
Today, we’re unveiling a cool new page on our static site: it’s called [“State of Unlock”](https://unlock-protocol.com/state) and it shows some important metrics for Unlock Protocol adoption!

Since we firmly believe in a world where creators will deploy their locks on multiple networks, we show both the aggregate data, as well as data on a per-network basis.

![State of Unlock](/images/blog/state-of-unlock/state-of-unlock.png)

Here are the 3 core metrics we care about:

- **Number of Locks deployed:** That’s the number of smart contracts deployed by creators, brands and teams who want to operate a membership program on chain.
- **Number of Keys sold:** That’s the number of membership NFTs sold. It provides a good indication of the penetration of Unlock!
- **Active Locks:** That’s the number of locks that have minted _at least_ one membership NFT in the previous 30 days.

Of course, we also measure the “Gross Network Product” which is the total revenue generated through Unlock on a given network. We can’t easily aggregate these because they are measured in each network's base currency (ETH on Ethereum mainnet, MATIC on Polygon, etc.).

As a member of the Unlock ecosystem, you are now able to get an overview of the protocol's reach and growth.


A single page where everyone can see the state of the networks: locks deployed, active and NFTs minted!

State of Unlock

Today, we’re unveiling a cool new page on our static site: it’s called <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/state">“State of Unlock”</a> and it shows some important metrics for Unlock Protocol adoption!
Since we firmly believe in a world where creators will deploy their locks on multiple networks, we show both the aggregate data, as well as data on a per-network basis.
<img src="/images/blog/state-of-unlock/state-of-unlock.png" alt="State of Unlock">
Here are the 3 core metrics we care about:
<ul>
<li>Number of Locks deployed: That’s the number of smart contracts deployed by creators, brands and teams who want to operate a membership program on chain.</li>
<li>Number of Keys sold: That’s the number of membership NFTs sold. It provides a good indication of the penetration of Unlock!</li>
<li>Active Locks: That’s the number of locks that have minted at least one membership NFT in the previous 30 days.</li>
</ul>
Of course, we also measure the “Gross Network Product” which is the total revenue generated through Unlock on a given network. We can’t easily aggregate these because they are measured in each network's base currency (ETH on Ethereum mainnet, MATIC on Polygon, etc.).
As a member of the Unlock ecosystem, you are now able to get an overview of the protocol's reach and growth.


> We now have a [great UI for Promo Code management](/blog/discount-codes-capped)!

We're starting this year like we finished the previous one: 🚀 by shipping cool features. Today, we're introducing a new type of [purchase hook](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/public-lock/hooks): the **discount hook**! Whether you are organizing events, selling subscriptions to your content, or running a knitting club, sometimes, you want to provide discounts to your most loyal customers.

Since an example is worth a thousand words, here is one. Here is a membership [that costs 0.01 Goerli Eth](https://app.unlock-protocol.com/checkout?paywallConfig=%7B%22locks%22%3A%7B%220x2490f447fdb7b259bc454871806b6b794de65944%22%3A%7B%22network%22%3A5%2C%22skipRecipient%22%3Atrue%2C%22name%22%3A%22%22%2C%22captcha%22%3Afalse%2C%22password%22%3Afalse%2C%22promo%22%3Atrue%2C%22emailRequired%22%3Afalse%2C%22maxRecipients%22%3Anull%2C%22dataBuilder%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D%2C%22pessimistic%22%3Atrue%2C%22skipRecipient%22%3Atrue%7D). If you go through the whole checkout, you will find a new screen that lets you enter a promo code! Try `FRIENDS` for a 50% discount, or `FAMILY` for a 100% discount!

![enter coupon](/images/blog/promo-codes/promo-screen.jpeg)

Of course, this is "safe" and evesdropping on the transaction from a block explorer will not let someone _guess_ promo codes. Like always, we published the [source code on Github](https://github.com/unlock-protocol/discount-hook) along with detailed explainations on how to set this up for your own lock contract.


Whether you are organizing events, selling subscriptions to your content, or running a knitting club, sometimes, you want to provide discounts to your most loyal customers. You can do that with your lock smart contract.

Apply promo codes and coupons to your memberships

Discount Codes

<blockquote>
We now have a <a href="/blog/discount-codes-capped">great UI for Promo Code management</a>!
</blockquote>
We're starting this year like we finished the previous one: 🚀 by shipping cool features. Today, we're introducing a new type of <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/public-lock/hooks">purchase hook</a>: the discount hook! Whether you are organizing events, selling subscriptions to your content, or running a knitting club, sometimes, you want to provide discounts to your most loyal customers.
Since an example is worth a thousand words, here is one. Here is a membership <a href="https://app.unlock-protocol.com/checkout?paywallConfig=%7B%22locks%22%3A%7B%220x2490f447fdb7b259bc454871806b6b794de65944%22%3A%7B%22network%22%3A5%2C%22skipRecipient%22%3Atrue%2C%22name%22%3A%22%22%2C%22captcha%22%3Afalse%2C%22password%22%3Afalse%2C%22promo%22%3Atrue%2C%22emailRequired%22%3Afalse%2C%22maxRecipients%22%3Anull%2C%22dataBuilder%22%3A%22%22%7D%7D%2C%22pessimistic%22%3Atrue%2C%22skipRecipient%22%3Atrue%7D">that costs 0.01 Goerli Eth</a>. If you go through the whole checkout, you will find a new screen that lets you enter a promo code! Try <code>FRIENDS</code> for a 50% discount, or <code>FAMILY</code> for a 100% discount!
<img src="/images/blog/promo-codes/promo-screen.jpeg" alt="enter coupon">
Of course, this is "safe" and evesdropping on the transaction from a block explorer will not let someone guess promo codes. Like always, we published the <a href="https://github.com/unlock-protocol/discount-hook">source code on Github</a> along with detailed explainations on how to set this up for your own lock contract.


2022 was an incredible year for the Unlock Protocol community! The number of smart contracts deployed using Unlock Protocol [skyrocketed](https://dune.com/ccarfi/Unlock-Protocol-Rankings) from where we were in 2021; there were incredible enhancements made to the underlying protocol itself; tools, docs, guides, and community were completely redesigned; and new projects were popping off like wildflowers. (And just for fun, [over 12,000 individual wallets claimed over 200,000(!) membership NFTs](https://tpan.substack.com/p/thoughts-152-unlock-protocols-advent) from our Advent calendar over the holiday season!)

Most importantly — ALL of this happened thanks to **you**! Thanks for being part of the community of Locksmiths who have made Unlock Protocol a fundamental part of web3 infrastructure.

Here are a few highlights from 2022, and some of the things that are on tap for 2023.

## Dozens of learning resources were delivered

![resources](/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/resources.png)

Across every medium — [developer docs](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/), [creator guides](https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/), our [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/unlockprotocol), [source and example repos](https://github.com/unlock-protocol) and more — every key aspect of learning about and developing with Unlock Protocol was revamped in 2022.

## Protocol and product updates were everywhere across the experience

![dashboard](/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/dashboard.png)

The Unlock Protocol project is rooted in envisioning and then *delivering* useful and usable implementations. To that end, the project knocked it out of the park in 2022, delivering an incredibly intuitive experience with the new [dashboard and no-code smart contract creation wizard](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/dashboard-redesign), new monetization and incentive options for creators and developers by implementing the ability for projects to set [affiliate and referral incentives](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/referral-fees), enabling recurring project revenue with [subscriptions](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/recurring-subscription-nft), and a host of other improvements in the handling and experience of [metadata](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/metadata-configurator), [airdrops](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/email-airdrop-nft), [checkout](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/redesigning-our-checkout), [lock settings](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/settings-page), [credit card payment options](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/support-for-google-and-apple-pay), and enabling new onchain capabilities with [hooks](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tutorials/smart-contracts/hooks/), [dynamic NFTs](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/dynamic-nft), and [Sign In With Ethereum](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/sign-in-with-ethereum).

You can see all the highlights here on the Unlock [blog](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog).

