We’ve all chased the dream of writing once and earning repeatedly. In this guide we list 35 “set it and forget it” income streams bloggers swear by, ideas we’ve tested, seen work for peers, or built ourselves. These income types range from digital products that require upfront effort to automated e-commerce and licensing models that hum quietly in the background. Read on to pick the mixes that best match your niche, audience size, and appetite for one-time setup work vs. occasional upkeep.
Digital Products, Courses & Learning
We favor digital products because they scale without inventory and fit nearly every niche. Build them once, update rarely, and sell on autopilot.
Evergreen Online Courses
Create a comprehensive course hosted on platforms like Teachable or Thinkific: market via your list and evergreen funnels for continuous revenue.
Mini Courses And Workshops
Short, low-friction courses convert well, great as entry products or tripwires to larger offers.
Ebooks And Guides
Ebooks are quick to produce, perfect for lead magnets or paid downloads. Amazingly, a well-targeted guide can keep selling for years.
Email Courses And Drip Workshops
Automated email sequences deliver lessons over days or weeks, high perceived value with minimal ongoing work.
Downloadable Templates And Swipe Files
Templates (spreadsheets, email scripts, pitch templates) save readers time: they’re tiny products with high margins.
Printables And Planners
Niche planners and printable trackers sell well on Etsy or your site and require zero physical fulfillment.
Audio Courses And Recorded Workshops
Record once, publish as audio lessons or sell on podcast platforms: audio fits busy buyers and reuses existing course material.
Affiliate, Referral & Ad-Based Income
Affiliate and ad income are classic passive routes, smart placement and audience trust make them reliable long-term earners.
Niche Affiliate Programs
Deep, niche-specific affiliate programs convert better than generic ones: we recommend picking partners your audience already trusts.
Recurring SaaS Affiliate Partnerships
Promote subscription software and collect ongoing commissions: one referral can pay for months.
Amazon Associates And Marketplace Links
Product roundups and resource pages with Amazon links work well: optimize for intent and long-tail keywords.
High-Ticket Affiliate Referrals
Referrals for courses, tools, or services with big payouts require fewer conversions to move the needle.
Coupon, Deal And Resource Pages
Maintain a deals page that ranks for discount intent, update occasionally and let organic traffic do the selling.
Referral Bonuses For Services And Financial Products
Banking, insurance, and service referrals often offer fixed bonuses: integrate them into relevant posts and guides.
Display Ad Networks (Programmatic Ads)
Set up with Google AdSense or Mediavine once you meet traffic thresholds: ads become true set-and-forget revenue if layout’s stable.
Video And Podcast Ad Revenue
Monetize evergreen video or podcast episodes with mid-roll ads or host-read sponsorships that continue long after publication.
Memberships, Subscriptions & Paid Content
Recurring memberships create steady income and customer lifetime value. With the right structure, they need minimal active management.
Paid Newsletter Subscriptions
Charge for premium newsletters (curated resources, exclusive insights), once set up they deliver monthly recurring revenue.
Membership Site With Tiered Access
Offer tiers for power users: basic resources for many, premium content for fewer: automate access and billing.
Patreon/Support Tiers Or Creator Platforms
Patreon or similar platforms provide predictable backer income and community features with little admin work.
Locked Bonus Content And Resource Libraries
Gate templates, cheat sheets, or archives behind a paywall. Update quarterly and let new signups compound.
Automated Course Memberships
Bundle courses under a membership umbrella with scheduled releases: the initial setup is the heavy lift.
Low-Maintenance Recurring Coaching Or Group Calls
Offer monthly group calls or office hours, one session a month scales for many members and keeps churn low.
Creative Marketplaces, Licensing & Royalties
Licensing and royalties turn creative work into long-term checks. We like models that require once-off uploads and minimal follow-up.
Stock Photo And Video Licensing
Upload niche-stock media to marketplaces: sales continue as long as your assets solve buyers’ needs.
Stock Music, Sound Effects And Voice Clips
Musicians and voice actors can sell loops and clips, each license is passive income once the files are listed.
Theme, Template And Plugin Sales
WordPress themes, slide templates, and plugins sell repeatedly on marketplaces: support requests are the main maintenance cost.
Licensing Blog Content And Syndication
License cornerstone posts to other outlets or syndicate content for a fee, good for evergreen how-to pieces.
Ebook And Audiobook Royalties
Self-publish on Kindle and audiobook platforms: royalties accumulate with organic discoverability and evergreen topics.
Domain Leasing, Parking Or Aftermarket Sales
Hold niche domains for parking income or lease them to businesses: occasional sales can produce sizable one-off windfalls.
Stock Illustrations And Graphic Asset Marketplaces
Illustrators can upload packs to marketplaces and watch small, steady royalties trickle in for years.
Automated E-Commerce, Tools & Microservices
Automation is the backbone of scalable passive e-commerce. We recommend focusing on reliability and solid supplier relationships.
Print-On-Demand Stores With Automated Fulfillment
Design once and let printers and fulfillment partners handle printing, packing, and shipping.
Automated Dropshipping With Reliable Suppliers
Use vetted suppliers with automated order processing, your role is product selection and marketing.
Apps Or Plugins With Recurring Fees
Build a small utility app or plugin that solves a real pain and charge monthly or annually.
SaaS Or Simple Tools With Low Maintenance
Simple, well-scoped SaaS can run with minimal dev support if you invest in stability and onboarding.
Digital Asset Bundles On Marketplaces
Bundle fonts, photos, templates and list them on marketplaces: customers find value in curated packs.
Self-Service Microservices And Productized Offers
Offer clearly defined services buyers can purchase and access without back-and-forth, deliverables are automated.
Automated Course Bundles And Licensing To Platforms
License bundles to learning platforms or affiliate partners for passive, recurring payouts.
Conclusion
We’ve outlined a broad palette of passive income ideas, some require one-time setup, others occasional updates. The smartest approach is to pick a few complementary streams (for example, an evergreen course, affiliate partnerships, and template sales) so income isn’t tied to a single source. Start with the option that matches your strengths and audience needs, invest the time to set it up right, then let systems and automation do the rest. Over time, these “set it and forget it” streams compound, turning hours of initial work into predictable revenue we can count on.
