Should You Still Gate Your Content in 2025?

Marketers love leads. Buyers hate forms. That tension has existed for years, and in 2025, it’s more relevant than ever.

You spend hours crafting a beautifully designed ebook or whitepaper, attach it to a landing page, and gate it behind a form. You wait for the leads to roll in. But fewer people are filling out forms. And when they do, they might never open the email or answer the phone.

So now you’re left wondering: Should I gate marketing content at all anymore?

This article will help you answer that question with clarity. We’ll explore:

• Why gating content became the norm
• When it actually hurts your strategy
• When it still makes sense
• And what to do instead to build trust and still generate leads

Let’s dive in.

Editor’s Note:
If you're the kind of business leader who’s thinking about how to use content not just for marketing, but to grow revenue, shorten the sales cycle, and empower your sales team, you’re exactly who we built the Endless Customers System™ for.

It’s a proven approach we’ve implemented with hundreds of businesses around the world to help them create content that builds trust, answers real buyer questions, and drives measurable results.

If that sounds like the direction you want to take your business, talk to us today.

Why Gated Content Became Popular (and Why It’s Losing Ground)

For years, gating content was considered a best practice in inbound marketing. The formula was simple: create valuable content, put it behind a form, and use that form to collect leads for your sales team.

It made sense when giving away an email address felt like a fair trade for a helpful ebook. But the buyer landscape has changed. People now expect immediate access, control over their journey, and transparency at every step.

Today, buyers are tired of trading their contact info just to access basic insights. Search engines and AI tools prioritize open, indexable content. And static PDFs hidden behind a form no longer match how people consume information.

Put simply, content that creates friction no longer works, especially when it's content your buyers expect to access freely.

When Gating Content Hurts Your Marketing Strategy

Imagine someone searching for pricing on your services. They click through to your site, but the content is locked behind a form. Chances are, they’ll bounce and head to a competitor whose pricing page is easy to access.

Gating the wrong content breaks trust. It hurts your SEO. And it stops your buyers from self-educating, which is exactly what most people want to do before talking to sales.

If your content answers a common buyer question, explains your process, outlines pricing, or compares options, it should be free. If your sales team is already sending it to prospects in follow-up emails, that’s another strong sign it shouldn’t be gated.

Your content should exist to teach and empower. Gating that content by default gets in the way.

When It Might Make Sense to Gate Content

There are still cases where gating content is appropriate, but those cases are fewer and more strategic.

Gated content can work well when the content offers something beyond what’s on your website. This might be proprietary research, an advanced toolkit, or a downloadable resource that supports someone further along in their decision-making process.

It can also work when the audience already knows, likes, and trusts your brand. For example, if someone watches a webinar and wants a follow-up workbook or calculator, a gated form can help guide them into a nurturing sequence.

Even then, it’s worth exploring hybrid approaches. You might make the content fully accessible on the page and offer a downloadable version for those who want to save it. That way, you build trust while still giving people a reason to opt in.

What to Do Instead of Gating Most of Your Content

If you want to attract better-fit buyers, build trust earlier, and move deals faster, gating shouldn't be your go-to.

Start by publishing content openly. Share pricing, answer tough questions, and show how your process works. Let your website serve as a true self-service resource for your buyers.

Use subtle, value-focused CTAs to guide next steps. Rather than forcing form fills, invite readers to subscribe, download, or speak with a team member on their own terms.

Give your audience tools and paths to explore on their own. If someone wants to calculate ROI or compare services, let them do it without having to speak to sales right away.

And don’t forget to monitor how people interact with your content. Tracking page views, engagement, and returning visits often reveals more about buyer intent than a single form submission ever could.

By removing friction, you’re making it easier for the right people to take the next step.

How to Tell if You’re Gating the Wrong Stuff

Still not sure what should be free and what should be gated?

Ask yourself: Would I be upset if I had to fill out a form to access this content? Would I send it to a prospect during a sales conversation? Does it help someone make a buying decision?

If the answer to any of those is yes, then you likely shouldn’t gate it. The more helpful the content, the more accessible it should be.

Gate Strategically, Not Habitually

So, should you gate your marketing content in 2025?

Sometimes. But not by default.

Lead with transparency. Publish content that empowers your buyers. And when you do choose to gate something, make sure the value is high, the experience is smooth, and the intent is clear.

Buyers no longer want to be captured. They want to be helped.

Want help building a content strategy that earns trust and drives results? At IMPACT, we help businesses do just that by using the Endless Customers System™ . It’s the best way to use transparent and helpful content to become the most known and trusted brand in your space. Let’s talk about how coaching can help you shift towards a frictionless, buyer-first approach.