The “article gifting” feature is an important initiative within Le Parisien, aimed at increasing subscriber engagement while attracting new prospects. The feature is based on a robust technical architecture, designed to ensure security, scalability, and a seamless user experience. Julien Houllier shares how they built this user journey.
> Le Parisien lets subscribers gift a temporary link to any article. The recipient must log in or create an account to read it, which turns every gift into a registration rather than a free view > Each link carries an expiry date and dies automatically when it passes. The article returns behind the wall, so generosity is bounded and the value of paid content holds > Subscribers get a quota of gifts that renews on a cycle. Scarcity is deliberate, making the gift feel like a benefit worth using rather than an unlimited firehose > Every link carries a signed token checked on each access, and each gift is tied back to the account that sent it. Sharing is traceable, which is what makes it safe to allow > Expiry rules sit in configuration rather than code, so the team can change how long a gift lasts without a deployment. Tuning the policy does not require engineering time
General design of the feature
The idea for this feature is that we allow subscribers to share a unique and temporary link providing non-subscribers access to an article for free. When a subscriber chooses to share content, a specific link is generated, associating the article with their account and a predefined expiration date. The recipient of this link must log in or create an account to gain access, ensuring security and complete traceability. Once expired, the link automatically becomes invalid, thus preserving the value of premium content.
