Ruhul

Ruhul Amin

mbrsolution

Josh

Alexander C.

I developed the Simple Download Monitor plugin because I needed a nice way to manage my digital downloads and monitor the number of downloads of my files and documents.
This plugin is very useful for managing and tracking your digital file download counts.
You can password protect your downloadable files and documents too (visitors will require a password before downloading the file when you use this option).
You can configure downloadable files from your WordPress admin dashboard via an elegant user interface. Then allow your visitors to download the files and this plugin will monitor which files get downloaded how many times.
The plugin will log the IP addresses of the users who download your digital files and documents. It will also log the date and time of each download.
It has a very user-friendly interface for uploading, managing, monitoring and tracking file downloads.
<iframe loading="lazy" class="youtube-player" width="750" height="422" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SjVaanbulRU?version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent" allowfullscreen="true" style="border:0;" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox"></iframe>
<h4>Simple Download Monitor Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>Add, edit and remove downloads from an easy to use interface.</li>
<li>Drag and drop file and document uploads.</li>
<li>Assign categories and tags to your downloadable files and documents.</li>
<li>Rich text editor for editing your download item description.</li>
<li>Use shortcodes to display a download now button on a WordPress post or page.</li>
<li>Show trackable download now buttons for your files anywhere on your site.</li>
<li>Shortcode to create a direct download link for a file. Useful for hotlinking.</li>
<li>Download counter for each file.</li>
<li>Ability to set a download count offset for each file.</li>
<li>Track IP addresses of the users who downloaded your files.</li>
<li>Track date and time of each file downloads.</li>
<li>Track the usernames of the users downloading the files.</li>
<li>Track the User Agent of the visitors downloading the files.</li>
<li>Track the Referrer URL to see which page the downloads are coming from.</li>
<li>Option to setup secure downloads for your files (the URL of the downloadable file will be hidden).</li>
<li>Option to upload a thumbnail image for each of your downloadable files.</li>
<li>Option to use a nice looking template to show your download now buttons.</li>
<li>Ability to search and sort your downloadable files in the admin dashboard.</li>
<li>Ability to create a search page and allow your visitors to search your downloads.</li>
<li>Track the number of downloads for each of your files.</li>
<li>Track the visitors country.</li>
<li>View the daily download counts of your items in a chart.</li>
<li>WordPress Shortcode for embedding a download link for a file.</li>
<li>Tinymce button in the WordPress post/page editor so you can easily add the shortcode.</li>
<li>You can customize the “Download Now” button text of an item to anything you want.</li>
<li>Ability to add the download now buttons to your sidebar widget.</li>
<li>Create password protected download now buttons. Users will only be able to download the file if they enter the correct password. <a href="https://www.tipsandtricks-hq.com/create-a-password-protected-download-file-6838" rel="nofollow ugc">View the tutorial</a></li>
<li>Option to add additional security to your downloadable files with the <a href="https://simple-download-monitor.com/enhanced-file-protection-securing-your-downloads/" rel="nofollow ugc">Enhanced File Protection Feature</a>.</li>
<li>Shortcode to show the download counter of a file. Use it to show off your file download count.</li>
<li>Shortcode to show all the downloads from a particular category.</li>
<li>Shortcode to embed a file tree browser for your downloadable files. The file browser is ajax based and it shows the files structured by categories.</li>