## Partners and projects launched and kept on launching

![showcase](/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/showcase.png)

2022 delivered an incredible array of projects and partnerships across the Unlock ecosystem — so many, we were having trouble keeping up with them all! To fix that, we created the [Unlock Showcase](https://showcase.unlock-protocol.com/), where you can explore all the latest projects and partnerships happening across the Unlock universe. We partnered with Polygon, thirdweb, Guild.xyz, web3 Academy, and many others, and innumerable projects were created across the ecosystem by community members.

## Community activity grew and grew

![leaderboard](/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/locksmith-leaderboard-oct-2022.png)

The Unlock community grew by leaps and bounds during 2022. One of the major initiatives launched in the second half of the year was the rollout of the [Locksmith Leaderboard](https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-january-2023/409) — a monthly spotlight and recognition of the individuals in the community who are providing instrumental value to their peers. Through participating via design, development, helping others in the community, sharing the Unlock Protocol story, and many other ways, Locksmiths are the core of Unlock Protocol and help propel the project forward.

The most visible places where Locksmiths engage with the project and each other are on Github (adding issues, submitting pull requests), on Twitter (sharing and mentioning Unlock Protocol in their social media activities), and in the project Discord (responding to and answering question threads). The Leaderboard also attempts to capture longevity of participation in the community, as well as consistency of participation over time.

## Coming in 2023

![fireworks](/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/fireworks-notext.png)

The new year is underway, and Unlock is hitting the ground running! There are a number of exciting cross-chain initiatives already in flight, we'll be at all the big web3 events and hackathons starting with ETHDenver next month, and the core team is rested and ready to keep pushing things forward in 2023.

If you haven't swung by the [Discord](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com) in a while, might be a good time to check in. There are exciting projects and conversations happening every day. Won't you swing by?

That’s a wrap! Thanks for a great 2022, and looking forward to seeing you throughout 2023!


2022 was year filled with new resources, new code, new partners, and massive uptake.

2022 was year filled with new resources, new code, new partners, and massive uptake

Unlock Protocol Year in Review 2022

2022 was an incredible year for the Unlock Protocol community! The number of smart contracts deployed using Unlock Protocol <a href="https://dune.com/ccarfi/Unlock-Protocol-Rankings">skyrocketed</a> from where we were in 2021; there were incredible enhancements made to the underlying protocol itself; tools, docs, guides, and community were completely redesigned; and new projects were popping off like wildflowers. (And just for fun, <a href="https://tpan.substack.com/p/thoughts-152-unlock-protocols-advent">over 12,000 individual wallets claimed over 200,000(!) membership NFTs</a> from our Advent calendar over the holiday season!)
Most importantly — ALL of this happened thanks to you! Thanks for being part of the community of Locksmiths who have made Unlock Protocol a fundamental part of web3 infrastructure.
Here are a few highlights from 2022, and some of the things that are on tap for 2023.
<h2>Dozens of learning resources were delivered</h2>
<img src="/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/resources.png" alt="resources">
Across every medium — <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/">developer docs</a>, <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/">creator guides</a>, our <a href="https://www.youtube.com/unlockprotocol">YouTube channel</a>, <a href="https://github.com/unlock-protocol">source and example repos</a> and more — every key aspect of learning about and developing with Unlock Protocol was revamped in 2022.
<h2>Protocol and product updates were everywhere across the experience</h2>
<img src="/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/dashboard.png" alt="dashboard">
The Unlock Protocol project is rooted in envisioning and then delivering useful and usable implementations. To that end, the project knocked it out of the park in 2022, delivering an incredibly intuitive experience with the new <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/dashboard-redesign">dashboard and no-code smart contract creation wizard</a>, new monetization and incentive options for creators and developers by implementing the ability for projects to set <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/referral-fees">affiliate and referral incentives</a>, enabling recurring project revenue with <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/recurring-subscription-nft">subscriptions</a>, and a host of other improvements in the handling and experience of <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/metadata-configurator">metadata</a>, <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/email-airdrop-nft">airdrops</a>, <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/redesigning-our-checkout">checkout</a>, <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/settings-page">lock settings</a>, <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/support-for-google-and-apple-pay">credit card payment options</a>, and enabling new onchain capabilities with <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tutorials/smart-contracts/hooks/">hooks</a>, <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/dynamic-nft">dynamic NFTs</a>, and <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/sign-in-with-ethereum">Sign In With Ethereum</a>.
You can see all the highlights here on the Unlock <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog">blog</a>.
<h2>Partners and projects launched and kept on launching</h2>
<img src="/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/showcase.png" alt="showcase">
2022 delivered an incredible array of projects and partnerships across the Unlock ecosystem — so many, we were having trouble keeping up with them all! To fix that, we created the <a href="https://showcase.unlock-protocol.com/">Unlock Showcase</a>, where you can explore all the latest projects and partnerships happening across the Unlock universe. We partnered with Polygon, thirdweb, Guild.xyz, web3 Academy, and many others, and innumerable projects were created across the ecosystem by community members.
<h2>Community activity grew and grew</h2>
<img src="/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/locksmith-leaderboard-oct-2022.png" alt="leaderboard">
The Unlock community grew by leaps and bounds during 2022. One of the major initiatives launched in the second half of the year was the rollout of the <a href="https://unlock.community/t/retroactive-funding-january-2023/409">Locksmith Leaderboard</a> — a monthly spotlight and recognition of the individuals in the community who are providing instrumental value to their peers. Through participating via design, development, helping others in the community, sharing the Unlock Protocol story, and many other ways, Locksmiths are the core of Unlock Protocol and help propel the project forward.
The most visible places where Locksmiths engage with the project and each other are on Github (adding issues, submitting pull requests), on Twitter (sharing and mentioning Unlock Protocol in their social media activities), and in the project Discord (responding to and answering question threads). The Leaderboard also attempts to capture longevity of participation in the community, as well as consistency of participation over time.
<h2>Coming in 2023</h2>
<img src="/images/blog/unlock-2022-review/fireworks-notext.png" alt="fireworks">
The new year is underway, and Unlock is hitting the ground running! There are a number of exciting cross-chain initiatives already in flight, we'll be at all the big web3 events and hackathons starting with ETHDenver next month, and the core team is rested and ready to keep pushing things forward in 2023.
If you haven't swung by the <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com">Discord</a> in a while, might be a good time to check in. There are exciting projects and conversations happening every day. Won't you swing by?
That’s a wrap! Thanks for a great 2022, and looking forward to seeing you throughout 2023!


We're excited to announce another update to our no-code metadata configurator for NFT creators. Previously, you were only able to customize and [manage metadata for a collection of NFTs](https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/metadata-configurator) at a time. But now, you can edit the metadata for **individual** NFTs in a collection as well.

This update makes it even easier for you to customize and showcase your NFTs on marketplaces like OpenSea. No longer do you have to use multiple external tools to create personalized and unique NFT memberships for your community – you can now do it right from the Unlock Dashboard alone with just a few clicks.

![main](/images/blog/key-metadata-configurator/main.png)

In addition to this update, our metadata configurator still includes all of the features you know and love, such as custom presets for ticketing and adding creator content like YouTube videos, websites, and animations. These properties can now be configured at both the lock and key level.

## How to customize an individual NFT?

On the `Tools > Edit Properties page`, type the token ID of the NFT you wish to modify in the Key ID input box. Our configurator will automatically fetch metadata for that key. You can now customize each property and save to keep the changes for that individual key. Leave the token ID field blank to change the metadata for all the keys.

We hope this update makes it even easier for you to showcase your work and share it with your audience. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the Unlock Dashboard and give our no-code metadata configurator a try.


Edit metadata for individual NFT tokens and create custom presets for ticketing and creator content.

