Migrate to DataUnlocker 2.0

DataUnlocker 1.0 was a proof-of-concept product designed to address a critical issue for businesses: accurate data collection. It effectively tackled the problem of network and ad blockers interfering with analytics and third-party network requests, thereby improving data quality. However, this solution had its limitations. Once the community identified the DataUnlocker installation, maintaining its "unblocked" status required ongoing maintenance and domain knowledge from web app owners. Consequently, DataUnlocker 1.0 remained a proof-of-concept solution and did not evolve beyond that stage. Until now.

Introducing DataUnlocker 2.0, a fundamentally different, enterprise-grade product that not only addresses the data collection and quality issues but also offers a sustainable, fully managed solution for any web app. Designed to withstand the competitive landscape of privacy tools, DataUnlocker 2.0 aims to redefine internet privacy. Learn more about our mission here.

🎭 Differences between products

This section outlines the core differences between DataUnlocker 1.0 and DataUnlocker 2.0, highlighting why DataUnlocker 2.0 is here to stay.

🎨 The concept

Unlike DataUnlocker 1.0, which used a static script and proxy endpoint URLs that were easily blocked, DataUnlocker 2.0 is tightly coupled with your web application's source code or business logic. This tight integration makes it impossible to separate the two, effectively addressing the analytics tools blocking problem immediately upon installation, even when blockers are active.

With DataUnlocker 2.0, blockers face a binary choice:

• Accept the web app as it is
• Or block it entirely

Blockers can no longer "patch" your web application to function without your analytics suite. This is achieved through several key features of DataUnlocker 2.0:

• Tight integration with the web application's core code or business logic
• Cryptographic end-to-end verification of every request going through the DataUnlocker proxy
• Additional innovative solutions we will discuss later

Blockers won't be intentionally blocking or disrupting your web app because their users would disable the blockers and complain. By making analytics an integral part of your web app and securing network layer communication, DataUnlocker 2.0 ensures your app operates normally, free from the disruptions caused by blockers.

💵 Pricing

DataUnlocker 2.0 comes with a completely new pricing:

• Runs on a subscription-based model, tailored for any demands.
• Brings the always FREE tier! 💎
• Traffic is now measured in requests instead of bandwidth (megabytes). Existing traffic of your domains is converted to requests using 8 kb = 1 request rate.
• There's a new concept of "requests allowance": once you've used all of your requests included in a plan, you'll get the email notification and will start to use so-called "allowance", which you will be charged for in the next billing cycle. If you exceed your allowance, DataUnlocker will gently remind you again but will eventually stop providing the service if you keep ignoring it.
• The higher the plan, the cheaper the requests.
• You can buy requests on demand, but you can't transfer them between projects. However, now you can move domains between projects.

🖥️ User Experience and User Interface

DataUnlocker 2.0 was completely redesigned from scratch. Here's a gist of all changes from 1.0:

• Completely new user interface with much more intuitive user experience.
• Completely redesigned onboarding experience that will feel like a breeze.
  • Installation status dashboard telling where you are at every moment
  • Detailed guides and instructions for popular tech stacks
  • Descriptive generic guide in case you're using the extravagant tech stack
• Multi-language: the UI can be switched to Ukrainian language 🇺🇦 More languages are coming.

🥇 New features

New things that were never seen before in 1.0 product:

• Domains can now be organized to projects.
  • Most of the functions like user management or billing are now handled in projects.
  • Domains can be moved between projects, which replaces the traffic transfer functionality.
• Dashboard displaying detected content blockers usage among other stats like proxied services.
• Extended roles. Each project's user can take new billing manager and developer roles, in addition to existing viewer and owner roles.
• Affiliate program. Earn with DataUnlocker by sharing how valuable DataUnlocker is and getting a % from purchases of referred projects.
• We are expanding our communities. Now, in addition to Telegram,
  • we're also based in Discord where the community can discuss everything DataUnlocker-related;
  • we regularly post product updates to our social networks.

