Secure File URLs (Pro)

When you offer premium or private files in your community, you need to ensure they can't be easily shared with non-members. The Secure File URLs feature prevents this by generating signed, temporary links for your private files instead of direct, permanent links.

Use Case: You offer a valuable PDF e-book as part of a paid course. With secure URLs enabled, a member can download it, but if they copy and share the download link with a friend, that link will expire after a short time and will not work, protecting your content from unauthorized distribution.

How Secure URLs Work

When a member clicks to download a protected file, FluentCommunity doesn't link directly to the file itself. Instead, it generates a unique, temporary URL that includes a cryptographic signature.

• Signed: The URL is "signed" with a secret key, proving that it was generated by your site for a legitimate user.
• Temporary: The URL is set to expire after a short period (e.g., a few minutes or hours).

This ensures that only the intended, logged-in user can access the file, and the link cannot be reused or shared widely.

Enabling Secure URLs

This feature typically works in conjunction with a third-party storage service like Amazon S3 or Cloudflare R2, as they have built-in support for generating signed URLs.

1. Navigate to FluentCommunity → Settings → Media & Storage.
2. Ensure you have configured your Amazon S3 or Cloudflare R2 integration first.
3. Within the settings for your chosen storage provider, you will find an option labeled "Generate signed URLs for secure file access" or similar.
4. Turn this toggle switch to the "On" position.

5. You may also be able to configure the URL Expiration Time. This determines how long the temporary link will be valid after it's generated. A shorter time is more secure.
6. Click Save Settings.

⚠️ Important: This is an advanced security feature. It is most effective for protecting high-value, private content. It is generally not necessary for public images or non-sensitive files. Ensure your storage provider (S3 or R2) is correctly configured with the necessary permissions to allow URL signing.