Managing geographic restrictions
Use the Geographic Restrictions page in Global Settings to create and manage the geographic restrictions you want to place on videos and live events in Video Center. Geographic restrictions are rules that let your viewers access content based on viewers' locations and time periods.
You can either block or allow content from specific regions using:
U.S. zip codes
country codes
Each restriction can include multiple rules and can optionally have specific start and end times for when the content should be available in regions.
Keep the following limitations in mind:
You can apply only one geographic restriction to a single piece of content.
You can apply geographic restrictions to only videos and live events.
Note
You can use geographic restrictions with live streams, but only if you publish your live streams using a live event with the PoWa video player. If you create custom, always-on live streams, geographic restrictions do not apply. Instead, we recommend using a live event.
The system works by detecting the viewer's location and blocking restricted content according to the rules you configure. This allows you to manage geographic access to your content in a centralized way.
As a multi-site organization, you manage websites for two major metropolitan areas, each with its own professional sports team: the Metro Falcons and the Harbor Sharks. You want to ensure that video content about the Metro Falcons is accessible only to users in the city where the team is based.
To accomplish this, you create a geographic restriction called "Metro Falcons Videos", which limits access to users with zip codes associated with the Falcons' home city. You then apply this geographic restriction to all videos related to the Metro Falcons. Now, when users in that city access articles containing these videos, the system ensures that only they can view the Metro Falcons content.
Procedures
You can create or update geographic restrictions to allow or block content based on region.
Note
Changes you make to restrictions that are already applied to live content can take up to 15 minutes to affect viewers on your website.
Navigate to Global Settings.
Click Geographic Restrictions. The Geographic Restrictions page opens.
Click New Restriction, or click the name of an existing geographic restriction to make edits.
Complete the following fields:
Enter Name - enter a name for the geographic restriction. We recommend choosing a name that clearly reflects what the restriction is for.
Select Content Type(s) - choose the content types this geographic restriction applies to—video, photos, story.
Note
While several content types appear as options, we recommend using geographic restrictions on only videos.
Select Restriction Type - choose either Allow or Block to define how this geographic restriction functions.
Allow - makes the content available only in the specified region.
Block - prevents the content from being accessed in the specified region.
Regions
Click Add Region to to define a geographic region for this restriction.
Enter Name - enter a name for the region. We recommend choosing a name that clearly describes the region you're defining.
Select Region Type - choose the region type—ZIP for zip code, DMA for Designated Market Areas, and Country for country codes.
Enter Regions - enter the zip codes, DMAs, or country codes as a comma-separated list for the region you're defining.
Restriction Timing - choose the One-time restriction option to define a start and end time, or choose Recurring restriction to define a recurrence.
One-time restriction - choose this option to define a single start and end time.
Recurring restriction - choose this option to define a recurring frequency.
Start Time - optionally, define the start time in a 24-hour format using the UTC timezone, and click Submit.
End Time - optionally, define the end time in a 24-hour format using hte UTC timezone, and click Submit.
Frequency - choose either Daily or Weekly. If you choose Weekly, then select the days of the week you want the restriction to apply to.
Click Save Restriction.
The restriction is now available to apply to a video or live stream.
You can delete geographic restrictions you no longer need.
Navigate to Global Settings.
Click Geographic Restrictions. The Geographic Restrictions page opens.
Click
> Delete.