--- title: "2017.3 release notes" canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/release-notes/2017-3/" md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/release-notes/2017-3.md" last_updated: "2026-05-25T07:44:41.452Z" description: "Latest updates and release notes for Nutrient Web SDK, including new features, improvements, and bug fixes." --- [PSPDFKit for Web 2017.3](https://www.nutrient.io/blog/pspdfkit-web-2017-3/) deprecated the concept of user management via the PSPDFKit Server. The initial idea was that you should maintain an access list for all of your application’s users on the PSPDFKit server. However, we noticed an issue that would come up repeatedly in support requests: Customers don’t want to have to mirror their access control to PSPDFKit Server, preferring to rely on signed JSON Web Tokens (JWTs) instead. That’s why we’re officially deprecating this functionality. To do this, we updated the JWT payload format and removed the option to authenticate using a `"user_id"`. The related backend APIs for assigning users to documents have been removed as well — namely `/api/change_users` and `/api/set_users`. If you were relying on user IDs to authenticate your documents, you will need to update the JWT payload to a finer-grained `"permissions"` list. For example, this: ```json { "document_id": "abc", "user_id": "test_user" } ``` becomes this: ```json { "document_id": "abc", "permissions": ["read-document", "edit-annotations"] } ``` Read on to find out more about the newly introduced concept of permissions. ## JWT authentication We’ve also revamped our authentication payload in the JWT. Previously, it was necessary to use the `"context"` key in the JWT to get access to the cover image of a document, and it was only possible to make the JWT read-only by setting the `"access"` field to `"read-only"`. Starting with this release, a JWT has to include the `"permissions"` claim instead and specify a list of features that will be accessible to the holder of the token. Refer to our [authentication guide](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/product-archives-and-deprecated-solutions.md) for more details and to see the full list of available permissions. The two permissions you’ll likely want to enable when migrating from 2017.2 are: `"read-document"`, to allow reading the document and its annotations; and `"edit-annotations"`, to allow creating, updating, and deleting annotations. A read-only JWT which looked like this in 2017.2: ```json { "document_id": "abc", "access": "read-only" } ``` becomes this: ```json { "document_id": "abc", "permissions": ["read-document"] } ``` This change also affects the token required by the `/documents/cover` endpoint. It now has to include the `"cover-image"` permission instead of the `"context"` key. So this: ```json { "document_id": "abc", "context": "cover" } ``` becomes this: ```json { "document_id": "abc", "permissions": ["cover-image"] } ``` As you can see, the new format is simpler and is more amenable to adding new features and more granular access controls in future releases. Keep in mind that we’re deprecating the old JWT format softly. This means that production activations will still accept the previous format after upgrading to 2017.3. However, development installations will produce errors on the previous format as soon as you update. Support for the old format will be removed completely in the 2017.4 release, so plan for future upgrades accordingly. If you need additional help while making your setup ready for PSPDFKit for Web 2017.3, [contact our Support team](https://support.nutrient.io/hc/en-us/requests/new). For a full list of changes, check out the [changelog](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/web/changelog.md#2017.3). --- ## Related pages - [1 1](/guides/web/release-notes/1-1.md) - [1 12](/guides/web/release-notes/1-12.md) - [1 10](/guides/web/release-notes/1-10.md) - [1 0](/guides/web/release-notes/1-0.md) - [1 13](/guides/web/release-notes/1-13.md) - [1 13 