How to stop piracy sites from scraping your Patreon posts
Updated 2026-10-29 · 6 min read
You publish a post for your supporters, and within hours the whole thing shows up on a piracy site: the text, the images, the attachments and the download link. Nobody copied it by hand. These sites run scrapers that read Patreon posts through a paying account and republish everything automatically. You can't stop the copying, but you can make sure the copy doesn't contain anything usable.
How piracy sites copy your posts
Most leak sites work the same way. Someone supports your page, often on the cheapest tier that unlocks the posts, and connects that account to a scraper. The scraper checks your page regularly, downloads every new post and republishes it on the site, usually with the attachments rehosted. Some sites keep the scraper running for months, so every future post is copied too.
The important detail: the scraper copies what is in the post. Whether that copy is useful depends on how you deliver your files.
What gets taken, and what you can protect
| In your post | What the piracy site gets | Can you protect it? |
|---|---|---|
| Text and images in the post | An exact copy | No. Anything visible in the post can be copied; use previews and watermarks |
| Attachments uploaded to Patreon | The file itself, rehosted | No, once the post is open to the scraper's tier |
| Google Drive, MEGA or Dropbox link | A link that works for anyone | No. The link doesn't check who opens it |
| Protected download link | A link that asks for Patreon sign-in | Yes. Visitors who aren't your supporters can't download |
So the most effective change is simple: stop putting the file itself, or an open link to it, in the post. Put a link there that checks membership instead.
Why a protected link is useless on a piracy site
A protected link doesn't point at the file. When someone opens it, it asks them to sign in with their own Patreon account, checks that they currently support your page on the required tier, and only then starts a download that expires within a minute. When a piracy site republishes your post, the link comes along, but every visitor who clicks it hits the same check. They aren't your supporters, so they get a "no access" screen with a button to your page, not the file.
Setting it up with Creation Protector:
- Sign in with your Patreon creator account. Your tiers are imported automatically.
- Upload the file and choose the minimum tier. Higher tiers get access automatically.
- Paste the protected link into the post instead of the attachment. You can also replace links in older posts; scrapers that re-check them will copy the protected link.
When the scraper downloads the files itself
To be clear about the limit: a scraper running on a paying account can open the protected link like any supporter and save the file. Protected links make this much harder to hide:
- Every download is logged per supporter. If one account downloads every new work within minutes of posting, that pattern stands out.
- Bursts are rate-limited. Grabbing a whole archive at once is slowed down.
- You can act on the account. Once you know which account it is, block it on Patreon; its access ends on the next click.
- Watermarks point to the source. A per-tier or per-supporter watermark shows where a rehosted file came from.
If your work is already on a piracy site
- Keep evidence: save the page URL, screenshots and your original files with their dates.
- Send a copyright notice: most sites and their hosting providers have a DMCA or abuse contact. Point to your original and the copy.
- Ask Google to drop the results: a copyright removal request takes the page out of search even if the site ignores you.
- Close the route: switch the remaining posts to protected links so the next scrape gets nothing usable.
Piracy site FAQ
- How do piracy sites get my Patreon posts?
- Someone supports your page, usually on the cheapest tier that unlocks the posts, and runs a scraper on that account. It copies new posts automatically, including attachments and links.
- Can I stop piracy sites from scraping Patreon?
- You can't stop the copying itself, but you can make the copy useless: deliver files through protected links instead of attachments or open cloud links. A copied protected link still requires Patreon sign-in and the right tier.
- What if the scraper downloads the files itself?
- A paying account can still download, but every download is logged per supporter and bursts are rate-limited, so you can find the account and block it on Patreon. Watermarks help trace rehosted files.
- How do I get my work removed from a piracy site?
- Send a copyright (DMCA) notice to the site or its hosting provider and ask Google to remove the results. Keep your original files and the leak's URL as evidence.
Make the next scraped post worthless to piracy sites. Create your first protected link in a few minutes on the free plan.
Start for free