Want to restrict Elementor sections, columns and widgets so only the right visitors see them? Restrict for Elementor lets you individually control the visibility of every element you build with the Elementor page builder, based on criteria such as login status, user role, capability, purchases or even the visitor’s country. In this guide you will learn exactly where the visibility controls are for each of the three element types, and how to decide which level to restrict.
How visibility control works
Restrict for Elementor does not add a separate settings screen for restrictions. Instead, it places its options directly in the Content area of every section, column and widget inside the Elementor editor. You select the element, pick the restriction criteria you want to use, and the plugin takes care of showing or hiding that element on the front end.
A free version of the plugin is available on WordPress.org, and premium licenses cover 1, 5 or unlimited sites, billed yearly or as a one-time lifetime payment – see the pricing page for current options. If you are completely new to the plugin, the quickstart guide walks you through every available criterion in detail.
Restrict Elementor sections
Sections are the largest building blocks in Elementor, so restricting a section is the quickest way to control the visibility of a whole area of your page. To control the visibility of a section:
- Edit the page with Elementor.
- Click the dots handle of the section, as shown on the screenshot below.
- Navigate to the Content area on the left, where you can select the criteria you want to use.
Restrict an Elementor column
Similarly, the same can be applied to Elementor’s columns. In this case, you will have to click the little icon on the top left of the column and then, again, navigate to the Content area to select the criteria:
Restrict an Elementor widget
Last but not least, you can control the visibility of each Elementor widget as well. Click the little icon on the top left of the widget, navigate to the Content area and select the criteria to control the visibility of that widget:
Which level should you restrict?
Since the controls are identical on all three levels, the choice comes down to how much of the page you want the rule to affect:
- Section – best when a whole block of the page is reserved for a specific audience, for example a downloads area for customers or a members-only part of a landing page. Hiding a section hides everything inside it.
- Column – useful when only one part of a layout should change, such as a column with member perks displayed next to a column that everyone can see.
- Widget – perfect for a single element like a button, video or form. A classic combination is a login form widget hidden from logged in users placed next to a text widget shown to logged in users only.
You can combine restrictions freely on the same page: restrict one section for members, a widget inside another section for customers, and leave the rest public.
Available restriction criteria
Whichever element you select, you can show or hide it based on:
- Logged in users
- Users with a specific role
- Users with a specific capability
- Users with a specific meta value, the post author, geolocation (country or continent), and WooCommerce, Easy Digital Downloads or Tickera purchases – all covered in the quickstart guide
And whenever you restrict an element, you can display alternative content – an Elementor template or custom formatted text – to visitors who do not meet the criteria, instead of hiding the element completely.