Protecting embedded Airtable content from unauthorized sharing on a members-only site

Other Questions Airtable
1

Hi everyone,

I’m working on a WordPress site with a members-only area. I want to add an Airtable base to a private page but I’m running into a problem. Even though the page is locked, members can still open the Airtable iframe in a new tab and share that URL. This lets people see the content without being members.

I’ve tried a few things but nothing’s worked so far. I’m using WooCommerce and PaidMembershipPro to handle access. Is there a way to stop people from sharing the iframe link? Maybe something I can do with WordPress or the plugins I’m already using?

I’d rather not add more services if I can avoid it. Has anyone else dealt with this before? What did you do?

Thanks for any help!

2

have u tried using referrer checks? i had a similar issue and fixed it by adding some php code to check if the referrer is from your site. it’s not foolproof but stops most casual sharing. might be worth a shot before goin for more complex solutions

3

I’ve encountered this issue before with embedded content. One effective approach is to implement a token-based authentication system. Essentially, you generate a unique, time-limited token for each user session and append it to the iframe URL. On the Airtable side, you’d need to set up a proxy server that validates these tokens before serving the content. This method ensures that even if someone shares the URL, it becomes invalid quickly. It’s a bit more complex to set up initially, but it provides robust protection without relying on additional plugins. If you’re comfortable with some backend work, this could be a solid solution for your needs.

4

I’ve dealt with similar challenges in my projects. One solution that worked well for me was using JavaScript to dynamically load the Airtable iframe content. Instead of embedding the iframe directly in the HTML, you can create it on the fly when the page loads for authenticated users.

This approach makes it harder for members to simply copy the iframe URL. You can also add extra checks, like verifying a session cookie or user token before loading the content.

Here’s a basic example of how it might look:

if (userIsAuthenticated()) {
    let iframe = document.createElement('iframe');
    iframe.src = 'your-airtable-url';
    document.getElementById('airtable-container').appendChild(iframe);
}

This isn’t foolproof, but it adds an extra layer of protection without needing additional services. You might need to tweak it based on your specific setup, but it’s a good starting point.