---
name: "paywall_design"
description: "Design subscription paywalls and upgrade screens that convert: gate model selection, plan presentation, trial strategy, Apple/Google compliance, churn-aware copy, and an A/B testing playbook. Use when building or auditing a paywall, choosing hard vs soft vs freemium, writing paywall copy, or planning monetization tests."
---

# Paywall Design

## Purpose

Turn a product's monetization intent into a concrete paywall: which gate model, what the screen shows, how the trial works, what the copy says, and how you test it without tanking retention. Covers mobile apps (Apple/Google stores) and web funnels. It goes beyond layout into the full loop: gate decision, timing, plan framing, trial, compliance, recovery, and a testing roadmap with real benchmarks.

## Workflow

1. **Collect the inputs.** Ask for: app category, core value, target audience, current monetization, platform (iOS / Android / web), and top competitors with their pricing. Skip questions you already know; defaults assume a consumer subscription app.
2. **Pick the gate model.** Use the decision framework in `references/paywall-models.md`: match model to intent and value-realization speed. Default: soft paywall after the first value moment, unless the app has high intent and a clear, instant value proposition (then hard paywall).
3. **Design the screen.** Apply the layout rules: one primary CTA, annual-first plan presentation (unless category data says otherwise), value-first messaging, trust signals near the price, clear dismiss path. See `references/screen-patterns.md`.
4. **Configure the trial.** Match trial length to how fast users realize value (immediate = 3-day, short-term = 7-day, habit-forming = 14-day, slow = 30-day). Add the mid-trial nudge and trial-end sequence. See `references/trial-design.md`.
5. **Check compliance.** Every paywall must pass the Apple Schedule 2 disclosure checklist (iOS) or Google Play equivalent before it ships. See `references/compliance.md`.
6. **Write the test plan.** Ship one A/B test at a time in the priority order from `references/testing-playbook.md`, with sample-size floors and guardrail metrics (retention, LTV), not just conversion.
7. **Deliver the brief.** Fill `assets/paywall-brief.md` and hand it over: gate decision, screen spec, plan cards, trial config, compliance checklist, test roadmap.

## Output Contract

A completed paywall brief (`assets/paywall-brief.md`) containing:

- **Gate decision**: model chosen, why, and what the free experience keeps
- **Screen spec**: headline, 3-5 benefit bullets, plan cards with prices and framing (e.g. "Save 50%"), CTA copy, secondary/dismiss action, trust signals, trial terms shown
- **Trial config**: length, eligibility rules, mid-trial nudge copy, trial-end sequence, post-trial grace
- **Compliance checklist**: every required disclosure ticked with its exact on-screen location
- **Recovery paths**: restore-purchase entry, cancel flow location, failed-payment/dunning handling, abandoner offer rules
- **Test roadmap**: next 3 tests in priority order with hypothesis, variants, success and guardrail metrics, minimum sample size

Everything cited in the brief must come from the references or verified research. No invented benchmarks.

## Operating Rules

1. **Compliance is a gate, not a stretch goal.** Apple reviews every paywall; missing Schedule 2 disclosures gets a rejection. Never ship trial copy to users ineligible for the intro offer.
2. **Measure conversion AND retention.** A test that lifts trial starts but tanks first renewal is a failure. Judge every test on cohort LTV.
3. **One test at a time.** Confounded experiments teach nothing. Ship a single variable per cycle and let it reach the sample-size floor.
4. **Structure beats copy.** Localize first, then trial structure, then plan duration, then plan count. Copy polish comes last (see win-rate data in the references).
5. **Never gate security, support, or core function.** Gate power features and premium content; frustration that blocks basic use converts nobody and breeds bad reviews.
6. **No fake urgency.** No countdown timers for offers that don't end, no inflated strikethrough prices, no "Free!" bait. Real scarcity only, clearly sourced.
7. **Numbers carry sources.** Every benchmark quoted to a user gets a source name and year. Unverifiable = cut it.
8. **Churn-aware copy.** Write for the user who cancels in month one: clear cancellation language, honest "cancel anytime", and win-back that references what they actually used.