1](/guides/web/release-notes/1-13-1.md) - [1 11](/guides/web/release-notes/1-11.md) - [1 14](/guides/web/release-notes/1-14.md) - [1 4](/guides/web/release-notes/1-4.md) - [1 15](/guides/web/release-notes/1-15.md) - [1 2](/guides/web/release-notes/1-2.md) - [1 7](/guides/web/release-notes/1-7.md) - [1 6](/guides/web/release-notes/1-6.md) - [1 3](/guides/web/release-notes/1-3.md) - [1 5](/guides/web/release-notes/1-5.md) - [Update your PSPDFKit for Web to version 2017.7](/guides/web/release-notes/2017-7.md) - [1 9](/guides/web/release-notes/1-9.md) - [1 8](/guides/web/release-notes/1-8.md) - [Upgrade annotations in PSPDFKit Web 2017.8](/guides/web/release-notes/2017-8.md) - [2017 6](/guides/web/release-notes/2017-6.md) - [PSPDFKit for Web 2018.2 migration insights](/guides/web/release-notes/2018-2.md) - [New features in the 2018.1 migration guide](/guides/web/release-notes/2018-1.md) - [Discover the new features in PSPDFKit for Web 2018.3](/guides/web/release-notes/2018-3.md) - [Explore new features in PSPDFKit for Web 2017.9](/guides/web/release-notes/2017-9.md) - [Explore new features in PSPDFKit 2018.5](/guides/web/release-notes/2018-5.md) - [Explore PSPDFKit for Web 2018.6 enhancements](/guides/web/release-notes/2018-6.md) - [Explore PSPDFKit for Web 2018.4 features](/guides/web/release-notes/2018-4.md) - [Key updates in PSPDFKit for Web 2019.1](/guides/web/release-notes/2019-1.md) - [2019 2](/guides/web/release-notes/2019-2.md) - [Essential updates in PSPDFKit for Web 2019.4](/guides/web/release-notes/2019-4.md) - [Explore the new features in PSPDFKit 2018.7](/guides/web/release-notes/2018-7.md) - [Key changes in PSPDFKit for Web 2020.1](/guides/web/release-notes/2020-1.md) - [PSPDFKit Web and Server 2020.4 migration update](/guides/web/release-notes/2020-4.md) - [Upgrade to PSPDFKit Web 2020.3 seamlessly](/guides/web/release-notes/2020-3.md) - [PSPDFKit for Web 2019.3 migration highlights](/guides/web/release-notes/2019-3.md) - [Seamless migration to PSPDFKit for Web 2020.2](/guides/web/release-notes/2020-2.md) - [PSPDFKit Web 2020.6 migration insights](/guides/web/release-notes/2020-6.md) - [PSPDFKit for Web 2019.5 migration insights](/guides/web/release-notes/2019-5.md) - [PSPDFKit 2021.4 migration guide for seamless updates](/guides/web/release-notes/2021-4.md) - [PSPDFKit 2022.1.1 migration changes](/guides/web/release-notes/2022-1.md) - [Unified CRUD API enhancements for easy migration](/guides/web/release-notes/2020-5.md) - [Upgrade to PSPDFKit for Web 2021.1 with ease](/guides/web/release-notes/2021-1.md) - [Migration guide for PSPDFKit 2021.5](/guides/web/release-notes/2021-5.md) - [Key improvements in PSPDFKit for Web 2022.5](/guides/web/release-notes/2022-5.md) - [2021 3](/guides/web/release-notes/2021-3.md) - [Explore the new features of PSPDFKit for Web 2022.3](/guides/web/release-notes/2022-3.md) - [Enhancements in PSPDFKit for Web 2022.2](/guides/web/release-notes/2022-2.md) - [Explore key updates in PSPDFKit for Web 2023.4](/guides/web/release-notes/2023-4.md) - [PSPDFKit for Web 2022.4 migration overview](/guides/web/release-notes/2022-4.md) - [Key updates in PSPDFKit for Web 2023.5](/guides/web/release-notes/2023-5.md) - [2024 2](/guides/web/release-notes/2024-2.md) - [Key updates in PSPDFKit for Web 2023.3](/guides/web/release-notes/2023-3.md) - [PSPDFKit 2023.2 migration and updates](/guides/web/release-notes/2023-2.md) - [Essential Nutrient Web SDK 2024.1 migration tips](/guides/web/release-notes/2024-1.md) - [Upgrading Nutrient Web SDK](/guides/web/release-notes/upgrading.md) - [2024 4](/guides/web/release-notes/2024-4.md) - [2024 5](/guides/web/release-notes/2024-5.md) - [2024 8](/guides/web/release-notes/2024-8.md) - [Seamlessly migrate to PSPDFKit for Web 2021.2](/guides/web/release-notes/2021-2.md) - [2021 6](/guides/web/release-notes/2021-6.md) - [Discover the key updates in PSPDFKit for Web 2023.1](/guides/web/release-notes/2023-1.md) - [2024 7](/guides/web/release-notes/2024-7.md) - [2024 3](/guides/web/release-notes/2024-3.md)