Introducing ability to update individual NFTs in metadata configurator

We're excited to announce another update to our no-code metadata configurator for NFT creators. Previously, you were only able to customize and <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/blog/metadata-configurator">manage metadata for a collection of NFTs</a> at a time. But now, you can edit the metadata for individual NFTs in a collection as well.
This update makes it even easier for you to customize and showcase your NFTs on marketplaces like OpenSea. No longer do you have to use multiple external tools to create personalized and unique NFT memberships for your community – you can now do it right from the Unlock Dashboard alone with just a few clicks.
<img src="/images/blog/key-metadata-configurator/main.png" alt="main">
In addition to this update, our metadata configurator still includes all of the features you know and love, such as custom presets for ticketing and adding creator content like YouTube videos, websites, and animations. These properties can now be configured at both the lock and key level.
<h2>How to customize an individual NFT?</h2>
On the <code>Tools > Edit Properties page</code>, type the token ID of the NFT you wish to modify in the Key ID input box. Our configurator will automatically fetch metadata for that key. You can now customize each property and save to keep the changes for that individual key. Leave the token ID field blank to change the metadata for all the keys.
We hope this update makes it even easier for you to showcase your work and share it with your audience. If you haven't already, be sure to check out the Unlock Dashboard and give our no-code metadata configurator a try.


One of the core tenets of web3 is that users should “own” their data. The concept of “ownership” of data is itself something that’s pretty hard to grasp — or even define. That said, I’m going to give it a shot.

![Flocker](/images/blog/flocker.png)

[Join our Flock!](https://www.flocker.app/137/locks/0xb77030a7e47a5eb942a4748000125e70be598632)

I like to frame ownership as control. In the “web2” world, the data is usually completely controlled by large tech companies. This control stems directly from the fact that the data is stored in a database that _they_ host, on server for which they alone have access. Even with the best intentions in the world, and for better or worse: they have full control.

You might be wondering why this would matter to you? Here is a fresh example. Last year in 2021, Twitter acquired a company called Revue, a newsletter platform similar to Substack. This week, Twitter [announced](https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/14/twitter-shuts-down-revue-its-newsletter-platform/) they will shut down Revue. When this happens, all the data stored in their databases will become inaccessible, unusable (maybe even deleted forever). This means that popular writers will lose access to the content they wrote on these.

More importantly, the relationships they built with their readers will be lost as well.

**This is not acceptable.**

In the time since the Twitter acquisition was announced, millions of users have been looking for alternatives to Twitter. Some of these alternatives include Mastodon, Post, T2, and a number of other platforms.

Unfortunately, these efforts, despite their technical merits, are not building anything _fundamentally_ different. Users and their data are still “stuck” in databases, just on new and different platforms.

When data is stuck in databases, not only is it at the whims of the platform’s owner, that data is also neither “interoperable” nor “composable.” Of course, these new applications have APIs, but these APIs are exactly like the databases: they are controlled by entities that users have to:

- trust to maintain quality of service,
- trust keep their terms of service “open”,
- trust to not arbitrarily censor.

The track records of existing social networks have been poor in this respect, and there is no reason to believe that things will be different with this new wave.

Of course, solutions like Mastodon do not have a _single_ point of failure: the user could always start using another server, but they can very well be "cut" from the rest of the network or lose the data and relationships they accumulated for years... if the server they use decides to.

At Unlock, we believe the right approach is one that uses protocols. We’re not the only ones! [Jack Dorsey himself shared this](https://pastebin.com/HnBUM33b) yesterday:

> The only way I know of to truly live up to these 3 principles is a **free and open protocol** for social media, that is not owned by a single company or group of companies, and is resilient to corporate and government influence. The problem today is that we have companies who **own both the protocol and discovery of content**. Which ultimately puts one person in charge of what’s available and seen, or not. This is by definition a single point of failure, no matter how great the person, and over time will fracture the public conversation, and may lead to more control by governments and corporations around the world.

We think one of the most critical aspects of a social network (and beyond) is “membership”. Whether it’s a user who **follows** another one, a user who **joins** a group, the pattern is the same: the user becomes a **_member_**!

With Flocker, we made it trivial for **anyone** to deploy a membership contract (no wallet or crypto currency needed). We also created a landing page for every membership contract where the creator can link to all of the places on the web where their members can access their content. Of course, the membership contract itself is **not** tied to the Flocker app, and we (Unlock Labs), have absolutely no control over it. This means memberships belong to the people creating them, and this also means memberships can easily be used in [Highlight](https://highlight.xyz/), [Beem](http://beem.xyz/), [Guild.xyz](https://guild.xyz/), [Tropee](https://www.tropee.com/), [Paragraph](https://paragraph.xyz/) and a growing number of applications.

We’d love it if you could [deploy a flock with Flocker](https://flocker.app/)! Please share it with us and we’ll become the first members of your flock!


We are taking a radically different approach to social networking: one where the membership graph is not tied to a specific application or database!

How to back up your Twitter followers and create portable memberships for fans and followers that will work almost anywhere

More on Flocker

One of the core tenets of web3 is that users should “own” their data. The concept of “ownership” of data is itself something that’s pretty hard to grasp — or even define. That said, I’m going to give it a shot.
<img src="/images/blog/flocker.png" alt="Flocker">
<a href="https://www.flocker.app/137/locks/0xb77030a7e47a5eb942a4748000125e70be598632">Join our Flock!</a>
I like to frame ownership as control. In the “web2” world, the data is usually completely controlled by large tech companies. This control stems directly from the fact that the data is stored in a database that they host, on server for which they alone have access. Even with the best intentions in the world, and for better or worse: they have full control.
You might be wondering why this would matter to you? Here is a fresh example. Last year in 2021, Twitter acquired a company called Revue, a newsletter platform similar to Substack. This week, Twitter <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/14/twitter-shuts-down-revue-its-newsletter-platform/">announced</a> they will shut down Revue. When this happens, all the data stored in their databases will become inaccessible, unusable (maybe even deleted forever). This means that popular writers will lose access to the content they wrote on these.
More importantly, the relationships they built with their readers will be lost as well.
This is not acceptable.
In the time since the Twitter acquisition was announced, millions of users have been looking for alternatives to Twitter. Some of these alternatives include Mastodon, Post, T2, and a number of other platforms.
Unfortunately, these efforts, despite their technical merits, are not building anything fundamentally different. Users and their data are still “stuck” in databases, just on new and different platforms.
When data is stuck in databases, not only is it at the whims of the platform’s owner, that data is also neither “interoperable” nor “composable.” Of course, these new applications have APIs, but these APIs are exactly like the databases: they are controlled by entities that users have to:
<ul>
<li>trust to maintain quality of service,</li>
<li>trust keep their terms of service “open”,</li>
<li>trust to not arbitrarily censor.</li>
</ul>
The track records of existing social networks have been poor in this respect, and there is no reason to believe that things will be different with this new wave.
Of course, solutions like Mastodon do not have a single point of failure: the user could always start using another server, but they can very well be "cut" from the rest of the network or lose the data and relationships they accumulated for years... if the server they use decides to.
At Unlock, we believe the right approach is one that uses protocols. We’re not the only ones! <a href="https://pastebin.com/HnBUM33b">Jack Dorsey himself shared this</a> yesterday:
<blockquote>
The only way I know of to truly live up to these 3 principles is a free and open protocol for social media, that is not owned by a single company or group of companies, and is resilient to corporate and government influence. The problem today is that we have companies who own both the protocol and discovery of content. Which ultimately puts one person in charge of what’s available and seen, or not. This is by definition a single point of failure, no matter how great the person, and over time will fracture the public conversation, and may lead to more control by governments and corporations around the world.
</blockquote>
We think one of the most critical aspects of a social network (and beyond) is “membership”. Whether it’s a user who follows another one, a user who joins a group, the pattern is the same: the user becomes a member!
With Flocker, we made it trivial for anyone to deploy a membership contract (no wallet or crypto currency needed). We also created a landing page for every membership contract where the creator can link to all of the places on the web where their members can access their content. Of course, the membership contract itself is not tied to the Flocker app, and we (Unlock Labs), have absolutely no control over it. This means memberships belong to the people creating them, and this also means memberships can easily be used in <a href="https://highlight.xyz/">Highlight</a>, <a href="http://beem.xyz/">Beem</a>, <a href="https://guild.xyz/">Guild.xyz</a>, <a href="https://www.tropee.com/">Tropee</a>, <a href="https://paragraph.xyz/">Paragraph</a> and a growing number of applications.
We’d love it if you could <a href="https://flocker.app/">deploy a flock with Flocker</a>! Please share it with us and we’ll become the first members of your flock!