🗑️ Dropped features

We are discontinuing the following things in 1.0 and are not bringing them to 2.0:

• Automation pipelines. That was great advanced but really complex feature which is not needed now, as DataUnlocker 2.0 introduces the concept of "all or nothing". Blockers won't be targeting to block proxy endpoint URLs anymore as this will affect the web app.
• Traffic transfers between domains. Instead, you can now move domains between projects. The traffic purchased for a certain project can be used only in this project.
• DNS CNAME proxy endpoints without the proxy in front of DataUnlocker. This option was offered as a "quick" setup that was followed by some (due to the ease of setup), which led these domains to end up in filter lists. DataUnlocker 2.0 doesn't allow direct DNS records to itself and requires a reverse proxy for every transport endpoint.
• Our previous payment provider. ☠️ It has simply lost the license to operate.

🏆 New technology

Here's a list of the new exciting tech:

• DataUnlocker Defender: a tight JavaScript integration to protect your web app from blockers.
  • DataUnlocker Defender is either used as the NPM ES6 module,
  • or it is added to your web application via any "core" JavaScript file patching.
• Secure Enclave (coming soon): ability to deliver and execute protected code on your front end right from DataUnlocker.
• New service configuration. You can new choose how to proxy services with more granularity:
  • Always proxy (new): proxy a service regardless of whether blockers are detected or not.
  • On demand proxy: proxy a service only on blocker detection.
  • Disabled: don't proxy this service
• Service groups: easier configuration for multiple third-party services.
• Health check options: you can now specify additional headers to send with DataUnlocker's health check requests.
  • Thus, you can configure DataUnlocker to access your front end behind your SSO or the auth wall, for instance, by providing cookie or authentication headers.

Among the core infrastructure updates:

• New DataUnlocker 2.0 proxy. It runs on a robust Cloudflare infrastructure, which means the minimal possible latency to any location and the globally distributed network of proxies. If you set up your own Cloudflare proxy in front of DataUnlocker's proxy as well, you'll get the fastest and the most stable globally available proxy.

DataUnlocker runs 2 proxies simultaneously at the moment: the "legacy" one and the new one, for 1.0 and 2.0 product respectively.

🚀 How to migrate

Both 1.0 and 2.0 products are currently running in parallel, and you can use both of them. Over time, we will be gradually deprecating 1.0 product.

🌱 Adopting the new product

DataUnlocker 2.0 brings DataUnlocker Defender, the completely different integration method which is considered a breaking change. Both "proxy endpoints" and "script" created in the previous product aren't compatible with the new product, which means:

• You need to create a new "transport endpoint".
• You need to install DataUnlocker Defender and at the same time remove the previously used "script".

Mind the principal differences between the old "script" and DataUnlocker Defender:

• DataUnlocker Defender introduces the runtime dependency of your web app on DataUnlocker and your reverse proxy to DataUnlocker. Specifically, in your web app, the onLoad handler (or patched JavaScript code) won't be executed without DataUnlocker Defender validation, which requires internet connection. For comparison, the old "script" could be stripped out of your source code and the web app would still run as is, while stripping out Defender is impossible by design (unless you won't implement onLoad and onError handlers properly). See DataUnlocker Defender install guide for more details.

📥 Importing your domain to 2.0 product

In the new DataUnlocker Admin UI, when adding a domain, you will see an option to import your domain from 1.0 product. Use this option and add a domain to a project of your choice. Mind the following:

• The old product and its proxy will still be operational as-is after importing your domain to 2.0 product, even if you run out of traffic (megabytes).
• The pricing of a new product (per-request pricing) applies to traffic that goes through new, 2.0 "transport endpoints" and DataUnlocker Defender.

🛡️ Installing DataUnlocker Defender

A breaking change is changing the old DataUnlocker's script to DataUnlocker Defender. Mind the following when installing DataUnlocker Defender:

• Follow the instructions at DataUnlocker Admin to install DataUnlocker Defender properly
• Remove the old DataUnlocker's script when installing DataUnlocker Defender
• Ensure your plan can cover the demand once you deploy your web app with DataUnlocker Defender installed

After the initial services configuration, the rest should be similar to how it worked in 1.0 product.

📜 Using the old product

The new UI at admin.dataunlocker.com replaces the old UI from 1.0 product. However, if you still need to use the "old good" version of DataUnlocker for any reason, you can access it at admin-old.dataunlocker.com.