Announcing the Interledger Foundation’s Web Monetization Extension Beta Release

Announcing the Interledger Foundation’s Web Monetization Extension Beta Release

Written by Rabeb Othmani

Why This Matters

The digital content economy is evolving rapidly, with projections reaching $69.8 billion by 2030 (Grand View Research). As this landscape grows, content creators, publishers, and users alike are looking for more flexible, intuitive ways to connect and transact.

While ads, subscriptions, and paywalls remain essential tools, the future is about expanding possibilities and empowering choice.

With Web Monetization, we’re adding a new, seamless way for users to support the content they love — complementing existing models with real-time, streaming micropayments. The Web Monetization Extension makes it effortless for users to contribute on their terms, while giving content owners more opportunities to engage their audiences and diversify revenue streams.

It’s all part of building a more open, user-first web where supporting great content is simple, flexible, and accessible for everyone.

What’s New?

1. The Web Monetization Extension (Beta)

Our new browser extension simplifies the process of streaming payments to web monetized sites. With this release, users can:

  • Support their favorite web monetized sites directly from their web browser in a quick, non-intrusive, and privacy-preserving way.
  • Pay only for what they consume, with real-time micropayments.
  • Support content owners and publishers directly, fostering a more sustainable content ecosystem.

The extension is available on:

To start using the extension, users need a Web Monetization-compatible wallet and a quick setup within the extension. Follow our detailed getting started guide for step-by-step instructions.

A screenshot showing a configuration step for the Web Monetization extension.

Once configured, the extension is ready! Users can:

  • Setup continuous payments
  • Make a one-time payment
  • Change settings such as adjusting the budget
A screenshot showing how to edit the Web Monetization extension's hourly rate settings and send a one time payment.

If you are a content owner and want to benefit from the extension, monetizing your website is easy and can be done in few steps:

  1. Get a payment pointer or a wallet address.

  2. Create a Web Monetization link tag using the payment URL 

    <link rel="monetization" href="https://wallet.example.com/alice">

  3. Add the to the section of the page.

    <html>
       <head>
         <title>My Site</title>
         <link rel="monetization" href="https://wallet.example.com/alice">
       </head>
     </html>

This beta release is just the beginning—we’re actively improving the experience based on user feedback.

2. Revamped Documentation

We’ve redesigned our documentation to make it clearer and more actionable. Whether you’re a developer integrating Web Monetization, a content owner looking to monetize or a user wanting to support monetized websites, our new docs provide:

  • Step-by-step Guides to get started quickly
  • Improved Developer Corner for seamless integration
  • Improved Overviews for a better understanding of Web Monetization

Check out the new documentation here.

3. New Tooling for Content Owners and Publishers

To support adoption, we’ve introduced new publisher tools, a set of easy-to-customize components that content owners can use to tell their website visitors about Web Monetization, starting with:

  • A banner that informs visitors who don’t have the Web Monetization Extension installed or active and encourages them to support the content they love.
A screenshot showing the configuration options for the Web Monetization extension banner. You can change colors, fonts, positioning etc. An example of how a Web Monetization extension banner looks on a website.

Watch this space for more tools coming soon.

What’s Next?

This beta release is just the start. We’re focused on:

  • Gathering user feedback to refine the extension
  • Expanding wallet provider support
  • Introducing more publisher tools
  • Gathering feedback on the tools you’d like to have

We’d love to hear from you! Try out the beta and let us know what you think in our community forum or on GitHub.

Get Started Today

Together, we’re building a more competitive landscape with equitable paths for big and small content owners and publishers to be part of the digital content economy. Thank you for being part of the journey!

 

If you want to stay updated with all open opportunities and news from the Interledger Foundation, you can subscribe to our newsletter. We also welcome you to join our community slack or participate in the next community call, which takes place each second Wednesday of the month.

Rabeb Othmani

Rabeb is an accomplished technologist and product leader with 15 years of experience in the tech industry. Rabeb has excelled in crafting product strategies, managing cross-functional teams, and delivering innovative solutions that solve real-world problems. Rabeb is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry. She works towards empowering and promoting others.