Gated content is usually not a good idea

Gated content used to be an effective strategy, but it is no longer magic in 2025. It does not win—not in practice. We have tested it. Several times. With different clients. And the result is quite consistent: When you do not hide your content behind a form, you get more data, more actions, and more…

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That is why we are not fans of gated content

Yes, we know. “But lead ads! And MQLs! And nurturing flows!” [INSERT MORE BUZZWORDS]—sure. It sounds good on paper. But we do not work with paper. We work with performance.

Across cases, industries, and markets, we consistently see that when you make your content freely available—i.e., without requiring an email address, phone number, etc.—three things happen:

The machine has more to work with. You can bid on those who have actually shown interest—not just because their thumb hit autofill. The algorithms behind ad platforms work best with a certain volume of data points. And when you gate content, significantly fewer people take the action we want, and therefore you get fewer data points.
More people do what you want them to. Watch a video, read an e-book, click through—because you are not asking for anything in return. So you get your material and brand into the hands of more potential customers.
A larger retargeting pool. And you can still “nurture” your potential customers without having their email. You can literally run retargeting campaigns on Google’s Display Network, on Meta, Snapchat, and LinkedIn, targeting people who have taken the action you wanted. So you do not lose 100% of your hook on people just because you un-gate your content.

In other words, it is a win-win-win. More data, more signals, more performance—without building a wall between your message and the user.

And let us be completely honest: If you feel like you tricked someone into giving up their details just to download a PDF—what is that really worth? It also raises expectations for what they downloaded; it cost me my email.

If what you have created is so good that it is worth hiding behind a form… why not just share it with the world and let it work for you?

Wait—what is “gated content”?

Gated content is the classic “you can only access this if you give us your email” setup.

It is a very classic marketing strategy, especially used by B2B companies, to generate more leads, which can then be nurtured through ongoing marketing efforts (Marketing Qualified Leads).

It can be a PDF, whitepaper, industry analysis, a video, or a guide that you only get once you have filled out a form with your name, job title, email, etc.

In theory, it sounds like a smart way to generate leads, and it used to be a very good practice. But now it is clear that people have a different attitude toward gated content, and most opt out of downloading it because they have to provide information.

In addition, up to 39% of the few people who actually download gated content provide fake contact information. So there is not much to gain from this strategy anymore.

Conversion rates for gated vs. non-gated content

We have been clear about our view on gated content, but studies conducted by (other 😉) smart people show that it drastically reduces the number of downloads when you choose to gate your content.

According to David Meerman Scott, ungated content is downloaded 20 to 50 times more than gated content. This means that for every person who fills out your form, there are potentially 19 to 49 others who drop off.

What can you do with your content if you do not gate it?

When you choose to release your content without restrictions, you open up a range of opportunities:

Increased reach and visibility: Without a form barrier, your content is more likely to be shared and reach a broader audience.
Establishing authority: By freely sharing valuable content, you position your company as a credible source and thought leader within your industry.
Improved SEO: Open content can be indexed by search engines, which can improve your ranking in search results and increase organic traffic. Google also loves that you give users something to engage with.
Event-based retargeting: You can target your retargeting campaigns to the people who have downloaded your ungated content.
Higher engagement: Users are more likely to engage with content that is easily accessible without extra steps.
Push your content on social media: Now that your content is not under lock and key, you can ensure it gets into as many hands as possible. So you can distribute it via ads on, for example, LinkedIn and Meta, and in that way reach more people in your target audience.
Interactive tools: Develop tools such as price calculators or needs assessments that provide value to users and encourage them to return to your site. You can see an example of such a generator on this page.
Virtual courses and webinars: Offer online training or seminars that share your expertise and engage your audience without requiring registration. You can also make old webinars publicly available so people can see what to expect.