If you use Iteras’ built-in paywall to control access to content on your website, you can offer IP subscriptions. These are subscriptions that automatically grant access through the paywall to anyone located at specific IP addresses.
IP subscriptions are a practical solution for larger companies that do not wish to manage group subscriptions and maintain recipient lists for digital publications. It is a common setup for libraries that need to provide access to a range of publications for all citizens without creating personal logins.
An IP subscription works by using an IP address instead of an email-and-password combination. When someone visits the website, Iteras’ i-frame checks the IP address, and if it matches a customer in the database, the visitor is automatically logged in as that customer.
Creating IP access
To allow customers to log in via IP, you must first create a field for IP addresses. This is done under Account menu > Fields, where you create a new field for subscriptions and then choose the following settings:
Type: IP access list
Features: Allows access to paywall through IP address and For internal use only
Once the field has been created, you can edit any subscription on the selected products and specify which IP address should provide access to the subscription. This means that each subscription can be turned into an IP subscription.
Most often, however, a separate campaign is created for IP subscriptions, which is billed separately, and supplemented with a group subscription if the customer also wants personal logins.
Troubleshooting – if the customer is not logged in automatically
If subscribers report that an IP subscription is not granting access, the following procedure can be used to identify the cause.
Can the subscriber log in to the paywall in the usual way (with a password)?
If not: Is there an active subscription? The subscription must be active, not stopped, suspended, or waiting to start.
If there is an active subscription:
Is the campaign on the subscription actually set up to grant access? This is controlled under the Receiver tab.
Does the paywall allow access for this product?
Double-check the paywall settings. If a subscription to Sportsmanden should provide access through the paywall, this must be configured accordingly in the paywall setup:
Is the correct paywall applied on the website?
If you have multiple paywalls, make sure the correct one is active on the website. If a subscription provides access through paywall a1b2c3 and not x6y7z8, then paywall a1b2c3 must be the one activated on the website.
Has the customer confirmed the IP address, and is it entered correctly?
Has the customer also verified that it is indeed the IP address visible to the system?
This can be checked by visitingapp.iteras.dk/<URL>/ipaccess/, where<URL>is your customer service URL ID.
Are there several customers with the same IP address?
Since IP access is a replacement for login with email + password, two different subscribers cannot use the same IP, just as they cannot use the same email to log in. However, different subscriptions under the same subscriber can share the same IP without issues.
If the subscription still does not work, check whether there are local access restrictions — for example, whether the “iteraspass” cookie is allowed by the customer’s firewall. Such restrictions are relatively common among public institutions.