Bitcoin Paywall Installation & Configuration Guide

The Coinsnap Bitcoin Paywall plugin allows you to lock WordPress posts and unlock them using fast, non-custodial Bitcoin Lightning payments.
Follow the steps below to install the plugin and connect it to either Coinsnap or BTCPay Server.

Install the Bitcoin Paywall Plugin

You can install the plugin in two different ways.

Option A: Install from the WordPress Plugin Directory (Recommended)

Log into your WordPress Admin Dashboard
Navigate to Plugins → Add New
Search for “Coinsnap Paywall”
Click Install
Click Activate

This is the easiest installation method and ensures you always receive automatic updates.

Option B: Install from GitHub (Developers)

Open the GitHub repository
Download the latest release ZIP
Upload it via the plugin uploader
Activate the plugin

This option is ideal for developers or users who want cutting-edge updates.

If you want to install the Coinsnap Bitcoin Paywall, you must first download it from the Coinsnap Github page here.

Then look for the green button labeled “Code”. When you click on it, the menu opens and Download ZIP appears.

Here you can download the latest version of the Coinsnap Bitcoin Paywall to your computer.

Download Coinsnap Bitcoin Paywall on Github

First you download the plugin from Github.

Then you have to upload the ZIP in the plugin administration of WordPress:

Now use the WordPress function “Upload plugin” to install the paywall.

Click on “Install now” and the Coinsnap Bitcoin Paywall will be added to your WordPress website. It can then be connected to the Coinsnap payment gateway.

Choose Your Payment Processing Method

The plugin supports two non-custodial payment providers:

✔ Coinsnap

Lightning & On-chain payments
No node required
Direct payouts to your own wallets

✔ BTCPay Server

Self-hosted
Full Bitcoin & Lightning sovereignty
Requires your own node

You can select the provider in:

WordPress → Settings → Coinsnap Paywall → Payment Provider

3. Setup with Coinsnap

Coinsnap is the simplest way to use Lightning payments on WordPress without running your own node.

Step 1 — Create a Coinsnap Account

Visit https://app.coinsnap.io
Create an account
Add your Lightning wallet for direct payouts
Add your xPub to receive Bitcoin on-chain directly into your wallet

Coinsnap is fully non-custodial; all funds go to your own wallets.

Step 2 — Create a Store

Inside Coinsnap:

Navigate to Stores → Create Store
Give your store a name
Configure payout settings
Save the store

Step 3 — Generate Store Credentials

Inside your Coinsnap Store:

Open API Keys
Create a new API Key
Copy:
- Store ID
- API Key

You will paste these into WordPress.

Step 4 — Connect WordPress to Coinsnap

In your WordPress admin panel:

Go to Settings → Coinsnap Paywall
Select Coinsnap as payment provider
Paste your Store ID
Paste your API Key
Save your settings

Your WordPress site is now connected to Coinsnap.

4. Setup with BTCPay Server

This option is for users who want full Bitcoin sovereignty.

Requirements

To use BTCPay Server you need:

Your own BTCPay Server instance
A running Lightning node (LND, Core Lightning, Eclair)
A store configured inside BTCPay Server

Step 1 — Create a Store in BTCPay Server

Log into your BTCPay Server
Go to Stores → Create Store
Set up Bitcoin and Lightning payment methods
Verify your node connectivity

Step 2 — Create an API Key

Go to Account → Manage API Keys
Generate a new key
Grant permissions to create invoices
Copy the API Key

Step 3 — Connect WordPress to BTCPay Server

In your WordPress admin panel:

Go to Settings → Coinsnap Paywall
Choose BTCPay Server as provider
Enter:
- BTCPay Server URL
- Store ID
- API Key
Save your settings

Your WordPress site will now route all Lightning invoices through your BTCPay Server.

Create Bitcoin Paywall

1. create a paywall shortcode

Go to Coinsnap Bitcoin Paywall in the sideboard on the left in your WordPress and click on Paywall Shortcodes.

Then click on “Add New Paywall Shortcode” at the top.

Create Coinsnap Bitcoin Paywall Shortcode

2. configure your paywall shortcode

In the window that now appears, make the following settings (see orange entries):

First you assign a name so that you know later what the short code is intended for.
Then you can enter a short description as background information for yourself or your editors.
Then set the text of the payment button.
Set your price!
Select the currency in which the price is to be displayed
Set the duration of the activation and
select the color scheme of the paywall.

Now you can copy the shortcode at the bottom and use it in your content (see below).

Put content behind the Bitcoin paywall

Create content

Now create content as usual in your WordPress, for example a text as in this example.

As soon as you have finished the article, you must place the shortcode you have just produced at the point where you expect payment from your reader. You usually do this after the introductory paragraph, see right:

Include Coinsnap Bitcoin Paywall Shortcode in Content

Test Your Paywall

To verify everything works:

Open your protected article in a private browser window
Confirm that the content is hidden
Initiate a Lightning payment
After the invoice is paid, the page should unlock immediately

A small, technically required cookie is stored in the reader’s browser so they can return and still access paid content.
No tracking cookies are used.

You’re Ready to Go!

You can now start earning sats with Pay-Per-Article or Pay-Per-Post monetization.

If you need assistance:

Visit our Documentation
Check the GitHub Issues
Contact Coinsnap Support