This year, at Unlock, we wanted to celebrate the end-of-year holidays a bit differently, so we built an [Advent Calendar](https://advent.unlock-protocol.com/).

![Advent Calendar](/images/blog/advent-calendar-2022.png)

Every day, open a new door, claim a new NFT, and learn something new about Unlock. However, you can only open today’s door if you also opened yesterday’s door. (No peeking ahead!) Best of all, some days will have special gifts for you from Unlock!

Make sure you Unlock every single door for more surprises :) [Start today!](https://advent.unlock-protocol.com/)


One NFT a day, fun gifts, and some year-in-review highlights — just for you!

Advent Calendar

This year, at Unlock, we wanted to celebrate the end-of-year holidays a bit differently, so we built an <a href="https://advent.unlock-protocol.com/">Advent Calendar</a>.
<img src="/images/blog/advent-calendar-2022.png" alt="Advent Calendar">
Every day, open a new door, claim a new NFT, and learn something new about Unlock. However, you can only open today’s door if you also opened yesterday’s door. (No peeking ahead!) Best of all, some days will have special gifts for you from Unlock!
Make sure you Unlock every single door for more surprises :) <a href="https://advent.unlock-protocol.com/">Start today!</a>


Unlock is happy to unveil a completely redesigned settings page that offers an intuitive way to update details and parameters for Unlock membership smart contracts (”Locks”).

In the past, customizing some Lock attributes required Lock Managers to interact directly with the contract by functions via a [block explorer](https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/how-to-use-blockchain-explorers-with-unlock-protocol/). With this release, however, nearly every aspect of the smart contract can be managed from a greatly streamlined interface, reducing (and in most cases, eliminating) the need to interact via block explorers.

Let's look at what’s now available.

## Manage Lock Page

This page has been simplified and reorganized. Less-frequently-taken actions like `Change price` or `Change quantity` have been moved inside the Settings page. We have added a `Tools` dropdown to collect all the actions possible in one place in the interface. `Update Lock Settings` is one of the options on that menu.

![manage-lock-overview-min.png](/images/blog/settings-page/manage-lock-overview-min.png)

## Settings Page

Lock settings have been organized into 5 logical groups:

- Membership terms
- Payments
- Roles
- General
- Misc.

![settings-page-overview-min.png](/images/blog/settings-page/settings-page-overview-min.png)

## Membership terms

In this section, we can manage all the membership terms:

- **Duration:** Set up how long each membership lasts.
- **Quantity:** The maximum number of memberships that can be sold. Note: There is no limit to the number of memberships that can be airdropped by a lock manager or key granter.
- **Transfer:** Allow members to transfer membership from one to another.
- **Cancellation:** Select how your contract should handle cancellations and optionally issue refunds.

![membership-terms-min.png](/images/blog/settings-page/membership-terms-min.png)

## Payments

In this section, we can manage all the payment terms:

- **Price:** The price to the purchaser to create (mint) one membership NFT from the contract.
- **Credit Card Payment:** Options to configure acceptance of credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Service and credit card processing fees will be applied to the price paid by the member.
- **Renewals:** Offer a membership as a recurring subscription and automatically renew memberships when they expire.

![payments-min.png](/images/blog/settings-page/payments-min.png)

## Roles

In this section, we can manage roles for administering a Lock. In particular:

- **Lock Manager:** By default, the creator of a Lock is the first Lock Manager, granting them the highest level of permissions for the lock. You can also assign this role to other wallets. Be careful: this role can’t be revoked but only renounced.
- **Verifiers:** Verifiers are trusted users at a ticketed event who can use a smartphone camera to scan a ticket QR code at the check-in to a venue and mark a ticket as checked-in.

![roles-overview-min.png](/images/blog/settings-page/roles-overview-min.png)

## General

In this section, we can manage general Lock terms:

- **Contract name:** Customize the contract name on-chain.
- **Ticker symbol:** Default: KEY. You can customize your membership experience by changing the token symbol (sometimes called 'ticker').
  ![general-min.png](/images/blog/settings-page/general-min.png)

## Misc

In this section, we can update other membership terms:

- **Referral fees:** Set up a percentage of the membership price to be sent to the referrer. This is a great use case to reward your members to promote your membership.
- **Hooks:** Hooks are 3rd party contracts that can be called when your Lock itself is called. Hooks can be used for password-protected purchases and other use cases.
- **Versioning:** Easily upgrade the lock version.

![misc-open-min.png](/images/blog/settings-page/misc-min.png)

We are committed to continue to add easier and friendlier ways to deploy and manage every single part of your membership. If you have any suggestions, please tell us in Discord!

**What if I find an issue or bug?**

Please open an issue on Github or tell us in Discord and we'll fix it ASAP.


Unlock launches a new settings page for Locks focused on ease of use.

Easily customize all the details about your Lock

Unlock’s Lock settings page has a whole new look

Unlock is happy to unveil a completely redesigned settings page that offers an intuitive way to update details and parameters for Unlock membership smart contracts (”Locks”).
In the past, customizing some Lock attributes required Lock Managers to interact directly with the contract by functions via a <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/how-to-use-blockchain-explorers-with-unlock-protocol/">block explorer</a>. With this release, however, nearly every aspect of the smart contract can be managed from a greatly streamlined interface, reducing (and in most cases, eliminating) the need to interact via block explorers.
Let's look at what’s now available.
<h2>Manage Lock Page</h2>
This page has been simplified and reorganized. Less-frequently-taken actions like <code>Change price</code> or <code>Change quantity</code> have been moved inside the Settings page. We have added a <code>Tools</code> dropdown to collect all the actions possible in one place in the interface. <code>Update Lock Settings</code> is one of the options on that menu.
<img src="/images/blog/settings-page/manage-lock-overview-min.png" alt="manage-lock-overview-min.png">
<h2>Settings Page</h2>
Lock settings have been organized into 5 logical groups:
<ul>
<li>Membership terms</li>
<li>Payments</li>
<li>Roles</li>
<li>General</li>
<li>Misc.</li>
</ul>
<img src="/images/blog/settings-page/settings-page-overview-min.png" alt="settings-page-overview-min.png">
<h2>Membership terms</h2>
In this section, we can manage all the membership terms:
<ul>
<li>Duration: Set up how long each membership lasts.</li>
<li>Quantity: The maximum number of memberships that can be sold. Note: There is no limit to the number of memberships that can be airdropped by a lock manager or key granter.</li>
<li>Transfer: Allow members to transfer membership from one to another.</li>
<li>Cancellation: Select how your contract should handle cancellations and optionally issue refunds.</li>
</ul>
<img src="/images/blog/settings-page/membership-terms-min.png" alt="membership-terms-min.png">
<h2>Payments</h2>
In this section, we can manage all the payment terms:
<ul>
<li>Price: The price to the purchaser to create (mint) one membership NFT from the contract.</li>
<li>Credit Card Payment: Options to configure acceptance of credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Service and credit card processing fees will be applied to the price paid by the member.</li>
<li>Renewals: Offer a membership as a recurring subscription and automatically renew memberships when they expire.</li>
</ul>
<img src="/images/blog/settings-page/payments-min.png" alt="payments-min.png">
<h2>Roles</h2>
In this section, we can manage roles for administering a Lock. In particular:
<ul>
<li>Lock Manager: By default, the creator of a Lock is the first Lock Manager, granting them the highest level of permissions for the lock. You can also assign this role to other wallets. Be careful: this role can’t be revoked but only renounced.</li>
<li>Verifiers: Verifiers are trusted users at a ticketed event who can use a smartphone camera to scan a ticket QR code at the check-in to a venue and mark a ticket as checked-in.</li>
</ul>
<img src="/images/blog/settings-page/roles-overview-min.png" alt="roles-overview-min.png">
<h2>General</h2>
In this section, we can manage general Lock terms:
<ul>
<li>Contract name: Customize the contract name on-chain.</li>
<li>Ticker symbol: Default: KEY. You can customize your membership experience by changing the token symbol (sometimes called 'ticker').
<img src="/images/blog/settings-page/general-min.png" alt="general-min.png"></li>
</ul>
<h2>Misc</h2>
In this section, we can update other membership terms:
<ul>
<li>Referral fees: Set up a percentage of the membership price to be sent to the referrer. This is a great use case to reward your members to promote your membership.</li>
<li>Hooks: Hooks are 3rd party contracts that can be called when your Lock itself is called. Hooks can be used for password-protected purchases and other use cases.</li>
<li>Versioning: Easily upgrade the lock version.</li>
</ul>
<img src="/images/blog/settings-page/misc-min.png" alt="misc-open-min.png">
We are committed to continue to add easier and friendlier ways to deploy and manage every single part of your membership. If you have any suggestions, please tell us in Discord!
What if I find an issue or bug?
Please open an issue on Github or tell us in Discord and we'll fix it ASAP.

