Paywall Upgrade Cro
Optimize in-app paywalls and upgrade prompts when freemium or trial users hit value moments and you need higher conversion without rebuilding your public pricing page.
Overview
Paywall-upgrade-cro is an agent skill most often used in Grow (also Validate/pricing) that helps solo builders design and optimize in-app paywalls, upgrade screens, and feature gates for freemium and trial conversion.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/alirezarezvani/claude-skills --skill paywall-upgrade-croWhat is this skill?
- Reads `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` first when present to avoid redundant questions
- Frames recommendations around upgrade context (freemium, trial expiry, tier upgrade, usage limits)
- Maps product model: what is free, what is gated, and what triggers upgrade prompts
- Ties paywall design to user journey timing—what the user already experienced before the prompt
- Explicitly scoped to in-app surfaces; public pricing pages are out of scope (see page-cro)
Adoption & trust: 518 installs on skills.sh; 17.5k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
Your users see upgrade prompts inside the product but conversion stays flat because timing, framing, and gating do not match what they already experienced.
Who is it for?
SaaS or app founders with freemium, trials, or tiered plans who want sharper in-app upgrade flows after users have tasted core value.
Skip if: Optimizing public marketing pricing pages only (use page-cro); greenfield pricing strategy with no in-product upgrade surfaces yet.
When should I use this skill?
When the user wants to create or optimize in-app paywalls, upgrade screens, upsell modals, or feature gates—or mentions paywall, upgrade modal, upsell, feature gate, freemium conversion, trial expiration, limit reached,
What do I get? / Deliverables
You leave with assessment-backed paywall and upgrade-screen recommendations mapped to upgrade context, product model, and journey timing—ready to implement or A/B test in-app.
- Upgrade-context assessment (freemium, trial, tier, usage limit)
- Paywall and modal structure recommendations
- User-journey-aligned upgrade copy and CTA guidance
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
In-product upgrade CRO sits in Grow because conversion happens after users have experienced the product; lifecycle covers freemium→paid, tier upgrades, and limit-reached moments. Lifecycle is the canonical shelf for monetizing existing users via paywalls, upsells, and feature gates rather than net-new acquisition.
Where it fits
Decide which features belong behind the paywall before you wire the first upgrade modal in the app.
Draft paywall layout, copy hierarchy, and CTA structure for the upgrade screen your agent is implementing.
Improve conversion when trial users hit expiration or free users hit usage limits.
Align paywall variants with measurable conversion hypotheses before changing onboarding or limits.
Polish upgrade prompts shipped alongside a major feature gate in a release candidate.
How it compares
Targets in-product upgrade moments and modals, not standalone public pricing page CRO (page-cro).
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is paywall-upgrade-cro for?
Solo and indie builders shipping SaaS, mobile, or agent products with freemium, trials, or tier upgrades who need structured help on paywalls and upsell screens inside the app.
When should I use paywall-upgrade-cro?
Use it when designing or improving paywalls, upgrade modals, feature gates, trial-expiry screens, or limit-reached prompts—especially in Grow/lifecycle work and when Validate/pricing decisions must show up in-product.
Is paywall-upgrade-cro safe to install?
Treat it like any third-party skill: review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page and inspect SKILL.md permissions before enabling it in Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Paywall Upgrade Cro
# Paywall and Upgrade Screen CRO You are an expert in in-app paywalls and upgrade flows. Your goal is to convert free users to paid, or upgrade users to higher tiers, at moments when they've experienced enough value to justify the commitment. ## Initial Assessment **Check for product marketing context first:** If `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` exists, read it before asking questions. Use that context and only ask for information not already covered or specific to this task. Before providing recommendations, understand: 1. **Upgrade Context** - Freemium → Paid? Trial → Paid? Tier upgrade? Feature upsell? Usage limit? 2. **Product Model** - What's free? What's behind paywall? What triggers prompts? Current conversion rate? 3. **User Journey** - When does this appear? What have they experienced? What are they trying to do? --- ## Core Principles ### 1. Value Before Ask - User should have experienced real value first - Upgrade should feel like natural next step - Timing: After "aha moment," not before ### 2. Show, Don't Just Tell - Demonstrate the value of paid features - Preview what they're missing - Make the upgrade feel tangible ### 3. Friction-Free Path - Easy to upgrade when ready - Don't make them hunt for pricing ### 4. Respect the No - Don't trap or pressure - Make it easy to continue free - Maintain trust for future conversion --- ## Paywall Trigger Points ### Feature Gates When user clicks a paid-only feature: - Clear explanation of why it's paid - Show what the feature does - Quick path to unlock - Option to continue without ### Usage Limits When user hits a limit: - Clear indication of limit reached - Show what upgrading provides - Don't block abruptly ### Trial Expiration When trial is ending: - Early warnings (7, 3, 1 day) - Clear "what happens" on expiration - Summarize value received ### Time-Based Prompts After X days of free use: - Gentle upgrade reminder - Highlight unused paid features - Easy to dismiss --- ## Paywall Screen Components 1. **Headline** - Focus on what they get: "Unlock [Feature] to [Benefit]" 2. **Value Demonstration** - Preview, before/after, "With Pro you could..." 3. **Feature Comparison** - Highlight key differences, current plan marked 4. **Pricing** - Clear, simple, annual vs. monthly options 5. **Social Proof** - Customer quotes, "X teams use this" 6. **CTA** - Specific and value-oriented: "Start Getting [Benefit]" 7. **Escape Hatch** - Clear "Not now" or "Continue with Free" --- ## Specific Paywall Types ### Feature Lock Paywall ``` [Lock Icon] This feature is available on Pro [Feature preview/screenshot] [Feature name] helps you [benefit]: • [Capability] • [Capability] [Upgrade to Pro - $X/mo] [Maybe Later] ``` ### Usage Limit Paywall ``` You've reached your free limit [Progress bar at 100%] Free: 3 projects | Pro: Unlimited [Upgrade to Pro] [Delete a project] ``` ### Trial Expiration Paywall ``` Your trial ends in 3 days What you'll lose: • [Feature used] • [Data created] What you've accomplished: • Created X projects [Continue with Pro] [Remind me later] [Downgrade] ``` --- ## Timing and Frequency ### When to Show - After value moment, before frustration - After activation/aha moment - When hitting genuine limits ### When NOT to Show - During onboarding (too early) - When they're