Add an age verification popup to your website

If your website offers age-restricted products, implementing an age verification popup (or “age gate”) isn't just good practice — it's often a legal requirement.

An age gate requires visitors to confirm they've reached a specific age before accessing your content, helping you comply with regulations while protecting your brand reputation and vulnerable audiences.

With Getsitecontrol, you can add one to your website for free and within a couple of minutes – even if you have zero technical knowledge.

One way to do it is by using a popup with two buttons:

If a visitor clicks I’M OVER 18, the popup will automatically close and they will be able to continue browsing the website. If a visitor clicks I’M UNDER 18, they will be redirected to any URL of your choice.

Another template you may want to consider contains a mandatory age confirmation checkbox:

With this template, a visitor will only be able to enter the website if the box is checked.

Note that both age verification widgets are fullscreen. This means they will completely cover the webpage content when they pop up. There is also no way to close these popups without confirming your age.

Now that you've seen the examples, let's walk through the simple step-by-step process of implementing and customizing your chosen age gate to match your website's needs.

How to add an age verification popup to your website using Getsitecontrol

The fastest and easiest way to add an age gate to your website is by using one of the templates above.

Suppose you’ve selected template number one – the popup with two buttons. Make a click on the template to activate the live preview mode:

Next, follow the instructions on the right-hand side to create an account. Once you sign up, the selected template will automatically open in your dashboard, where you'll have full control over text, colors, and display settings.

Step 1. Change the text on the age verification popup

On the first screen, you’ll have options to change the copy and the appearance of the popup. Click on the text you want to edit, right on the template, and make the required changes.

For example, you might need to increase the minimum age requirement from 18 to 21 – in the title and on the buttons.

Step 2. Decide what happens when a visitor clicks on the buttons

As you start editing the copy on the buttons, go ahead and confirm the action triggered by the button click. For instance, when a visitor hits I’M OVER 21, the age verification popup will automatically close – hence, the Close widget action must be applied, as illustrated below.

For the I’M UNDER 21 button, the default action is Open URL, and it prevents visitors from proceeding to the website by redirecting them elsewhere. You can type any web address and redirect underage visitors from your website.

Step 3. Change the image and color theme

Depending on your industry and the color theme of your website, you may want to make a few appearance adjustments. That’s easy!

To change the background image, click on it and proceed to Change image. Then select a different image in the built-in gallery or upload a picture.

To change the text font, the color scheme, and the theme style, open the Theme menu and select the desired options.

Finally, you can check how your age verification popup will look on mobile screens by switching to the mobile preview mode. Go ahead and use the dropdown menu at the bottom to see how the popup will appear on screens with different resolutions.

Step 4. Decide when and where the age verification popup should appear

Finally, you need to decide when to display the age verification popup on your website. To set the displaying conditions, open the Targeting tab in the dashboard.

By default, the age gate will pop up on any landing page where a visitor enters your website. It makes sense if your entire website contains age-sensitive content.

With the default settings, every visitor, no matter where they start browsing your website, will see the age verification popup as soon as they enter.

If you only want to place an age gate on particular pages, type the URLs of these pages in the following field: Display widget on — Include.

Another displaying condition you may want to set is Stop to display the widget. It allows you to stop displaying the popup for a certain period (for instance, for 1 day) once the user closes it. In other words, once a website visitor confirms they’ve reached the required age, they won’t see the age gate for the next 24 hours, even if they re-enter the website more than once.

Once you’re done with the settings, click through the Continue → button to save the widget and close the editor.

Step 5. Activate the age gate on your website

Activate the age verification popup on the website following the prompts in the dashboard. If you have connected Getsitecontrol to your website by that moment, the popup will go live immediately.

Test the popup to make sure it works the way you intended, and keep in mind that you’ll be able to change its appearance at any moment. Once your visitors start interacting with the popup, you’ll start seeing the statistics on views and clicks right in the Getsitecontrol dashboard.

💡 Installing Getsitecontrol on your website is easy and requires no coding knowledge. You can find detailed, step-by-step instructions for your website platform in our Help Center.

Age verification made simple

Creating an age verification system for your website doesn't have to involve complex coding or expensive solutions. With Getsitecontrol's pre-designed templates, you can implement a professional-looking age gate in just minutes.

The fullscreen design ensures visitors can't access your content without confirming their age, while customization options let you match the popup perfectly to your brand. This simple tool provides essential protection for both your business and your audience, especially for:

• Alcohol brands and online stores
• Cannabis/CBD product websites (where legally sold)
• Online gambling and betting platforms
• Adult entertainment websites
• Mature-themed gaming sites
• Vaping and tobacco product retailers
• Dating platforms with age requirements

No matter your industry, if you have age-restricted content, implementing proper verification is crucial.

Ready to add an age verification popup to your website? Choose one of the templates from the gallery, make it yours, and ensure your content is accessed only by those who meet the age requirements.