<li>Ability to open the downloads in new browser window or tab. When your users click on a download button, it will open in a new window or tab.</li>
<li>Ability to show your downloads in a grid display. <a href="https://www.tipsandtricks-hq.com/show-file-downloads-in-a-nice-grid-display-7273" rel="nofollow ugc">View the tutorial</a></li>
<li>Export all the file download logs to a CSV file.</li>
<li>Ability to reset the log entries.</li>
<li>Ability to trim the download log entries.</li>
<li>Shortcode to show a number of latest downloads to your visitors.</li>
<li>Shortcode to show a number of popular downloads to your visitors.</li>
<li>Ability to disable the download monitoring (logging) for certain items (or all items).</li>
<li>You can also choose to only monitor downloads from unique IP address only.</li>
<li>Option to specify file size info so it can be shown to your visitors. <a href="https://simple-download-monitor.com/how-to-show-file-size-info-of-your-downloads/" rel="nofollow ugc">View the tutorial</a></li>
<li>Option to specify version number info for the download item so it can be shown to your visitors.</li>
<li>Option to show the download published date.</li>
<li>Option to restrict downloads to logged-in users only. <a href="https://simple-download-monitor.com/offering-downloads-to-logged-in-users-members-only/" rel="nofollow ugc">View the tutorial</a></li>
<li>There is an option to show an ajax file tree browser so your visitors can browse all your files and download the ones they want.</li>
<li>Option to ignore download count from bots.</li>
<li>Option to add Google reCAPTCHA to your download buttons.</li>
<li>Option to add Cloudflare Turnstile CAPTCHA to your download buttons.</li>
<li>Option to add Terms and Conditions to your download buttons.</li>
<li>Ability to easily clone/copy your existing download items.</li>
<li>Ability to insert Adsense or other Ad code inside the download item display.</li>
<li>Gutenberg block to insert download now buttons on a post or page.</li>
<li>Option to override the default template by placing a custom template file in the active theme’s directory.</li>
<li>The stats menu can show you the top downloads, downloads by date, country, browser etc.</li>
</ul>
View more details on the <a href="https://simple-download-monitor.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">download monitor plugin</a> page.
<h4>Language Translations</h4>
The following language translations are already available for the download monitor plugin:
<ul>
<li>English</li>
<li>German</li>
<li>Spanish</li>
<li>French</li>
<li>Italian</li>
<li>Russian</li>
<li>Dutch</li>
<li>Portuguese (Brasil)</li>
<li>Hebrew</li>
</ul>
<h4>Simple Download Monitor Plugin Usage</h4>
Once you have installed the plugin, go to “Downloads -> Settings” interface to configure some options
A) Configure Download Monitor basic settings
<ul>
<li>Admin Options: Remove Tinymce Button – Removes the SDM Downloads button from the WP content editor (default: unchecked).</li>
<li>Color Options: Download Button Color – Select a default color of the download button (default: green).</li>
</ul>
B) Add a new download
To configure a new download follow these steps:
<ol>
<li>Go to “Downloads->Add New” interface in your WP admin</li>
<li>Enter a title for your download</li>
<li>Add a description for the download</li>
<li>Select the file from your computer and upload it (or use an URL of the file)</li>
<li>Select an image for the download (it will be displayed as a thumbnail on the front end)</li>
<li>Publish it</li>
</ol>
You can view all of your existing downloads from the “Downloads->Downloads” interface.
C) Create a download button
Create a new post/page and click the “SDM Downlaods” TinyMCE button to insert a shortcode (This button will only show up if you haven’t unchecked it in the settings). You can choose to display your download with a nice looking box or just a plain download link/button.
Example Shortcode Usage:
<pre><code>[sdm_download id="271" fancy="1"] (embed a download button inside a box with other information e.g. Thumbnail, Title and Description)

