How to Start an OnlyFans and Make Money in 6 Steps

OnlyFans has over 3 million creators, and the top ones can make more than $200,000 a month. It’s no surprise that many people wonder how to start an OnlyFans and make money, too.

Joining the platform is easy. You can sign up for free in just a few minutes. What really matters is how you grow your account and work your way toward the top 1%.

You can also find someone on OnlyFans whose style or niche inspires you. This makes learning easier and gives you ideas for your own content.

If you haven’t started your OnlyFans business yet, this beginner-friendly guide is for you. Read on to learn how to set up, optimize, and promote your account.

TL;DR

• You can start an OnlyFans page in 6 steps: set up and verify your account, send welcome messages, choose the right niche, create high-quality content, promote your account & analyze your content.
• Optimize your profile with a catchy username, bio, and images,
• Pick a niche that fits your interests, personality, and audience demand,
• Post regularly (at least once a day), schedule content, engage fans with polls, chats, and PPV/custom options to maintain interest,
• Use social media (Reddit, Twitter/X, TikTok, Instagram) and link tools like Linktree,
• Track subscriber growth, churn, content performance, and traffic sources.

How to Start an OnlyFans: Step-by-Step Guide

You’re a beginner and you’ve heard people are making thousands on OnlyFans — now you want to get started too. Sounds exciting, right?

Wondering how to start an OnlyFans without any followers? We’ll guide you through every step, from signing up to tracking your content.

Step 1: Set up Your OnlyFans Account for Free

To start monetizing on OnlyFans, first, you need to create an account. Here’s how to set up your OnlyFans profile, step-by-step:

#1 Sign up with Your Email or Social Media Accounts

• Go to the OnlyFans sign-up page, type in your name, email, and a password, and tap ‘Sign Up’. You can also sign up with your Twitter or Google account. 
• OnlyFans will send a confirmation link to your email. Click it and you’re signed up.

#2 Optimize Your Profile

• Now, you should choose a unique username, display name, profile picture, and banner image, and write an appealing bio.

• To have a well-optimized OnlyFans profile, you need to set a high-quality, hot profile picture that reflects your niche and brand. Just make sure it aligns with OnlyFans’ terms of service. For instance, you can’t upload a full nude profile image.
• Create a unique username that is easy to remember, short, sexy, and relevant to your niche. 
• Your banner image is where you can show your creativity. Choose a single image or a collage of images that best reflects your vibe.
• A catchy bio can hook viewers and encourage them to hit the subscription button. Clearly state what content you offer (photos, videos, custom content, etc). When we say clearly, we mean avoid generic statements like “sexy content daily”. 

Your bio should also use your persona’s voice, flirty, playful, relaxed, or confident. And more importantly, add a few niche-keywords, like “cosplay”, “feet”, “ASMR role‐play”, “daily selfies. These help a subscriber get your vibe when they see your page.

Jessica Barton is one of the best MILF OnlyFans creators. Her profile is well-established with a compelling bio, profile image, and banner.  

Note: If you want to make money on OnlyFans without showing your face, consider blocking your location. 

When you’re just starting out, it’s also smart to keep your subscriber count hidden until you build more followers. To hide your subscriber count, you need to go to ‘Settings’ → ‘Privacy and Safety’, and toggle off ‘Show fans count on your profile’.

#3 Verify Your Account

Once you’ve set up your profile with a picture, username, bio, and other details, you need to verify your account. 

• Tap ‘More’ in the left-side menu and click ‘Become a creator’. 

• Now, tap ‘Complete Verification’. OnlyFans recommends using your mobile device to complete age and identity verification.

Here are some of the OnlyFans signup requirements:

• You must be at least 18 years old,
• You need to provide a valid government-issued photo ID (passport, driver’s license, or national ID card),
• Take a live selfie to compare it with your ID photo.

• Then, agree to the terms, and you’ll go to the next step.

• Here, you should capture a photo from the front and back sides of your ID document. Your photo must be clear, correctly sized, and well-lit.
• Next, take a selfie and submit it for verification. The review process usually takes a few hours to 24 hours to validate your documents and complete your verification.

