DRC Access Mode: Phased Access
Phased Access lets you schedule your entire DRC rollout in advance, all on a timeline you set once and never have to touch again.
What is Phased Access?
Phased Access is a scheduling layer on top of the three standard access modes (Access Now, Request Only, and Invite Only). Instead of picking one mode and sticking with it, you define a sequence of modes with a start date for each. Covered transitions automatically when the date arrives with no manual edits, no reminders, and no risk of forgetting to change settings mid-campaign.
A typical sequence might look like this:
| Date | Mode | What happens |
| Oct 1 | Access Now | DRC goes live; Covered users can read immediately |
| Oct 8 | Request Only | Open access closes; new readers must request access and be approved |
| Jan 15 | Expired | DRC deactivates automatically |
What publishers do
Setting up a Phased Access schedule
- From the Manage DRCs page, create or edit a DRC listing.
- Set the Access Mode to Phased Access.
- A timeline builder appears. Add your phases in order:
- Phase 1: Choose the start date and select the opening mode
- Phase 2: Choose the date this phase begins and select the next mode
- Expiry: Set the date the DRC deactivates entirely
- Review the full timeline
- Save. The schedule is now built and will run automatically.
Editing the schedule later
You can update a Phased Access schedule at any time, even after it has started running. Changes take effect immediately:
- Extending a phase: Push back the start date of the next phase. The current mode stays active longer.
- Skipping a phase: Delete a phase from the timeline. The schedule compresses around the remaining phases.
- Changing the expiry date: Update the final date field. The DRC will stay live until the new date.
- Cancelling early: Switch the DRC to Expired status from the Manage DRCs page. This overrides the schedule immediately.
If a phase is already active, editing its start date has no effect on the past, only the future dates are impacted.
What readers see
Readers see whatever the current phase dictates. The mode transitions happen in the background and require nothing from them. A reader who accessed the DRC during an Access Now phase retains their access as the DRC moves into Request Only; they are not asked to re-request.
During Access Now phase: Covered users see a Read Now button and can access the title immediately.
During Request Only phase: All new readers see a Request button. Previously approved readers retain access.
At expiry: The DRC deactivates. All readers, including those who previously had access, can no longer open or access the file.
Quick reference
| What | How it works |
| How many phases can you set? | As many as you need (minimum two) |
| Do readers need to do anything when phases change? | No, transitions are invisible to them |
| Do previously approved readers lose access when mode changes? | No, existing access is preserved |
| Can you edit the schedule after it starts? | Yes, at any time |
| Can you cancel early? | Yes, set status to Expired immediately |
| Do auto-approval rules still apply in Request Only phases? | Yes |