14 ways to bypass a paywall in 2022 (2023)

Paywalls are pretty annoying for most people. Many of us don't want to pay to read just a handful of articles in the NYT, WSJ, and other sites. But that's up to us, unless we can jump the paywall and somehow get around it to access what's behind it.

This side lock works like a wall to prevent you from accessing the content, and the only legitimate way to prevent it is... by paying. Fortunately, there are websites and other tools you can use to remove a paywall or trick your browser into thinking it doesn't exist or that you have permission to access protected content.

14 ways to bypass a paywall in 2022 (1)

methods:

  1. Use a dot in the URL
  2. pressure output
  3. open incognito mode
  4. Delete browser cookies
  5. Change the DNS server to "Uncensored".
  6. scheme of use
  7. Use a 2 foot ladder
  8. One first VPN
  9. Remove paywall
  10. disable javascript
  11. One Facebook
  12. look elsewhere
  13. Use a paywall unlocker
  14. Subscribe to the trial version

Paywalls have a legitimate purpose, which is to make money for the publisher. Think twice before following these instructions, and keep in mind that by removing it for free, you are cutting off what may be the company's only source of revenue.

Use a dot in the URL

This may sound too easy, but it actually works. In some cases.

To test this, add a period after the ".com" part of the URL. For example:ejemplositio.com./articulo.html.

If that doesn't work, feel free to continue with these other tips, but I've confirmed that it removes the paywall.nosites, so it's worth a try. Also, here is the easiest method!

Press 'Esc'

Some paywalls are among the last things to load on the page. After the images, texts, advertisements, etc., the wall will appear to block their access. You can see this if you look closely; The page loads the entire article, only to stop abruptly and hide most of it behind the author information.

All you have to do is hitEsckey on your keyboardlaterthe page loads the article, butprior toThe block has time to show itself. Try it a few times, but it should work if this is how this particular paywall was implemented.

open incognito mode

Incognito/private browsing mode is a way to access a website as a new user without cookies or other Internet files. This works to bypass a paywall, as some of them work by restricting access based on the number of times you've visited the site in the past. For example, some allow you to read only five articles, in which case incognito mode tricks the site into thinking you're on your first visit.

Ctrl+Shift+NHow to open incognito mode in Chrome. Private mode in Firefox can be accessed viaCtrl+Shift+P🇧🇷 These browsers and others often offer this private mode through their menu in case these keyboard shortcuts don't work.

If that works, but you're suddenly restricted again, close and reopen incognito mode to refresh the session.

14 ways to bypass a paywall in 2022 (2)

delete cookies

Sometimes, even in incognito mode, you can't get past the paywall because the site may know you're trying and show it anyway. Hopefully, clearing cookies will erase all evidence that you have visited the site, allowing you to visit as a new user for the first time.

Cookies can be deleted in most browsers through theCtrl+Shift+DelShortcut. When the popup asking what to delete opens, make sure the cookies option is selected. When you're done deleting cookies, try accessing the page again to see if the paywall worked.

14 ways to bypass a paywall in 2022 (3)

Many paywalls work this way, counting your visits through cookies stored on your computer. If incognito mode and deleting cookies don't do the trick, the site must use a different technique to track you. Another method below may be more helpful.

scheme of use

contourIt works similarly to the above methods, but depending on the paywall you want to bypass, this might be a better solution. Follow this link and enter the URL for the paywall page.

This site allows you to annotate web pages, but since you load the paywall site from somewhere other than your computer, it may be enough to count you as a new user of the site, which will unblock you.

The same idea works with avpnas they provide a new IP address. If the paywall is in place due to repeated access from one IP address, accessing the site through a VPN may resolve the issue, but this is a long shot.

2 foot ladder

Similar to Online.com is2 foot ladder🇧🇷 Enter the URL of the page in the field of your site and select itremove the paywall.

Another quick method with this site is to writehttps://12ft.io/in the URL bar and paste the URL you want to unblock. For example,https://12ft.io/https://ejemplo.com.

Note that many of the large companies that use paywalls have found ways to prevent sites like 2ft Ladder from working; therefore, you may need to try a different method from this list.

