Why is my paywall not updating after publishing?

Quick Checklist

Before diving into detailed troubleshooting, verify these common causes:

• Have you published the paywall after making changes?
• Is the user assigned to a different paywall in an A/B test?
• Are you using conditional visibility (e.g., hasIntroductoryOffer) that shows different content?
• Has the user's trial eligibility changed, showing a different UI state?

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Step 1: Verify the Paywall is Published

Changes made in the paywall editor are saved locally but not live until published.

To check:

1. Open the paywall in the editor
2. Look for the Publish button in the top-right
3. If it's clickable, your changes haven't been published yet

Note: Publishing a paywall doesn't automatically update users who have already been assigned to it in an experiment.

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Step 2: Check Campaign and Experiment Setup

Multiple Paywalls in a Campaign

If your campaign has multiple paywalls (an A/B test), users are randomly assigned to one variant. The user seeing an "outdated" paywall may simply be assigned to a different variant than the one you updated.

To check:

1. Go to Campaigns → Select your campaign
2. Look at the Paywalls tab for the relevant audience
3. Verify which paywalls are active and their distribution percentages

Sticky Assignments

Important: Superwall assignments are "sticky." Once a user is assigned to a paywall variant, they continue seeing that same paywall regardless of:

• Changes you make to presentation percentages
• Updates you publish to other paywalls
• App reinstalls or calling Superwall.reset()

This is by design. It ensures experiment integrity and allows you to keep existing users on an old pricing while testing new pricing with new users.

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Step 3: Check Conditional Visibility and Dynamic Values

Paywalls often use dynamic values to show different content based on conditions. The most common scenario is trial eligibility.

Trial Eligibility (products.hasIntroductoryOffer)

If your paywall has components with visibility controlled by products.hasIntroductoryOffer:

• True: User is eligible for a free trial/intro offer
• False: User has already used their trial (or the product has no trial)

Common issue: Apple App Store reviewers often test with accounts that have already used trials, so hasIntroductoryOffer is false for them, showing different UI than you expect.

To check in the editor:

1. Open your paywall in the editor
2. Click Variables in the floating toolbar
3. Toggle products.hasIntroductoryOffer between true/false
4. Observe which components appear/disappear

Other Dynamic Conditions

Check if any components have visibility rules based on:

• Selected product index
• Device type
• User attributes
• Custom parameters

Look for components that have the gear icon indicating dynamic values are set.

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Step 4: Verify Products Are Correctly Configured

Product Approval Status

Products must be approved in App Store Connect before they can be properly displayed:

• Products in "Waiting for Review" may not load correctly
• Sandbox testing uses different product states than production

To check:

1. Go to App Store Connect → Your App → Subscriptions
2. Verify all products show "Ready to Submit" or "Approved"

Product Assignment on Paywall

Ensure the correct products are assigned to your paywall:

1. Open the paywall in the editor
2. Check the Products section on the left sidebar
3. Verify the intended products are selected as Primary, Secondary, etc.

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Step 5: Understand Caching Behavior

Server-Side Caching

Superwall's static configuration is cached by CDN for up to 1 hour. After publishing changes:

• New users get the update immediately (fresh cache)
• Existing users may see cached content for up to 1 hour

Device-Side Caching

If your paywall has Cache on Device enabled in settings:

• The SDK stores the paywall locally for faster presentation
• Reinstalling the app clears this cache
• Superwall.reset() clears on-device data but NOT server-side assignments

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Step 6: Testing Checklist

When testing paywall updates, follow this process:

For Fresh Testing

1. Wait a few minutes for cache propagation
2. Use a new user ID or test account
3. Delete and reinstall the app
4. Trigger the placement that shows the paywall

For App Store Review

1. Remember reviewers may not be eligible for trials (trial already used)
2. Test your paywall with hasIntroductoryOffer = false in the editor
3. Ensure all UI states look correct for non-trial-eligible users

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Common Scenarios and Solutions

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Related Documentation

• Publishing Paywalls
• A/B Testing and Experiments
• Dynamic Values
• Variables Reference
• Campaign Audiences