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# Paid sections

Paid sections let an author make part of an ordinary post available after purchase. The rest of the post remains readable without buying the section.

> This is currently an **experimental feature using testnet BOUT on GIWA Sepolia**. Check the payment asset and network shown in the settings and purchase card. Earlier content may retain its existing payment options.

## Create a paid section

1. Open the composer for an ordinary post.
2. Choose **Paid section** in the top toolbar, or search for `/paywall` in the `/` menu's **Paid content** group. Select consecutive blocks first if you want to wrap existing content; otherwise, add a section and write inside it.
3. Set the payment asset and a price greater than zero. Use the supported decimal places shown beside the field. If multiple payment options are available, set their prices and choose which appears by default. Readers purchase with one option, not all of them. All sections in one post use the same network.
4. In **Paid section details**, add a title, short introduction, and optional preview image. You can add, replace, or remove the image.
5. Apply the settings and check that the protected blocks are inside the paid section.

The title, introduction, and preview image are **public before purchase**. Put the content you want to protect inside the section, rather than in those fields. Without an image, the purchase card can show a simplified outline of the content's structure without revealing its text or media.

Paid sections are available in ordinary posts, not contributions. Contributions must remain public and free.

## Set an optional sale period

Open **Sale period** below the section details. Leave it unset to sell without a deadline, or enable the sale deadline and choose a future date and time. Check the time zone displayed in the form.

| Setting                      | What happens after the deadline                                        |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Make free when the sale ends | Anyone can read the section without purchasing.                        |
| Keep the section paid        | New purchases close. Existing buyers and the author can still read it. |

The sale period and free-release setting are fixed after publishing. Check them before publishing the post.

## Preview and publish

Use **Reader preview** on the section card to switch between the views before and after purchase. The preview does not charge you or ask for a wallet signature. With no preview image, you can still check the purchase card and the unlocked body.

Settings open in a bottom drawer on mobile and a dialog on larger screens. Applying settings updates the draft; it does not publish the post. Wait for automatic saving and uploads to finish, then publish when ready.

Before publishing, you can remove the paywall from its settings while keeping the body blocks. After publishing, paid sections cannot be added or removed. The public introduction and paid body can still be edited.

**Follow the editing notice in the settings for prices and payment assets.** Where those controls remain available, changes apply to new purchases and earlier purchases keep their original payment option. Some earlier content has fixed prices and assets, with those controls disabled. Sale periods remain fixed in either case.

## Purchase and read a section

1. Sign in to Boutlet and choose the purchase button on the paid section card.
2. Check the section, total price, payment asset, and network. If several payment options are offered, select the one you want.
3. Connect a supported wallet when prompted. Use the displayed network and have enough of the selected asset in that wallet.
4. Review and approve the payment signature request in your wallet. Keep the page open while payment is being confirmed.
5. When the purchase succeeds, the section unlocks automatically and you can continue reading.

The same token symbol on another network is not the same payment asset. Always check the network shown on the card and in your wallet.

If the result cannot be confirmed immediately, use the card's purchase-status check before attempting another payment. A signature request alone is not a purchase confirmation. The author can read their own section without buying it.

See the [Post editor guide](editor.md) for the other blocks you can use in your post.