Google LLC announced today that it will be ending its First Click Free program, which required subscription-based online publishers to provide users with free access to at least three free articles if they discovered them through Google Search or through Google News.

According to Google Vice President Richard Gingras, First Click Free is being replaced by Flexible Sampling, which allows publishers to choose how many articles they want to make freely available per month before showing users a paywall. While Gingras said that “10 articles per month is a good starting point,” he also noted that publishers could choose to not share any content for free.

Google has put together a list of recommendations for publishers on best practices for Flexible Sampling, which includes two primary suggestions on how to implement the system. The first recommendation is metering, where users can access a set number of articles before hitting a paywall.

This model is how First Click Free worked, and it is also already used by some publishers, such as the Dallas Morning News. The second suggested Flexible Sampling model is lead-in, where users can see the first few sentences of each article, but they can view the full article only if they subscribe. The lead-in model is used by publishers such as the Wall Street Journal or The Information.

Google came to the decision to replace First Click Free after doing its own internal research on subscription models, as well as by doing experiments with major publishers such as the New York Times and the Financial Times.

“Google’s decision to let publishers determine how much content readers can sample from search is a positive development,” said Kinsey Wilson, an adviser to New York Times Chief Executive Mark Thompson. “We’re encouraged as well by Google’s willingness to consider other ways of supporting subscription business models and we are looking forward to continuing to work with them to craft smart solutions.”

Flexible Sampling is the first of several new features Google has planned for publishers. Gingras said that Google is working on developing new products and services to “help news publishers reach new audiences, drive subscriptions and grow revenue.”

Google also plans to simplify purchase options to make it easier for users to “get the full value of their subscriptions across Google’s platforms.” According to Gingras, Google is also looking at ways to use machine learning to help publishers spot likely subscribers and target them with more effective subscription offers.

Photo: barnoid Razor Wire via photopin (license)