Documentation
Open Cloudsmith

Documentation

Software Distribution

Whether you're shipping packages to customers, partners, or internal teams, Cloudsmith ensures every artifact is delivered reliably and at speed, anywhere in the world.

But distribution isn’t just about moving files quickly. It’s about making sure your software reaches the right people, under the right conditions.

Cloudsmith gives you both:

  • A global package delivery network with intelligent edge caching for fast, reliable performance everywhere
  • A powerful set of features for secure, branded and controlled software distribution to customers

Cloudsmith for distribution

Link Software Licenses to Entitlement Tokens

If you're selling software and distributing it via Cloudsmith, you'll likely have a license associated per customer, which dictates their terms of usage. Associating the license with an entitlement token allows you to control and track software downloads specifically for that license.

For example, you could only allow your customer to download specific packages, between November 5, 2024, and November 5, 2024, up to a maximum of 10 downloads from one location (i.e. a single client). Each entitlement can have different restrictions, and you can use the freeform (JSON-based) metadata to add your own information to the entitlement.

If you'd like to track downloads for specific customers, then the best practice is to create an entitlement token per customer and then use it when providing download links. It also means you can revoke their token if they've lapsed their subscription with you or change it for other reasons.