[sdm_download id="271" fancy="0"] (embed a plain download button/link for a file)

[sdm_download id="271" fancy="0" color="blue"] (embed a plain download button/link for a file with a blue color)
</code></pre>
D) Download logs
You can check the download stats from the “Downloads->Logs” interface. It shows the number of downloads for each files, IP address of the user who downloaded it, date and time of the download.
<h3>3rd Party or External Libraries/Services</h3>
The plugin uses the Google Charts library to show the download count charts in the admin interface (if you use the stats menu of the plugin). You can see more details about this library at the following URL: 
https://developers.google.com/chart/
<h3>Detailed Usage Documentation</h3>
View more usage instructions on the <a href="https://simple-download-monitor.com/" rel="nofollow ugc">Download Monitor Plugin</a> page.
<h3>Github Repository</h3>
https://github.com/Arsenal21/simple-download-monitor
If you need extra action hooks or filters for this plugin then let us know.

Simple Download Monitor

On the WebinarIgnition Demo i use the Simple Download Monitor to hide direct access of the file and even better i removed the opening of PDFs in browser and forced to just download.

nice and it can be used to secure downloads in webinars too

Easily manage downloadable files and monitor downloads of your digital files from your WordPress site.

Ajay

WebberZone

WordPress lacks built-in page view tracking or a popular posts feature. <a href="https://webberzone.com/plugins/top-10/" rel="nofollow ugc">Top 10</a> solves this by counting views across posts, pages, and custom post types, then letting you showcase your most popular content.
Top 10 provides blocks, widgets, shortcodes, and template functions for displaying popular posts and view counts across your site. All tracking data is stored locally in your WordPress database, with no external services involved.
Top 10 includes comprehensive features such as thumbnail support, flexible display options, custom post type support, and developer-friendly extensibility. A built-in caching layer reduces server load, while AJAX-based tracking avoids page cache interference and works with most popular caching plugins.
Top 10 also exposes a powerful API with WordPress actions and filters, allowing developers to customise queries, tracking behaviour, and output rendering without modifying core plugin files.
<h4>Features</h4>
<ul>
<li>Page Counter: Tracks hourly post views on posts, pages, and custom post types. Display counts automatically using blocks, shortcodes, or template functions</li>
<li>Popular Posts: Display most viewed posts by total counts or within custom time periods</li>
<li>Gutenberg Support: Dedicated “Popular Posts [Top 10]” block with configurable display options</li>
<li>Multisite Dashboard: Network-wide aggregated statistics across all sites in a multisite installation</li>
<li>Widgets: Sidebar widgets for daily and overall popular posts with extensive customisation</li>
<li>Shortcodes: Use <code>[tptn_list]</code> to display popular post lists and <code>[tptn_views]</code> to show view counts</li>
<li>Thumbnails:
<ul>
<li>WordPress post thumbnail support with custom <code>tptn_thumbnail</code> image size</li>
<li>Automatic extraction of the first image from post content</li>
<li>Manual thumbnail URLs via Edit Post screens</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Exclusions: Exclude posts by category or post ID from popular post lists</li>
<li>Styling: Output wrapped in semantic CSS classes. Add custom CSS via settings or use included styles</li>
<li>Admin Interface: View daily and overall popular posts from the dashboard. Adds sortable view-count columns to post and page lists</li>
<li>Export/Import: Export count tables and settings, and restore them on the same site or other installs</li>
<li>Caching Compatibility: Works with WP Super Cache, W3 Total Cache, Quick Cache, and similar plugins</li>
<li>Developer-Friendly: Extensive filters and actions to customise queries, tracking behaviour, and output rendering</li>
</ul>
<h4>Features in Top 10 Pro</h4>
<ul>
<li>
Enhanced Tracking and Performance
<ul>
<li>Fast and High-Traffic Trackers: Alternative tracking methods for improved performance on busy sites</li>
<li>Query Optimisation: MySQL <code>MAX_EXECUTION_TIME</code> directive to prevent long-running queries, configurable via settings and the <code>top_ten_query_max_execution_time</code> filter</li>
<li>Data Retention Override: Customizable data retention period (default 180 days via <code>TOP_TEN_STORE_DATA</code>)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
Advanced Blocks and Widgets
<ul>
<li>Top 10 Query Block: Query and display popular posts directly from the block or site editor</li>
<li>Enhanced Top 10 Featured Image Block: Support for multiple image sources with fallbacks</li>
<li>Popular Posts Block Enhancements:</li>
<li>Save and clear default block settings with a single click</li>
