New to WordPress.com: Earn More By Adding a Paywall 

The brand new Paywall Block can be easily added to any post or page, making it easier for creators to monetize and diversify their content.

October 10, 2023

Cris Busquets

While there are many ways to monetize your website, there’s one strategy that stands out for its potential and simplicity: the paywall. We’re excited to tell you that this feature is now available on all WordPress.com sites. 

Let’s explore why and how to use the new Paywall Block. 

What is a paywall and what are the benefits?

A paywall allows you to restrict certain pieces of content on your site or newsletter, requiring your readers to subscribe in order to access your work. 

Generally, you’ll insert a paywall partway through a post, allowing all visitors to see a portion of the content, but then incentivizing them to subscribe in order to read the rest of it. 

If you’re wondering whether this strategy is worth considering, here are the three key benefits:

  1. Revenue generation: By offering premium content behind a paywall, you open a new revenue stream and diversify your income.
  2. Audience loyalty: Paying subscribers are committed to your content, and are more likely to share your content and contribute to your site’s growth. 
  3. Content versatility: You can now offer a mix of free and premium content, and adapt it to each situation. For example, you can upload a podcast and put the transcript behind the paywall, or write a detailed case study and put the downloadable content and resources behind the paywall. These limitless opportunities make it easier for you to attract a wider audience—you can use your free content to draw in new users, and then entice them to subscribe for access to premium content.  

How to use the Paywall Block

You can add the Paywall Block anywhere in your posts or pages:

  1. In the editor for any post/page editor, type “/” or click the inserter (“+”) button to add a new block.
  2. Search for “Paywall,” insert the block, then drag it wherever you want.
  3. From the toolbar or the right sidebar, choose the audience segment who will have access to the content below that paywall—and you’re all set! 

You can also add the Paywall Block to previously published material.

Amplify an existing site with newsletter features

Whether you already have a well-established site or you’re starting from scratch, at WordPress.com you have all the tools you need to start a newsletter. With the Subscribe Block and Newsletter Patterns at your disposal, you can get a publication up and running in no time. With the new Paywall Block, we’ve added another piece to your newsletter toolbox.

What’s next?

WordPress.com is ever-evolving, and we’re always refining the design, experience, and offerings for writers, creators, and publishers like you. We’re all ears for your ideas to make it even easier for more people to publish and earn from their work.

Try out the Paywall Block and let us know what you think in the comments. We’re always listening to your feedback.

Test drive the Paywall Block

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52 Comments

Comments are closed.

  1. Joe Talks Oct 10th at 8:03 pm

    Good one, keep going 💪

    Liked by 4 people

  2. Steve Sawczyn Oct 11th at 12:46 am

    I’m really disappointed that podcast transcriptions was listed here as a use case for the paywall block. While transcriptions may be a convenience for many, they’re absolutely essential for people who may not be able to hear the podcast (e.g. someone who may be deaf or hard of hearing). I love the flexibility that the Paywall block can offer, but would hate to see it used in a way that inadvertently shuts people out completely which is what would happen if it is used on podcast transcriptions.

    >

    Liked by 1 person

  3. isteb22 Oct 11th at 2:28 am

    I just want to say thank you so very much for all of the information because I just last night well or this morning however you want to put it was telling people on my blog that I don’t know how to do that I haven’t figured out how to monetize my site yet and boom I turned my phone on and there’s your article so I’m following you and I’m going to probably gobble up every word you say. I will of course screw it up here and there and maybe I could ask you a question or two once in awhile if I get really messed up but either way thank you so much for writing that I needed to know that information you rock

    Liked by 2 people

  4. MNSPandit Oct 11th at 4:26 am

    Very helpful.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. KING Oct 11th at 4:32 am

    This isn’t working for me. I’ve just tried it

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Stellar Oct 11th at 8:10 am

    I will try to add it to my blogspot.thanx for the info

    Liked by 1 person

  7. josgibs Oct 11th at 8:21 am

    I have also some sites that I’ve been working on here which I have paid for but now everything has all disappeared. i just wished we’ve got some trustworthy people who run these sites. Thank you and Goodbye

