Adding Queue-Fair
The Queue-Fair Virtual Waiting Room is easily added to a wide variety of web and app platforms in minutes. Just use one of our Adapters. You can find more information about the best way to integrate the Queue-Fair serice with your existing system in the Technical Guide, or the Queue-Fair Portal > Help section. If you are looking for information on how to stop bots or humans from making multiple orders, or protect your NFT sales from excessive gas fees, you can read this overview or get full detail in the Security Guide section of the Portal.
The quickest way to get started with Queue-Fair is to sign up for a Free Tier account - you can do this online now and start integrating and testing immediately.
Need help on setting the Rates for your Queue? Everything you need to know is here.
The Client-Side Adapter
For websites, the simplest way to integrate with Queue-Fair is to add the Client-Side Queue-Fair Adapter JavaScript tag to your pages. You can safely add the Adapter to all the pages on your site, and use the Activation Rules in the Queue-Fair Portal to determine which pages may throw a queue.
Our JavaScript Client-Side Adapter is more secure than client-side integration pieces from other providers. Because it runs in your visitors' browsers, the Client-Side Adapter can be tampered with by technically skilled visitors, but is very effective at preventing overload as only a very small minority of people will attempt to skip the queue by tampering with the JavaScript. Most of our customers use the Client-Side Adapter because it is effective at preventing a crashed site, simple to install and does not introduce any dependency between our system and yours. Unlike client-side integration pieces from other providers, it can be made tamper-proof with the Hybrid Security Model described in the Technical Guide.
You can add a security layer by replacing the JavaScript tag with a Server-Side Adapter, or combine the flexibility of the JavaScript Adapter with the Hybrid Security Model described on this page; both methods are then secure.
Single Line of Code
To add the Client-Side Adapter to your site, just add the following single line of code to the <head> section of your pages:
Some customers add the word defer to the tag, which causes the Adapter script to be
downloaded in parallel to parsing the page and also to only start execution of the script
in the visitor’s browser when the page has finished parsing (so typically after any other
scripts on your page have finished).
Adding the word defer can improve Time to First Paint by a small fraction of a second
in some cases, but if you choose to do this it will mean that any visitors that should be
queued will see your protected page for a fraction of a second longer before they are sent
to the queue.
Google Tag Manager
We also provide the JavaScript Adapter Tag via Google Tag Manager. Search for Queue-Fair in the Community Templates Gallery, under Add Tag. Please note that some ad blockers prevent the download of the master gtm.js from Google, which blocks all operations of Google Tag Manager, including running the queueing system Adapter for those visitors.
Google Tag Manager
The GitHub repository for the Queue-Fair Virtual Waiting Room Google Tag Manager Client-Side Adapter Tag.
Dynamic Queue Pages
Any data you wish can be passed from your site to our queuing system and the Queue Pages your visitors see by using the data-queue-fair-extra attribute that is available in the Client-Side JavaScript Tag and the Google Tag Manager implementation. Please contact support if you wish to enable Dynamic Queue Pages on your account.
You can use this feature to customise Queue Pages on the fly. You can also use Queue-Fair to pass data that you send us with your visitors back to your site as they are Passed by the queue, for an additional layer of security.
We also provide a Dynamic Queue Page API that uses the extra data to customise any aspect of a Queue Page, so you can create one queue for your whole site and customise it automatically for different events or products on your site, without having to make any changes to your Queue Pages in the Queue-Fair Portal.
Shopify, WooCommerce & Wordpress queue management
If you are using a Wordpress-based site, such as the WooCommerce shopping cart system, you can easily add the Client-Side JavasScript Adapter tag using the Wordpress Insert Headers & Footers Plugin, without having to modify any of your Themes or templates or touch any Wordpress code.
Just download the Insert Headers & Footers Plugin, unzip it to your /wp-content/plugins/ folder, Activate the plugin in the Plugins menu, open the plugin from the Settings menu, add the tag to Scripts in Header as shown, hit Save at the bottom of the page, and you're done! Wordpress queue management made simple. There are other Wordpress plugins you can use to add the tag too - this one is the most popular.
Some Wordpress clients like to add the Queue-Fair JavaScript tag to their Wordpress error pages too, which you can do by editing /wp-includes/functions.php - add it to the HTML contained within the _default_wp_die_handler function in that file.
Shopify is just as easy - here are instructions for adding the Queue-Fair Client-Side JavaScript Adapter to your Shopify store - use the three dots at the top left after hitting Customise to Edit Code on your theme.liquid Layout file.
