=== VelvetGate - A Luxury-Style Age Gate===
Contributors: pluginable
Tags: age gate, age verification, 18+, content restriction, adult content
Requires at least: 5.8
Tested up to: 6.9
Requires PHP: 7.4
Stable tag: 1.0.1
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

A luxury-style age verification gate for WordPress websites with customizable design, birthday validation, and cookie-based access control.

== Description ==

VelvetGate is a luxury-style age verification plugin for WordPress that restricts access to your website using a beautiful, luxury-inspired full-screen age gate.

It requires visitors to enter their date of birth before accessing content, making it ideal for websites that require age restrictions or compliance-based access control.

Unlike basic age popups, VelvetGate focuses on design quality, user experience, and full visual customization.

=== Key Features ===

* Birthday-based age verification system
* Minimum age requirement (default 18+)
* Cookie-based “Remember Me” functionality
* Fully customizable luxury UI design
* Custom logo and branding support
* Custom colors (background, accent, text)
* Custom redirect URL for underage users
* Page/post exclusion support
* Custom CSS support for advanced styling
* Lightweight and performance optimized

=== Use Cases ===

* Adult content websites
* Alcohol or vape-related websites (where legally allowed)
* Membership-based restricted content
* Premium private communities
* Any site requiring age verification compliance

=== Settings ===

After activation, configure VelvetGate from:

Settings → VelvetGate - Age Gate

You can control:
* Minimum age
* Cookie duration
* Branding and layout
* Colors and typography
* Redirect behavior
* Excluded pages
* Custom CSS

== Installation ==

1. Upload the plugin folder to `/wp-content/plugins/velvetgate`
2. Activate the plugin through the WordPress Plugins screen
3. Go to Settings → VelvetGate - Age Gate
4. Configure your age gate settings

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does this plugin block the entire site? =
Yes, unless specific pages are excluded in the settings.

= Can I change the minimum age? =
Yes, you can set any minimum age from the admin settings.

= Does it store personal data? =
No personal data is stored. Only a cookie is used to remember verified users.

= Can I customize the design? =
Yes, you can fully customize colors, text, logo, and add custom CSS.

= Does it work with caching plugins? =
Yes, but you may need to exclude the verification cookie from caching rules.

== Screenshots ==

1. Luxury-style age verification screen
2. Admin settings panel
3. Branding and customization options

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.1 =
* Initial release of VelvetGate

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.1 =
Initial stable release of VelvetGate – Luxury Age Gate for WordPress.

== Privacy Policy ==

VelvetGate uses a browser cookie (`velvetgate_verified`) to store age verification status. No personal data is collected, stored, or transmitted to external servers.