<li>Auto-insert default and global settings attributes with an option to disable</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
Enhanced Admin Tools
<ul>
<li>Admin Bar Integration: Admin bar menu item to view daily, total, and overall post counts, access admin pages, and clear cache</li>
<li>Disable Admin Bar menu: Setting to disable the Admin Bar menu</li>
<li>Dashboard Access Control: Setting to control which user roles can view the Top 10 dashboard</li>
<li>Display Settings: Setting to choose which post type screens display admin columns</li>
<li>Mini “Top 10 Views Overview” widget: Compact views-over-time chart on the WordPress Dashboard</li>
<li>Multisite Settings Copy: Tool to copy settings between sites in a multisite network</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
Custom Display Options
<ul>
<li>Taxonomy-Specific Displays: <code>display_only_on_tax_ids</code> parameter to restrict popular post displays to specific taxonomy terms</li>
<li>Category Inclusion: Edit Post meta box option to include popular posts from specific categories</li>
<li>RSS Feed Filtering: Filter RSS feeds by category or post type via settings or URL parameters</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
WP-CLI Integration
<ul>
<li><code>wp top10 counts</code>: View, get, set, reset, export, and import post view counts from the command line</li>
<li><code>wp top10 db</code>: Manage database tables — check status, create, update, recreate, prune old rows, force aggregation, truncate, and clean up orphaned counts</li>
<li><code>wp top10 cache</code>: Flush, enable, disable, and check the status of the output cache</li>
<li><code>wp top10 settings</code>: Get, set, export, and import plugin settings as JSON</li>
<li><code>wp top10 cron</code>: View, enable, disable, and manually trigger the maintenance and aggregation cron jobs</li>
<li><code>wp top10 popular</code>: List popular posts with counts using the same query as the front end</li>
<li><code>wp top10 status</code>: Print a full plugin status overview</li>
<li>All destructive commands support <code>--dry-run</code> and <code>--force</code>; multisite commands support <code>--network</code> and <code>--blog-id</code></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>
Developer-Friendly Features
<ul>
<li>Custom Post Type Sortable Columns: Admin columns on supported custom post types with sortable functionality</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h4>GDPR</h4>
Top 10 does not collect personal visitor data out of the box. Tracking data is stored locally in the <code>wp_top_ten</code> and <code>wp_top_ten_daily</code> database tables (table prefix may vary).
You are responsible for ensuring GDPR compliance on your website.
<h4>Translations</h4>
Top 10 is available for translation on <a href="https://translate.wordpress.org/projects/wp-plugins/top-10" rel="nofollow ugc">WordPress.org</a>. 
See the <a href="https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/handbook/rosetta/theme-plugin-directories/" rel="nofollow ugc">Translator Handbook</a> to contribute.
<h4>Contribute</h4>
Top 10 is developed openly on <a href="https://github.com/webberzone/top-10" rel="nofollow ugc">GitHub</a>. 
Fork the project and submit pull requests for bug fixes or improvements. Please do not use GitHub for support requests.
<h3>Other WebberZone Plugins</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/contextual-related-posts/" rel="ugc">Contextual Related Posts</a> – Display related posts on your WordPress site and feeds</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/better-search/" rel="ugc">Better Search</a> – Enhance WordPress search with relevance-based results</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/knowledgebase/" rel="ugc">Knowledge Base</a> – Create a knowledge base or FAQ section</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/add-to-all/" rel="ugc">WebberZone Snippetz</a> – Manage custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript snippets</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/autoclose/" rel="ugc">Auto-Close</a> – Automatically close comments, pingbacks, and trackbacks</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/popular-authors/" rel="ugc">Popular Authors</a> – Display popular authors widgets. Addon for Top 10.</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/where-did-they-go-from-here/" rel="ugc">Followed Posts</a> – Show related posts based on reader journeys</li>
<li><a href="https://wordpress.org/plugins/webberzone-link-warnings/" rel="ugc">WebberZone Link Warnings</a> – Add accessible warnings for external links and target=”_blank” links</li>
</ul>

WebberZone Top 10 — Popular Posts

A very good plugin that helps to display top 3 popular posts via shorcode.

Good Plugin

Track post views and page views, and display popular posts and trending content on your WordPress site.

Simple Download Monitor vs WebberZone Top 10 — Popular Posts