Use this article to control who can see and buy each of your ticket types. You can keep a ticket type public, lock it so buyers can see the price but need an access code to buy it, or hide it completely until an access code reveals it. Locked tickets, hidden tickets, and access codes are ideal for pre-sales, member and loyalty access, and complimentary or restricted tickets for VIPs, staff, artists, and sponsors.
Who this article is for: event hosts. Ticket visibility (public, locked, or hidden) is set on each ticket type under tickets > ticket types > settings ⚙️. Access codes are created under promote > access codes.
What is the difference between public, locked, and hidden tickets?
Every ticket type has one of three visibility settings: public, locked, or hidden. The visibility setting decides whether buyers can see a ticket type on your event page, and whether they need an access code to buy it. The table below compares the three ticket visibility settings.
Visibility | Shown on your event page? | Who can buy it | Best for |
Public (default) | Yes | Any buyer, within the ticket type's sales start and end times | Standard tickets |
Locked | Yes, with its price, marked as locked | Only buyers with an access code, until the lock ends | Pre-sales and early access, where the public should see the price and when the ticket goes on sale |
Hidden | No | Only buyers with an access code that reveals it | Complimentary, staff, sponsor, or VIP tickets the public should not see |
Public is the default visibility for every new ticket type. Hidden tickets work exactly as they always have, so any existing hidden ticket and access code setup keeps working without changes.
How do I lock a ticket type so only buyers with an access code can buy it?
Locking a ticket type keeps it visible on your event page, including its price, while stopping anyone without an access code from buying it. A locked ticket type is the simplest way to run a pre-sale, because your members can buy the same ticket type early while the general public can see what the ticket costs and when it goes on sale.
To lock a ticket type:
Manage your event via the events tab
Navigate to tickets > ticket types via the left-hand menu bar
Find or create the ticket type you would like to lock, then click the settings ⚙️ icon
Under visibility, select locked
Under lock, choose always or for a custom date range (see the next section)
Click save
Create an access code that applies to the locked ticket type (see How to create an access code below)
Once saved, the locked ticket type appears on your event page as locked. Buyers who enter a matching access code can select and buy the locked ticket type straight away. If a buyer enters an access code and the ticket type stays locked, check that the access code's applies to field includes that ticket type, and that the access code has not reached its quantity limit.
Should I lock a ticket type always or for a custom date range?
The lock setting on a locked ticket type controls how long the ticket type stays locked. There are two lock options:
Always: the ticket type stays locked until a buyer applies an access code. The ticket type only opens to all buyers if you change its visibility to public.
For a custom date range: the ticket type is locked only between the dates you set. Use lock before to keep the ticket type locked until a set date and time, after which it opens to all buyers automatically. Use lock after to lock the ticket type from a set date and time onwards.
Example: a members pre-sale before the general on-sale
Your general admission ticket type costs $50 and goes on general sale on 1 December 2026 at 12:00 am.
Set general admission to locked, choose for a custom date range, and set lock before to 1 December 2026, 12:00 am.
Create an access code called MEMBER that applies to general admission, and share it with your members.
Before 1 December, every visitor can see general admission and its $50 price, and members can buy it with the code MEMBER. From 12:00 am on 1 December, general admission opens to everyone automatically. You do not need to change anything on the day.
How do I hide a ticket type from public view?
Hiding a ticket type removes it from your event page completely. Hidden tickets are still valid, but buyers can only see and buy a hidden ticket type after entering an access code that reveals it. Use hidden tickets when the general public should not know the ticket type exists, such as complimentary, staff, or sponsor tickets.
To hide a ticket type:
Manage your event via the events tab
Navigate to tickets > ticket types via the left-hand menu bar
Find or create the ticket type you would like to hide, then click the settings ⚙️ icon
Under visibility, select hidden, and choose when you want the ticket to stay hidden
Click save
Once saved, the hidden ticket type no longer appears on your event page. Create an access code that applies to the hidden ticket type so buyers can reveal it.
How to create an access code
An access code works like a password for specific ticket types. An access code reveals any hidden ticket types and unlocks any locked ticket types that the access code applies to.
Click promote > access codes via the left-hand menu
Click create code and give the access code a name, for example VIPACCESS
Set the quantity (how many tickets this access code can be used for). Leave the quantity blank if you do not need a limit.
Under applies to, select the hidden or locked ticket type(s) this access code should reveal or unlock
Click save
How to create multiple access codes via a CSV file or spreadsheet
You can upload a CSV file to create many access codes at once. A CSV upload suits long lists of unique access codes, such as member numbers, sponsors, complimentary artist and guest access, or pre-sale buyers.
Click Create/Add Code
Choose CSV upload
Download the example CSV file provided, then copy and paste your data into each row: the access code name that will be created, and the quantity for each access code
Save your CSV file, then upload it by clicking choose file
Select the hidden or locked ticket types that these access codes will apply to
Click save
The access codes in an uploaded CSV file apply to every ticket type selected during that upload. If different lists of access codes need to apply to different ticket types, upload a separate CSV file for each list.
Testing your access codes. Before sharing your access codes with buyers, we recommend you test them:
Make a test ticket purchase using the access code
Confirm that the hidden ticket types appear, or the locked ticket types unlock, correctly
Confirm that any quantity limits work as expected
How do buyers use an access code to unlock or reveal tickets?
Once you have created an access code for your event, buyers can apply the access code in two ways.
Manual entry on the ticket selection page: an access code field appears at the top of the ticket selection page. Buyers must enter the access code name exactly.
