Jeff Starr

Simple Download Counter (SDC) provides a simple yet powerful way to count file downloads. Works with any file type that’s supported by WordPress (e.g., JPG, PNG, ZIP, MP4, TXT, and many more).
Important / Please Read
This plugin enables Admin-level users to add download files of any type, from anywhere on the server, or from any remote public location. Only Administrators are allowed to add download files. Please use caution and use responsibly.
<blockquote>
👉 This plugin is not compatible with WordPress Multisite.
</blockquote>
How it works
Visit the plugin settings to add a download file. Then use the shortcode to display a download link on any post or page. The plugin will then count every download and display it in the plugin settings. You can also display the download count on the front end using a shortcode.
Features
<ul>
<li>Simple and powerful download counter</li>
<li>Supports local and remote file URLs</li>
<li>Supports any file type supported by WordPress</li>
<li>Lightweight – entire plugin size is < 160 KB</li>
<li>Super fast and built for optimal performance</li>
<li>Clean code tightly integrated with WordPress</li>
<li>No Apache/.htaccess required</li>
</ul>
Check out the <a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/simple-download-counter/#screenshots" rel="ugc">screenshots</a> below to get a better idea of the plugin settings and more.
How is this better?
There are numerous “download counter” or “download manager” plugins available, but none of them satisfy all of my specific, stringent requirements:
<ul>
<li>Current with latest WordPress</li>
<li>Clean and simple code using WP APIs</li>
<li>Lightweight with minimal useless features</li>
<li>Supports all local and remote downloads</li>
<li>No automatically created posts or pages</li>
<li>No advertisements or weird admin notifications</li>
<li>No obtuse styling of default WP Admin elements</li>
<li>Download posts are visible only in the Admin Area</li>
<li>Descriptive error handling for upload files</li>
<li>No redundant or sloppy coding practices</li>
<li>No requirement for cookies or sessions</li>
<li>No requirement for Apache/.htaccess</li>
<li>No weird database shenanigans</li>
</ul>
So I decided to build my own. Let me emphasize the utter simplicity of this plugin. It does one thing and does it well: counts the number of downloads for your files. And makes it easy to display download links and download counts anywhere on the front end.
Privacy
This plugin does not collect or store any user data. It does not set any cookies, and it does not connect to any third-party locations. The only thing this plugin does is count the number of times files are downloaded. So 100% privacy friendly for everyone.
Simple Download Counter is developed and maintained by <a href="https://x.com/perishable" rel="nofollow ugc">Jeff Starr</a>, 15-year <a href="https://plugin-planet.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">WordPress developer</a> and <a href="https://books.perishablepress.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">book author</a>.
Support development
I develop and maintain this free plugin with love for the WordPress community. To show support, you can <a href="https://monzillamedia.com/donate.html" rel="nofollow ugc">make a donation</a> or purchase one of my books:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wp-tao.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">The Tao of WordPress</a></li>
<li><a href="https://digwp.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Digging into WordPress</a></li>
<li><a href="https://htaccessbook.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">.htaccess made easy</a></li>
<li><a href="https://wp-tao.com/wordpress-themes-book/" rel="nofollow ugc">WordPress Themes In Depth</a></li>
<li><a href="https://books.perishablepress.com/downloads/wizards-collection-sql-recipes-wordpress/" rel="nofollow ugc">Wizard’s SQL Recipes for WordPress</a></li>
</ul>
And/or purchase one of my premium WordPress plugins:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/bbq-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">BBQ Pro</a> – Blazing fast WordPress firewall</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/blackhole-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Blackhole Pro</a> – Automatically block bad bots</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/banhammer-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Banhammer Pro</a> – Monitor traffic and ban the bad guys</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/ga-google-analytics-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">GA Google Analytics Pro</a> – Connect WordPress to Google Analytics</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/head-meta-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Head Meta Pro</a> – Ultimate Meta Tags for WordPress</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/rest-pro-tools/" rel="nofollow ugc">REST Pro Tools</a> – Awesome tools for managing the WP REST API</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/simple-ajax-chat-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">Simple Ajax Chat Pro</a> – Unlimited chat rooms</li>
<li><a href="https://plugin-planet.com/usp-pro/" rel="nofollow ugc">USP Pro</a> – Unlimited front-end forms</li>
</ul>
Links, tweets and likes also appreciated. Thanks! 🙂

Simple Download Counter

Thanks a lot for this great Plugin. 
It does exactly what it is supposed to do, simply count how often a file is downloaded. And the plugin is very lightweight. The additional options in connection with the shortcode leave nothing to be desired.

Simply a great Plugin

Simply counts the number of times your files are downloaded. Display download links and counts using shortcodes.

