Easy Lock 1.0 is a JoomlaX package that hides chosen parts of a Joomla article until the visitor logs in or registers. Guests see a themed signup card. Members see the original HTML. Hidden text is removed on the server.

Think of it as three pieces that work together:

• Content - Easy Lock: parses {elock}, optional auto teaser, and the guest card.
• Button - Easy Lock: toolbar button that inserts the shortcode.
• System - Easy Lock: strips leftover tags for guests and shows a View as Guest / Member bar for Super Users.

What you can do

• Wrap private HTML in {elock} and keep the article Public
• Show Log in and Register as popup, same-tab, or new-tab
• Limit a block to named user groups
• Optional auto teaser when there is no shortcode
• Count gate shown and CTA clicks

Built for modern Joomla

• Joomla 4, 5, and 6
• PHP 8.1 or later
• Native JavaScript (no jQuery)

Before you install

• Joomla: 4.x, 5.x, or 6.x
• PHP: 8.1 or newer
• Content: standard com_content articles
• Access: Super User or administrator to install plugins

Helpful

• Published Users login and registration menu items (or URL overrides)
• Article Access left Public so guests can still reach the teaser

Not required

• jQuery
• A membership payment component
• Setting the whole article to Registered Access

Step 1: Download

After purchase, download EasyLock_UNZIP.zip from your email or the Downloads section.

Step 2: Unzip on your computer

1. Extract EasyLock_UNZIP.zip.
2. Inside you should see:
   • pkg_easylock_1.0.0.zip (install this one)
   • ReadMe.txt

Step 3: Install in Joomla

1. System > Install > Extensions
2. Upload pkg_easylock_1.0.0.zip
3. System > Maintenance > Clear Cache

What the package installs

• Content - Easy Lock
• Button - Easy Lock
• System - Easy Lock

The installer enables all three. Content - Easy Lock is ordered early so gated text is stripped before other shortcodes expand.

1. Confirm System > Plugins shows Content, Button, and System Easy Lock as Enabled.
2. Open Content - Easy Lock. Set Login menu / Register menu if you do not use the default Users views.
3. Open the Popup login tab to set the heading note (for example demo username and password), Register now, and the forgot links.
4. Leave Auto teaser Off until you want whole-category gating.
5. Edit a Public article. Click Easy Lock in the editor, or wrap HTML in {elock}.
6. Save, clear cache, open the article logged out.
7. Confirm View Source does not contain the private paragraph.
8. Log in, return to the article, and confirm the private paragraph is visible.

Super Users can add ?easylock_preview=guest or member to the URL, or use the preview bar from the system plugin.

Basic form:

{elock}
Members-only HTML.
{/elock}

Square alias [elock] is also accepted. Empty inner content outputs nothing.

Attributes (all optional)

• cta: popup, link, tab
• groups: comma-separated titles or IDs
• message: card body text
• theme: light, dark, soft, brand
• fade: 1 or 0
• showlogin / showregister: 1 or 0
• login / register: button labels

Unknown attributes are ignored.

Popup

Log in opens a compact form that posts to Joomla Users with CSRF token and return URL. Configure the popup in Content - Easy Lock > Popup login: title, note under the heading (for demo logins), Remember me, Register now, Forgot username, and Forgot password. Each of those can be turned on or off. Buttons remain real links if JavaScript is off.

Same-tab link

Buttons go to login or register with return. After success, the visitor lands on the same article unlocked.

New tab

Same URLs with target="_blank". The card shows a refresh hint.

Auto teaser runs only when Auto teaser is Yes, the context is a full article, there is no {elock} block, and the visitor is not allowed.

• Paragraphs: keep the first N block-level chunks (default 2).
• Read more: show introtext and hide fulltext. Falls back to paragraphs if there is no Read more break.

If a shortcode exists on the article, auto teaser does not run. Shortcode wins.

The live demo at demo.joomlax.com/demo/utilities/easy-lock shows popup, same-tab, new-tab, and dark theme gates.

Open a tab logged out, confirm the card, View Source, then log in and confirm the private paragraph appears.

• Nothing is gated: confirm Content - Easy Lock is Enabled and ordered early. Confirm the article contains {elock} and you are logged out.
• Guests never see the article: set article Access to Public. Registered Access hides the whole body before Easy Lock runs.
• Private text still in source: clear cache, hard-refresh, confirm System - Easy Lock is Enabled.
• Popup does nothing: buttons still work as links. Check that Users login is published.
• Logged-in user still sees the card: check the groups attribute and Default allowed groups.

Support: support.joomlax.com

Documentation: joomlax.com/documentation/easy-lock

Include Joomla version, PHP version, page URL, and whether you were logged in.