Client-Side SquareSpace Virtual Waiting Room
The Client-Side JavaScript Adapter is also very easy to add to your SquareSpace site - log in and select your website, then Website from the left nav, Website Tools (in the Utilities section in the left nav), Code Injection, and then copy and paste it into the Header box, then Save at the top left.
For maximum security on SquareSpace, use our SquareSpace Network-Edge Adapter, described below.
Client-Side Adapter Additional Resources
The Client-Side Adapter is fully described in the Technical Guide. The Technical Guide is available in the Queue-Fair Portal > Help section, or you can request a copy from us.
Server-Side Adapters
Whereas the Client-Side Adapter runs in JavaScript in your visitors' browsers, the Queue-Fair Server-Side Adapters run on your webserver.This means your servers can send visitors to the queue more efficiently. Bad actors will not see content from your site, however, bots can still make requests of your servers, so for full DDoS protection, use one of our Network-Edge Adapters below.
Web Server Adapters
This means your web server can take advantage of additional security features to deny access to people who have not been queued. This also means your web server avoids the load of generating and serving pages containing Adapter script.
Adding the Queue-Fair Server-Side Adapter libraries takes only a few minutes with minimal code changes to activate and run the Adapter.
Most of our customers start with the Client-Side JavaScript Adapter and move to the Server-Side Adapter only where there is a specific functionality or business need.
Simple & Safe Mode
The Queue-Fair Server-Side Adapters can operate in Simple or Safe mode.
In Simple Mode, all visitors are sent to the Queue-Fair Servers to be counted, whether or not a Queue has formed. When there is a queue, they join the queue. When there is no queue, they are returned to your Web Server straight away, without seeing a Queue Page - but with the signature your Web Server needs to ensure that only people who have been Passed by the queue can access your protected resources.
In Safe Mode, visitors are only sent to the Queue-Fair Servers when there is a Queue. Your web server directly consults our Queue Servers in the background to make this determination. Visitors are still securely digitally signed whether they join a queue, or whether they are Passed without seeing a Queue Page because the queue is empty.
Safe Mode is recommended for day-to-day queues. Simple mode is appropriate for a timed event or sale when you are expecting thousands of people, as it eliminates latency due to the checking call from your web server to our Queue Servers, which means you can send people to join the queue more efficiently.
GitHub Repositories
Dynamic Queue Pages
As with the Client-Side Adapter, any data you wish can be passed from your web server to our servers and the Queue Pages your visitors see by passing this information in the Server-Side Adapter call as people join the queue. This facilitates Dynamic Queue Page or other on-the-fly customisation in the same way - all features of the Client-Side Adapter are fully supported. Please contact support if you wish to enable Dynamic Queue Pages on your account.
Server-Side Adapter Additional Resources
Our Server-Side Adapters are fully described in the Technical Guide. The Technical Guide is available in the Queue-Fair Portal > Help section, or you can request a copy from us. You can also find more information about each of the Adapters in the README.md of each GitHub global community repository.
Network-Edge Adapters
The Queue-Fair Network-Edge Adapters run inside your CDN or Cloud Services provider's framework, rather than in the visitors' browsers or on your origin server. This is the best way to use Queue-Fair to protect your servers from bot attacks, including DDoS attacks.
Lambda and CDN Provider Adapters
This gives the same functionality and security as the Server-Side Adapter and the same load protection as Direct Link.
Adding the Queue-Fair Network-Edge Adapter libraries takes only a few minutes with minimal code changes on your cloud provider to activate and run the Adapter, which is normally deployed as a Lambda function or Edge Worker.
Simple & Safe Mode
As with our Server-Side Adapters, our Network-Edge Adapters can operate in Simple or Safe mode.
Available Adapters
Dynamic Queue Pages
As with the Client-Side Adapter, any data you wish can be passed from your site to our servers and the Queue Pages your visitors see by passing this information in the Adapter call. This facilitates Dynamic Queue Page or other on-the-fly customisation as people join the queue in the same way - all features of the Client-Side Adapter are fully supported. Please contact support if you wish to enable Dynamic Queue Pages on your account.
Network-Edge Adapter Additional Resources
Our Network-Edge Adapters are fully described in the Technical Guide. The Technical Guide is available in the Queue-Fair Portal > Help section, or you can request a copy from us. You can also find more information about each of the Adapters in the README.md of each GitHub global community repository.
