Do news publications share paywalled articles in free newsletters?

Yes. Many publications include full article text or substantial excerpts in their free email newsletters that are otherwise behind a paywall on their website. Subscribing to a publication's free newsletter is often the easiest way to sample paywalled content legally.

Which publications share the most content through free newsletters?

The New York Times, Bloomberg, Financial Times, The Economist, and The Atlantic all have free newsletter options that include content from their paywalled sites. Newsletter content varies and may not always include the exact article you are looking for.

Are links in newsletters free to access?

Article links in newsletters are sometimes gift links that grant subscribers' access even if they are not paying subscribers. This depends on the publication. Clicking article links from newsletters sometimes bypasses the metered paywall because the referrer is the newsletter email.

What is the difference between a newsletter paywall bypass and gift links?

Gift links are specific URLs that grant anyone access to a single article. Newsletter links may include gift links, or they may simply be regular article links. The difference is that some publications configure their newsletter links with special access tokens, while others link to the standard paywalled version.

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How Email Newsletters Provide Free Access to Paywalled Articles

One of the most overlooked ways to read paywalled content is through publications' own free email newsletters. Many publishers include full article text, substantial excerpts, or special access links in newsletters that anyone can subscribe to for free. Here is how to make the most of this approach.

How Newsletter Access Works

Publications use newsletters for two main goals: keeping readers engaged and attracting new subscribers. To serve these goals, many newsletters include:

Full article text for selected stories, bypassing the website paywall entirely
Extended excerpts that cover the key points of paywalled articles
Gift link versions of article links that grant free access when clicked from the email
Summary and analysis of paywalled content that communicates the substance without requiring the full article

Free Newsletters Worth Subscribing To

New York Times newsletters: The Times Morning Briefing and various beat-specific newsletters include article text and links that sometimes grant access as newsletter referrals.
Bloomberg newsletters: Bloomberg Daybreak, Bloomberg Green, and sector-specific newsletters include substantial free content from Bloomberg's paywalled site.
Financial Times newsletters: FT's free newsletters include excerpts and summaries of key FT reporting. The FT First newsletter provides a daily digest of top stories.
The Economist Espresso: The Economist's free daily briefing includes summaries of key articles from that week's issue.
The Atlantic newsletters: Atlantic newsletters include full article text for some pieces that would be behind the metered paywall on the website.
WSJ newsletters: The WSJ offers free topic-specific newsletters that include article excerpts and sometimes full access links.

The Newsletter Click Trick

Some publications configure their email newsletter links differently from their website links. When you click an article link from a newsletter email, your email client sends a different referrer header than clicking from a website. Some publications treat newsletter referral clicks with more open access, similar to how search engine referrals sometimes bypass paywalls.

To take advantage of this: subscribe to a publication's free newsletter, wait for the next issue, and click article links from the email itself rather than visiting the website directly.

Use This Alongside Web Archive Tools

Newsletters are most useful for regular, ongoing access to a publication's content. For a specific article you need right now, web archive tools provide more immediate access.

Need a Specific Article Now?

Managing Newsletter Volume

Subscribing to multiple publication newsletters can generate significant email volume. Consider creating a dedicated email address for newsletter subscriptions to keep your primary inbox clean. Tools like Unroll.me or a dedicated email client folder help manage the volume while keeping newsletter content accessible.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do news publications share paywalled articles in free newsletters?: Yes. Many publications include full article text or substantial excerpts in their free email newsletters that are otherwise behind a paywall on their website. Subscribing to a publication's free newsletter is often the easiest way to sample paywalled content legally.
Which publications share the most content through free newsletters?: The New York Times, Bloomberg, Financial Times, The Economist, and The Atlantic all have free newsletter options that include content from their paywalled sites. Newsletter content varies and may not always include the exact article you are looking for.
Are links in newsletters free to access?: Article links in newsletters are sometimes gift links that grant subscribers' access even if they are not paying subscribers. This depends on the publication. Clicking article links from newsletters sometimes bypasses the metered paywall because the referrer is the newsletter email.
What is the difference between a newsletter paywall bypass and gift links?: Gift links are specific URLs that grant anyone access to a single article. Newsletter links may include gift links, or they may simply be regular article links. The difference is that some publications configure their newsletter links with special access tokens, while others link to the standard paywalled version.