Download link is an essential part of any website because your audience may need to download the necessary files. You can use multiple methods to create download links to allow your users hassle-free downloads. That is why it is important to know the methods to add a download link to WordPress.In this tutorial, we will demonstrate the best 3 methods to implement download links on your custom product page.
How to Easily Create Download Links Online
in WordPress (3 Ways)
Method 1: Using the ‘File’ block in the block editor
The first and easiest method to add a download link to WordPress is using the built-in settings in the block editor. It requires no extra plugin and can be implemented in a minute.
Step 1:
From the WordPress dashboard, hover the pointer on ‘Pages’ and click on ‘All Pages.’
Step 2:
Choose any page you want to implement the download link to. Click ‘Edit’ on the selected page to open it in the block editor.
Step 3:
After the page is opened in the block editor. Click on the ‘+’ icon, and a block list will appear. This block editor works with top modern and creative WordPress themes.
Step 4:
Click on ‘Browse All’ from the block list to view the complete list of blocks.
Step 5:
As we want to implement a download link of any particular file, let’s choose the ‘File’ block.
Step 6:
After clicking on the ‘File’ block, it will be added to the editor. You will see an ‘Upload’ button in the block. Click on ‘Upload’ and choose a file from your local device. For this tutorial, we will be uploading a PDF document. You can also know how to embed pdf on WordPress.
Step 7:
After uploading the PDF file, we will see the preview in the editor, and there will also be a download button for the file. Make sure the ‘Show download button’ option is on, else the download button will not be visible. You can also choose to open the file in a new tab. After that, click ‘Update’ to save the settings and visit the page.
Method 2: Using Simple Download Link by Uploading Media Files to Media Library
The second method is relatively easier than the first one. In this method, we will upload a file to the media library and use the file link to implement a download link inside a block editor. This process to add a download link to WordPress is much similar to the first one, yet it’s simpler. If you want You can also export the media library in WordPress easily.
Step 1:
From the WordPress dashboard, hover on ‘Media’ and click on ‘Library.’
Step 2:
You will be taken to the WordPress Media Library. Now, we will upload a file first. Click on ‘Add New’ to upload the file you want.
Step 3:
Click on ‘Select Files’ to upload a file from your computer. We will upload a banner image to the media library for this tutorial.
Step 4:
Click on the file you have just uploaded.
Step 5:
You will see the preview of the uploaded file along with its several information. Click on ‘Copy URL to Clipboard’ to copy the link to your uploaded file. This is the source link of your uploaded file. This process is the same for all free themes for WordPress eCommerce.
Step 6:
Now following steps 1 to 3 in method 1, open your preferred page in the block editor. Select the particular portion of text you want to attach the link with, and then click on the ‘Link’ icon on the toolbar.
Step 7:
After clicking on the ‘Link’ icon, the link box will appear. Paste the URL of the media library file inside the URL section of the link. Click on the thumbnail to add the url. You can also choose to open the link in a new tab by turning on the ‘Open in new tab’ option. After the customization, click on ‘Publish’ to save your settings.
Step 8:
In method 2, we inserted the source URL of our uploaded file to a particular text and turned it into a download link. Upon clicking the text ‘Latest Writings’, the file will be opened and you can save it on local storage.
Methos 3: Using the Download Manager Plugin
The third method to add a link to WordPress requires installing one of the most popular download manager plugins, WordPress Download Manager. We will use this plugin to quickly implement a download button.
Step 1:
Install and activate the Download Manager plugin from the WordPress plugin directory.
Step 2:
After installing the plugin, hover on ‘Downloads’ from the dashboard and click on ‘Settings.’
Step 3:
On the Settings page, turn on the option ‘Enable Gutenberg Editor for WordPress Download Manager’ and then click on ‘Save Settings.’
Step 4:
Visit the WordPress dashboard again and hover on ‘Downloads.’ Click on ‘Add New’ to create a download file.
Step 5:
Inside the block editor, give the download file a title, set featured products images for the download, and upload the download file as shown in the image. After the changes are done, click on ‘Publish’ to save the settings. There are other interesting features you can use like download count, stock limit, view count, and more.
Step 6:
In the dashboard, click on ‘All Files’ in the ‘Download’ section. You will see a shortcode is given for the particular file. Copy the shortcode. This plugin is compatible with any free elementor themes WordPress.
Step 7:
Now open the page in the block editor on which you want to display the download file. Click on the ‘shortcode’ block to add it to the editor.
Step 8:
The shortcode block will be added to the editor. Now paste the download shortcode in the shortcode block and click ‘Update’ to save changes.
Step 9:
Now preview the page, and you will see we have successfully added the download file and download button to the page. Click on the ‘Download’ button, and the download file will open in the browser.
Conclusion
The above-mentioned methods are effective in implementing download links on your website pages quickly. The first two methods can be implemented using the WordPress built-in features, and these methods are much simpler. Though the third method requires an additional plugin, it is a very effective way when you want to implement a download link with certain criteria. You can choose any of these methods based on your needs, and your download will work just fine. We hope this tutorial has been helpful to you. Feel free to check out our article on Avada vs Flatsome theme comparison to get insight on top WooCommerce themes.
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