Nazakat Ali

WP-Force Images Download is the most complete, lightweight, and developer-friendly image download plugin for WordPress. Designed for photographers, wallpaper sites, digital asset stores, creative agencies, and content creators — it transforms any image into a secure, one-click force download with a pixel-perfect branded button.
Whether you need a simple <code>[wpfid]</code> shortcode or full programmatic control with PHP template tags, this plugin covers every use case with zero performance overhead.
<h3>🚀 Why WP-Force Images Download?</h3>
Most download plugins are bloated. This one is different:
<ul>
<li>Featherweight — Loads only one CSS file + one JS file on the frontend. No jQuery dependency for core functionality.</li>
<li>SaaS-grade Admin UI — Tabbed settings page with Live Button Preview so you see exactly what visitors will see before saving.</li>
<li>Future-proof — Uses <code>wp_check_filetype()</code> instead of hardcoded whitelists, so WebP, AVIF, HEIC and any new format WordPress adds is automatically supported.</li>
<li>Accessible — Buttons are semantic <code><button></code> elements with ARIA labels, full keyboard support, and WCAG 2.1 AA contrast compliance across all 4 styles.</li>
<li>Conflict-safe — All hooks, query args, nonce actions, and option keys use the <code>wpfid_</code> namespace to eliminate conflicts with any other plugin.</li>
</ul>
<h3>✨ Core Features</h3>
🎨 4 Premium Button Styles 
Choose from four professionally engineered CSS button styles — all powered by CSS custom properties (<code>--wpfid-color</code>, <code>--wpfid-text</code>) for effortless theming:
<ul>
<li>Solid — Bold, filled CTA button with subtle elevation shadow.</li>
<li>Outline — Transparent background with a crisp colored border. Text color adapts on hover.</li>
<li>Soft / Ghost — Tinted semi-transparent background (powered by <code>color-mix()</code>). Elegant and modern.</li>
<li>Text Only — Minimal styled link, zero background or borders. Perfect for inline usage.</li>
</ul>
🖼️ Universal Color System 
Set a global button color and text color once in the settings. Override them per-post using shortcode attributes. Supports HEX (#2271b1), RGB (rgb(255,0,0)), RGBA, and natural language color names (MidnightBlue, Tomato, DodgerBlue).
👁️ AJAX Live Preview 
The settings page features a real-time sticky preview widget powered by WordPress’s native <code>wpColorPicker</code>. Every change you make — style, color, icon, file size toggle — reflects instantly in the preview. No save → reload → check cycle.
⚡ AJAX Downloads (Zero Reload) 
When AJAX Downloads are enabled, visitors click the button and the file downloads immediately in-page using the Fetch API + Blob URL approach. No new tab opens. No page reloads. No redirect confusion.
📊 Download Stats Dashboard 
Every download is tracked using WordPress post meta. View a sortable, paginated analytics table from WPFID > Stats Dashboard in your admin. See which images are most popular, filter by date, and export data.
🤖 Auto-Attach Button 
Zero coding required. Enable Auto-Attach and the download button is automatically injected before or after post content on any public post type that has a featured image. Toggle per post type (Post, Page, custom CPTs).
🔐 Email Gate 
Require visitors to enter their email address before the download begins. The email is captured via AJAX (no page reload), securely saved to the database, and then the download starts automatically. Collected emails are viewable in the database or Stats page.
Note: The Email Gate uses a server-signed token cookie (HMAC via <code>wp_hash()</code>) to verify submissions — not a plain cookie that could be forged.
🔒 Login Gate / Require Login 
Restrict downloads to logged-in users only. Unauthenticated visitors are redirected to the WordPress login page and returned to the download after successful authentication.
📐 Image Size Picker 
When enabled, a dropdown appears on the download button allowing visitors to choose between registered WordPress image sizes (Thumbnail, Medium, Large, Full, or any custom size registered by your theme).
🔢 Download Counter 
Optionally display the total download count directly below the button. Powered by post meta for instant reads and lightweight writes.
📁 Bulk Rename / Filename Templates 
Control exactly what filename visitors receive when they download, using a powerful variable templating system: 
 %site_name%, <code>%post_title%</code>, <code>%post_id%</code>, <code>%filename%</code>, <code>%timestamp%</code>, <code>%rand%</code>, <code>%md5%</code>
Example: <code>[wpfid new_name="%post_title%_%rand%"]</code> produces <code>My-Post-Title_48291.jpg</code>
🌐 Modern Format Support 
Powered by native <code>wp_check_filetype()</code>. The plugin automatically supports every image MIME type WordPress recognizes — including WebP, AVIF, HEIC, SVG, PNG, JPEG, GIF, BMP, ICO, and any future format added to WordPress Core. No configuration required.
🛡️ Enterprise-Grade Security 
– All form submissions verified with WordPress nonces (dual nonce on every download) 
– Email gate uses HMAC-signed cookies — immune to cookie-forgery attacks 
– Rate limiting: 30 requests per minute per IP prevents download abuse 
– Full input sanitization and output escaping on every field 
– PHP-level MIME type verification via <code>finfo_open()</code> on actual file contents 
– Session-aware download handler via <code>admin-post.php</code> + <code>admin-ajax.php</code> 
– <code>defined('ABSPATH') || die()</code> guard on every file
🖼️ Watermarking (Advanced) 
Automatically composite a watermark image onto downloaded photos. Supports PNG transparency. Preserves original image format (JPEG stays JPEG, PNG stays PNG).
🗜️ Gallery / ZIP Download 
Use the <code>[wpfid_gallery ids="1,2,3"]</code> shortcode to let visitors download multiple images as a single ZIP bundle.
🧩 Gutenberg Block 
A native block available in the WordPress block editor. Configure button title, color, custom link, size picker, and download count toggle — all from the Inspector sidebar.
🔌 Elementor Widget 
A dedicated Elementor widget lets Elementor users insert download buttons with full control from the Elementor panel — no shortcode knowledge required.
<h3>🛠️ Usage</h3>
Basic Shortcode 
Place in any Post, Page, or Widget: 
 [wpfid]
With Custom Label 
 [wpfid title=”Download HD Wallpaper”]
With Specific Image URL 
 [wpfid link=”https://example.com/my-image.jpg”]
With Color Overrides 
 [wpfid color=”#e83e8c” textcolor=”#ffffff”]
Combined Example 
 [wpfid title=”Get the Image” color=”MidnightBlue” textcolor=”white” new_name=”%post_title%”]
Gallery / ZIP Download 
 [wpfid_gallery ids=”10,20,30″ title=”Download All Images (ZIP)”]
PHP Template Tag (for theme developers)
 