The future of Twitter (both the company itself as well as its technical infrastructure) is currently uncertain. With a [chilling of advertiser interest](https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/twitter-business-leaving-elon-musk/), [technical glitches](https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/11/08/1062886/heres-how-a-twitter-engineer-says-it-will-break-in-the-coming-weeks/), and a [mercurial owner](https://twitter.com/ZoeSchiffer/status/1593391604785504257), uncertainty abounds.

This post isn’t about Twitter, however. It’s about you as a creator, or you (the royal “you”) as someone who is looking after a public-facing aspect of a brand), and what to do to right now to reduce risk and start thinking about the possibility of [a world where Twitter is no longer the global watercooler](https://www.christopherspenn.com/2022/10/almost-timely-news-the-end-of-the-public-watercooler-2022-10-30/). And even if — and it seems to be quite an “if” at this point — Twitter does remain the watercooler, creators and brands need to have more ways to identify and connect with their true fans and followers in a manner that doesn’t rely on the whims of any third-party platform.

The points below are important, and it’s important to do these things today. There is currently no clear visibility into when, or if, Twitter’s current issues will be resolved.

## How to export your Twitter data and list of followers

![twitter-download.png](/images/blog/flocker-announce/twitter-download.png)

The first thing you need to do is to backup your information from Twitter. (Note: You should be doing this regularly, regardless, and this also applies to other platforms as well. Backup your stuff.)

When you think about Twitter, consider two critical areas: your information, and your connections.

- Your information is the stuff you’ve posted — your Tweets, your Twitter spaces, and all the other information you’ve poured into the system.
- Your connections are even more important. This is your list of fans and followers you’ve painstakingly built up, probably over the course of years. They are your oxygen.

To backup this information, Twitter enables you to [download an archive](https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/how-to-download-your-twitter-archive). Make sure you do that. It’ll take at least 24 hours with the way Twitter’s systems are currently running, so make sure you start that process today, and download your archive tomorrow when Twitter (hopefully) has generated it for you.

Ok, you’ve at least backed up your information and your list of followers from Twitter. Now, let’s think about what we can do to never put ourselves into this situation again.

## The key problem, and where we go from here

There is always a fundamental risk is building on someone else’s land. The landowner — in this case, Twitter — always has the power to do things you can’t control. (In this case, turning a [chaos monkey](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28259132-chaos-monkeys) loose inside the control room.) But what can you do? Unless you try to build your own system from scratch, this will always be the case, right?

Happily, that is **not** the case. You don’t need to build your own thing from scratch. Instead, you can use existing tools to create your own direct connections with fans and followers that can’t be taken away from you. If you do this, you won’t need to start over on a new platform if the main platform you’re using goes away, or if a new one comes up to take its place.

So, with that background, here’s what you can do _today_ to have your own connection with fans and followers without _ever_ needing to rely on the whims of a third party.

## Spinning up your own membership program in five minutes

What we’re going to do is set up a simple membership directory that you can always control, you can always see, and one that can’t be taken away from you. We’re going to use an app from Unlock Labs called Flocker ([https://flocker.app](https://flocker.app)) to help us do this.

> **\*Note:** Flocker is a helper app that Unlock spun up for this particular “Twitter Rescue Kit” situation. Flocker is open source, so if you want to take a look at the details, you can dig into them [here](https://github.com/unlock-protocol/flocker/). The membership concepts in Flocker can also be applied to other platforms that hold your fans and follower lists. While Twitter is definitely the story of the week, the concepts here can — and should — be considered if you’ve built up a fan or follower base on other platforms as well. [Reach out to us](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com) if you’d like to discuss it.\*

Here’s an incredibly important thing to remember: the membership connections you make using the Flocker app belong to _you_. While the Flocker app is helping you spin them up, those connections are a direct connection between you and your fans and followers. They can’t be arbitrarily changed, and they are yours. You will be always able to see and access those connections through the smart contract that powers them, without requiring any software or services from Unlock Labs or any other entity. (You can even manage those memberships directly through a [block explorer](https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/how-to-use-blockchain-explorers-with-unlock-protocol/), if you are so inclined.)

## Getting started with Flocker

Creating a membership program and sharing it with your Twitter followers takes only a few moments. You’ll start by going to [https://flocker.app](https://flocker.app) and walking through the wizard.

![flocker landing page](/images/blog/flocker-announce/flocker-landing.png)

Here’s a detailed video showing the whole flow.

<div style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XFBc1U4wtKg" title="Introducing Flocker.app: Portable Fans and Followers for Brands and Creators Fed Up with Twitter" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

And here is a sample Tweet you can use in order to ask your followers on Twitter to connect directly with you after you’ve created your membership.

> _Claim a free membership from me and follow me anywhere on the web! <URL to your claim page>_

Feel free to modify that in any way that works for you. The critical thing is the link to the URL that Flocker generates for you in the share screen.

As members sign up to your list, you now have a way to always be in contact, regardless of what services you use. You have a direct connection with them, and they have a direct connection with you.

## _Congratulations — you’ve taken control of your own destiny_

You now have your own membership list that can never be taken away from you. And, as a bonus, you and your fans and followers — your members — can go anywhere together.

## So what’s next? What’s this whole “portable memberships” thing?

Portable memberships are just that — your fans and followers can follow and connect with you on _any_ site across the web that supports token-gating using memberships. There are a number of sites and services available today you can use to set up new (or additional) outposts where you connect with your fans and followers. Once your fans connect with you, your fans and followers — your members — can reach you on **_any_** of these services. No middleman. No gatekeeper. No chaos monkey to take them away from you.

Here are a few services you could use to connect with your members today using memberships. More are coming online all the time.

- Discord
- Telegram
- Paragraph
- Highlight
- Geneva
- Tropee
- WordPress
- …with more being added all the time.

In other words, you can [use any of those platforms to connect with your members today](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4EDTaxNLpu4dHtNKAWAkZtBRfQMoJ-28) — **and move between them at will**.

What’s more, with a number of major sites (e.g. Instagram, Reddit, etc.) beginning to experiment with and embrace web3 infrastructure, it is possible (and perhaps even likely) that memberships you create will be able to be used for access on _those_ sites in the future as well.

## Final thoughts for creators and brands dealing with the Twitter uncertainty

To recap, there are two things you need to do immediately in order to minimize the potential current and future impact to your connection with your fanbase or followers.

- Backup and download your Twitter archive of information and followers
- Build your own direct membership connections to fans and followers that can not be taken away from you in the future using [Flocker.app](https://flocker.app)

The steps outlined in this Twitter Rescue Kit can help. That said, if the Unlock Labs team or the members of the Unlock Protocol community can assist in any way, please don’t hesitate to [reach out to us in our Discord](https://discord.unlock-protocol.com).

How to back up your Twitter followers and create portable memberships for fans and followers that will work almost anywhere.

