Verify viewer email addresses (Email Verification)
Verify viewer email addresses (Email Verification)
About This Feature​
Email Verification adds a second step to the email gate: after a viewer types their address, Walnut mails them a one-time link. They can only open the demo or playlist after they click that link. It stops fake emails, typos, and shared inboxes from muddying your analytics — you know every session came from a real, reachable address.
Snapshot 📸​
Feature Status: Available to all customers who use the email gate.
Role Access: Configure workspace defaults: Admin Turn on per demo or per playlist: Admin, Editor, Presenter Verify email: Any viewer
Location: Company Settings → Access Control, and the Share panel of any demo or playlist.
How Verification Works for the Viewer​
- The viewer opens a shared demo or playlist and enters their email in the gate.
- Walnut mails them a verification link. The waiting screen tells them to check their inbox and offers a Resend and Change email path.
- Clicking the link opens the demo, and the viewer gets a grant that skips the gate on this browser for a while — so they can come back later without repeating the flow.
- On a playlist, verifying once at the outer gate unlocks every demo inside. Viewers do not re-verify per demo.
Logged-in Walnut colleagues (Owners and workspace users) are exempt from the gate on assets they can already access.
Turn On Email Verification​
Email Verification sits on top of the existing Collect viewers email gate — turn the gate on first.
Workspace default (Company Settings)​
Open Company Settings → Access Control. Beneath Collect Viewers Email, use the Email verification control:
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Off | New demos and playlists won't ask viewers to verify their email address. |
| On | New demos and playlists start with verification on. Creators can turn it off on their own assets — to prevent that, pick Required. |
| Required | New demos and playlists require Email Verification, and creators can't turn it off. Demos and playlists that already exist keep their own setting. |
The Non-work domain access toggle sits alongside — turn it on if you want to accept @gmail, @yahoo, and @outlook addresses through the gate.
Per demo or playlist (Share panel)​
Open Share on any demo or playlist. Under Collect viewers email, flip the Require email verification sub-toggle. New playlists seed this from the company default and from the workspace's non-work-domain setting.
If your workspace default is Required, the sub-toggle is locked on newly created assets — existing demos and playlists keep whatever they had before the switch.
Playlist Behavior​
- One gate for the whole hub. A viewer who verifies at the playlist gate can open every demo it contains without seeing another gate.
- Themed to your playlist. The verification screens use the playlist's own colors and take the full screen, matching the hub's brand rather than the default Walnut chrome.
- Custom-domain aware. If the playlist is served on your custom domain, the verification link points back to that domain — not to
app.walnut.io. - Rate-limited. Requests for the verification link are rate-limited per email address, per IP, and per asset, so the feature can't be used to relay unwanted mail.
What Viewers See in the Email​
The verification mail is branded, includes your company logo, names the specific demo or playlist in the CTA ("Open Q3 Product Tour"), and links back to the authenticated app if the viewer needs to retry. The waiting screen offers Resend link and Change email address so a viewer who mistypes or loses the mail is never stuck.
FAQs​
Do existing demos and playlists start requiring verification automatically? No. Changing the workspace default only affects newly created assets. Existing demos and playlists keep their own settings until you flip the sub-toggle on each one.
How long does a verification last? Once a viewer clicks the link, their browser holds a grant for the demo or playlist so they can return without re-verifying. Clearing cookies or switching browsers requires a fresh verification.
Does verification work with allow lists and specific-viewer lists? Yes. If you've restricted the demo to specific viewers or domains, verification runs on top of that check — the viewer's address still has to pass the list, and then they still verify.
What happens if the viewer never clicks the link? Nothing. Without a valid grant they simply cannot open the demo. You'll see no session recorded, which is the point: fake or unreachable addresses stay out of your analytics.
Can I preview the verification screen? Yes. In Company Settings → Access Control, click Preview next to Collect Viewers Email — the mocked player shows the gate, the waiting screen, and the branded verification mail together.
Related Resources​
Identify viewers with email gates Restrict who can view a demo Company Settings