---
title: "Onboarding and paywalls"
description: "Help new users reach value, understand the offer, and choose confidently."
---
Onboarding should reduce uncertainty between installation and the first useful result. A paywall works best after people understand the product—not after a long sequence designed only to make leaving feel costly.

## Give every screen one job

1.  Confirm the problem and outcome in the user’s language.
2.  Collect only information required to personalize the first result.
3.  Demonstrate the core interaction with real content.
4.  Ask for permissions only when the feature needs them.
5.  Present the offer with benefits, price, renewal terms, and a clear close action.

## Choose the paywall moment

Test whether users should see the paywall before the core experience, after a preview, or when they attempt to save or repeat a valuable action. Avoid collecting extensive personal information or uploading large files before revealing that payment is required.

## Make the offer understandable

-   Describe the paid outcome rather than listing internal features.
-   Show billing period, total price, trial length, and post-trial price clearly.
-   Keep monthly and annual options visually comparable.
-   Provide Restore Purchases and access to subscription management.
-   Explain what remains available when a subscription ends.

## Diagnose the funnel in order

Track onboarding start, each meaningful step, paywall view, trial start, purchase, renewal, cancellation, and restoration. A low paywall conversion may actually begin with confusing onboarding or weak acquisition intent; changing the price first will not fix those causes.

:::tip
Change one major variable per test. A new onboarding flow, price, trial, and paywall design launched together may change revenue, but you will not know why.
:::