Introducing Flocker.app — A Twitter Rescue Kit for Brands and Creators

The future of Twitter (both the company itself as well as its technical infrastructure) is currently uncertain. With a <a href="https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/twitter-business-leaving-elon-musk/">chilling of advertiser interest</a>, <a href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/11/08/1062886/heres-how-a-twitter-engineer-says-it-will-break-in-the-coming-weeks/">technical glitches</a>, and a <a href="https://twitter.com/ZoeSchiffer/status/1593391604785504257">mercurial owner</a>, uncertainty abounds.
This post isn’t about Twitter, however. It’s about you as a creator, or you (the royal “you”) as someone who is looking after a public-facing aspect of a brand), and what to do to right now to reduce risk and start thinking about the possibility of <a href="https://www.christopherspenn.com/2022/10/almost-timely-news-the-end-of-the-public-watercooler-2022-10-30/">a world where Twitter is no longer the global watercooler</a>. And even if — and it seems to be quite an “if” at this point — Twitter does remain the watercooler, creators and brands need to have more ways to identify and connect with their true fans and followers in a manner that doesn’t rely on the whims of any third-party platform.
The points below are important, and it’s important to do these things today. There is currently no clear visibility into when, or if, Twitter’s current issues will be resolved.
<h2>How to export your Twitter data and list of followers</h2>
<img src="/images/blog/flocker-announce/twitter-download.png" alt="twitter-download.png">
The first thing you need to do is to backup your information from Twitter. (Note: You should be doing this regularly, regardless, and this also applies to other platforms as well. Backup your stuff.)
When you think about Twitter, consider two critical areas: your information, and your connections.
<ul>
<li>Your information is the stuff you’ve posted — your Tweets, your Twitter spaces, and all the other information you’ve poured into the system.</li>
<li>Your connections are even more important. This is your list of fans and followers you’ve painstakingly built up, probably over the course of years. They are your oxygen.</li>
</ul>
To backup this information, Twitter enables you to <a href="https://help.twitter.com/en/managing-your-account/how-to-download-your-twitter-archive">download an archive</a>. Make sure you do that. It’ll take at least 24 hours with the way Twitter’s systems are currently running, so make sure you start that process today, and download your archive tomorrow when Twitter (hopefully) has generated it for you.
Ok, you’ve at least backed up your information and your list of followers from Twitter. Now, let’s think about what we can do to never put ourselves into this situation again.
<h2>The key problem, and where we go from here</h2>
There is always a fundamental risk is building on someone else’s land. The landowner — in this case, Twitter — always has the power to do things you can’t control. (In this case, turning a <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28259132-chaos-monkeys">chaos monkey</a> loose inside the control room.) But what can you do? Unless you try to build your own system from scratch, this will always be the case, right?
Happily, that is not the case. You don’t need to build your own thing from scratch. Instead, you can use existing tools to create your own direct connections with fans and followers that can’t be taken away from you. If you do this, you won’t need to start over on a new platform if the main platform you’re using goes away, or if a new one comes up to take its place.
So, with that background, here’s what you can do today to have your own connection with fans and followers without ever needing to rely on the whims of a third party.
<h2>Spinning up your own membership program in five minutes</h2>
What we’re going to do is set up a simple membership directory that you can always control, you can always see, and one that can’t be taken away from you. We’re going to use an app from Unlock Labs called Flocker (<a href="https://flocker.app">https://flocker.app</a>) to help us do this.
<blockquote>
*Note: Flocker is a helper app that Unlock spun up for this particular “Twitter Rescue Kit” situation. Flocker is open source, so if you want to take a look at the details, you can dig into them <a href="https://github.com/unlock-protocol/flocker/">here</a>. The membership concepts in Flocker can also be applied to other platforms that hold your fans and follower lists. While Twitter is definitely the story of the week, the concepts here can — and should — be considered if you’ve built up a fan or follower base on other platforms as well. <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com">Reach out to us</a> if you’d like to discuss it.*
</blockquote>
Here’s an incredibly important thing to remember: the membership connections you make using the Flocker app belong to you. While the Flocker app is helping you spin them up, those connections are a direct connection between you and your fans and followers. They can’t be arbitrarily changed, and they are yours. You will be always able to see and access those connections through the smart contract that powers them, without requiring any software or services from Unlock Labs or any other entity. (You can even manage those memberships directly through a <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/how-to-use-blockchain-explorers-with-unlock-protocol/">block explorer</a>, if you are so inclined.)
<h2>Getting started with Flocker</h2>
Creating a membership program and sharing it with your Twitter followers takes only a few moments. You’ll start by going to <a href="https://flocker.app">https://flocker.app</a> and walking through the wizard.
<img src="/images/blog/flocker-announce/flocker-landing.png" alt="flocker landing page">
Here’s a detailed video showing the whole flow.
<div style="position: relative; overflow: hidden; width: 100%; padding-top: 56.25%;"><iframe style="position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XFBc1U4wtKg" title="Introducing Flocker.app: Portable Fans and Followers for Brands and Creators Fed Up with Twitter" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
And here is a sample Tweet you can use in order to ask your followers on Twitter to connect directly with you after you’ve created your membership.
<blockquote>
Claim a free membership from me and follow me anywhere on the web! <URL to your claim page>
</blockquote>
Feel free to modify that in any way that works for you. The critical thing is the link to the URL that Flocker generates for you in the share screen.
As members sign up to your list, you now have a way to always be in contact, regardless of what services you use. You have a direct connection with them, and they have a direct connection with you.
<h2>Congratulations — you’ve taken control of your own destiny</h2>
You now have your own membership list that can never be taken away from you. And, as a bonus, you and your fans and followers — your members — can go anywhere together.
<h2>So what’s next? What’s this whole “portable memberships” thing?</h2>
Portable memberships are just that — your fans and followers can follow and connect with you on any site across the web that supports token-gating using memberships. There are a number of sites and services available today you can use to set up new (or additional) outposts where you connect with your fans and followers. Once your fans connect with you, your fans and followers — your members — can reach you on any of these services. No middleman. No gatekeeper. No chaos monkey to take them away from you.
Here are a few services you could use to connect with your members today using memberships. More are coming online all the time.
<ul>
<li>Discord</li>
<li>Telegram</li>
<li>Paragraph</li>
<li>Highlight</li>
<li>Geneva</li>
<li>Tropee</li>
<li>WordPress</li>
<li>…with more being added all the time.</li>
</ul>
In other words, you can <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4EDTaxNLpu4dHtNKAWAkZtBRfQMoJ-28">use any of those platforms to connect with your members today</a> — and move between them at will.
What’s more, with a number of major sites (e.g. Instagram, Reddit, etc.) beginning to experiment with and embrace web3 infrastructure, it is possible (and perhaps even likely) that memberships you create will be able to be used for access on those sites in the future as well.
<h2>Final thoughts for creators and brands dealing with the Twitter uncertainty</h2>
To recap, there are two things you need to do immediately in order to minimize the potential current and future impact to your connection with your fanbase or followers.
<ul>
<li>Backup and download your Twitter archive of information and followers</li>
<li>Build your own direct membership connections to fans and followers that can not be taken away from you in the future using <a href="https://flocker.app">Flocker.app</a></li>
</ul>
The steps outlined in this Twitter Rescue Kit can help. That said, if the Unlock Labs team or the members of the Unlock Protocol community can assist in any way, please don’t hesitate to <a href="https://discord.unlock-protocol.com">reach out to us in our Discord</a>.


Today, we’re introducing a new tool that lets a developer change the behavior of deployed locks through hooks while still using the Unlock Labs checkout user interface. This is implemented by way of a data builder URL in the checkout config.

![data-hook.png](/images/blog/data-hook.png)

But first, let’s start with a bit of context!

## Giving Unlock Protocol the hook

Inside Unlock, the membership contract is called `PublicLock`. Unlock is a protocol because every membership contract (of the same protocol version) implements the same functions and features. When a creator deploys _their_ lock, they deploy a contract from a template.

Over the years, many creators have told us about the need to customize the behavior of their contracts. To maintain the “base” behavior standard, we introduced the [concept of “hooks.”](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/public-lock/hooks)

Hooks introduce the ability to call third-party contracts as part of specific lock functions, while still retaining the protocol-standard functions. These hooks can be [configured by lock managers](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/public-lock/access-control). For example, we introduced a few “public” hook contracts such as our [password hook](https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/password-protected-nft-memberships/), which is used for situations where a lock manager only wants the subset of individuals who know the password to be able to create a membership.

