Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Enable File Download in WordPress through .htaccess file

WordPress is a popular Content Management System (CMS) used by millions of people all around the world. One of the best things about WordPress is its simplicity, which makes it easy for anyone to create a website without any coding experience. However, as powerful as WordPress is, there are still some things that are not so easy to accomplish, like enabling file download for your visitors.

When you create a download link on your WordPress website, your users may not be able to download the file due to server configuration or security issues. Fortunately, using a .htaccess file, you can easily enable file downloads on your website.

What is .htaccess file?

An .htaccess file is a configuration file that allows you to configure how your website works on the server. It is usually hidden on Apache servers and located in the root folder of your website. With an .htaccess file, you can control how your website functions, including URL redirection, password protection, blockage of certain IP addresses, and enabling file downloads.

Enabling File Download in WordPress via .htaccess file

To enable file download on your WordPress website, follow the steps below:

1. Connect to your website using FTP

2. Locate your WordPress root folder where your .htaccess file is located

3. Right-click on the .htaccess file and choose to edit or download the file to your computer

4. Add the following code to the .htaccess file:

<FilesMatch "\.(mov|mp3|jpg|png|pdf)$">

Header set Cache-Control "public"

Header set Content-Disposition "attachment"

Header set Content-Type "application/octet-stream"

</FilesMatch>

5. Save the changes to the .htaccess file and upload it back to your server.

6. Finally, test the file download to see if everything is working correctly.

Conclusion

By following the above-mentioned steps, you can easily enable file download on your WordPress website using the .htaccess file. It is important to note that the file types listed in the code sample are just examples. You can add or remove any file type you want to allow for download. If you face any problem while modifying the .htaccess file, you can always contact your hosting provider for support.