    Liked by 2 people

  8. Elisha Mueller Oct 11th at 10:38 am

    great post

    Liked by 2 people

  9. goodgoverngovernance Oct 11th at 10:57 am

    I can not continue with WordPress without my paid plan website

    Liked by 1 person

  10. Nisha Agrwal Oct 11th at 12:31 pm

    Nice

    Liked by 1 person

  11. nasimasif408 Oct 11th at 1:24 pm

    Hearts

    Liked by 2 people

  12. tradeanthology Oct 11th at 3:59 pm

    Monetise ones site, increasing subscription numbers and to create content that people are sufficiently interested in getting are three very desirable outcomes when writing content so the paywall sounds very interesting . The responsibility lies with the content writer to make sure that the viewers want to see more.

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Thinker Oct 12th at 2:17 am

    Thanks for info…

    Liked by 1 person

  14. Dave Watson Oct 12th at 8:47 am

    I think that this is a viable option for wordpress. It works on some sites, X.com, however, has the worst implementation of a paywall I have ever seen.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Abel Simeon, PhD Oct 12th at 12:18 pm

    I just need to understand how this works

    Liked by 1 person

  16. CarolCooks2 Oct 12th at 2:59 pm

    I have come across something similar to this on a recipe site you get maybe 3 free recipes and then a taster of some others which you have to subscribe and pay for to access if you wish to have those recipes 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  17. Tazeen Aziz Oct 12th at 5:43 pm

    Great 👍

    Liked by 5 people

  18. Hiriato Oct 13th at 10:04 pm

    Sounds really nice!

    Liked by 1 person

  19. top gangster Oct 15th at 1:30 pm

    how would you add a login and sign up page?

    Liked by 2 people

  20. Ms. Manaal Mujtaba Momin Oct 16th at 3:32 pm

    Thanks for the suggestion!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Isla Becker Oct 17th at 12:22 am

    How do you add this to a blog?

    Liked by 2 people

  22. howtousedaily Oct 18th at 3:18 am

    Awesome

    Like

  23. almagiulia Oct 18th at 6:24 am

    thank you for suggesting this

    Like

  24. Andrew Konyha Oct 18th at 6:52 am

    thanks

    Like

  25. howtousedaily Oct 18th at 7:30 am

    Good

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Isla Becker Oct 18th at 8:57 pm

    I don’t understand.

    Like

  27. Soul Fitness Oct 19th at 12:24 pm

    Do tell

    Liked by 2 people

  28. bharath Oct 21st at 1:27 am

    Super updates

    Liked by 2 people

  29. farhaanfk Oct 22nd at 7:07 am

    Good

    Like

  30. mamesadbouh Oct 23rd at 2:22 pm

    Super updates

    Liked by 3 people

  31. Mutiullah Atanda Oct 30th at 4:23 am

    Keep up good work

    Liked by 4 people

  32. shan bae Oct 31st at 9:37 pm

    i really like that the paywall feature is being integrated into the wordpress system to offer us creators more flow. i have been using it recently but the tiers do not offer us the ability to create content for the highest and allowing other tiers to access that same content. this would be a similar setup to patrons tier options. i would really like to offer similar content to multiple tiers without needing to repost. the convenience would be great!

    Liked by 2 people

    • isteb22 Nov 1st at 3:36 pm

      I like it too but duck on it I’ve tried three different times and I can’t make it work I’m not very technologically savvy and of course I never have a pair of glasses so since I do it on my phone it never works out one of these days I’m probably going to find myself in the IRS office if I don’t find somebody to help me so if you know of anybody let me know please

      Liked by 1 person

  33. lovenitaangel Nov 3rd at 3:10 pm

    I love this . Please help me. I can’t see people’s reactions on my post. I can’t see their likes and comments. But they are actually liking it but I can’t see it

    Liked by 2 people

  34. Harry Willson Nov 4th at 12:11 pm

    Great news! WordPress.com now offers a paywall feature, providing content creators with a new way to monetize their work while delivering valuable content to their audience.

    Like

  35. Uzamgraphics Nov 6th at 12:54 pm

    This is great

    Liked by 2 people

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