Reading Links, Sign-In and the Account Box
Most paid newsletter readers never create a password, and they shouldn’t have to. They paid with an email address, and that address is how they expect to get back in on a new phone.
MailerHive recognizes members in 2 ways: by the WordPress account they’re logged in with, or by a one-time reading link emailed to the address they paid with.
How Members Are Recognized
- Logged-in readers are matched by their WordPress email and any FluentCart customer email linked to their account.
- Everyone else uses a reading link, which signs that browser in.
Reading Links
- On a paywall or in the account box, the reader enters the email they subscribed with and selects Email me a reading link.
- If that email has active access, MailerHive sends a plain email with a link to the issue.
- The reader opens the link on the same device and reads the full issue.
The page says the same thing whether or not the email has access: “If that email has an active subscription, a reading link is on its way. It works once and expires in an hour.” That way the form can’t be used to check who subscribes.
- The link works once and expires after 60 minutes.
- The browser stays signed in for the days set in Remember readers for (days), 60 by default.
- Access is still checked on every visit, so a reader whose plan ends loses access right away, even with the cookie.
- Requests are limited to 3 an hour for each email and 10 an hour for each visitor.
Reading links go out through WordPress mail. If they don’t arrive, check that your site sends email through a proper mail service.
The Account Box
The [mailerhive_account] shortcode adds an account box to any page:
[mailerhive_account]- For a visitor MailerHive doesn’t recognize, it shows the reading link form.
- For a recognized reader, it shows “Signed in as {email}.” and each plan with its status, such as “Paid ยท Active until December 1, 2026”, or “There is no paid subscription on this email yet.”
- Manage billing and renewals links to FluentCart’s customer profile page, when one is set in FluentCart.
- Forget this device signs a reading-link browser out.
A page such as /newsletter/account/ with only this shortcode works well, and you can link it in the footer.
The Plans Shortcode
[mailerhive_plans] shows your plan cards anywhere:
[mailerhive_plans tier="paid" heading="Choose a plan"]- tier: a tier key. It shows that tier and every tier above it. Without it, every tier shows, plus the Free card when that’s switched on.
- heading: an optional heading over the cards.
The shortcode prints nothing when there are no paid plans to show.
Signing Out
Forget this device in the account box clears the reading-link cookie on that browser only. Readers who are logged in to WordPress sign out the usual way. There’s no way to sign every device out from the server, but access still ends for every device when the plan does.