Email Reveal — Help
Click-to-reveal, click-to-copy email button on member profiles — keeps addresses safe from scrapers.
What it does
Email Reveal puts a small button on every member profile that hides the email address until a visitor clicks. The first click reveals the address; a second button copies it in one click. Email scrapers and bots see only the button — never the actual address — keeping your members' inboxes safe from harvesting.
Two parts work together:
- Reveal button on member profile pages (e.g. "See Email")
- Optional opt-in checkbox on the member's own profile-edit form so each member chooses whether their email is shown publicly
How it works
Every member has a public-email field on their profile. The widget reads that field — and optionally an opt-in toggle — and decides whether to render the reveal button.
- First click — the button changes to show the actual email address inline
- Second click on the new "Copy" button — the email is copied to the visitor's clipboard
- Bots and scrapers never see the email because it's only injected into the page after a real click — protects against the bulk-harvesting attacks that flood public directories
Settings tab
Configure via Plugins → DirectoryCustomize → My Widgets → Member Email Reveal → Configure → Settings.
| Setting | Default | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Member Opt-In | Yes (recommended) | Adds a "Show my email on my profile" checkbox to each member's profile-edit form. Turn off to make every member with an email on file revealable |
| Who Can Reveal | All visitors | Who's allowed to click the reveal button. Three options: All visitors / Logged-in members only / Paid members only |
| Paid Plan IDs | (empty) | Comma-separated plan IDs allowed to reveal — only appears when "Who Can Reveal" is set to Paid. Find your plan IDs in your directory's membership-plans admin |
| Button Text | See Email | Text on the initial reveal button — localize ("Voir l'email") or rephrase ("Show contact", "Email me") |
| Button Icon | fa-envelope |
FontAwesome icon class shown next to the reveal button text. Set empty to hide the icon |
| Copy Button Text | Copy | Text on the second-step copy button |
Design tab
Configure via Plugins → DirectoryCustomize → My Widgets → Member Email Reveal → Configure → Design.
| Option | Values | What it controls |
|---|---|---|
| Design Preset | bootstrap · system · shoreline · bright · custom | Color theme applied to the reveal + copy buttons. Each preset has a coordinated set of background, text, and hover colors |
| Design Tint | -30 to +30 | Lightness offset applied on top of the preset — shifts lighter (negative) or darker (positive) without breaking the preset's harmony |
Preset guide:
- bootstrap (default) — uses your BD theme's existing button styles, blends seamlessly with other site buttons
- system — neutral grayscale, works on any directory regardless of accent color
- shoreline — teal/green tones, soft and professional
- bright — vivid, high-contrast, draws attention to the reveal action
- custom — pick "custom" when none of the presets fit and you want to override colors via custom CSS
Member opt-in flow
When Member Opt-In is on:
- A new field appears on each member's profile-edit form labeled "Show my email on my profile"
- The field defaults to checked for new sign-ups (so existing members aren't auto-hidden — they have to actively opt out)
- Members can uncheck it any time → their reveal button stops appearing for all visitors
- Their actual email field is unaffected — only the public-reveal visibility changes
- Admins can override per-member if needed via the standard member-edit screens
Access control patterns
Pick the access mode that fits your business model:
All visitors — best for public directories where contact info is part of the public listing value (local-business directories, free professional networks, open community sites). Maximum exposure with bot-protection still in place via click-to-reveal.
Logged-in members only — best for member-to-member networking sites where the value is the relationship between members. Keeps casual scrapers out and creates a small sign-up incentive.
Paid members only — best for premium directories or B2B platforms where contact-info access is a paid-tier benefit. List the allowed plan IDs in Paid Plan IDs; viewers on those plans see the button, others see nothing.
Common questions
- Does the member have an email saved in the public-email field? Empty field = no button.
- If Member Opt-In is on, has this member opted in (their "Show my email" checkbox)?
- If Who Can Reveal is "Paid members only", does the visitor's plan ID match your allowlist?
- Is the visitor logged in (when access mode is set to logged-in or paid)?
Where it lives
In your DirectoryCustomize plugin admin: Plugins → DirectoryCustomize → My Widgets → Member Email Reveal.
Two configuration tabs: Settings (6 options) and Design (preset + tint). Save changes apply immediately — no rebuild or republish needed.
Need more help?
If you've checked the questions above and the button still isn't behaving as expected, contact support with:
- Your directory URL
- The member username + the visitor's account type (logged out / logged in / paid plan)
- A screenshot of your Settings tab
We'll help you sort it out.