# Friendly Message When Registration Is Closed

> Replaces the bare "User registration is currently not allowed" screen with a friendly message and a link back to your site or a waiting-list page.

- Type: PHP
- Runs: Run everywhere
- Category: [Users](https://wpide.com/library/category/users/)
- Tags: registration, login, message
- Author: WPIDE Team
- Installs: 0
- Updated: 2026-10-28
- Page: https://wpide.com/library/registration-closed-custom-message/

## Code

```php
// Optional page to send people to instead.
$wpide_waitlist_url = '';

add_action( 'login_form_register', function () use ( $wpide_waitlist_url ) {
    if ( get_option( 'users_can_register' ) || ! function_exists( 'login_header' ) ) {
        return;
    }

    if ( $wpide_waitlist_url ) {
        wp_safe_redirect( $wpide_waitlist_url );
        exit;
    }

    login_header( 'Registration closed' );
    echo '<div class="message"><p>We are not taking new sign-ups right now. Please check back soon.</p></div>';
    echo '<p id="backtoblog"><a href="' . esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ) . '">&larr; Back to ' . esc_html( get_bloginfo( 'name' ) ) . '</a></p>';
    login_footer();
    exit;
} );
```

## Notes

Set $wpide_waitlist_url to a page where people can leave their email, or leave it empty to link to the homepage.

## How to use it

Install the free WPIDE plugin (https://wordpress.org/plugins/wpide/), find "Friendly Message When Registration Is Closed" in its snippet library and add it in one click; or create a new PHP snippet in WPIDE (or any code snippets plugin) and paste the code above. More snippets: https://wpide.com/library/