We’ve all been there: you find a fascinating article online, but it’s behind a paywall. You’re not willing to pay for a subscription, but you’re desperate to read the article. What do you do? There are actually a few ways to read articles behind a paywall without paying. Here are a few tips that can help you access the content you want without breaking the bank.
One way to read articles behind a paywall is to use a browser extension. There are a number of browser extensions that can bypass paywalls. Some of the most popular browser extensions include Bypass Paywalls, Paywall Buster, and Access Denied: Bypass Paywalls. These browser extensions work by modifying the browser’s behavior to prevent the paywall from loading. Once the browser extension is installed, you can simply visit the website that you want to access and click on the button that the browser extension provides. Browser extensions are generally easy to install and use, and they can be a great way to bypass paywalls.
Another way to read articles behind a paywall is to use a proxy server. A proxy server is a computer that acts as an intermediary between your computer and the website that you want to access. When you use a proxy server, your computer sends a request to the proxy server, and the proxy server then forwards the request to the website. The website responds to the proxy server, and the proxy server then forwards the response to your computer. Proxy servers can be used to bypass paywalls because they can make it appear as if your computer is located in a different country. Many websites use geographic restrictions to block access to their content, but a proxy server can bypass these restrictions by making it appear as if your computer is located in a country where the content is not blocked. Proxy servers can be found online, and they can be either free or paid.
Unlocking Paywalls with Browser Extensions
Browser extensions are powerful tools that can unlock paywalled articles with ease. They work by modifying your browser’s behavior, allowing you to bypass the paywall restrictions without having to create an account or pay for a subscription. Here are some of the most popular browser extensions for unlocking paywalls:
1. Bypass Paywalls Extension
Bypass Paywalls Extension is a Chrome extension that automatically unlocks articles on various news and academic websites. It’s easy to install and use, simply add it to your browser and it will work seamlessly in the background. Bypass Paywalls Extension supports a wide range of websites, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, and more. It also allows you to customize your settings, such as disabling the extension on specific websites or setting a maximum number of articles to unlock per day.
Here’s a table summarizing the key features of Bypass Paywalls Extension:
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Supported Websites | New York Times, Washington Post, Bloomberg, and more |
| Automatic Unlocking | Unlocks articles on supported websites automatically |
| Customization | Disable extension on specific websites, set max articles to unlock per day |
Joining News Aggregators for Limited Access
News aggregators are websites or apps that collect and organize content from multiple news sources. Several news aggregators offer plans that provide limited access to paywalled articles for a subscription fee. Some popular news aggregators include:
● Apple News+: A subscription service that offers unlimited access to over 300 magazines and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.
● Google News Premium: A subscription service that offers ad-free access to paywalled articles from select publishers, including The Guardian, Nikkei Asia, and The Sydney Morning Herald.
● Flipboard: A news aggregator app that offers a “Plus” subscription that provides limited access to paywalled articles. This subscription includes three free articles per month and additional articles can be purchased individually.
Here is a table summarizing the key features of each news aggregator:
| News Aggregator | Subscription Cost | Number of Included Articles | Additional Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple News+ | $9.99/month | Unlimited | Includes access to magazines and newspapers |
| Google News Premium | $9.99/month | Ad-free access to select publishers | Personalized news feed |
| $2.99/month | 3 free articles per month | Ability to purchase individual articles |
Using Social Media to Share Paywalled Articles
Social media platforms offer another way to access paywalled articles. Many news organizations and journalists have active social media accounts where they share their work, including links to articles that may be behind a paywall. By following these accounts and engaging with their content, you can often find shared links to articles that you would otherwise have to pay for.
6. Finding Paywalled Articles on Social Media
To find paywalled articles on social media, you can use the following tips:
- Follow news organizations and journalists on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
- Use hashtags related to the topics you’re interested in #news, #politics, #business etc.
- Search for specific articles using keywords or phrases. For example, you could search for “New York Times Climate Change” or “Economist Ukraine War.”
- Check the shared links in posts by your friends and followers. They may have shared articles from paywalled sources that you’d be interested in.
- Use the social media platform’s built-in search function to find relevant articles.
- Follow dedicated accounts like “PaywallBot” on Twitter which automatically shares links to paywalled articles.
| Platform | Dedicated Accounts |
|---|---|
| @PaywallBot | |
| N/A | |
| N/A |
Exploring Open Access Initiatives
Open access (OA) initiatives aim to make research and scholarly articles freely available to all, regardless of their ability to pay. Several organizations and initiatives are working to promote OA by providing funding, resources, and advocacy.