One of these hooks is called `onPurchaseHook`, and you probably understand from its name: it is called by the public lock’s `purchase` function. This `onPurchaseHook` hook includes 2 different functions:

- `keyPurchasePrice` is a function that is called with the following parameters: buyer’s address, recipient of the NFT address (they’re often the same but could be different), the referrer address, and a _mysterious `data`_ parameter (we’ll come back to this soon). The `keyPurchasePrice` function is expected to return a number, the amount the buyer is expected to pay for the membership. This can be used to make membership prices dynamic.
- `onKeyPurchase` is a function that is called with the same parameters as the function above, as well as a `tokenId` parameter for the membership being bought, and a few more items. Again, there is also a `data` parameter.

The lock’s purchase function will **first** call the `keyPurchasePrice` to determine the price to be paid (and especially if the user has approved enough!), and will finish its execution by calling `onKeyPurchase` .

Remember: hooks are proper contracts, so they can also store any data they want, and could also include other functions. A single hook can also implement multiple hook functions to be called at different points in the lock’s lifecycle.

## Introducing the Data Builder URL

In the previous section, we discussed that both `keyPurchasePrice` and `onKeyPurchase` have a `data` argument. That `data` parameter is, in fact, completely ignored by the lock itself and just passed to the hook’s function. It can be used by the front-end application to send data to the hook so the hook can change its behavior based on it.

For example, this `data` argument is what we use to pass a `secret` corresponding to the password in the context of the password hook. We could also pass some useful metadata to be stored in the hook and returned by the lock to display specific metadata.

Now, our front-end checkout application does not “know” how to build the `data` blob for the specific hooks deployed on specific contracts. For this reason, we are introducing what we call _Data Builder URLs_.

The `dataBuilder` is a new parameter you can use inside of the [paywall configuration](https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tools/checkout/configuration) for any lock that you are configuring there. If the `dataBuilder` is set, then our front-end application will perform a GET request to it and include the following parameters: `recipient`, `lockAddress`, and `network`, so that the web application can compute a specific `data` blob to be passed as an argument for the `purchase` function.

## An example!

Our friends at [Zealous](https://zealous.app) wanted to create a new kind of membership for their platform. Anyone who has their membership NFT can access some premium features. However, they wanted to create a system where people who owned NFTs from specific collections would get a discount.

Looking up what NFTs someone owns using an on-chain script would be extremely expensive (and maybe even impossible as many contracts don’t include a way to list tokens per address), so we must do it off-chain. However, doing it solely off-chain would expose us to the possibility of someone claiming they own a special NFT (when they actually don’t) so they could grab the discount. So we’re taking a mixed approach: we look for NFTs owned by the user off-chain, but then create a `dataBuilder` to compute a “hint” that is passed as `data` to the contract.

The hook can then use the hint to confirm that indeed the user owns one of these NFTs.


Extending Unlock Protocol’s “hook” capabilities with data.

Extending Unlock Protocol’s “hook” capabilities with data

The Data Builder URL

Today, we’re introducing a new tool that lets a developer change the behavior of deployed locks through hooks while still using the Unlock Labs checkout user interface. This is implemented by way of a data builder URL in the checkout config.
<img src="/images/blog/data-hook.png" alt="data-hook.png">
But first, let’s start with a bit of context!
<h2>Giving Unlock Protocol the hook</h2>
Inside Unlock, the membership contract is called <code>PublicLock</code>. Unlock is a protocol because every membership contract (of the same protocol version) implements the same functions and features. When a creator deploys their lock, they deploy a contract from a template.
Over the years, many creators have told us about the need to customize the behavior of their contracts. To maintain the “base” behavior standard, we introduced the <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/public-lock/hooks">concept of “hooks.”</a>
Hooks introduce the ability to call third-party contracts as part of specific lock functions, while still retaining the protocol-standard functions. These hooks can be <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/core-protocol/public-lock/access-control">configured by lock managers</a>. For example, we introduced a few “public” hook contracts such as our <a href="https://unlock-protocol.com/guides/password-protected-nft-memberships/">password hook</a>, which is used for situations where a lock manager only wants the subset of individuals who know the password to be able to create a membership.
One of these hooks is called <code>onPurchaseHook</code>, and you probably understand from its name: it is called by the public lock’s <code>purchase</code> function. This <code>onPurchaseHook</code> hook includes 2 different functions:
<ul>
<li><code>keyPurchasePrice</code> is a function that is called with the following parameters: buyer’s address, recipient of the NFT address (they’re often the same but could be different), the referrer address, and a mysterious <code>data</code> parameter (we’ll come back to this soon). The <code>keyPurchasePrice</code> function is expected to return a number, the amount the buyer is expected to pay for the membership. This can be used to make membership prices dynamic.</li>
<li><code>onKeyPurchase</code> is a function that is called with the same parameters as the function above, as well as a <code>tokenId</code> parameter for the membership being bought, and a few more items. Again, there is also a <code>data</code> parameter.</li>
</ul>
The lock’s purchase function will first call the <code>keyPurchasePrice</code> to determine the price to be paid (and especially if the user has approved enough!), and will finish its execution by calling <code>onKeyPurchase</code> .
Remember: hooks are proper contracts, so they can also store any data they want, and could also include other functions. A single hook can also implement multiple hook functions to be called at different points in the lock’s lifecycle.
<h2>Introducing the Data Builder URL</h2>
In the previous section, we discussed that both <code>keyPurchasePrice</code> and <code>onKeyPurchase</code> have a <code>data</code> argument. That <code>data</code> parameter is, in fact, completely ignored by the lock itself and just passed to the hook’s function. It can be used by the front-end application to send data to the hook so the hook can change its behavior based on it.
For example, this <code>data</code> argument is what we use to pass a <code>secret</code> corresponding to the password in the context of the password hook. We could also pass some useful metadata to be stored in the hook and returned by the lock to display specific metadata.
Now, our front-end checkout application does not “know” how to build the <code>data</code> blob for the specific hooks deployed on specific contracts. For this reason, we are introducing what we call Data Builder URLs.
The <code>dataBuilder</code> is a new parameter you can use inside of the <a href="https://docs.unlock-protocol.com/tools/checkout/configuration">paywall configuration</a> for any lock that you are configuring there. If the <code>dataBuilder</code> is set, then our front-end application will perform a GET request to it and include the following parameters: <code>recipient</code>, <code>lockAddress</code>, and <code>network</code>, so that the web application can compute a specific <code>data</code> blob to be passed as an argument for the <code>purchase</code> function.
<h2>An example!</h2>
Our friends at <a href="https://zealous.app">Zealous</a> wanted to create a new kind of membership for their platform. Anyone who has their membership NFT can access some premium features. However, they wanted to create a system where people who owned NFTs from specific collections would get a discount.
Looking up what NFTs someone owns using an on-chain script would be extremely expensive (and maybe even impossible as many contracts don’t include a way to list tokens per address), so we must do it off-chain. However, doing it solely off-chain would expose us to the possibility of someone claiming they own a special NFT (when they actually don’t) so they could grab the discount. So we’re taking a mixed approach: we look for NFTs owned by the user off-chain, but then create a <code>dataBuilder</code> to compute a “hint” that is passed as <code>data</code> to the contract.
The hook can then use the hint to confirm that indeed the user owns one of these NFTs.


[ETHSanFrancisco](https://sf.ethglobal.com) was the largest in-person hackathon to date from ETHGlobal, and the hackers delivered! Over 1700(!) hackers from around the globe showed up in force to meet, learn, and build new projects.

The Unlock team showed up in a big way, and had an incredible time meeting hundred of hackers, having great conversations, and getting a chance to bond together as well!

![unlock team selfie](/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-team-selfie.jpeg)
photo: @julien51

More pictures and thoughts below, but first...the winners of prizes in the Unlock hackathon!

The most incredible part of ETHSanFrancisco was getting the opportunity to connect with the incredible group of hackers, learners, and new friends who stopped by for conversations in the booth over the course of the three days of the hackathon. There were over two dozen projects submitted and, when the dust cleared and the entries were judged, three projects stood out. They were...

