Feature Gating and Paywalls

Goal

Understand how access rules are enforced end to end.

Paywall patterns used

• Server-side checks are the source of truth.
• Client UI shows locked states and upgrade prompts.

Premium feature example

• The dashboard includes a paywalled feature demo.
• Use it as the reference for gated UX patterns.

Server-side enforcement

• Use auth guards before data access.
• Keep billing checks close to protected queries.

Client-side UX patterns

• Upsell cards, banners, and inline messaging.
• Avoid leaking data while still teasing value.

Handling expired subscriptions

• Redirect to checkout or show upgrade prompts.
• Keep actions disabled instead of breaking pages.

Grace periods

• Add a grace window if you support retries.

Demo-only restrictions

• Demo mode disables paid actions while keeping the UI visible.