gabrielmoreira Paywall Optimization Skill
The paywall is where free turns into revenue — and where a clumsy one turns users off forever. Getting it right is about what you gate, when you ask, and how you frame the upgrade. This skill designs or tunes a paywall that converts by making the paid value obvious at a moment of real intent — not by holding core value hostage.
Required Inputs
Ask for these only if they aren't already provided:
- The model & current state — freemium / free-trial / hard paywall; what's free vs. paid today; current conversion if known.
- The value — what users come for, the "aha" moment, and the features worth paying for.
- Plans & pricing — tiers and prices (or that they're open to design).
- The trigger context — where users hit the wall today, and where they feel the most value/intent.
Output Format
Paywall plan: [product]
1. Gating strategy — what stays free vs. what's paid, and why. The free tier must deliver a real aha (so users want more); gate the value that scales with success/usage — not the thing that proves value in the first place.
2. The moment — when to show the paywall: at a point of demonstrated intent or hitting a real limit, ideally just after the user has felt value — not on first open. Soft wall (prompt, keep browsing) vs. hard wall (must pay), with a rationale.
3. The screen — layout and copy:
- Headline — the value/outcome, not "Upgrade now".
- Plan presentation — tiers, the anchor/recommended plan highlighted, billing toggle (annual discount framed clearly).
- Value reinforcement — what they unlock, in benefit terms; social proof; risk-reducers (trial, money-back, cancel anytime).
- Friendly exit — a graceful "maybe later" so a non-buyer isn't lost (and can be re-prompted).
4. Experiments to run — the highest-leverage tests (trigger timing, what's gated, plan framing/anchor, annual default), each with the metric it moves.
5. Metrics & guardrails — free→paid conversion, trial-start and trial→paid, ARPU — and guardrails: free-user retention, refund/chargeback and churn rate (a paywall that converts but spikes churn isn't a win).
Quality Checks
- The free tier still delivers a genuine aha — core value isn't held hostage
- The paywall triggers at a moment of real intent/limit, after value is felt — not on first open
- Plan presentation has a clear anchor/recommended option and honest framing
- Risk-reducers and a graceful exit are included
- Both conversion metrics and guardrail metrics (retention, churn, refunds) are tracked
- Experiments are prioritized by leverage, each tied to a metric
Anti-Patterns
- Do not gate the core aha — users who never feel value never pay
- Do not hit users with the wall on first open, before any value — it just bounces them
- Do not use dark patterns (hidden cancel, forced continuity, fake urgency) — short lift, long-term churn
- Do not optimize conversion while ignoring churn/refund guardrails
- Do not present plans without a clear recommended/anchor option — choice overload kills conversion
Based On
Freemium / subscription conversion practice (value-based gating, trigger-at-intent, plan anchoring, conversion vs. retention guardrails).