Skip to main content
Not every agent is open to everyone. When you set an agent’s access mode to Restrict or Pay for Access, visitors meet a gate before they can chat. This page shows exactly what that gate looks like from the visitor’s side, so you know what you’re sending people into. You choose the access mode on the Visibility screen — see Visibility & access. The setup for charging visitors lives in Paid agents. This page is the visitor’s-eye view.

​
When does a visitor hit a gate?

Access modeWhat the visitor sees
Use for FreeNothing — they start chatting right away.
RestrictAn email sign-in prompt. Only people in your CRM can get in.
Pay for AccessA paywall. They pay (via Stripe) before chatting.

​
Restricted agents: email sign-in

When an agent is Restricted, only the contacts in your CRM can use it. Visitors verify their email with a one-time code (OTP) — no password to remember.

​
What the visitor does

1

Enter their email

The chat shows Authenticate To Use the Chatbot with an email box (“Your Email Address”). A helper line makes the rule clear: “Only users added in the CRM can access this chatbot.” The visitor enters their email and selects Send code.
The widget's Verify Your Identity email-verification step for restricted access.
2

Enter the code from their inbox

A 6-digit code is emailed to them: “An OTP has been sent to your email. Please enter it to authenticate.” The screen confirms Code sent to their address, with a quick Open Gmail shortcut and a countdown (Expires in…).
3

Start chatting

Once the code checks out, they’re in and can chat. Their conversation is now tied to their verified identity, so their history follows them when they return.

​
If they don’t get the code

The sign-in screen helps visitors recover without contacting you. They can Resend the code (after a short cooldown — “Resend in…”), or Change email if they typed it wrong. A Need help? section spells out the usual fixes:
  • “Check your spam folder”
  • “Make sure your email is correct”
  • “Wait a moment and try Resend”
For security, too many wrong attempts temporarily locks sign-in — “Too many attempts. Please request a new code.” The visitor simply requests a fresh code to continue. Codes also expire after a while, so very old codes won’t work.
A visitor can only sign in if their email is already a contact in your CRM. If someone you expect to have access is turned away, add them as a contact first. See the CRM overview.

​
Pay-for-Access agents: the paywall

When an agent uses Pay for Access, visitors pay you for access before they can chat. Payment is handled securely through Stripe — visitors never enter card details inside your site.

​
What the visitor does

1

See the paywall

Instead of the chat, the visitor sees a paywall headed This Chatbot is Monetized by the Creator, with the invitation “Get continued access to insights, responses, and features by subscribing.” The button shows your price — for example Subscribe for $X.
2

Identify and pay

The visitor enters their email to start (“Please enter your email address to start with your account”), then selects Subscribe Now and completes payment on Stripe’s secure checkout.
3

Return and chat

After paying, they’re returned to the chat and can start talking. A banner confirms they’re subscribed and shows how much access remains: “You’re now subscribed to the chatbot. You have … of access remaining.”

​
Running low or expiring

Access is metered by the duration and message allowance you configured (see Paid agents). As a visitor approaches the limit, the chat nudges them:
StateWhat the visitor sees
Running low”…of access remaining. Upgrade now to keep chatting without interruptions.” with an Upgrade Now button.
Expired / used up”Your access has expired or credits exhausted.” and a prompt to upgrade to continue.
The access a visitor buys is their allowance for your agent — it’s separate from your own A2V2.ai plan credits. For how you set the price, duration, and message allowance (and track revenue), see Paid agents.

​
Tips

  • Use Restrict for internal tools, member-only assistants, or anything where you want to know exactly who’s chatting — every sign-in becomes a known contact.
  • Use Pay for Access when the agent is valuable enough that people will pay for it; keep it Use for Free when your goal is reach and lead capture.
  • Tell visitors up front (on the page hosting the agent) that they’ll sign in or pay, so the gate isn’t a surprise.

​
Troubleshooting

Their email must be a contact in your CRM. Add them as a contact, then have them try Send code again.
Ask the visitor to check spam, confirm the email is spelled correctly, and use Resend after the cooldown. Codes expire, so they should use the most recent one.
Their access duration may have ended or their message allowance may be used up. Check their status under the agent’s Subscriptions — see Paid agents.
Switch the agent’s access mode on the Visibility screen. Choosing Use for Free removes sign-in and payment entirely.

Visibility & access

Where you set the access mode for each agent.

Paid agents

Set the price, duration, and allowance, and track revenue.

Visitor experience

What the chat itself looks like once visitors are in.

Install on your platform

Add the gated agent to your website.