How Do Disable "Memberships" But Keep Subscriptions?

Using Ghost
1

Hi - new user here. I had heard great things about Ghost, but now that I am using it, I must say I am finding it extremely frustrating. Or maybe it just isn’t the right tool for what I want to do.

I am trying to start a blog that people can subscribe to. When I publish a post, it hits the website and the email list.

There will be no paid tiers. The whole thing is free.

I don’t understand why there are “members” and “sign in” buttons. I don’t need people to have memberships, and I don’t understand why they would need to “sign in” to a blog. All I need them to be able to do is subscribe to the email list.

Having both the “sign in” and “subscribe” buttons there is confusing for me, and I’m sure it will be to readers.

I already know that you can change the access settings to “nobody” and remove memberships and subscriptions entirely. I don’t want to remove subscriptions. I only want to remove memberships.

Does anyone have this same issue, or know how I can solve this?

2

Ghost uses the term member for anyone whose email is validated (ignoring staff users). They might be subscribed to one or more emailed newsletters, or they might not. They might have some extra access to your website, but that’s not required.

Sign in is how existing members (subscribers) access their newsletter settings, change their email address, etc. It could also get them access to paywalled content, or let them leave a comment, but it doesn’t have to. Subscribe is how a visitor tells ghost their email and opts in by clicking an emailed link.

Different themes make the subscribe/sign in/sign up buttons more or less obvious. Some also have a subscribe form on the front page.

You don’t want to turn memberships off unless you don’t want anyone new to subscribe to your newsletter.

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