Or use the direct function call:
 
<h3>📋 Shortcode Attributes Reference</h3>
 Attribute 
 Default 
 Description
 <code>title</code> 
 <code>Download</code> 
 Button label text
 <code>link</code> 
 (featured image) 
 Direct URL to the image to download
 <code>color</code> 
 Settings value 
 Button background color (HEX, RGB, or color name)
 <code>textcolor</code> 
 Settings value 
 Button text/icon color
 <code>new_name</code> 
 Settings value 
 Filename template for the downloaded file
 <code>class</code> 
 (empty) 
 Additional CSS class(es) on the button wrapper
 <code>size_picker</code> 
 Settings value 
 <code>"true"</code> / <code>"false"</code> — show image size dropdown
 <code>show_count</code> 
 Settings value 
 <code>"true"</code> / <code>"false"</code> — show download count below button
<h3>📈 SEO, GEO & AI Optimization</h3>
Semantic HTML5 Output 
Every download button is a native <code><button></code> or <code><a></code> element with descriptive <code>title</code> attributes and <code>aria-label</code> support. No div-soup, no generic onClick handlers — pure semantic markup that search engine crawlers and AI language models can interpret correctly.
Schema & Structured Data Ready 
The plugin output is compatible with <code>DigitalDocument</code> and <code>ImageObject</code> schema markup. You can wrap the shortcode output in your own schema markup to signal to Google that this is a downloadable asset.
Core Web Vitals Safe 
– CSS is loaded with <code>wp_enqueue_style()</code> with versioned cache-busting 
– JavaScript is deferred (loaded in footer) and only runs on pages with the shortcode 
– Zero render-blocking resources introduced 
– No external font or icon CDN calls — uses WordPress Dashicons (already loaded) 
– File-size display is transient-cached (6 hours) — no live HTTP request on every page view
Translation Ready (GEO / i18n) 
Every user-facing string is wrapped in <code>__()</code>, <code>esc_html__()</code>, or <code>esc_html_e()</code> translation functions with the <code>wp-force-images-download</code> text domain. Compatible with WPML, Polylang, Loco Translate, and TranslatePress for multilingual and geographic market targeting.
AI / LLM Crawler Compatibility 
The plugin generates standard HTML anchor elements with meaningful <code>title</code> and <code>download</code> attributes, making button intent clear to AI-powered crawlers (GPTBot, Google Bard, Applebot) without requiring additional structured data.

WP-Force Images Download

Force any image download with beautiful buttons, email gate, download tracking, AJAX, and more.

Simple Download Counter vs WP-Force Images Download