---
title: Give your subscribers a members-only chat
sidebarTitle: Subscribers-only chat
description: >-
  Create a Private chat space that's included in your membership and hidden from
  everyone else.
audience: luminary
feature: chat-spaces
type: guide
availability: live
last_verified: '2026-10-14'
keywords:
  - members-only chat
  - subscriber chat
  - private chat space
  - included in membership
  - vip chat
url: >-
  https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/chat-spaces/subscribers-only-chat
---

# Give your subscribers a members-only chat

> Create a Private chat space that's included in your membership and hidden from everyone else.

## When to use this

- You have a paid (or free) [membership](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/business/membership-pricing) and want a benefit that makes subscribing worth it.
- You want a safe room where only committed members can talk.
- You don't want to charge for the chat on top of the membership.

## Steps

**Step 1: Make sure your membership is set up**

A Private chat space is open to your active portal subscribers. Set up your membership first in
[Membership pricing](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/business/membership-pricing).

**Step 2: Create the chat space**

Go to [Offerings → Chat Spaces](https://portal.bringsoul.life/chat-space) and click Create Chat
Space. Add a Title, a Description and, if you like, a Cover Image.

**Step 3: Choose Private**

Under Visibility, choose Private. The dialog starts on Public, so don't skip this.

**Step 4: Keep it Free**

Under Pricing, keep Free. The membership is what members pay for. Choose Paid only if you want
subscribers to pay extra on top.

**Step 5: Create, welcome and pin**

Click Create Chat Space. Write a welcome message in the room, then use the message's … menu to
Pin it.

**Step 6: Show it to subscribers on your portal**

In [My Portal → Design](https://portal.bringsoul.life/portal), turn on the Chat Space section.
You can set the section to Subscribers Only so non-subscribers don't see an empty row.

## Good to know

- Only active subscribers see a Private space listed on your portal. Anyone else who opens its link is asked to subscribe.
- If someone stops being a subscriber, they lose the right to _join_. Remove them yourself from Members if you want them out of the room. See [Moderate a chat space](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/chat-spaces/moderate-a-chat-space).
- Mention the chat in your membership description and welcome email. It's one of the most tangible benefits you can offer.

**Warning:** 
You can't switch an existing space to Private while anyone in it isn't a subscriber. If you're
converting an open room, remove the non-subscribers first, or create a new Private space and
invite subscribers there.

## What your members see

- Subscribers see the space in your portal's Chat Spaces row and join with Join for Free.
- Everyone else who opens the link sees _"This is a premium chat space exclusive to subscribers. Join our community to access this conversation and connect with other members."_ and a Become a Subscriber button that takes them to your membership signup.

## Related

- [Charge for access to a chat space](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/offerings/chat-spaces/paid-chat-space)
- [Who can see what](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/portal/visibility)
- [Customers and subscribers](https://help.bringsoul.life/luminaries/business/customers-and-subscribers)