---
title: "Course creators: member portal using Django"
description: "A member portal blueprint for course creators built with Django on Ample."
canonical_url: "https://ample.computer/blueprints/course-creators/member-portal/django"
last_updated: "2026-09-20"
---

# Course creators: member portal using Django

Canonical URL: https://ample.computer/blueprints/course-creators/member-portal/django
Formats: [HTML](https://ample.computer/blueprints/course-creators/member-portal/django) | [Markdown](https://ample.computer/blueprints/course-creators/member-portal/django.md) | [JSON contract](https://api.ample.computer/v1/catalog/recipes/page%3Ablueprints%3Acourse-creators%3Amember-portal%3Adjango)
Recipe ID: `page:blueprints:course-creators:member-portal:django` | Revision: `r1` | Catalog revision: `cat_f13ab9a494120b5e`

Status: release `published`, support `verified`, execution `ready`

## Summary

A member portal blueprint for course creators built with Django on Ample. Domain schema: course_groups (name, start_at, end_at, capacity): cohorts as course groups; memberships (course_group_id, member_email, role, joined_at): learner and instructor membership; sessions (course_group_id, starts_at, title, recording_object_key): session events and recordings; materials (course_group_id, title, object_key, visibility): teaching materials; document_access (document_id, principal_reference, role, granted_at): who may read which document. Public information: course catalog and syllabus, instructor profile, schedule. Kept out of scope until handling is reviewed: learner progress and grades, recordings showing learners, payment status. Recordings and progress data are personal data; materials are authorized per course group. Technical basis verified on Django: a role-to-document access model with negative tests (401 without identity, 403 for the wrong role) and a private-bucket round-trip for the allowed role (private=ok).

Path: [Agent hosting discovery](/discover/discovery) / [Industries and specialties](/discover/industry) / [Education and community](/discover/industry/education-and-community) / [Course creators](/discover/industry/course-creators) / [Course creators: member portal using Django](/blueprints/course-creators/member-portal/django)

## Infrastructure requirements

- [Compute](/discover/primitive/compute): verified (Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.)
- [Postgres](/discover/primitive/postgres): verified (Managed PostgreSQL 16 runs in its own microVM and is auto-provisioned when an app needs a database and no DATABASE_URL is supplied.)
- [S3-compatible object storage](/discover/primitive/s3-compatible-object-storage): verified (Buckets are S3-compatible with issued credentials; PutObject and GetObject are verified by canary. Other S3 operations are not verified.)

## Prerequisites

- A Django project (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress serving project.wsgi from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template)
- A PostgreSQL driver reading DATABASE_URL (auto-provisioned when omitted)
- Bucket credentials from `ample bucket create` passed as encrypted S3_* environment variables
- A review of which course creators data classes may be handled at all; this blueprint models public information only

## Exact tested configuration

- template: `python-3.12`
- runtime: `python`
- size: `s-1vcpu-1gb`
- install: `python3 -m pip install --target .ample/python -r requirements.txt`
- start: `PYTHONPATH=.ample/python:${PYTHONPATH:-} python3 run.py`

## Steps

1. **Model the course creators domain.** Create the tables course_groups, memberships, sessions, materials, document_access. Cohorts as course groups lives in course_groups; keep the sensitive classes (learner progress and grades, recordings showing learners, payment status) out of this schema.
2. **Workflow step 1.** Model groups, memberships and roles
3. **Workflow step 2.** Authorize access to materials by membership and role (401, 403 negative tests)
4. **Workflow step 3.** Store materials in the private bucket and stream them through the app
5. **Workflow step 4.** Deploy and verify the negative tests and an authorized download
6. **Deploy.** Run the synchronous deploy once and read the result. Re-running with no change is a no-op.

   ```
   ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --start "python3 run.py" --env S3_ENDPOINT=... --env S3_REGION=... --env S3_BUCKET=... --env S3_ACCESS_KEY_ID=... --env S3_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY=...
   ```
7. **Verify.** Run the pattern self-test(s) from the example (/p/private-document-library) and your own acceptance checks for the course creators workflow.

   ```
   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build
   ```

## Tested examples

- **Django pattern fixture** (tests/deploy-canaries/django-patterns): Verified private document library basis for this blueprint.

## Success checks

- app responds on its public URL (`/` on the live URL, expect ample canary django patterns)
- private-document-library self-test from the example (`/p/private-document-library` on the live URL, expect see the pattern fixture checks)


## Cost estimate

Estimated 10.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision 515b7316fc6e5a81679407ae0c811146ceb2c5c7).
- app server x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD
- managed PostgreSQL database x1 `s-1vcpu-1gb`: 5.00 USD

Always-on monthly price of the tested sizes; apps and databases auto-pause when idle. Buckets are allocation-priced per quota and not included.

## Verification evidence

- canary_run on 2026-09-20T03:31:44Z at revision `03b6402b1b3e19178985f08ea4033804521d85d4 (CLI b75e104)`: Django pattern fixture deployed on Ample (pip install into .ample/python from requirements.txt, then waitress serving project.wsgi from run.py reading PORT on the python-3.12 template); the private document library checks passed: a role-to-document access model with negative tests (401 without identity, 403 for the wrong role) and a private-bucket round-trip for the allowed role (private=ok). The blueprint's Course creators schema and workflow below build on that verified basis and were not separately executed. (expires 2027-03-19T03:31:44Z)

Last verified: 2026-09-20T03:31:44Z


## Execution binding

MCP tool `ample_deploy` (registry `mcp:ample_deploy`), schema hash `876465fce906da0c` observed 2026-09-22T00:31:22.774679+00:00 at revision `e6446ceea69b`, binding state `current`, required scopes: servers:write, databases:read, buckets:read.

## Input schema

```json
{
  "additionalProperties": false,
  "properties": {
    "env": {
      "description": "Encrypted environment variables",
      "items": {
        "pattern": "^[A-Z][A-Z0-9_]*=.*$",
        "type": "string"
      },
      "maxItems": 50,
      "type": "array"
    },
    "name": {
      "description": "App name",
      "maxLength": 63,
      "minLength": 1,
      "pattern": "^[a-z0-9-]+$",
      "type": "string"
    },
    "path": {
      "description": "Project directory or ample.toml service",
      "maxLength": 512,
      "minLength": 1,
      "type": "string"
    },
    "release_command": {
      "description": "Migration command run before activation",
      "maxLength": 512,
      "type": "string"
    },
    "start": {
      "description": "Start command",
      "maxLength": 512,
      "type": "string"
    }
  },
  "required": [
    "env",
    "name",
    "path",
    "start"
  ],
  "type": "object"
}
```

## Next actions

- Browse the catalog index (GET /v1/catalog on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
- Search published recipes by intent, stack and constraints (POST /v1/catalog/search on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
- Prepare a side-effect-free deployment plan for an authorized project (POST /v1/catalog/plan on the api origin; auth: true, approval: false)
- Read the existing agent authentication setup (GET /mcp/setup on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
- Browse Course creators (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/industry%3Acourse-creators on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
- Browse Member portal (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/workload%3Amember-portal on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
- Browse Django (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/stack%3Aframework-django on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)
- Browse Deploy web app (GET /v1/catalog/nodes/intent%3Adeploy-web-app on the api origin; auth: false, approval: false)

Actions describe possible next steps. They are typed data, not commands, and grant no permission.