Paywall Upgrade Cro
Design and optimize in-app paywalls, upgrade modals, and feature gates so free or trial users convert at high-intent moments.
Overview
Paywall and Upgrade Screen CRO is an agent skill most often used in Grow (also Validate pricing tests) that optimizes in-app paywalls, upgrade modals, and feature gates for freemium and trial conversion.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/coreyhaines31/marketingskills --skill paywall-upgrade-croWhat is this skill?
- Specialized for in-product upgrade moments: paywalls, upsell modals, feature gates, usage limits
- Separates in-app upgrade UX from public pricing pages (page-cro) and pricing strategy decisions
- Initial assessment for upgrade context: freemium→paid, trial→paid, tier bump, feature upsell
- Uses product marketing context file when available before asking upgrade-context questions
- Targets trial-to-paid and "free users won't upgrade" scenarios with CRO framing
- Distinct scope from public pricing pages and from pricing-strategy per skill routing notes
Adoption & trust: 51.7k installs on skills.sh; 32.4k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
Users hit in-app limits or trial end but your paywall or upgrade modal fails to justify payment after they have already seen product value.
Who is it for?
Solo builders with live freemium or trial products who can describe upgrade triggers and current in-app pricing UI.
Skip if: Rewriting your marketing site pricing page (use page-cro) or choosing price points and packaging (use pricing-strategy).
When should I use this skill?
When the user mentions paywall, upgrade screen, upsell, feature gate, convert free to paid, trial expiration screen, or in-app pricing optimization.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get context-matched paywall and upgrade recommendations for the specific trigger (limit, trial end, tier bump), with clear separation from pricing-page and pricing-strategy work.
- Upgrade-context assessment (trigger, tier path, upsell type)
- In-app paywall or modal CRO recommendations
- Routing notes to page-cro or pricing-strategy when scope shifts
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Grow is canonical because monetization prompts appear after users experience product value—not during initial idea research or pure infra work. Lifecycle covers freemium-to-paid, trial expiration, tier upgrades, and limit-reached screens named in the skill triggers.
Where it fits
Draft paywall messaging and tier framing while testing willingness-to-pay on a narrow prototype.
Specify modal layouts and gate copy while implementing upgrade UI components.
Rewrite limit-reached and trial-expiration screens after cohort data shows weak trial-to-paid conversion.
Align in-app upgrade prompts with campaign promises so paid traffic does not bounce at the first paywall.
How it compares
This is in-product upgrade CRO, not an MCP billing integration or a public landing pricing rewrite.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is Paywall and Upgrade Screen CRO for?
Founders and small teams with freemium, trial, or tiered SaaS who need agent-guided optimization of paywalls and upgrade prompts inside the product.
When should I use Paywall and Upgrade Screen CRO?
In Grow when optimizing lifecycle monetization; in Validate when testing paid conversion on a prototype; whenever mentions include paywall, upgrade modal, feature gate, or trial expiration screen.
Is Paywall and Upgrade Screen CRO safe to install?
Review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page; the skill may read local product marketing context—keep financial and customer data out of those files.
Workflow Chain
Then invoke: pricing strategy, onboarding cro
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 `.agents/product-marketing-context.md` exists (or `.claude/product-marketing-context.md` in older setups), 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 Sh