Скачать или смотреть How to Use .htaccess to Control Video Access with Query Strings

Discover how to use `.htaccess` to restrict access to video files based on query string tokens, allowing only specific access while denying others.
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Controlling Video Access Using .htaccess with Query Strings

When managing content on your website, especially sensitive or valuable files like videos, it’s crucial to have control over who can access them. A common requirement is to allow access to certain users based on specific criteria, such as a query string token. In this guide, we will delve into how you can utilize the .htaccess file to manage video access based on query strings effectively.

The Problem

Suppose you want to allow access to a specific video file only if the user has the correct query string token. For example, the URL for an authorized view of the video could look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

However, you want to deny access to any other routes, such as:

www.mysite.com/root/video/sample.mp4 (missing token)

www.mysite.com/root/video/sample.mp4?token=wrongtoken (invalid token)

How can you achieve this control using .htaccess?

The Solution

The solution involves modifying your .htaccess file to check for the presence of the correct query string and then either permit or deny access. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to implement this:

Step 1: Enable Rewrite Engine

First, you need to ensure that the rewrite engine is turned on by adding the following line to your .htaccess file:

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Step 2: Set Up Rewrite Conditions

Next, add a condition to check if the query string matches the token you want. In your case, the token is 122892. The condition will look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation: This line checks the QUERY_STRING. The ! indicates "not matching," so if the query string does not match token=122892, it will trigger the following rule.

Flags: The [NC] flag stands for "no case," meaning that the comparison is not case-sensitive.

Step 3: Define Rewrite Rule

Now, you need to define what to do if the condition is met. In this case, you want to forbid access if the condition is true. Here’s how to define that rule:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation: The RewriteRule ^ - [F] means "forbid access." The ^ matches the beginning of the line, and the - indicates that no substitution should be made; instead, the [F] flag forbids access.

Complete Code Snippet

By integrating all the steps mentioned above, your complete .htaccess configuration will look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively control access to your video files based on query string tokens using .htaccess. This method enhances the security of your content and ensures that only authorized users can access your valuable resources. Always remember to test your configuration after making changes to ensure everything works as expected.

Now you can use your .htaccess file more effectively to safeguard your media content!