PassWord Protected Page - How?

[Jannie]

Hello Everyone,

I want to creat a page that can only be accessed after the customer pays and recieves a password by email. When it comes to creating web pages, I am kinda like at kindergarten level.

My site is ChoicesRestored.com. Can some of you brilliant minded guys help me out with this? thanks, Jannie - Music City USA

[Objective]

Your can just put your page in a subdirectory and password protect it using CPANEL.

For example

1. go to file manager, navigate to your site folder (it is under public_html/)
2. make a new folder
3. exit filemanager and go to password protect directory in cpanel
4. password protect it and add user names and passwords
5. use control panel or edit htaccess to hide files (force user to index page).

Upload your web page (index.AAA) to the new directory using filemanager or an FTP program, add a link to it on your site and you're done. Only people who know the username and password can get in to the page. They will be presented with a login panel when they click the link.

How you choose to manage payment for access is another matter altogether. Somehow you need to put in an order/payment tool like the shpping carts, perhaps, and fulfulfillment process where the email with username and password get sent. You can do this manually or maybe by customizing a shopping program so that a verified order gets a confirmation mail including the login details.

If I was doing this I think I'd also choose to think through the IDs so that I could have some kind of rotating expiry date, just in case someone decides to blast your access info all over the web.

This is not terribly elegant, but it would work. Hope you get some superior suggestions in addition to mine.

[Jannie]

Hello Everyone,
I followed the advise below to #5. I dont know how to hide files or edit htaccess. Can someone please explain this to a novice website owner?
thanks, Jannie in Music City USA


[QUOTE=Objective] put your page in a subdirectory and password protect it using CPANEL.

For example

1. go to file manager, navigate to your site folder (it is under public_html/)
2. make a new folder
3. exit filemanager and go to password protect directory in cpanel
4. password protect it and add user names and passwords
5. use control panel or edit htaccess to hide files (force user to index page).

Upload your web page (index.AAA) to the new directory using filemanager or an FTP program, add a link to it on your site and you're done. Only people who know the username and password can get in to the page. They will be presented with a login panel when they click the link.

[bobdog]

Hi Jannie,

Although the above solutions work somewhat, your best bet is to use a CMS (Content Management System) that will automatically let the person pay and grant access.

I have done this in Drupal, a CMS in Fantastico- by using the subscription module. Also, I've done this in Zen cart- by making the person pay and limiting the amounts of page views/downloads.

Both systems will work with PayPal, or if you have a merchant bank account you can use Authorize.net

[Objective]

In order to force a browser to the index page you should edit the htacess file by adding this:

AddType text/html .html
DirectoryIndex index.html

Above in red is for html files.

If you use php, you would instead add what is in green below:

AddType application/x-httpd-php .html .php
DirectoryIndex index.php

If your site is mixed, add both. That should work. Hope this helps you.

PS - BobDog's suggestion is a good one if you are going to have a lot of users. My suggestion is pretty clunky if you got any substantial volume, and you might be wise to make the investment in a better solution now if it is going to take off... or else you will probably have a rough conversion time ahead. Good luck !

[aaelghat]

I have done this in Drupal, a CMS in Fantastico- by using the subscription module.

Hi, I'd like to do a similar thing as the OP. I installed Drupal, but when I look at the lists of the modules, I don't see one called "subscription" and based on the descriptions, there's nothing that's really close. Any insights?

Thanks.

[bobdog]

Go to Drupal dot org and type in a seach for subscription module.