#4 Add Your Bank Account & Payment Methods

• Now that you’re verified, go to ‘Add Card’ on the left-side menu, and add your bank account details. Next, tap ‘Submit’. 

• After adding your bank account, go to ‘Settings’ and open ‘Subscription price’ to set up your subscription. 

OnlyFans offers three payment methods: 

• Free subscription: Fans can join for free; you can still earn from tips and pay-per-view content.
• Monthly subscriptions: Fans pay a monthly fee (min $4,99) to access all your content,
• Pay-per-view: Fans pay to unlock specific posts or content.

Note: OnlyFans takes a  20% cut from your earnings. So, you’ll receive 80% of what you generate.

It’s best to start with a free trial or a lower price (like $4,99 to $14,99) to attract fans. As you grow and your library gets deeper, you can raise the subscription price. 

You can also offer multi‑month bundles (e.g., 3, 6, 12 months) at a discount. This helps you encourage fans to stay subscribed for longer. OnlyFans revenue streams go beyond subscriptions. Try PPV, tips, and customs to earn more. 

Step 2: Send Welcome Messages

OnlyFans offers many useful features, and sending welcome messages to new fans is one of them. With a good welcome message, you can make subscribers feel valued and excited. 

Want to activate welcome messages on OnlyFans?

• Log in to your account and tap ‘More’ to open ‘Settings’, 
• Click on ‘Chats’ and turn ‘Send a welcome message to new fans’ on.
• Now, write a short and clear message and hit ‘Save’.

Thank them personally for subscribing. You can mention what kind of content they’ll get and how often. It’s best to use a friendly or flirty tone that matches your brand.

Don’t forget to tell them what to do next (check your pinned post, message you, join a chat, etc.). It’s optional, but you can include a small gift or teaser: A welcome photo, discount, or link to a favorite post boosts engagement.

Step 3: Pick the Right Niche

Understanding how to start an OnlyFans business starts with choosing the right niche. The right niche is something that aligns with your interests, comfort zone, and personality. 

You’ll be creating regularly, so how will you maintain consistency if you’re not interested in it? However, love is not enough! Let’s see what else a strong OnlyFans niche is:

• It should have a specific audience who loves it and is willing to spend. The more you narrow in, the easier it is to target.
• On the other hand, it shouldn’t be overly saturated. Or if it is, you need to bring a unique twist.
• Use polls, ask your subscribers what they like, and look at the requests you get. That gives data on what you do best.

According to a Creator Economy Report (2024), the top-performing OnlyFans niches by average monthly revenue were:

• Fitness & Wellness: $2,850/month
• Adult Content: $2,420/month
• Gaming & Streaming: $1,980/month
• Music & Performance: $1,750/month
• Education & Tutorials: $1,620/month

Within the adult content, foot fetish is the most popular niche on OnlyFans. The creators report a 43% increase in their earnings. The reason? You don’t need to show your face! Here are the best NSFW content niches in 2025:

• Cosplay content,
• Couple content, 
• BDSM and fetish content,
• Girlfriend experience (GFE),
• Roleplay and fantasy.

Step 4: Create High-Quality Content Consistently

If you want to learn how to start an OnlyFans business, you need to treat it like a real business! You’ve picked your niche (and persona), and it’s time to create high-quality content.

It’s best to have a content plan that decides the type (lives, photos, videos) and frequency of content. Consider these tips to create valuable content that keeps your subscribers hooked:

• You need to post consistently to engage with your fans. So, post at least once a day. OnlyFans allows you to schedule your posts. Prepare two or three posts and schedule them for later. 
• Use essential tools like a computer or laptop, a smartphone, good lighting, and editing software such as Canva.
• Engage with your fans through chats, polls, quizzes, behind-the-scenes, short videos, and more.
• Offer value and exclusivity. You can use teaser content, so your public posts show a taste, but subscribers get more. Try a tip menu, pay-per-view (PPV) content, and custom content options.

Nikky French is a popular mom on OnlyFans. She uses various methods to catch her fans’ attention, from live streams and daily chats to video calls. 