REST APIs
Queue-Fair gives developers access to six REST API Modules. You will need a Queue-Fair account to use the API. To enable API access for your account, please contact Queue-Fair Support. Our REST API Modules conform to the OpenAPI, RFC 7807 and RFC 3339 standards.
Our suite of API Modules is comprehensive - anything you can do in the Portal, you can also do with the API, except manage Portal Users which is excluded for privacy reasons.
Each API Module is fully documented at api.queue-fair.net, where you'll also find a Swagger interface for ease of use and testing. For security, all API calls are protected by secure TLS encryption and require an API Key that is specific to your account.
API Modules
Dynamic Queue Pages
You can also modify your Queue Pages on the fly without having to update the database using the Portal or Presentation API - Contact Support for further details and to enable Dynamic Queue Pages on your account.
REST API Additional Resources
As required by RFC 7807, you can find documentation about error messages that may be returned by our REST API Modules at queue-fair.com/api-error
Native Apps
Queue-Fair looks great on mobile browsers as well as desktops and laptops.
You can also use Queue-Fair directly in your native iOS and Android apps, and also React Native apps on iOS, Android, Windows and MacOS, to protect resource-intensive activities or operations.
The Queue-Fair App Adapters use a WebClient to connect apps and display custom Queue displays to your users when your services are too busy, with the flexibility and ease of use of the Queue-Fair Portal.
You can queue users in the same queue as your website visitors, or set up a separate queue for your app users - it's up to you.
Just like our web-based queues, once they've joined the queue each user's place is automatically saved if they navigate away from your app too.
GitHub Repositories
Queue Notifications
The Queue-Fair Adapter has callbacks that make it easy to send Push Notification to users who are not using your app or queue when their turn is called. The user's place in the queue is automatically persistently stored by the Adapter in your App. If the user navigates away from your app, your app tells your Push Notification server that a notification should be sent, sending the stored queue position information as part of that message to your Push Notification server.
It's the same technology we use for our WeQ4U consumer app and service, which has had around 2 million downloads in the UK alone.
Your Push Notification server consults the Queue-Fair Status API periodically to query the queue position currently being served. When this is greater than a particular user's queue position, it's time to contact that user with the notification. If the user returns to the queue or is Passed before a Push Notification has been sent, the callbacks in the Adapter notify your app, and your app tells your Push Notification server that the notification is no longer required.
To our knowledge, we are the only Virtual Waiting Room provider that supports this feature.
Video Resources
Here's a video of the Native App Adapter in action, showing that the user's place is saved even if the app is completely stopped, and also showing the Adapter hooks your app uses to send Push Notifications.
Additional Resources
Our Native App Adapters are described in the Technical Guide. The Technical Guide is available in the Queue-Fair Portal > Help section, or you can request a copy from us. You can also find more information about each of the Adapters that is specific to iOS and Android in the README.md of each GitHub global community repository.
ECommerce Adapters
Queue-Fair can be added easily to any eCommerce system using the Client-Side JavaScript Adapter described above.
We also offer Adapter code to work at the Server-Side with many popular eCommerce servers.
GitHub Repositories
Additional Resources
Our Adapters are described in the Technical Guide. The Technical Guide is available in the Queue-Fair Portal > Help section, or you can request a copy from us.
We also have supplementary Guides available for most eCommerce platforms - just ask for the one you want.
Hybrid Security
You can easily combine the flexibility of the Client-Side JavaScript Adapter with the additional security layer provided by our Server-Side code.
Queue-Fair signs each visitor we Pass with a digital fingerprint that is unique to that Visitor. Uniquely in the industry, the signature also includes code specific to the visitor's browser, to prevent access tokens from being shared.
Your web server can validate the signature using a secret known only to you and to us - not your visitors - to ensure that each visitor has been fairly passed by the Queue-Fair servers.
So, you can use the Client-Side JavaScript Adapter to send and receive visitors to and from the queue, and check for tampering before they order with minimal Server-Side code, and avoid introducing a dependency on our system.
Example code is included in our GitHub global community repositories in every major web programming language.
GitHub Repositories
Additional Resources
The Hybrid Security Model is fully described in the Technical Guide. The Technical Guide is available in the Queue-Fair Portal > Help section, or you can request a copy from us.
Licence
Our published code available at The GitHub Queue-Fair Repository is licenced under the MIT Licence, which is amongst the most permissive of Open Source licences for the global community.
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Part of the Orderly family of queue solutions - OrderlyQ - OrderlyStats - WeQ4U