Major Open Access Initiatives
| Initiative | Description |
|---|---|
| DOAJ (Directory of Open Access Journals) | A directory of peer-reviewed OA journals that meet quality standards. |
| PLOS (Public Library of Science) | A non-profit publisher that provides open access to scientific and medical research. |
| JSTOR | A digital library that preserves and provides access to scholarly journals and books. |
| OpenAIRE | An initiative that promotes the dissemination and preservation of research data and publications in Europe. |
| cOAlition S | A group of funders who have committed to making research publications open access by 2025. |
These initiatives play a crucial role in advocating for OA, providing funding for OA publishing, and developing new models for scholarly communication. Through their efforts, they are helping to increase access to research and knowledge, fostering collaboration, and accelerating innovation.
Contacting the Author for Courtesy Access
If you have contacted the author and politely explained your situation, there is a good chance that they will be willing to provide you with temporary access to their article. Most authors are happy to share their work with those who are genuinely interested in it. However, it is important to remember that this is a courtesy, and you should not expect the author to always provide you with access. If the author does not respond to your request or declines to provide access, you should respect their decision.
How to Contact the Author
You can usually find contact information for an author by visiting their university website or searching for their email address online. If you cannot find the author’s contact information, you can try sending a message through the publisher’s website. When contacting the author, be sure to be polite and respectful, and explain why you are interested in reading their article. Here is a sample email that you can use:
| Subject | Request for Courtesy Access to Article |
|---|---|
| Body |
Dear [Author’s Name], I am writing to request courtesy access to your article, [Article Title], which is published in [Journal Name]. I am a [Your Title] at [Your Institution], and I am currently working on a research project that is related to the topic of your article. I have tried to access the article through my university library, but unfortunately, it is behind a paywall. I would be very grateful if you could provide me with temporary access to your article. I would be happy to share my research findings with you once my project is complete. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, [Your Name] |
Subscribing to the Publication for Limited Time
9. Using a Temporary Email Address
For subscription-based paywalls, many websites require email verification during sign-up. To bypass this, consider using a temporary email service like Temp Mail or Fake Mail. These services generate disposable email addresses that expire after a certain period, usually 10 minutes to an hour.
Generate a temporary email address on these websites and use it to sign up for the publication. Once you have access to the article, make sure to copy the text or save the article as a PDF before the email address expires.
| Temporary Email Services | Description |
|---|---|
| Temp Mail | Generates disposable email addresses that expire after 10 minutes. |
| Fake Mail | Allows you to create custom email addresses for temporary use. |
| 10 Minute Mail | Provides email addresses that are valid for 10 minutes. |
How To Read Articles Behind Paywall
Paywalls – those pesky barriers that prevent you from accessing online articles without paying for a subscription – can be a major annoyance. Fortunately, there are a few ways to bypass these paywalls and read the articles you want for free. Here are a few methods:
- Use a browser extension. There are a number of browser extensions that can help you bypass paywalls, such as Bypass Paywalls, Remove Paywalls, and Disable JavaScript. These extensions work by modifying your browser’s settings to make it appear as if you are already a subscriber to the website you are trying to access.
- Use a VPN. A VPN (virtual private network) can also help you bypass paywalls. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic and routes it through a server in a different location. This makes it appear as if you are accessing the website from a different country, which may allow you to bypass the paywall.
- Use a search engine. Sometimes, you can find the full text of an article by searching for it on a search engine such as Google or Bing. If the article is available for free elsewhere on the web, the search engine will typically show you a link to it.
- Contact the author. If you can’t find the full text of an article anywhere else, you can try contacting the author directly. Many authors are willing to share their work with people who are interested in it, even if they are not subscribers to the website where it was published.
People Also Ask About How To Read Articles Behind Paywall
How To disable JavaScript?
There are a few different ways to disable JavaScript in your browser. One way is to go to the settings menu in your browser and look for the option to disable JavaScript. Another way is to use a browser extension that disables JavaScript, such as the NoScript extension for Firefox.
How To Use A Search Engine?
To use a search engine, simply go to the search engine’s website and type in the keywords that you are interested in. The search engine will then return a list of websites that match your keywords. You can then click on the links to visit the websites and read the articles that you are interested in.
How To Contact The Author?
You can usually find the author’s contact information on the website where the article is published. Look for a link to the author’s bio or contact page. If you can’t find the author’s contact information on the website, you can try searching for the author’s name on social media or other websites.
