By using entitlement in your app, you can determine which content a reader/user can have access to. In the world of magazines, this is most frequently used to allow print subscribers to get free access to the digital editions, by logging in with a user name and a password. But entitlement is also frequently used by companies that want employees or partners to login to an app that can be distributed both internally or via the App Stores.
1. Configuring entitlements for your app
When navigating to the detail of your app, select Entitlements from the menu. You can then select one of the preconfigured scenario’s:
- Print Subscribers: for providing print subscribers free access to digital content - users can still see and purchase the different collections (issues) and also purchase a subscription through the App Store
- User name & password: for a restricted access app, i.e. without a user name and password, users will not be able to access any content). This scenario also has a special default user called ‘No Entitlements’ that allows you to determine whether certain types of content will be displayed anyway when a user is not logged in.
- Users & Groups: define access to your collections based on group access privileges - users belong to a group, collections can be visible in one or more groups.
- Access Key: can be used for providing extra content to anyone with a valid access key
- Promo Code: allows readers to redeem a promo code and get an issue (collection) for free that normally needs to be purchased
- Adobe DPS/AEM Direct Entitlement Server: useful for customers migrating from this solution that were previously using Adobe’s Direct Entitlement API.
- Custom Entitlements Server: connect via a web service to an external database. See this article.
When you select a specific scenario, you will also be able to configure the labels of the login form.
- Auto Logout: If you enable this option, quitting the app will require a re-login. A re-login will also be required when your mobile device goes into sleep mode.
2. Collection Options
Once you have set the entitlement scenario in Access > Entitlements, you can enable this feature in a collection so this collection can only be entered by an entitled user.
Enable entitlements via:
Collection > Collection Setting > Collection Options > Requires entitlements
2.1. Free of charge or in-app purchase
Each collection is set by default as Free of charge. You can also make it an in-app purchase. In that case, you need to make sure that this in-app purchase is also defined on your Apple and/or Google developer account using the same product identifier.
When a reader navigates to a collection that has been defined as an in-app purchase, it will trigger the paywall to be displayed. The paywall can display a number of different options:
- the standalone purchase of a collection (or 'issue')
- the purchase of a subscription (if you defined any)
- a Login button: tapping this will select the entitlement sign-in form to be displayed
- You can easily define the text that will be shown in the Purchase Info.
2.2. Requires entitlement
If this setting is enabled for a collection, the entitlements sign-in form will be triggered when an unentitled user wants to navigate to that collection. If a reader then logs in with a valid user name and password, he will get access to the collection.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
If you check Requires Entitlement for the root collection, then the login form will be displayed on startup, and anyone who’s not entitled will not be able to access any content in the app.
3. PDF Content Items
PDF Content Items are something special: while they are indeed a type of Content Item, for the purpose of Entitlements they are treated as a Collection. As such, you can set the Entitlements options for a PDF Content Item.
SOME TIPS:
- PDF Content Items have a Product Identifier (used for Entitlements and In-App Purchases). All other Content Items don't have Product Identifiers.
- PDF Content Items can - as a result - be offered as a purchase.
- PDF content Items are also checked against the Entitlements to see if they need to be offered for free or not.
- PDF Content Items are not shown in Detail Mode of a Collection. They are being presented in their own special Detail View.