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Identify viewers with email gates

Updated Jul 13, 2026

Identify viewers with email gates

Overview​

This guide covers everything you need to know about email gates in Walnut — from capturing viewer details and customizing branding, to generating leads in HubSpot or Marketo. You’ll learn how to:

Example of an Email Gate screen in Walnut prompting viewers to enter their email​

🫆 Note: Email gates are one of Walnut’s primary methods for identifying demo viewers. To learn more about viewer identification options, see the Guide to Walnut Integrations & Analytics.

Quick Start Guide​

Add an Email Gate to a Demo​

Default Setting for Demos: ON

By default, every demo has the Collect viewers email toggle set to ON. This requires viewers to provide their email address on the gated screen, and the step cannot be skipped.

To confirm or adjust this setting for an individual demo:

  1. Click the Create & Share Demo button from a template or open the three-dot menu on a demo tile in the Walnut Library.
    Button in Walnut to create and share a demo
  2. Go to the Access Control section in Demo Preferences.
  3. Toggle Collect viewers email to your preferred setting.
    Access Control settings in demo launcher showing email collection toggle

🔒 Important to Note: If this toggle is greyed out and shows "Email collection is enforced by the template creator," it means the template this demo was created from has Require Email Collection turned on. You'll need to change that setting on the template itself — see the next section.

Add an Email Gate to all Demos from a Template​

Default Setting for Templates: OFF

To require email collection across all demos created from a template:

  1. Open Template Settings.
  2. In the General section, toggle Require Email Collection setting to ON.
    • This setting enforces an email gate for all demos created from the template.
    • The email gate setting cannot be adjusted in the demo publishing process.

Template settings panel with Require Email Collection toggle

🔒 Important to Note:

If the Require Email Collection setting is enabled at the template level, the Collect viewers email setting will be locked in the demo launcher.

Demo launcher showing enforced email collection message from template settings

📎 Heads up when duplicating a template: A duplicated template keeps the original's Require Email Collection setting. If you duplicate a template that has it turned on, the copy will too — you'll need to switch it off on the copy as well if you don't want the new template gated.

⏳ Changes aren't retroactive: Turning Require Email Collection on or off only affects demos created from that template afterward. Demos that already exist keep whatever setting they had when they were created.

Add an Email Gate to a Playlist​

Default Setting for Playlists: OFF

To enable email collection for a playlist:

  1. From the Walnut Library, click Edit on the playlist you want to update.
  2. Click the Settings icon in the upper‑right corner.
  3. Toggle the Collect viewers email setting to ON.

Playlist settings panel with Collect viewers email toggle

🫧 Note: If an email gate is enabled for any demo within a playlist and a viewer enters their email address, that email will also be shared with the playlist — even if no email gate is set at the playlist level. Information from demo‑level gates automatically bubbles up to the playlist level.

Add an Email Gate to a Deal Room​

Default Setting for Deal Rooms: OFF

To enable email collection for a deal room:

  1. From the Walnut Library, click Edit on the deal room you want to update.
  2. Click the Settings icon in the upper‑right corner.
  3. Toggle the Collect viewers email setting to ON.

Deal Room settings panel showing Collect viewers email toggle

🫧 Note: If an email gate is enabled for any demo within a deal room and a viewer enters their email address, that email will also be shared with the deal room — even if no email gate is set at the deal room level. Information from demo‑level gates automatically bubbles up to the deal room level.

Email Gate Customization (Asset-Level)​

Once an email gate is activated, you can customize it to reflect your brand and manage access to your asset. Asset‑level customization is available in the Access Control section of Demo Preferences, or through the Settings menu for Playlists and Deal Rooms.

Asset-Level Customization Options:

  • Avatar: Display a custom avatar on the email gate.
  • Branded Colors: Apply a color palette that matches your asset's style or your company’s brand.
  • Welcome Message: Add a personalized welcome message for your viewers.
  • Asset Access: Control who can view the asset by defining access (e.g., specific viewers, domains, or open access).

Access Control section in demo settings showing Collect viewers email toggle

These settings can be applied at the asset level for individual customization, or at the company level in Company Settings to ensure consistency across all demos.

Customizing Email Gates in Company Settings​

🔑 Important to Note:

You must be an Account Owner or Admin to adjust these settings.

You can manage how your email gates look and behave directly from Company Settings. This ensures consistent branding and compliance across all demos, playlists, and deal rooms.

By setting these options at the company level, you ensure that all gated experiences share the same brand identity and compliance standards.

Company-Level Customization Options:

  • Collect Viewers Email: Sets the starting point for new demos — but a template's own Require Email Collection setting always takes priority over this. If a template has that setting turned on, turning Collect Viewers Email off here will not remove the email gate from demos made with that template. To stop gating a specific template, turn its Require Email Collection setting off directly on the template (see Add an Email Gate to all Demos from a Template above).

  • Non‑Work Domain Access: Allow or block personal email domains (e.g., @gmail, @yahoo, @outlook) from accessing demos.

  • Show Avatar: Display the company avatar defined in your brand style settings.

  • Show Colors: Apply your company’s branded color palette for a consistent look and feel.

  • Welcome Message: Add a custom welcome message for viewers (up to 700 characters).

  • Require Compliance: Require viewers to accept your company’s Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy before accessing demos.

