Overview
Terms lock requires users to accept your terms and conditions before downloading. This ensures legal compliance, protects your content with usage agreements, and provides documentation that users agreed to your terms.
Prerequisites
- WordPress Download Manager installed
- Terms and conditions content prepared
- At least one published package
Quick Start
- Edit a package
- Find Lock Options panel
- Enable Terms & Conditions Lock
- Enter your terms content
- Save package
Enabling Terms Lock
Step 1: Access Lock Settings
- Edit any package
- Scroll to Lock Options panel
- Find Terms & Conditions Lock
Step 2: Enable and Configure
☑ Enable Terms & Conditions Lock Terms Content: ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ By downloading this file, you │ │ agree to the following terms: │ │ │ │ 1. Personal use only │ │ 2. No redistribution │ │ 3. No modification │ │ ... │ └─────────────────────────────────────┘
Step 3: Save
Click Update or Publish to save.
Terms Content Options
Inline Terms
Write terms directly in the editor:
LICENSE AGREEMENT This software is provided "as-is" without warranty. You may: • Use for personal projects • Make backup copies • Install on multiple devices you own You may not: • Redistribute or resell • Remove copyright notices • Use for commercial purposes without license
Link to Page
Reference an existing terms page:
By downloading, you agree to our Terms of Service and License Agreement.
HTML Formatting
Full HTML support:
End User License Agreement
IMPORTANT: Read before downloading.
- Grant of License
- Restrictions
- Intellectual Property
- Warranty Disclaimer
- Limitation of Liability
For questions, contact legal@example.com
User Experience
Terms Display
When terms lock is enabled:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ 📄 Terms & Conditions │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ │ │ ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ LICENSE AGREEMENT │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ This software is provided "as-is" │ │ │ │ without warranty... │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ [scrollable content] │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └───────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ ☐ I have read and agree to the terms │ │ │ │ [Accept & Download] │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Acceptance Flow
- User clicks download button
- Terms popup/section appears
- User scrolls through terms
- User checks acceptance checkbox
- Download button becomes active
- User clicks to download
Configuration Options
Package Settings
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Enable Terms Lock | Master toggle |
| Terms Content | The terms text (HTML supported) |
| Checkbox Label | Custom acceptance text |
| Require Scroll | Must scroll to bottom first |
Global Settings
At Downloads > Settings > Security:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Default Terms | Terms for new packages |
| Popup Style | Modal or inline display |
| Log Acceptance | Track who accepted |
Display Modes
Popup Modal
Terms appear in overlay:
- Clean, focused reading
- Must interact to dismiss
- Works well on mobile
Inline Display
Terms appear on page:
- No popup to dismiss
- Always visible
- Better for simple terms
Scrollable Box
Long terms in scrollable container:
max-height: 300px; overflow-y: auto;
Checkbox Options
Standard Checkbox
☐ I agree to the terms and conditions
Custom Label
☐ I accept the license agreement and privacy policy
With Links
☐ I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy
Logging Acceptance
Enable Logging
At Downloads > Settings > Security:
☑ Log Terms Acceptance
Logged Data
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| User ID | If logged in |
| If provided | |
| IP Address | User’s IP |
| Date/Time | When accepted |
| Package | Which package |
| Terms Version | Which terms accepted |
Viewing Logs
- Go to Downloads > Statistics
- Filter by package
- View acceptance records
Export Logs
For legal documentation:
- Select date range
- Choose format (CSV, PDF)
- Export records
Terms Versioning
When to Version
Create new version when:
- Significant terms changes
- Legal requirement changes
- Adding new restrictions
Version Management
- Update terms content
- Increment version number
- Optionally require re-acceptance
Requiring Re-acceptance
For major changes:
add_filter('wpdm_terms_require_reaccept', function($require, $package_id) {
$current_version = get_post_meta($package_id, '__wpdm_terms_version', true);
$accepted_version = get_user_meta(get_current_user_id(), 'terms_accepted_' . $package_id, true);
return $current_version !== $accepted_version;
}, 10, 2);
Styling the Terms
CSS Customization
/* Terms container */
.wpdm-terms-lock {
background: #ffffff;
border: 1px solid #e5e7eb;
border-radius: 8px;
padding: 24px;
max-width: 600px;
margin: 20px auto;
}
/* Terms content box */
.wpdm-terms-content {
max-height: 300px;
overflow-y: auto;
padding: 16px;
background: #f9fafb;
border: 1px solid #e5e7eb;
border-radius: 6px;
margin-bottom: 16px;
font-size: 14px;
line-height: 1.6;
}
/* Checkbox row */
.wpdm-terms-accept {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 8px;
margin-bottom: 16px;
}
.wpdm-terms-accept input[type="checkbox"] {
width: 20px;
height: 20px;
}
/* Accept button */
.wpdm-terms-button {
width: 100%;
padding: 12px;
background: #4f46e5;
color: white;
border: none;
border-radius: 6px;
font-size: 16px;
font-weight: 600;
cursor: pointer;
}
.wpdm-terms-button:disabled {
background: #9ca3af;
cursor: not-allowed;
}
Common Use Cases
Software License
Software License Agreement
This license grants you the right to use this software subject to the following terms:
Permitted Use
- Install on devices you own
- Make backup copies
- Use for personal or commercial projects
Restrictions
- No redistribution
- No reverse engineering
- No sublicensing
Document Usage Rights
Usage Agreement
This document is provided for informational purposes only.
You may print and share this document with proper attribution. You may not claim authorship or sell this content.
© 2026 Company Name. All rights reserved.
Media License
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0.
You are free to:
- Share — copy and redistribute
- Adapt — remix and transform
Under the following terms:
- Attribution — credit the creator
- NonCommercial — no commercial use
- ShareAlike — same license for derivatives
Combining with Other Locks
Terms + Email
Collect email AND require terms:
Locks: ☑ Email Lock ☑ Terms & Conditions Lock
Terms + reCAPTCHA
Terms with bot protection:
Locks: ☑ Terms & Conditions Lock ☑ reCAPTCHA Lock
Troubleshooting
Checkbox Not Enabling Download
Cause: JavaScript error
Solution:
- Check browser console
- Test with default theme
- Verify no JS conflicts
Terms Not Displaying
Cause: Empty content or HTML error
Solution:
- Verify terms content is entered
- Check for unclosed HTML tags
- Test with simple text first
Modal Not Opening
Cause: CSS/JS conflict
Solution:
- Check for duplicate jQuery
- Verify modal styles load
- Test in incognito
Related Documentation
Last updated: January 2026
Applies to: WordPress Download Manager 7.x