Make a story eligible to earn money

Who can use this feature?

You need to join the Medium Partner Program to be able to earn money from your content. Learn more.

Publishing a new story to earn money

Once you’re done writing your story, click Publish.
Make sure the checkbox Meter your story is checked.
Click Publish now to publish your post.

Once you’re done writing your story, tap Next.
You’ll see the option to make your story eligible to earn money. Keep that box checked, and your story will immediately be eligible to start earning money as part of Medium’s metered paywall.
Tap Post to publish your post.

That’s it! You’ll automatically be paid every month based on reading time from Medium members, and you can track your progress every week in your Partner Dashboard.

Making a published story eligible to earn money

Follow the steps below to add your published post to Medium’s paywall.

Enter edit mode by visiting your post page, clicking the three-dot button in the top-right corner and choosing Edit story.
In edit mode, click the three-dot button in the top-right corner of the page.
From the drop-menu, click Manage meter setting.
Check the Meter my story so it is eligible to earn money checkbox.
Click Save. Your post is now eligible to earn money.

Note: This feature is not yet supported on mobile apps.

Common questions

Will choosing to earn money on a story limit my audience?

The vast majority of people will be able to read your story for free even if it is part of the metered paywall. Any Medium reader who is either a member or has not yet read their allotment of free stories for the month will access your story completely free (and without ads). Over 90 million people read Medium per month, and the overwhelming majority never reach their monthly limit.

You can also guarantee that the people you care about will not encounter the paywall on your story by sharing a Friend Link. You’ll get a personalized Friend Link when you publish your story, and you can always find that link on your story page when you are signed into your account on Medium. You can share your Friend Link with, well, friends — on Twitter, Facebook, via email, or anywhere else — to make sure they can always read your story.

What happens when I share my story on social media?

The more you share, the more your story spreads. You can share your Friend Link on social media to ensure that the people you care about will not encounter the paywall on your story.

Can I earn money for my stories when they’re in a publication?

Yes. You can set your story to be eligible to earn money and also include it in a Medium publication. You will earn money through the Partner Program through the normal process and will receive all of the earnings.

If I become a member, will my posts perform better on Medium?

No. Being a Medium member doesn’t influence how any work is published or featured through the Partner Program.

Is there a monthly limit on how many stories can earn money?

No, you can earn money from any stories you publish and that you set to be eligible for earning.