Build a Members-Only Video Portal for Our Paid Substack Community

We run a paid Substack publication where subscribers receive exclusive educational videos as part of their membership. The videos are hosted privately on Vimeo. Rather than sending subscribers directly to Vimeo, we'd like to build a secure members portal on our own domain where active subscribers can log in and watch the videos. The goal is to make the experience simple for legitimate members while automatically preventing access for expired subscribers. ___________________________________ WHAT ALREADY EXISTS We already have: - a paid Substack publication - all videos hosted on Vimeo - videos can be restricted so they only embed on our domain - a custom membership verification system that manages access to our private Telegram community - a Vultr server where that system currently runs If it makes sense, we're happy to reuse parts of the existing infrastructure. ___________________________________ WHAT WE'D LIKE TO BUILD A simple membership website. Visitors should see two options: 1. Join Membership: This simply sends them to our Substack subscription page. 2. Log In: Existing members authenticate using their email. After login, the system verifies that they have an active Substack membership. If active, they gain access to the members' area where our Vimeo videos are embedded. If inactive, they should see a friendly message explaining that their subscription has expired, along with links to resubscribe or contact support if they believe there's an error. ___________________________________ MEMBERS AREA The members' area should contain our library of embedded Vimeo videos. Videos should only play for authenticated users with active memberships. The experience should feel fast and polished. ___________________________________ MEMBERSHIP ENFORCEMENT This is the most important part of the project. The system should: - verify active membership before granting access - periodically re-check membership status - automatically revoke access when a subscription expires or is canceled - support complimentary memberships if technically possible - survive server restarts without losing user data ___________________________________ SECURITY We're realistic about the fact that no online video platform is impossible to copy. We're looking for sensible, professional security rather than gimmicks. For example: - Vimeo embeds are restricted to our domain - authenticated members-only pages - secure session handling - minimal user data storage - protection against unauthorized access If you have additional recommendations, we'd like to hear them. ___________________________________ TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS Substack does not provide a full public API. Please explain how you would verify membership status and keep it synchronized. We're open to whatever architecture you believe is the most reliable. ___________________________________ NICE TO HAVE - clean modern UI - responsive design - admin dashboard - simple CMS or interface for adding new videos - documentation for deployment and maintenance ___________________________________ DELIVERABLES - fully functioning members' website - login and authentication system - Substack membership verification - secure Vimeo integration - deployment on our existing Vultr server - source code and documentation ___________________________________ SUCCESS CRITERIA The project is complete only if: - Active Substack subscribers can log in and watch videos. - Non-members cannot access protected content. - Expired members automatically lose access. - Vimeo videos cannot be embedded outside our domain. - The system is reliable, secure, and easy to maintain. ___________________________________ WHEN APPLYING Please include: - similar membership portals you've built - experience with authentication systems - experience with Vimeo - experience integrating with Substack or similar membership platforms - your proposed architecture - estimated timeline