Lester Chan

<h3>General Usage</h3>
<ol>
<li>You Need To Re-Generate The Permalink <code>WP-Admin -> Settings -> Permalinks -> Save Changes</code></li>
<li>To embed a specific file to be downloaded into a post/page, use <code>[download id="2"]</code> where 2 is your file id.</li>
<li>To embed multiple files to be downloaded into a post/page, use <code>[download id="1,2,3"]</code> where 1,2,3 are your file ids.</li>
<li>To limit the number of embedded downloads shown for each post in a post stream, use the <code>stream_limit</code> option.
<ol>
<li>Example: <code>[download id="2" stream_limit="4"]</code></li>
<li>This will only display the first 4 downloads for the post when rendered in a post stream, and display the full list of downloads when viewing the single post.</li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>To sort embedded downloads, use the <code>sort_by</code> and <code>sort_order</code> options.
<ol>
<li>Example: <code>[download id="2" sort_by="file_id" sort_order="asc"]</code></li>
<li>This will sort the embedded downloads by file ID in ascending order.</li>
<li>Valid values for <code>sort_by</code> are: <code>file_id</code>, <code>file</code>, <code>file_name</code>, <code>file_size</code>, <code>file_date</code>, and <code>file_hits</code></li>
</ol>
</li>
<li>To choose what to display within the embedded file, use <code>[download id="1" display="both"]</code> where 1 is your file id and both will display both the file name and file desccription, whereas name will only display the filename. Note that this will overwrite the “Download Embedded File” template you have in your Download Templates.</li>
<li>To embed files as well as categories, use <code>[download id="1,2,3" category="4,5,6"]</code> where 1,2,3 are your file id and 4,5,6 are your category ids.</li>
<li>If you are using Default Permalinks, the file direct download link will be <code>http://yoursite.com/index.php?dl_id=2</code>. If you are using Nice Permalinks, the file direct download link will be <code>http://yoursite.com/download/2/</code>, where yoursite.com is your WordPress URL and 2 is your file id.</li>
<li>The direct download category link will be <code>http://yoursite.com/downloads/?dl_cat=3</code>, where yoursite.com is your WordPress URL, downloads is your Downloads Page name and 3 is your download category id.</li>
<li>In order to upload the files straight to the downloads folder, the folder must be first CHMOD to 777. You can specify which folder to be the downloads folder in Download Options.</li>
<li>You can configure the Download Options in <code>WP-Admin -> Downloads -> Download Options</code></li>
<li>You can configure the Download Templates in <code>WP-Admin -> Downloads -> Download Templates</code></li>
</ol>
<h3>Downloads Page</h3>
<ol>
<li>Go to <code>WP-Admin -> Pages -> Add New</code></li>
<li>Type any title you like in the post’s title area</li>
<li>If you <code>ARE</code> using nice permalinks, after typing the title, WordPress will generate the permalink to the page. You will see an ‘Edit’ link just beside the permalink.</li>
<li>Click ‘Edit’ and type in <code>downloads</code> in the text field and click ‘Save’.</li>
<li>Type <code>[page_download]</code> in the post’s content area.</li>
<li>You can also use <code>[page_download category="1"]</code>, this will display all downloads in Category ID 1.</li>
<li>Click ‘Publish’</li>
</ol>
<h3>Download Stats (With Widgets)</h3>
<ol>
<li>Go to <code>WP-Admin -> Appearance -> Widgets</code></li>
<li>The widget name is <code>Downloads</code>.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Development</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://github.com/lesterchan/wp-downloadmanager" title="https://github.com/lesterchan/wp-downloadmanager" rel="nofollow ugc">https://github.com/lesterchan/wp-downloadmanager</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Translations</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://dev.wp-plugins.org/browser/wp-downloadmanager/i18n/" title="http://dev.wp-plugins.org/browser/wp-downloadmanager/i18n/" rel="nofollow ugc">http://dev.wp-plugins.org/browser/wp-downloadmanager/i18n/</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Credits</h3>
<ul>
<li>Plugin icon by <a href="http://www.freepik.com" rel="nofollow ugc">Freepik</a> from <a href="http://www.flaticon.com" rel="nofollow ugc">Flaticon</a></li>
<li>Icons courtesy of <a href="http://www.famfamfam.com/" title="FamFamFam" rel="nofollow ugc">FamFamFam</a></li>
<li>Download Icon by <a href="http://www.imvain.com/"" title="Ryan Zimmerman" rel="nofollow ugc">Ryan Zimmerman</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Donations</h3>
<ul>
<li>I spent most of my free time creating, updating, maintaining and supporting these plugins, if you really love my plugins and could spare me a couple of bucks, I will really appreciate it. If not feel free to use it without any obligations.</li>
</ul>


WP-DownloadManager

Adds a simple download manager to your WordPress blog.

Max GJ Panas

<h4>Protected Attachment Files</h4>
<p>Media Vault cordons off a section of your WordPress uploads folder and secures it, protecting all files within by passing requests for them through a <em>powerful, flexible and completely customizable</em> set of permission checks.</p>
<p>After activating the plugin, to protect attachment files with Media Vault you can:</p>
<ul>
<li>use the <em>Media Uploader admin page</em> to upload new protected attachments,</li>
<li>use the <em>Media Vault metabox</em> to toggle file protection on the ‘Edit Media’ admin page,</li>
<li>use the the <em>Media Vault Protection Settings</em> fields in the new Media Modal, or, </li>
<li>using <em>bulk actions</em> in your Media Library page, you can change file protection on multiple pre-existing attachments at once.</li>
</ul>
<p>By default the only permission check that the plugin does on media files is that the user requesting them be logged in. You can change this <em>default</em> behavior from the ‘Media Settings’ page in the ‘Settings’ menu of the WordPress Admin. You can also change the restrictions set on attachments on an individual basis by means of either the Media Vault metabox on the ‘Edit Media’ page or the Media Vault Protection Settings fields in the new Media Modal.</p>
<p>You can also write your own custom restrictions using the <code>mgjp_mv_add_permission()</code> function. See <a href="https://wordpress.org/support/topic/restrict-only-for-subscribers?replies=5" rel="ugc">this support question</a> for more details.</p>
<h4>Safe Download Links</h4>
<p>Creating a cross-browser compatible download link for a file is a harder task than might be expected. Media Vault handles this for you, and it does so while preserving all the file security features discussed earlier like blocking downloads to people who should not have access to the file.</p>
<p>The download links are available through a simple shortcode that you can use in your post/page editor screen:</p>
<pre><code>[mv_dl_links ids="1,2,3"]
</code></pre>
<p>where ‘ids’ are the comma separated list of attachment ids you would like to make available for download in the list.</p>
<p><em>Note:</em> Plugin comes with styles ready for WordPress 3.8+!</p>
<p><em>Note:</em>  <strong>Now supports WordPress MultiSite!</strong></p>


Media Vault

Found it while looking for restriction view access - it's just what I needed, thanks a lot!



Very useful

Protect attachment files from direct access using powerful and flexible restrictions. Offer safe download links for any file in your uploads folder.

WP-DownloadManager vs Media Vault