Overview

The Recurly Engage Dynamic Paywall & hardwall prompt types are specifically designed for publishers and content providers seeking to manage and monetize access to their digital assets. This solution effectively controls reader access, encouraging user sign-ups and subscriptions.

The solution allows a user to view a limited number of complimentary articles or paragraphs before requiring paid access. The content is typically visually obscured and interaction-blocked by an intrusive prompt that prevents scrolling past the designated limit.

Key benefits

• Maximized Content Value: Provides a proven method to convert frequent readers into paying subscribers by blocking the remainder of premium article content.
• Flexible Access Control: Content providers can define the precise number of complimentary paragraphs or articles a user is permitted to view, offering granular control over the pre-access user experience.
• Drives User Registration: Creates a clear incentive for users to sign up or register once they have utilized their introductory content quota.
• Usage Abuse Prevention: Includes critical cross-device user tracking capabilities to monitor and prevent unauthorized excess consumption of free content across various devices and browsing modes.

Key steps

Step 1: Add a new usage tracker:

• Navigate to Settings > Usage Tracking
• Select “+ Add new tracker”
  • Fill out the required fields for Name, Label, Description. Select the Page tracker type, enter the relevant url path. Adding an * after the last backslash will enable tracking for any url path after the entered input.
• Check the “Use as paywall tracker” select button.

Step 2: Create a zone

You will need to create a zone to define where the content is getting blocked, and where the prompt will appear.

• Navigate to Settings > Zones
  • Select the New Zone button
  • Enter the associated information for your zone. Your zone is the element where you would like to start hiding your content.

Step 3: Create a new prompt

• Create a New Prompt Navigate to the main Prompts screen in your dashboard and click the + New Prompt button.
• Choose the Horizontal prompt type.
• In the Edit Prompt Design view, scroll through the configuration options to locate the Paywall accordion menu.
• Add the zone you created
• Check the box labeled Enable paywall.
• Enter the required information for your prompt.
• Select Settings for the paywall
  • Paywall tracker: The usage tracker created from Step 1.
  • Free visits: The number of visits for content the user is allowed to access before the paywall is enabled.
  • Zone to block: The area that will be obscured.
• Block method: The way that the content will be removed or obscured from the page
  • Blur: the content will remain on the page, but CSS styling will prevent it from being readable.
  • Hide: The content will be hidden, but not removed from the page.
  • Strip text: The content will be removed from the DOM.
  • Custom CSS: Enter your own custom css to hide the content.
• Apply to elements: The types of elements on your page that will be targeted for hiding or removal.
• Elements to allow: How many paragraphs or pieces of content the user is allowed to read before the paywall blocks the rest.
• Save and Activate: Once your limits are set and your copy is finalized, save your prompt to apply the paywall logic to your site.