A free registration wall that grows your list before you ask for money.
Ask readers for an email address, not a credit card. PaywallProject’s registration wall turns anonymous visitors into newsletter readers, then into subscribers, set up and run by our team.
How a registration wall works.
A free story first
New visitors read a story for free, so readers from search and social see your work before you ask anything.
Then a free sign-up
The registration wall asks for an email address. Readers keep reading, and you can reach them again.
Then your newsletter
Every sign-up joins your newsletter, which brings readers back to the site, where they see an offer to subscribe.
Included with Community, Daily and Regional.
What is a registration wall?
A registration wall, or regwall, asks readers to create a free account with their email address to keep reading. It sits between an open site and a paywall: nobody pays, but every reader who wants more has to tell you who they are.
For local news, that email address is worth a lot. Most people who land on your site read one story and leave, and you never see them again. A registration wall turns some of those visits into a reader you can reach every week, in their inbox, with the stories that matter to your town.
It also makes your paywall work better. People who already read your newsletter are far more likely to pay than strangers. That’s why we pair the registration wall with a metered paywall: free sign-up first, paid offer second.
Inside the registration wall
Built to turn readers into subscribers.
Sign-up
Email address only.
Readers enter an email address and keep reading. No password to create, and no form to fill in.
- One field, so more readers finish
- A message that tells readers what they get
- Breaking news and public safety stories kept outside the wall
Newsletter
Every sign-up joins your newsletter.
New registrations go straight into your newsletter, built in WordPress with Newsletter Glue. Each issue brings readers back to the site.
- Newsletters sent from WordPress
- Segments for registered readers and subscribers
- One-tap sign-in with FastPass on Daily and Regional
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Then an offer readers can say yes to.
Registered readers who keep coming back see a paid offer, with a checkout that takes seconds.
- Apple Pay, Google Pay and card
- Payments straight to your own Stripe account
- No revenue share on any managed plan
Trusted by 100+ local publishers
Registration wall best practices.
Show it early. We recommend one free story, then the registration wall. A wall after 10 free stories is a wall almost nobody sees.
Ask for an email address only. Every extra field costs sign-ups. Get the email now, and ask for anything else later.
Say what readers get. “Create an account” gives nobody a reason to act. “Get free stories and our weekly newsletter” does.
Send something right away. A new registration should get your next newsletter. A reader who never hears from you is barely better than an anonymous one.
Make sign-in painless. Returning readers shouldn’t have to dig up a password. One-tap sign-in from the newsletter removes that step.
Keep public-service stories open. Emergencies, public safety and breaking news stay free. It earns the trust readers pay for.
Registration wall examples from local news.
Salem Reporter shows readers a free registration wall before its paywall, and its publisher credits our advice on growing subscribers with a material difference in revenue.
A paper in a town of 758 people built more than $2,500 a month in subscription revenue with a registration wall, newsletters and a metered paywall.
Our guide to getting your first 100 paid subscribers with a free registration wall walks through the full setup.
“Their counsel on growing our subscriber base has made a material difference in our revenue.”
Les Zaitz · Publisher, Salem Reporter
Questions publishers ask
What is a registration wall?
A registration wall asks readers for an email address, not a payment, to keep reading. Readers get free access, and you get a way to reach them again. Some publishers call it a regwall.
What is the difference between a registration wall and a paywall?
A paywall asks for money. A registration wall asks for an email address. Most readers aren’t ready to pay on their first visit, but many will sign up for free, so a registration wall builds the list you later ask to subscribe.
Does a registration wall hurt SEO?
No, if it’s set up well. Readers who arrive from search can still read a free story first, and search engines can still find your content. Read Will a paywall hurt your traffic? for the details.
When should a registration wall appear?
We recommend after one free story. Most visitors read a single story and leave, so a later wall means most readers are never asked. Keep breaking news and public safety stories outside the wall.
What should I ask for at sign-up?
An email address, and nothing else. Every extra field costs you sign-ups. You can ask for a name or ZIP code later.
Can I use a registration wall without a paywall?
Yes. Some publishers start with only a registration wall to grow their newsletter list and ad audience, then add a paywall or memberships later. You can change it at any time.
Ready to grow your list?
Talk to a real person about your readers, your registration wall and your move.