Once you build a media library of at least 20 photos + 3-5 short videos, you can start promoting on social media platforms and forums. 

Step 5: Promote Your OnlyFans Account

You’ve already done a lot. Once your profile looks good and you’ve built a library of quality content, it’s time to start promoting yourself. That’s how you’ll bring in more subscribers.

You can use your personal social media accounts, but skip that if you want to stay anonymous.

Try a few platforms and see what works best for you. Don’t just stick to one. For example, a BBW OnlyFans creator says Instagram, Reddit, Threads, and X work well for them.

In general, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter (X), and Reddit are the top channels to promote your OnlyFans.

How to Promote OnlyFans on Social Media Platforms & Reddit

We recommend setting up separate social media accounts for your OF profile. Once that’s done, let’s get started:

Reddit

The best place to promote a new OnlyFans account is definitely Reddit. You’ll find lots of subreddits for different NSFW niches — like r/OnlyFans_beginners, r/OnlyFansSluts, and r/onlyfanshottest — where you can join and share your content.

Actively participate in relevant subreddits, but don’t spam! Reddit has one of the strictest antispam policies. Besides, each subreddit has its own rules, moderators, and culture. Make sure to comply with them.

It’s best not to post your OF link directly — instead, use a link tool like AllMyLinks, Linktree, or Beacons. Post teasers, selfies, or snippets that fit the subreddit theme.

Twitter (X)

X (formerly Twitter) is an adult content-friendly platform. Many of the top OnlyFans creators are active on X. All you need to do is clearly describe your content or persona in your bio. 

Also, use a landing page (Linktree, Beacons, Koji) linking your OnlyFans plus other social handles. Check out Petite Ellie (a famous petite OnlyFans creator), for example. She has a short, catchy bio with links (through a link in bio tool):

Stay away from fully explicit posts. Just post safe-for-work (SFW) previews: snippets or cropped images. Relevant niche hashtags, like #OnlyFans, #OFContent, #Cosplay, #NSFW (if allowed), can also help you be seen by fans. 

TikTok

TikTok is all about creativity. While it doesn’t allow adult content, you can join trends and challenges and use hashtags to attract viewers. 

Share funny, relatable, or interesting stories from your day-to-day life, your hobbies, or your creative process. This helps followers connect with you.

Makayla is a petite, blonde creator on OnlyFans who has a well-established TikTok account. Over 26M likes prove so:

Instagram

Instagram isn’t very friendly to NSFW content, so promoting there can be a bit tricky — but it’s still possible.

Just make sure to follow Instagram’s community guidelines: no full nudity and don’t promote your OnlyFans account directly. You can use a link in bio to share your page.

Post small, suggestive clips or images that give a hint of your OnlyFans content without breaking the rules.

Step 6: Analyze and Optimize Your Content

Like other creator platforms, OnlyFans provides built-in analytics tools. They help you monitor your content and see which content performs best. Keep track of the following metrics:

• Subscriber growth, 
• Churn, 
• Which posts convert to tips/PPV, 
• And which markets (countries or platforms) are sending traffic.

Finally, you need to adjust your marketing strategy based on your analytics. 

How Much Do Beginners Make on OnlyFans?

There’s no exact answer to how much a creator can make on OnlyFans in the beginning. It really depends on your niche, how you earn, and the effort you put in.

Usually, new creators make around $200 to $1,000 in their first few months. One creator said they made $200 in just 8 days:

while another mentioned earning over $400 a month. What’s clear is that growing your account takes time, consistency, and effort.

Final Words

Learning how to start an OnlyFans is just the beginning. To make the most of your OF business, you should find your niche, create content you enjoy, and connect with your audience. 

Remember, growth doesn’t happen overnight, but consistency is a must. Monitor regularly what works and adjust along the way.

This way, you can build a profile that earns and engages. Don’t worry! With focus and patience, anyone can turn their OnlyFans into a rewarding opportunity and make thousands of dollars.

FAQs

Let’s answer some FAQs about starting an OnlyFans page: