CloudFront Signed URL / Signed Cookies

• Many companies that distribute content over the internet want to restrict access to documents, business data, media streams, or content that is intended for selected users, for example, users who have paid a fee.

• To do this, you can do the following:

  • Require that your users access your private content by using special CloudFront signed URLs or signed cookies.

• CloudFront signed URLs and signed cookies provide the same basic functionality: they allow you to control who can access your content.

• Use signed URLs in the following cases:

  • You want to restrict access to individual files, for example, an installation download for your application.

  • Your users are using a client (for example, a custom HTTP client) that doesn't support cookies.

• Use signed cookies in the following cases:

  • You want to provide access to multiple restricted files, for example, all of the files for a video in HLS format or all of the files in the subscribers' area of website.

  • You don't want to change your current URLs.