paywall_design v1.0.0

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.