UST Books
A subscription book reader in the browser, with no file to download.
Unlimited SkiesTech wanted its book read online like a textbook platform, with no download link. A custom reader plugin adds search, bookmarks, highlights and notes, and opens the library only for readers with an active subscription.
About the project
Unlimited SkiesTech sells a book and wanted readers to use it in the browser, in the style of a textbook platform, without a download link. The access model also changed during the build, from buying each book to a subscription.
The Secure Book Reader plugin handles reading and access. The print edition is sold as a normal WooCommerce product, and buying it does not unlock the online library.
What had to be solved
- The book had to be read in the browser with no download link.
- Access changed mid-build, from per-book purchase to subscription.
- The source PDF contained embedded videos, and the client wanted one page per screen.
- Page numbers had to stay stable across screen and text sizes.
How it was built
- Built a reader on PDF.js and HTML reading packages, with a table of contents, search, bookmarks, highlights and notes.
- Tied the library to active WooCommerce Subscriptions, with a heartbeat that locks an open book when access ends.
- Embedded the videos in the reading packages and hardened the embeds.
- Made page numbering independent of the screen and text size.
- Served files only after login and subscription checks, from a folder closed to direct requests, with an email watermark and deterrents against casual copying.
What it delivered
- Subscribers read in the browser with their notes, highlights and bookmarks in one place.
- Access now follows the subscription status automatically.
- Files are not exposed through public links.
Inside the build
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