Download Manager

One of my favorite plugins is the Download Manager by Shaon. This is a very handy plugin for those cases where you may need to download a PDF file, a zip file, a document, etc.  I use it on all my websites.

Installation

Installation of the plugin is standard plugin installation and a copy of it is available at WordPress.org. To locate just type in “download manager” in the plugin search. At the moment it is the first item on the list. Click on the title to be taken to the plugin download.

After installation there is minimal settings to review and the defaults works fine. While you are setting up if you are planning to have a lot of downloads, you may want use the Categories screen to create some categories to organize your downloads.

Creating Download Package

When preparing for a download you first create a Download Package.  This package contains the file to be downloaded, an icon to associate to the download, and a download label. The download label is preset to “Download” so if you forget the label, you are already covered. When loading the file, you can retrieve the file from your PC, using a loader that works the same as WordPress’s image loader,  or open a browser that will allow you navigate through your files on your web server. After you have your file, icon, and label, you just click on a button to create the download package.

Publishing With Download Package

Once the download package has been created you just copy the created shortcode into your post or page.  After you have published your post or page, the download is available for the public to download.

Summary

I have found the Download Manager plugin to be a great plugin for downloading online products.  I am currently using the free version but there is a Pro version that contains a lot more features.  I may be looking into this version sometime in the future.

Chuck
AinsworthEtc.com