How to create a download

VodaHost · #1 02-15-2007, 09:43 AM

Sometimes you want your website visitor to be able to download a file from your website, such as a .pdf, MP3, .exe, .zip, etc….

This is very easy to do, please follow the below instructions...

1) When creating a file that is designed to be downloaded, it is extremely important that you
keep the file name as short as possible and do not use any capital letters, spaces or punctuation marks.

2) Upload the file you want your visitor to be able to download into your public_html folder. You can upload
via FTP or you can use the upload feature in your File Manager in your control panel.

OK...

Next....

Let's look at the example of the domain name www.BlueVoda.com, We want to provide the BlueVoda Website
Builder as a download to our visitors...

a) We created a file zip file called bv.zip
b) We uploaded bv.zip to our public_html folder

Thats it!

The download link is www.BlueVoda.com/bv.zip , anybody who clicks this link will download the BlueVoda website builder.

---------------------------

Let's Recap....

Your Doman Name + File = Downloadable link

BlueVoda.com is the domain name

bv.zip is the file

we seperate the the two with a slash /

and we get the downloadable link BlueVoda.com/bv.zip

If you have any questions or comments on this topic, please feel free to ask them below...

Dori · #2 02-15-2007, 04:03 PM

General,
Thank you for making this easy to understand and implement! You are the best!

dougnez · #3 02-15-2007, 06:06 PM

General,
Thank you very much.. I was wondering exactly how to do that.. And thanks for keeping track of our progress and interests..Dori's right you are the best.
Doug

deesdogcare · #4 02-18-2007, 02:59 AM

Thanks! I don't need the info yet, but will need it before too long . . . I'll keep the thread so I have it when I need it!

kell · #5 02-18-2007, 07:17 AM

Hi I am wondering how to make the download link a one time only link. For example john bought an ebook from one of my sites and I want him to have it but make it secure so he can't sent the link (or password to the file)to all his friends. Is there a way to do this? ThanksKell

mackan · #6 02-18-2007, 08:12 AM

General,
Ho can I keep track or view how many times a specific file has been downloaded. I have an excel sheet that users anonymosly can download and I would like to know how many times this happens. Is this possible?

Thanks,
Mats (www.snickis.se)

navaldesign · #7 02-18-2007, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mackan

General,
Ho can I keep track or view how many times a specific file has been downloaded. I have an excel sheet that users anonymosly can download and I would like to know how many times this happens. Is this possible?

Thanks,
Mats (www.snickis.se)

Hi Mats,

it can be done in two ways:

1. By looking into your Stats in CP.

2. with a script that will email you, each time someone clicks on the link to the the file, or with a script that will update a database table. The email solution is the simplest. Additional info can be added in both cases, as date and time the file was downloaded, IP address of the user that downloaded it, as well as (but this is only usefull if you have the link to the file in many pages, and you want to trace this also) the page from which they clicked to download the file . If you are interested, contact me.

Please note that this way you can trace the number of times they have clicked on the "Download file" button. If they then choose to close the download window, without actually downloading, the script will count it as downloaded.

twenty8ightinc · #8 03-01-2007, 07:36 PM

Thanks... If the file doesn't show when the link is clicked what's up?

navaldesign · #9 03-01-2007, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twenty8ightinc

Thanks... If the file doesn't show when the link is clicked what's up?

It means that your link is wrong.

BOJAN · #10 03-01-2007, 08:29 PM

Great You can also ad it to button and it works perfect.
Regards
Bojan

lsnipan · #11 03-03-2007, 03:47 AM

Question. How do you upload a document without having people having to use my control panel username/password to actually view it? I've uploaded a word document to my site, but when you click on it, it asks for my user/password. I don't want it to be password protected.

lsnipan · #12 03-03-2007, 03:48 AM

Do I need to set my permissions to something different?

navaldesign · #13 03-03-2007, 04:06 AM

Hi Laura,

this is probably because your document is inside a protected folder. Make sure it is inside a "free" folder, and it will work just fine.

montsa007 · #14 03-03-2007, 04:51 PM

thats worth a million $ 4 me as i dont know how to even make a webpage,but i love u bv!!!!!

Thexton · #15 03-15-2007, 02:27 PM

Thanks, thats real easy. I guess I'll manage it now. Thanks a million as always.

tr@shy · #16 03-15-2007, 07:14 PM

General,
your suggestion is very useful.
You are always the best,and Vodahost is bigger host.
Greetings

Spiritsoul · #17 03-15-2007, 07:57 PM

Ok General. Thanks for that. Now how do I get the ftp to work for my customer's uploads, so I can get his files when he's ready? I really need this one two. BTW, the download ftp works great. I tried it with a 15 meg ftp download.

navaldesign · #18 03-16-2007, 09:47 AM

There are two ways to allow customers to upload files.

1. Allow him FTP access. You will need to create a folder for the uploaded files, and also create a ftp account, limited to that folder (else he will gain access to all of your site). However, a bad idea if you don't personally know your clients as they could upload malicious code and take over completely your site.

2. Create a form, with one (or more) upload fields. Use Advanced BlueVoda Form Processor to process the form. ABVFP will upload the files in the specified folder, and will also send you an email with the files attached. You can also make the upload older have some strange name instead of the usual "uploads" so that no one will know the location where the files have been uploaded.

VodaHost · #19 05-13-2008, 05:50 AM