# How to let visitors read one article for free before requiring registration

Original URL: https://www.fireplugins.com/docs/howto/require-registration-after-first-article/
Last updated: 2026-08-19T15:33:31+03:00

You can use FireBox to create a metered content wall: visitors can read their first article for free, and from the second article onwards they see a full-screen popup asking them to create an account.

 Unlike membership plugins, you don’t need to manually set which posts are public and which are gated. FireBox counts how many pages the visitor has viewed in their session, so whichever article they open first is free, and the rest require registration. Logged-in users never see the wall.

  Let’s see how you can set this up.

 ## Create the content wall campaign

 - Go to your WordPress backend > FireBox > New Campaign.
- Choose a template or start from scratch. A centered popup with a background overlay works best for a content wall.
- Add your wall content: a headline such as “You’ve reached your free article limit”, a short message, and a button linking to your registration page. If you use the default WordPress registration, link to `/wp-login.php?action=register` and make sure Settings > General > “Anyone can register” is enabled. You can also add a “Already have an account? Log in” link.

 You can also [place a form in the popup](https://www.fireplugins.com/docs/troubleshoot/can-i-place-a-form-in-a-popup/) to capture the visitor’s email.

 ## Set up the Display Conditions

 In the campaign settings, open the Display Conditions Panel, set “Who should see this campaign?” to “Set custom rules”, and click “Set Custom Rules”.

  Add the following conditions. All of them must match for the wall to appear.

 ### **1. The Custom Post Type Condition**

 Select the [Custom Post Type condition](https://www.fireplugins.com/docs/display-conditions/custom-post-type/) and choose “Posts”. This makes the wall appear only on single posts, and never on your homepage, pages, or archives.

 ### **2. The User Group Condition**

 Select the [User Group condition](https://www.fireplugins.com/docs/display-conditions/user-group/) and choose “Guests”. This hides the wall from logged-in users, which is exactly how visitors get past it after creating an account.

 ### **3. The Pageviews Condition**

 Select the [Pageviews condition](https://www.fireplugins.com/docs/display-conditions/number-of-pageviews/), set Match to “Greater than” and Pageviews to “1”. The first page the visitor views in their session shows no wall, and every post viewed after that does.

 Here’s how the three conditions look together:

  The Pageviews condition runs in the visitor’s browser, so it works even if your site uses a caching plugin.

 ## Make the wall non-dismissable

 By default, a popup can be closed. To prevent visitors from dismissing the wall and continuing to read:

 - Open the Close Button Panel and set “Button Position” to “Hide”. This removes the close button.

  - Open the Background Overlay Panel, keep “Enabled” on, and turn off “Close on Click”. Increase the “Blur Level” or use an opaque overlay color to hide the article behind the wall.

  - Open the Advanced Panel and enable “Prevent Page Scrolling”.

  - In the Advanced Panel > Accessibility, leave “Close With ESC Key” disabled (it is disabled by default).

  Save your campaign. You’re done! Test it in a private/incognito window: the first post you open loads freely, and the second one shows the wall.

 ## Frequently Asked Questions

 ### Why does the wall appear on the visitor’s first article?

 The Pageviews condition counts every page viewed in the session, including your homepage and archives. A visitor who browses your homepage first and then opens an article is already on pageview 2. Most visitors land directly on an article from search or social media, so this is rarely an issue. To be more lenient, set the Pageviews condition to “Greater than” 2.

 ### Does the wall protect my content?

 No. Like every cookie-based content wall, the article is still delivered to the browser and to search engines, and the count resets when the browser session ends. This is the same metered model major news sites use, and it protects your SEO since search engines always see your content. If you need to truly restrict access to content, use a membership plugin that restricts content server-side.