Via URL link: Humanitix automatically generates a unique link for every access code. When a buyer opens this link, the event page loads with the access code already applied, so no manual entry is required.
How do I offer a discounted pre-sale without creating extra ticket types?
To give access code holders both early access and a lower price on the same ticket type, create an access code and a discount code with exactly the same code name. When a buyer enters that code name once, both codes apply: the access code unlocks the locked ticket type, and the discount code reduces its price.
Lock your ticket type, following the steps in How do I lock a ticket type above
Create an access code, for example MEMBER, that applies to the locked ticket type
Create a discount code with exactly the same name, MEMBER, and set the discount amount for the same ticket type
Test the code: enter MEMBER on your ticket selection page and confirm the ticket type unlocks and the discount appears at checkout
Example: your general admission ticket type is $50. You lock general admission until 1 December and create an access code and a $10 discount code, both called MEMBER. Members who enter MEMBER before 1 December can buy general admission for $40. From 1 December, the general public can buy general admission for $50. Booking fees are added on top if you pass fees on to buyers.
Which pre-sale setup should I use?
There are two ways to run a pre-sale on Humanitix, and both are fully supported. The table below compares a pre-sale that uses one locked ticket type with a pre-sale that uses a separate hidden pre-sale ticket type.
| Locked ticket type (one ticket type) | Hidden pre-sale ticket type (two ticket types) |
How it is set up | One ticket type set to locked until your on-sale date, plus an access code | A public ticket type with a future sales start date, plus a separate hidden pre-sale ticket type revealed by an access code |
What buyers see before the on-sale | One ticket type with its price, marked as locked until the on-sale date | The public ticket type with its price, not yet on sale. The pre-sale ticket type appears only after an access code is entered |
Pre-sale price | The same price, or a lower price using a discount code with the same name as the access code | Any price you set on the pre-sale ticket type |
Capacity | Pre-sale and general sales share one capacity. Use the access code quantity to cap pre-sale sales | Each ticket type has its own capacity. You may need to use grouped capacity to prevent overselling. |
Reporting | All sales appear under one ticket type | Pre-sale and general sales appear as separate ticket types |
Choose a locked ticket type if you want fewer ticket types and simpler reporting. Choose a separate hidden pre-sale ticket type if you need a separate capacity allocation, or want pre-sale sales to appear as their own ticket type in your reports.
Commonly asked questions
What do buyers see when a ticket type is locked?
What do buyers see when a ticket type is locked?
A locked ticket type appears on your event page with its price and is marked as locked. Buyers cannot select a locked ticket type until they apply an access code that applies to it, or until the lock period ends. If you set a lock before date, buyers can also see when the locked ticket type will go on sale.
What happens to a locked ticket type when the lock before date passes?
What happens to a locked ticket type when the lock before date passes?
When the lock before date and time passes, the locked ticket type opens to all buyers automatically. You do not need to change the ticket type's visibility to public.
Do I need to change my existing hidden tickets or pre-sale setup?
Do I need to change my existing hidden tickets or pre-sale setup?
No. Hidden tickets work exactly as before, and existing pre-sale setups that use a hidden ticket type and an access code keep working. Locked tickets are an additional option, not a replacement.
Is a locked ticket the same as a conditional ticket?
Is a locked ticket the same as a conditional ticket?
No. A locked ticket type is unlocked by an access code or when its lock period ends. A conditional ticket type is unlocked when a buyer selects another ticket type that meets a condition you set, for example, an adult ticket unlocking a child ticket.
Can I limit the number of tickets a buyer can get with an access code?
Can I limit the number of tickets a buyer can get with an access code?
Yes. If each buyer is only entitled to a limited number of tickets, create a unique access code for each buyer and set its quantity.
For example, you want to give complimentary tickets to two sponsors: Sponsor A is entitled to one ticket and Sponsor B is entitled to two tickets. The table below shows the two access codes you would create.
Access code | Quantity | Applies to ticket type |
[Unique code for Sponsor A] | 1 | Sponsor complimentary ticket |
[Unique code for Sponsor B] | 2 | Sponsor complimentary ticket |
Alternatively, you can create a 100% discount code to give buyers any general admission ticket for free. Creating separate ticket types for different audiences, such as Sponsor and General admission, makes it easier to track how many people from each audience have registered.
Can I apply an access code to a hidden packaged ticket?
Can I apply an access code to a hidden packaged ticket?
Yes, you can apply an access code to a hidden packaged ticket.
Note: a packaged ticket counts towards the access code quantity as one ticket, regardless of how many tickets the package includes. For example, you create a hidden "Group of 4" packaged ticket that includes 4 tickets. A buyer uses an access code to purchase 1 x Group of 4. This counts as 1 use of the access code.
Can a buyer apply more than one access code to their order?
Can a buyer apply more than one access code to their order?
No. Only one access code can be applied to each order.
A buyer can, however, apply one access code and one discount code in the same order. For example, a buyer should receive exclusive access to a complimentary ticket and a discount on a paid ticket. Create a hidden complimentary ticket type revealed by an access code, then create a separate discount code for a fixed or percentage amount off the paid ticket type. If the access code and the discount code share the same name, the buyer only needs to enter the code once.
Can I apply a discount code to specific event dates with a recurring event?
Can I apply a discount code to specific event dates with a recurring event?
Yes. If your event has multiple dates, you can apply a discount code to selected event dates only. When creating the discount code, use the applies to event dates field.
Can I hide the access codes field from the ticket selection page?
Can I hide the access codes field from the ticket selection page?
No. Once you create an access code for an event, the access code field always appears on the ticket selection page, and it cannot be hidden.