  • Ask Consent to Use Cookies: Prompt demo viewers to provide consent for cookie use to comply with regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA).

  • Cookie Consent Privacy URL: Provide the URL to your privacy or cookie consent policy.

  • Demo Access: Define who can access your company’s demos (e.g., open access, specific viewers, or restricted by domain).

⏳ Note: Updating any of these Company Settings only changes what's applied to new demos going forward. It won't change demos that already exist, and — as noted above — it won't override a template that already requires email collection on its own.

How These Settings Work Together​

Email collection can be set in three places: Company Settings, an individual template, and an individual demo. When they disagree, here's the order of priority:

  1. A template's "Require Email Collection" (if ON) always takes priority. Every demo made from that template is gated, the demo-level toggle is locked, and nothing in Company Settings can turn it off.
  2. If the template setting is OFF (or not set), new demos fall back to whatever Collect Viewers Email is currently set to in Company Settings.
  3. Once a demo is created, its own Collect viewers email toggle (if unlocked) is what actually controls that demo — changing the template or Company Settings afterward won't reach back and change it.

In short: think of Company Settings as the default for ungated templates, not a master switch that can override a template that's already set to require email collection. To guarantee no email gate anywhere, make sure Require Email Collection is off on every template, in addition to turning off Collect Viewers Email in Company Settings.

Generate Leads from Demo Email Gates (HubSpot & Marketo)​

⚠️ Important to Note:

This feature requires that either the HubSpot Integration or the Marketo Integration is connected in Integrations.

If either the HubSpot or Marketo Integration is enabled, you can identify viewers and automatically create new leads within HubSpot or Marketo with the email gate.

  1. Connect your CRM integration:
  2. Activate contact/lead generation in the Configure section of either the Hub

Spot or Marketo integration: - **Hub

Spot:** Toggle the Generate Contacts Directly from Demos setting ON.

-   ![HubSpot integration settings showing Generate Contacts Directly from Demos toggle](pathname:///images/7dfc0d78b936cb5a.png)
    
-   **Marketo:** Toggle the **Generate Leads Directly from Demos** setting **ON**.

-   ![Marketo integration settings showing Generate Leads Directly from Demos toggle](pathname:///images/0aa583d16f564e4d.png)

3. In the Access Control section of Demo Preferences, ensure that the Collect viewers email setting is toggled to ON. 4. Leads flow automatically to your CRM: - HubSpot: Each captured email creates a new contact in your HubSpot database. - Marketo: Each captured email generates a new prospect in your Marketo instance.

Email Gates vs. Lead Forms​

Want to know exactly who’s watching your demos? Both lead forms and email gates can do the job. Use this guide to pick the best tool for your strategy.

Email GatesLead Forms
In-Demo PlacementFixed — only at the start of a demoFlexible — start, end, a specific screen (non-guided), or a guide step (guided)
Placement Scope (All Asset Types)Demo, Playlist, & Deal Room levelDemo-level only
Not supported at Playlist or Deal Room level
Viewer Can Skip (If Configured)❌ No — viewers must enter their email to continue.✅ Yes — forms can be configured with a “Skip” option, allowing viewers to proceed without submitting details.
Information CollectedEmail only
Customizable — add fields beyond email (information from additional fields sent to form provider only)

| | Branding & Customization | Additional settings for avatar, branded colors, welcome message, and compliance settings (terms, privacy, and cookie consent) | Form design primarily handled through provider | | Access Control | Control demo access using viewer emails or domains | ❌ Not supported | | Smart Personalization | ❌ Not supported | ✅ Supported |

FAQs​

What Happens If a Viewer Opens a Demo, Playlist, or Deal Room but Doesn’t Enter Their Email?

If a viewer opens a demo, playlist, or deal room but does not submit their email address, they are considered a "bounced" viewer. Bounced viewers are:

  • Shown as "Anonymous" viewers in Walnut Insights

  • Excluded from CRM lead generation (HubSpot & Marketo)

  • Excluded from integration syncing

Pro Tip 👑

To reduce bounce rates, customize your email gate with a friendly welcome message, branded visuals, and clear value to encourage viewers to continue.

Can I See Metrics for Bounced Viewers?

  • Yes. While you won’t capture their identity, bounced viewers still appear in Walnut Insights as "A****nonymous" engagement data.

Can I Use Both a Lead Form and an Email Gate at the Same Time?

  • No. Only one can be active at a time. If a lead form is enabled, it takes priority and will completely replace the email gate — even if the Collect viewers email toggle is turned on.

I turned off "Collect Viewers Email" in Company Settings, but demos from one of my templates are still gated. Why?

  • That template has its own Require Email Collection setting turned on, which always overrides the Company Settings default. Open that template's settings and turn Require Email Collection off directly — see Add an Email Gate to all Demos from a Template. Note that this only affects demos created after the change; existing demos keep their current setting.

How Can I Reduce Bounce Rates and Capture More Leads If I Don't Use an Email Gate?

  • In addition to customizing your email gate, consider using lead forms placed strategically within a demo (e.g., at the end, after a number of guide steps, after a set number of clicks, etc.). Lead forms allow you to collect viewer details later in the flow, which can reduce bounced viewers compared to gating the demo upfront.
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