Paywall
Definition
A paywall is an access restriction that blocks visitors from reading page content until they subscribe or pay.
Plain English
Users (and crawlers) hit a wall instead of the content. Hard paywalls block everything; soft paywalls allow some access.
Why it matters
- Hard paywalls can prevent crawlers from indexing content.
- Content behind a paywall is less likely to be cited in AI answers.
- Metered or "first click free" approaches balance monetization with discovery.