Encoder
The Encoder is the core of Oxrion Cloud. You give it your PHP code, set how it should be protected in the Configuration panel, and get back an encrypted version that runs only where you allow — and only through the Loader.
What you can encode
Section titled “What you can encode”Open the Encoder in Oxrion Cloud and provide your code as either:
- A single
.phpfile, or - An entire project as a ZIP — the folder structure and file names are preserved, so your project still works exactly as before.
The result is no longer readable source. It can’t be opened or run on its own — it needs the Loader installed on the server.
Configuration
Section titled “Configuration”Before encoding, the Configuration panel sets how the file is protected. You work through it top to bottom. A simple way to hold it in your head: where it runs (Access), what unlocks it there (External key), who may run it (Licensed), and how you get your source back (Recovery).
1. Access — Public or Private
Section titled “1. Access — Public or Private”The first and most important choice: where the file is allowed to run.
- Public — runs on any server that has the Loader installed. Nothing else is required. Choose this when you want your code protected from reading and copying, and you’re fine with it running anywhere the Loader is present.
- Private — also requires an external key on the server. The Loader alone isn’t enough; without the matching key in place, the file won’t run. Choose this when you want tight control over exactly which servers can run your code.
| Public | Private | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs the Loader | Yes | Yes |
| Needs an external key on the server | No | Yes |
| Best for | Code that can run anywhere | Code restricted to specific servers |
2. External key (when Access is Private)
Section titled “2. External key (when Access is Private)”If you chose Private, pick the external key the file should require — select one of your saved keys, or paste a 32-character (hex) key directly. That same key must then be present on the destination server, supplied through an environment variable or php.ini.
Setting the key up on a server is covered in External keys on a server; you manage your keys on the Keys page. (Public files skip this step.)
3. Licensed (optional)
Section titled “3. Licensed (optional)”Turn on Licensed to tie the file to a customer — a specific domain and expiry. Choose the license key to use.
Licensing is independent of access: you can license a public file, a private file, or neither. A licensed file needs a matching license file (.lic) on the server to run — you generate that afterward in the Licenser. This is how you sell software that only runs on a customer’s domain, for the period you agreed.
4. Recovery (optional)
Section titled “4. Recovery (optional)”Turn on Recovery to make the file restorable to its original source later, and choose the public key to use.
This is a deliberate, one-time choice made at encoding — it can’t be added afterward.
The matching private key stays entirely with you; Oxrion never stores it. Later, you restore the file using the Recovery tool. Recovery keypairs are created on the Keys page.
After encoding
Section titled “After encoding”Download the protected file or project and ship it to its destination — your server or your customer’s. Wherever it runs, that server needs the Loader installed. If you licensed the file, you also ship a .lic file generated in the Licenser.