Remove paywall

Depending on your website design, it could be a literal popup that you can remove. I've experienced this many times when the paywall prevents the page from being viewed in its entirety, but it's really just an extra layer that can be removed to reveal the content behind it.

Here's an example of one of the pop-ups you might see in the Washington Post:

14 ways to bypass a paywall in 2022 (4)

You can see the page behind the popup, but there is no exit button. Instead of registering or logging in as you would like, do the following:

  • Right click on the paywall and select itcheck the articlein Firefox orCheckin chrome Other browsers may use similar words, but the idea here is to find some kind of inspection tool.
14 ways to bypass a paywall in 2022 (5)
  • Select the mouse pointer in the upper left corner of the new screen that appears. In the image above, it looks pretty much like that.inspectorTab. With the option selected, click the popup window again.
  • Go to the bottom of the screen where you see the page code (left side of the image above) and find the highlighted code. You can even say something likepaywalloAbo-Boxin the.
  • When this code is selected, press the buttonextinguishkey on your keyboard.
  • Repeat these last two steps as many times as necessary to get rid of the paywall popup. If you accidentally deleted too much and the whole page disappears, refresh the page and start over from step one.

If you do it right, you can completely remove the paywall and read the page normally, like this (just don't refresh or the paywall will reload):

14 ways to bypass a paywall in 2022 (6)

disable javascript

Some paywalls use JavaScript to control when and how they are displayed. It may be useful to disable this feature, at least temporarily.

LearnHow to disable JavaScript in your browserfor all the details.

Use Facebook to edit the link.

that probablyNoIt works for most paywall sites, but you can still give it a try if you've gotten this far. It's easy: just typehttp://facebook.com/l.php?u=before the URL. This makes the page think Facebook is clicking on it, which sometimes hides the paywall.

For example:http://facebook.com/l.php?u=https://www.wsj.com/articles/fakepage

You should be redirected to Facebook where you will need to select the "Follow Link" button to access the actual page. This only works if the site sees the traffic from Facebook as a reason to display the content for free, which they may do if they use the social networking site as a form of advertising.

look elsewhere

You might feel silly if you don't think so, but another way to get around a paywall is to literally stop the site from displaying it! Look for the same item elsewhere on the web. You'll be surprised how often this works.

Copy the page title if you can see it, or look in your browser's tab area to see what the page title is. Search the web for the exact same title to find other sites that offer the same details. Sometimes you'll find that the other site has an almost identical copy, but it's free and you don't pay.

14 ways to bypass a paywall in 2022 (7)

Or you may get lucky and land on a site where the publication offers free articles. For example, this is what it might look like when you click on a Reddit link (this one is for the Washington Post):

14 ways to bypass a paywall in 2022 (8)

Another thing to try when looking for alternative articles on the same topic is a site archiver.return machinemioffice hourare some good examples. Enter the URL of the paywall page on one of these sites to see if there are any archived copies you can read.

Use a paywall unlock browser plugin

At this point, your next best option is a tool that can attempt to remove the paywall for you. There are several, some with very specific websites and others that work with a broader range of websites.

An example is Unpayall (download for chromeodownload for firefox🇧🇷 You can get scientific articles for free by allowing this paywall unlocker to search for copies on free websites.

Subscribe to the site with a review.

This is the most "professional" way to bypass a paywall. Instead of subscribing and paying every month or year to access content on the site, try getting a trial version. Most of the services are free for a few days, a week or a month, so you can try them out.

This is clearly the best method, as it ensures that you can bypass any paywalls on the site during the trial period. The only drawback is that you may forget to log out at the end of the test. To avoid being accidentally charged,Use a temporary debit card as Privacy.

FAQs

How do you get around paywalls 2022? ›

Content
  1. Use Cached Versions of Websites.
  2. Clear All-time Browsing Data in Desktop and Mobile Browsers.
  3. Use Web Archives.
  4. Use Paywall Bypass Extensions.
  5. Change the User Agent in Your Browser.
  6. Use Reader Mode on Your Browser.
  7. Switch Browsers/Devices and Use a VPN.
Oct 5, 2022

How can I bypass every paywall? ›

10 Ways to Get Past a Paywall
  1. 'Bypass Paywalls' Firefox Extension. ...
  2. Look for the article elsewhere button. ...
  3. Try the 'Unpaywall' Chrome Extension. ...
  4. Reset your browser cookies. ...
  5. Delete the paywall manually. ...
  6. Stop the page from fully loading. ...
  7. Dig through archive sites. ...
  8. Use a “Read-it-Later” tool.
May 5, 2022

Is it illegal to bypass a paywall? ›

Yes, It's Illegal to Cheat a Paywall.

