Shafat Mahmud Khan

Frontend File Explorer is a modern, Windows Explorer–inspired file manager for WordPress. It gives you a clean admin interface to organize and share files plus a responsive frontend explorer powered by a simple shortcode.
Use it to create download areas for courses, client file portals, or resource libraries — without relying on heavy external file management tools.
The plugin provides a seamless experience for both administrators and frontend users:
<ul>
<li>Explorer-style UI: Navigate with breadcrumbs, toolbar actions, pagination, and Material Icons.</li>
<li>Dedicated Directory: Files are stored in a secured <code>wp-content/uploads/downloads</code> directory.</li>
<li>Admin Management: Create folders, upload files, delete items, and download ZIPs directly from the admin dashboard.</li>
<li>Frontend Integration: Embed the explorer anywhere using the <code>[frontend_file_explorer]</code> shortcode.</li>
<li>AJAX-Powered: Fast, smooth navigation and pagination without page reloads.</li>
<li>Translation Ready: Fully localized with the <code>frontend-file-explorer</code> text domain.</li>
</ul>
How to use the Explorer:
<ul>
<li>
Admin Interface: 
Navigate to File Upload in your WordPress admin sidebar. From this dedicated dashboard, administrators can create nested folders, upload bulk files (featuring multi-select and drag-and-drop), import existing Media Library assets, delete items, and download entire directories as ZIP archives.
</li>
<li>
Frontend Shortcode: 
Embed the user-facing explorer interface on any Page, Post, or Custom Post Type using the following shortcode setup:
<pre><code>[frontend_file_explorer]
</code></pre>
(Renders the explorer starting at the root storage directory)
Advanced Shortcode Usage: 
You can explicitly define the starting folder path relative to the root <code>uploads/downloads</code> directory by using the <code>folder</code> attribute:
<pre><code>[frontend_file_explorer folder="/course-materials"]
[frontend_file_explorer folder="/clients/acme-corp"]
</code></pre>
<ul>
<li>Frontend Capabilities: Visitors browsing the frontend can view contents, click files to download them, and copy direct sharing links.</li>
<li>Security: Destructive or mutating actions (like file upload, folder creation, or deletion) remain strictly hidden and blocked from public visitors. They are only accessible to logged-in users who possess the WordPress <code>upload_files</code> capability.</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
Who is this plugin for?
<ul>
<li>Course creators who need a simple, branded downloads area.</li>
<li>Agencies and freelancers who share files with clients.</li>
<li>Site owners who want a lightweight, Explorer-like file manager in WordPress.</li>
</ul>

Frontend File Explorer

A modern, Windows Explorer–inspired file manager for WordPress with admin interface and frontend shortcode.

Trevor Walter

ToolDocs is a document management plugin for WordPress that lets you upload, organize, and share documents with your visitors through direct permalinks.
Key Features:
<ul>
<li>Upload and manage PDF, Word, Excel, ZIP, and other file types</li>
<li>Add external URLs as managed documents</li>
<li>Organize documents into categories</li>
<li>Generate direct permalink URLs for each document</li>
<li>Embed document download links using shortcodes</li>
<li>Track download counts and view per-document download history</li>
<li>Export download statistics to CSV (summary, by day, by week, by month)</li>
<li>File version history with configurable retention (0-4 versions)</li>
<li>File usage detection across your site</li>
<li>Customize shortcode icon color</li>
<li>Font Awesome icon support with customizable file type icons</li>
<li>Modern Vue.js admin dashboard</li>
<li>Developer-friendly with filters for customization</li>
</ul>
Shortcodes:
<ul>
<li><code>[tooldocs_file id="X"]</code> – Display a single document download link with file type icon</li>
<li><code>[tooldocs_category_files category_id="Y"]</code> – Display all documents in a category, with optional modal popup</li>
</ul>
How It Works:
<ol>
<li>Upload documents through the ToolDocs admin panel or add external URLs</li>
<li>Organize them into categories</li>
<li>Use shortcodes or direct URLs to share documents on your site</li>
<li>Track downloads and export reports</li>
</ol>
<h3>Development</h3>
The admin interface is built with Vue.js. Source code is included in the <code>admin/src/</code> directory. 
Frontend JavaScript source is in <code>front/</code>.
To build the admin interface: 
1. Navigate to the <code>admin/</code> directory 
2. Run <code>npm install</code> 
3. Run <code>npm run build</code>
To build the frontend JavaScript: 
1. Navigate to the <code>front/</code> directory 
2. Run <code>npm install</code> 
3. Run <code>npm run build</code>

ToolDocs


As the developer of the ToolDocs™ Document Management System, I’m excited to finally make it available to the public.



This is a tool we’ve built, refined, and used with our clients for the past 15 years. It was created to solve a common problem: companies often gate documents without really knowing who is downloading them, when they’re doing it, or what they do next.



ToolDocs™ gives you that visibility. You can track who downloads your documents, see when they engage, follow their path through your website, whitelist specific files, and even gate links to external resources like videos, demos, or third-party content.



With the SalesDashboard™ add-on, your team can also see deeper user activity and better understand each visitor’s experience.



It’s more than document management. ToolDocs™ gives companies practical sales and marketing insight, similar to what you might expect from larger platforms like HubSpot or Salesforce, but in a simpler, more focused, and far more affordable solution.


ToolDocs™ is an Incredible Tool for Document Management & Lead Generation

A document management plugin that provides ungated, persistent permalinks for your uploaded documents.

Frontend File Explorer vs ToolDocs