## First Prize Winner — Smart Coupons

![smart coupons image](https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2Foh282%2Fimages%2FScreenshot_2022-11-06_at_6.50.26_AM.png)

**Description:** This project is a frontend + plugin into the Salesforce (SFDC) ecosystem to manage Web3-based marketing campaigns to enable an on-ramp for web2 companies to engage their communities within their existing marketing toolset. Our frontend is a sample implementation of how a client (in this case Adidas) would implement the solution. Within their existing web2 channels, the client would offer gamified incentives for users to connect their wallet details. After connecting their wallet, the users would be able to complete additional data enrichment challenges to earn Web3-based rewards. These rewards would be generated from SFDC directly based on specified campaign goals. Once the wallet data is within Salesforce, we enrich the database with on-chain information, tied to the individual lead profile created for the user. This enables a more robust view of the customer, with the ability to create insights and make more informed decisions about campaign targeting.

**Demo:** [https://ethglobal.com/showcase/smart-coupons-oh282](https://ethglobal.com/showcase/smart-coupons-oh282)

## Second Prize Winner — HNDSHK

![hndshk image](https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2Fbgqfn%2Fimages%2FSolution.png)

**Description:** HNDSHK allows you to instantly connect and nourish irreplaceable relationships through NFT handshake cards which you can create, manage, and SHK. Exchanging cards is done instantly through NFC tap (HNDSHK). And when you HNDSHK, you also connect on mutual social handles and a POAP is minted which further documents the occasion. Since NFC taps can only be done in person, HNDSHK encourages in-person interactions. In contrast to popular Social Media platforms which are often attention grabs or races to build a following, HNDSHK incentives quality over quantity connections. This is done through a gamified experience - card rarity upgrades, personal card benefits, and reach-out reminders.

**Demo:** [https://ethglobal.com/showcase/hndshk-bgqfn](https://ethglobal.com/showcase/hndshk-bgqfn)

## Third Prize Winner — Alexandria

![alexandria image](https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2F3db0q%2Fimages%2Fscreenshot_3.png)

**Description:** This project allows users to borrow an access NFT that gives them access to view a book through our site. The contract allows anyone to borrow a book for however long they like (as long as you can pay the fee). Whilst giving authors royalties on their payments. We allow authors to make sure they get paid for each time their book gets read. The NFT also acts as a way for you to know all the previous borrowers of your book. Once you run out of collateral on your borrow, the NFT gets automatically transferred back to the marketplace via a liquidation function anyone can call.

**Demo:** [https://ethglobal.com/showcase/alexandria-3db0q](https://ethglobal.com/showcase/alexandria-3db0q)

## Fun and learning for everyone

Hackathons are one of our favorite ways to connect with our frens in the web3 community who are creating and building the next layer of internet infrastructure.

We say a giant THANK YOU to all of the winners and every single team that deployed Unlock to bring their vision to life.

We’re so grateful to ETHGlobal for its continued support of the web3 space and for allowing us to participate in these amazing hackathons! We look forward to seeing these projects evolve and for all the incredible connections, learning, and growth they empower.

As promised, here are a few shots from the event — can't wait for the next one!

![unlock 1](/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-1.png)

![unlock 2](/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-2.png)

![unlock 3](/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-3.png)

![unlock 4](/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-4.png)

![unlock 5](/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-5.png)

![unlock 6](/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-6.png)

![unlock 7](/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-7.png)
photo: @ccarfi


Over two dozen teams built memberships into their projects using Unlock at the latest ETHGlobal Hackathon — here are the winners.

Over two dozen teams built memberships into their projects using Unlock at the latest ETHGlobal Hackathon — here are the winners

ETHSanFrancisco Hackathon's Winners

<a href="https://sf.ethglobal.com">ETHSanFrancisco</a> was the largest in-person hackathon to date from ETHGlobal, and the hackers delivered! Over 1700(!) hackers from around the globe showed up in force to meet, learn, and build new projects.
The Unlock team showed up in a big way, and had an incredible time meeting hundred of hackers, having great conversations, and getting a chance to bond together as well!
<img src="/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-team-selfie.jpeg" alt="unlock team selfie">
photo: @julien51
More pictures and thoughts below, but first...the winners of prizes in the Unlock hackathon!
The most incredible part of ETHSanFrancisco was getting the opportunity to connect with the incredible group of hackers, learners, and new friends who stopped by for conversations in the booth over the course of the three days of the hackathon. There were over two dozen projects submitted and, when the dust cleared and the entries were judged, three projects stood out. They were...
<h2>First Prize Winner — Smart Coupons</h2>
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2Foh282%2Fimages%2FScreenshot_2022-11-06_at_6.50.26_AM.png" alt="smart coupons image">
Description: This project is a frontend + plugin into the Salesforce (SFDC) ecosystem to manage Web3-based marketing campaigns to enable an on-ramp for web2 companies to engage their communities within their existing marketing toolset. Our frontend is a sample implementation of how a client (in this case Adidas) would implement the solution. Within their existing web2 channels, the client would offer gamified incentives for users to connect their wallet details. After connecting their wallet, the users would be able to complete additional data enrichment challenges to earn Web3-based rewards. These rewards would be generated from SFDC directly based on specified campaign goals. Once the wallet data is within Salesforce, we enrich the database with on-chain information, tied to the individual lead profile created for the user. This enables a more robust view of the customer, with the ability to create insights and make more informed decisions about campaign targeting.
Demo: <a href="https://ethglobal.com/showcase/smart-coupons-oh282">https://ethglobal.com/showcase/smart-coupons-oh282</a>
<h2>Second Prize Winner — HNDSHK</h2>
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2Fbgqfn%2Fimages%2FSolution.png" alt="hndshk image">
Description: HNDSHK allows you to instantly connect and nourish irreplaceable relationships through NFT handshake cards which you can create, manage, and SHK. Exchanging cards is done instantly through NFC tap (HNDSHK). And when you HNDSHK, you also connect on mutual social handles and a POAP is minted which further documents the occasion. Since NFC taps can only be done in person, HNDSHK encourages in-person interactions. In contrast to popular Social Media platforms which are often attention grabs or races to build a following, HNDSHK incentives quality over quantity connections. This is done through a gamified experience - card rarity upgrades, personal card benefits, and reach-out reminders.
Demo: <a href="https://ethglobal.com/showcase/hndshk-bgqfn">https://ethglobal.com/showcase/hndshk-bgqfn</a>
<h2>Third Prize Winner — Alexandria</h2>
<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/ethglobal-api-production/projects%2F3db0q%2Fimages%2Fscreenshot_3.png" alt="alexandria image">
Description: This project allows users to borrow an access NFT that gives them access to view a book through our site. The contract allows anyone to borrow a book for however long they like (as long as you can pay the fee). Whilst giving authors royalties on their payments. We allow authors to make sure they get paid for each time their book gets read. The NFT also acts as a way for you to know all the previous borrowers of your book. Once you run out of collateral on your borrow, the NFT gets automatically transferred back to the marketplace via a liquidation function anyone can call.
Demo: <a href="https://ethglobal.com/showcase/alexandria-3db0q">https://ethglobal.com/showcase/alexandria-3db0q</a>
<h2>Fun and learning for everyone</h2>
Hackathons are one of our favorite ways to connect with our frens in the web3 community who are creating and building the next layer of internet infrastructure.
We say a giant THANK YOU to all of the winners and every single team that deployed Unlock to bring their vision to life.
We’re so grateful to ETHGlobal for its continued support of the web3 space and for allowing us to participate in these amazing hackathons! We look forward to seeing these projects evolve and for all the incredible connections, learning, and growth they empower.
As promised, here are a few shots from the event — can't wait for the next one!
<img src="/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-1.png" alt="unlock 1">
<img src="/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-2.png" alt="unlock 2">
<img src="/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-3.png" alt="unlock 3">
<img src="/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-4.png" alt="unlock 4">
<img src="/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-5.png" alt="unlock 5">
<img src="/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-6.png" alt="unlock 6">
<img src="/images/blog/ethsf22/unlock-7.png" alt="unlock 7">
photo: @ccarfi