What can I use instead of 12ft io? ›

The best alternative is Unpaywall, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like 12ft Ladder are Bypass Paywalls Clean, Bypass Paywalls, Incoggo and Anti-Paywall. Bypass any paywall by prefixing 12ft.io/ to the URL of any paywalled page.

How do I unlock a page without subscribing? ›

10 Best Free Ways to Read Articles Without Subscription on Any...
  1. Open the article in Incognito Mode.
  2. Reset Browser Cookies.
  3. Use a VPN.
  4. Use Postlight Reader for Chrome.
  5. Use 12ft Ladder to unlock any article from a paywall.
  6. Use Sci-hub to read articles without any subscription.
Oct 12, 2022

What are the best paywall bypass apps? ›

5 Best Chrome extensions to bypass a paywall
  • Bardeen.
  • ReaderMode.
  • Unpaywall.
  • Bypass Paywall.
  • uBlock.
  • How to bypassing a paywall manually.

What apps can I use to get past a paywall? ›

The best alternative is 12ft Ladder, which is free. Other great apps like Bypass Paywalls are Unpaywall, Bypass Paywalls Clean, Anti-Paywall and Incoggo. Bypass Paywalls is a web browser extension to help bypass paywalls for selected sites.

How do you Unblur a paywall website? ›

Turn on Chrome's built-in reader mode to use that browser.
...
Enter Reader Mode
  1. With the article open, select the Enter Immersive Reader button to the right of the URL. Or, press F9.
  2. Immediately, the page should transform and hide the paywall.
  3. Other browsers will have their reader modes in different places.
Sep 18, 2022

Can Google crawl behind paywall? ›

Hard Paywalls

This means that content can't be crawled or indexed by Google or other search engines. Obviously, this makes it much harder to get new signups, but if the content is of high value, the conversion rate can be much higher.

How does 12 foot ladder work? ›

12ft.io is a website that allows online paywalls to be bypassed. It was created by Thomas Millar and Seron. The name is based on the phrase "show me a 10 foot wall and I'll show you a 12 foot ladder." It bypasses paywalls by pretending to be a search engine crawler when requesting a webpage.

How can I read paid articles for free? ›

Access News Articles for Free: A Guide to Unlocking Paywalls
  1. 1 Try Incognito mode to bypass a soft paywall.
  2. 2 Install Postlight Reader for Chrome or Edge.
  3. 3 Try Safari's Reader Mode on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad.
  4. 4 Try 12ft.io in any browser.
  5. 5 View the archived version of the site or article.
4 days ago

What does no paywall mean? ›

noun. pay·​wall ˈpā-ˌwȯl. : a system that prevents Internet users from accessing certain Web content without a paid subscription. Last Updated: 30 Dec 2022 - Updated example sentences.

How do I read archived articles on paywall? ›

Now, here's exactly what to do.
  1. Step One: Copy the Link. Paywalled article on The New York Times. ...
  2. Step Two: Go to Archive.ph. The archive.ph — a.k.a. archive. ...
  3. Step Three: Paste the Link. Paste the article you're trying to read into Archive.ph. ...
  4. Step Four: Read Articles Behind a Paywall. ...
  5. Bonus: Search the Archive.
Nov 14, 2022

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Annamae Dooley

Last Updated: 12/06/2023

Views: 5940

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (45 voted)

Reviews: 92% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Annamae Dooley

Birthday: 2001-07-26

Address: 9687 Tambra Meadow, Bradleyhaven, TN 53219

Phone: +9316045904039

Job: Future Coordinator

Hobby: Archery, Couponing, Poi, Kite flying, Knitting, Rappelling, Baseball

Introduction: My name is Annamae Dooley, I am a witty, quaint, lovely, clever, rich, sparkling, powerful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.