# 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.<br>
* 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**.<br>
* CloudFront signed URLs and signed cookies provide the same basic functionality: they **allow you to control who can access your content**.<br>
* **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**.<br>
* **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**.
