Web Monetization September 2024 Updates

As mentioned in our August update, we are working on the Web Monetization browser extension, a secure way to support the work of creators, authors and owners of the content you love on the internet…removing dependence on subscriptions or revenue-sharing platforms.

To learn more about Web Monetization, check the documentation here.

This past month has been about testing and improving the extension.

Beta release

We made an early beta release of the Web Monetization extension on 21 August 2024. Our intention was to gather feedback from even more people.

A BIG thank you, folks!

We have learned some really good lessons:

• Getting started needs to be a breeze: The simpler and quicker the onboarding process is, the better.
• Documentation to support getting started: Documentation and resources that are easy to find, and understand are valuable enablers for getting started.
• Collaboration with digital wallet providers: Closely supporting users when they sign up for a digital wallet helps remove barriers to getting started with the extension.

So, we have prioritized work that focuses on:

• Working closely with the digital wallet providers to give quick and responsive support when users sign up for a wallet.
• Enhancing user experience (UX) such that using the extension is simple and intuitive.
• Helpful documentation for getting started.

Work on the extension

Updates that impact UX and what you see:

• Clearly show where the extension needs user input.
• Improve the extension’s messages to be clearer and more concise. Let the icon of the extension attract the user’s attention only when necessary.
• Improve messaging when you try to use the extension on a non-https website.

Updates that impact when to pay:

• Support paying multiple websites at once, for browsers that allow viewing multiple pages at once. This applies when using the split-screen view in Microsoft Edge, or the tab-tiling feature of the Vivaldi browser.

Updates that impact testing and the developer experience:

• Continuous integration (CI) to automate creating nightly builds of the extension. You can now try the cutting-edge version of the extension without needing to build it yourself.
• Automated end-to-end testing in different browsers. Whenever code changes are made, they must pass all of the automated unit and end-to-end tests. This gives a good baseline for regression testing.

Updates that impact documentation:

• Improved documentation to support getting started, and testing the extension.

We can’t wait for you to get your hands on the extension and experience the magic of Web Monetization 🔋…come back soon!

In the meantime, help us build the extension on GitHub