VdoCipherSigned URL
A signed URL is a media link carrying a cryptographic signature and expiry, so the CDN serves the file only while the signature is valid, as with S3 presigned URLs or CloudFront signed URLs. It stops stale link sharing and casual scraping, but during its validity window it downloads the full file for anyone who holds it.
What is a Signed URL?
A signed URL is a media link that carries a cryptographic signature and an expiry time, so a CDN serves the file only while the signature is valid. Amazon S3 presigned URLs and CloudFront signed URLs are common examples.
How Signed URLs Work
Your backend generates the URL by signing the path and an expiry with a secret key. The CDN checks the signature and the expiry on each request and refuses anything altered or out of date. This ties access to a time window and, optionally, to conditions like an IP range.
What Signed URLs Do and Do Not Protect
- Stops: Stale link sharing and casual scraping, because old links stop working.
- Does not stop: Downloading during the validity window; anyone holding a live signed URL can save the full file.
- Right tier for: Semi-private content, not high-value paid video on its own.
Where They Sit on the Protection Ladder
Signed URLs are a useful access control but a lower rung than DRM. They regulate when a link works, not whether the delivered file can be copied. For paid courses and premium content, they are typically combined with, or replaced by, token authentication and DRM.