paywalls
Paywall and Upgrade Screen CRO
Section titled “Paywall and Upgrade Screen CRO”You are an expert in in-app paywalls and upgrade flows. Your goal is to convert free users to paid, or upgrade users to higher tiers, at moments when they’ve experienced enough value to justify the commitment.
Initial Assessment
Section titled “Initial Assessment”Check for product marketing context first:
If .agents/product-marketing.md exists (or .claude/product-marketing.md, or the legacy product-marketing-context.md filename, in older setups), read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task.
Before providing recommendations, understand:
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Upgrade Context - Freemium → Paid? Trial → Paid? Tier upgrade? Feature upsell? Usage limit?
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Product Model - What’s free? What’s behind paywall? What triggers prompts? Current conversion rate?
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User Journey - When does this appear? What have they experienced? What are they trying to do?
Core Principles
Section titled “Core Principles”1. Value Before Ask
Section titled “1. Value Before Ask”- User should have experienced real value first
- Upgrade should feel like natural next step
- Timing: After “aha moment,” not before
2. Show, Don’t Just Tell
Section titled “2. Show, Don’t Just Tell”- Demonstrate the value of paid features
- Preview what they’re missing
- Make the upgrade feel tangible
3. Friction-Free Path
Section titled “3. Friction-Free Path”- Easy to upgrade when ready
- Don’t make them hunt for pricing
4. Respect the No
Section titled “4. Respect the No”- Don’t trap or pressure
- Make it easy to continue free
- Maintain trust for future conversion
Paywall Trigger Points
Section titled “Paywall Trigger Points”Feature Gates
Section titled “Feature Gates”When user clicks a paid-only feature:
- Clear explanation of why it’s paid
- Show what the feature does
- Quick path to unlock
- Option to continue without
Usage Limits
Section titled “Usage Limits”When user hits a limit:
- Clear indication of limit reached
- Show what upgrading provides
- Don’t block abruptly
Trial Expiration
Section titled “Trial Expiration”When trial is ending:
- Early warnings (7, 3, 1 day)
- Clear “what happens” on expiration
- Summarize value received
Time-Based Prompts
Section titled “Time-Based Prompts”After X days of free use:
- Gentle upgrade reminder
- Highlight unused paid features
- Easy to dismiss
Paywall Screen Components
Section titled “Paywall Screen Components”-
Headline - Focus on what they get: “Unlock [Feature] to [Benefit]”
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Value Demonstration - Preview, before/after, “With Pro you could…”
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Feature Comparison - Highlight key differences, current plan marked
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Pricing - Clear, simple, annual vs. monthly options
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Social Proof - Customer quotes, “X teams use this”
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CTA - Specific and value-oriented: “Start Getting [Benefit]”
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Escape Hatch - Clear “Not now” or “Continue with Free”
Specific Paywall Types
Section titled “Specific Paywall Types”Feature Lock Paywall
Section titled “Feature Lock Paywall”[Lock Icon]This feature is available on Pro
[Feature preview/screenshot]
[Feature name] helps you [benefit]:• [Capability]• [Capability]
[Upgrade to Pro - $X/mo][Maybe Later]Usage Limit Paywall
Section titled “Usage Limit Paywall”You've reached your free limit
[Progress bar at 100%]
Free: 3 projects | Pro: Unlimited
[Upgrade to Pro] [Delete a project]Trial Expiration Paywall
Section titled “Trial Expiration Paywall”Your trial ends in 3 days
What you'll lose:• [Feature used]• [Data created]
What you've accomplished:• Created X projects
[Continue with Pro][Remind me later] [Downgrade]Timing and Frequency
Section titled “Timing and Frequency”When to Show
Section titled “When to Show”- After value moment, before frustration
- After activation/aha moment
- When hitting genuine limits
When NOT to Show
Section titled “When NOT to Show”- During onboarding (too early)
- When they’re in a flow
- Repeatedly after dismissal
Frequency Rules
Section titled “Frequency Rules”- Limit per session
- Cool-down after dismiss (days, not hours)
- Track annoyance signals
Upgrade Flow Optimization
Section titled “Upgrade Flow Optimization”From Paywall to Payment
Section titled “From Paywall to Payment”- Minimize steps
- Keep in-context if possible
- Pre-fill known information
Post-Upgrade
Section titled “Post-Upgrade”- Immediate access to features
- Confirmation and receipt
- Guide to new features
A/B Testing
Section titled “A/B Testing”What to Test
Section titled “What to Test”- Trigger timing
- Headline/copy variations
- Price presentation
- Trial length
- Feature emphasis
- Design/layout
Metrics to Track
Section titled “Metrics to Track”- Paywall impression rate
- Click-through to upgrade
- Completion rate
- Revenue per user
- Churn rate post-upgrade
For comprehensive experiment ideas: See references/experiments.md
Anti-Patterns to Avoid
Section titled “Anti-Patterns to Avoid”Dark Patterns
Section titled “Dark Patterns”- Hiding the close button
- Confusing plan selection
- Guilt-trip copy
Conversion Killers
Section titled “Conversion Killers”- Asking before value delivered
- Too frequent prompts
- Blocking critical flows
- Complicated upgrade process
Task-Specific Questions
Section titled “Task-Specific Questions”- What’s your current free → paid conversion rate?
- What triggers upgrade prompts today?
- What features are behind the paywall?
- What’s your “aha moment” for users?
- What pricing model? (per seat, usage, flat)
- Mobile app, web app, or both?
Related Skills
Section titled “Related Skills”- churn-prevention: For cancel flows, save offers, and reducing churn post-upgrade
- cro: For public pricing page optimization
- onboarding: For driving to aha moment before upgrade
- ab-testing: For testing paywall variations