container, add a new Field Widget. In the widget settings, choose the Custom Field type Date, then click Next. Configure Date Field Settings: Select the desired date layout and add a field label. In the Validation subsection, set a year range: Start Year: Early 1900s (to accommodate all potential submissions). End Year: Within the last year or two. Click Save & Exit. Of Age Action Set up an action to display your campaign to visitors who meet the age requirement. Steps: Add an Action Widget: Insert a new Action Widget into your campaign. Configure Conditions: Click the + icon under When. Set the widget dropdown to select your age verification form container, and the event dropdown to is submitted. Click Save. Click + icon under AND IF. Set the widget dropdown to select your date field, and the event dropdown to is before the last. Specify the number of years (e.g., 21 years for a 21+ age requirement). Click Save. Configure Actions: Click + icon under Then. In the Widget subsection, select the Container Widget housing your hidden campaign content. In the Actions section on the right, choose Show. Click Save. Click the + icon under Then, again. Select your Age Verification Form Container. Choose Hide to conceal the form after submission, maintaining a clean campaign appearance. Click Save. Save and Test: Click Save & Exit. Switch to Preview mode in the Campaign Builder to test. Underage Action Set up an action to display your campaign to visitors who meet the age requirement. Steps: Add an Action Widget: Insert a new Action Widget into your campaign. Configure Conditions: Click the + icon under When. Set the widget dropdown to select your age verification form container, and the event dropdown to is submitted. Click Save. Click + icon under AND IF. Set the widget dropdown to select your date field, and the event dropdown to is after the last. Specify the number of years (e.g., 21 years for a 21+ age requirement). Click Save. Configure Actions: Click + icon under Then. In the Widget subsection, select the Rich Text Widget housing your hidden underage message. In the Actions section on the right, choose Show. Click Save. Click the + icon under Then, again. Select your Age Verification Form Container. Choose Hide to conceal the form after submission, maintaining a clean campaign appearance. Click Save. Save and Test: Click Save & Exit. Switch to Preview mode in the Campaign Builder to test. Related Resources How to Choose a Winner at Random (Video) Restricting Entries Using reCaptcha (Help Doc)