Installing WordPress Download Manager

Updated Jan 26, 2026 Getting Started

Overview

WordPress Download Manager (WPDM) is a powerful file management and digital download solution for WordPress. This guide walks you through installing the plugin and getting it ready for use.

After your Purchase of WordPress Download Manager Pro

Go to the order details page:

Download the plugin by click on the download button:

Your license key:

WordPress Download Manager Pro - Get License Key

Prerequisites

Before installing WordPress Download Manager, ensure your system meets these requirements:

WordPress: Version 5.0 or higher (6.0+ recommended)
PHP: Version 7.4 or higher (8.0+ recommended)
MySQL: Version 5.6 or higher, or MariaDB 10.0+
Memory: Minimum 128MB PHP memory limit (256MB recommended)
File Uploads: upload_max_filesize at least 32MB for handling downloads

Checking Your PHP Configuration

You can verify your PHP settings by installing the Health Check plugin or viewing phpinfo(). Key settings to verify:

Setting	Minimum	Recommended
`memory_limit`	128M	256M
`upload_max_filesize`	32M	256M
`post_max_size`	32M	256M
`max_execution_time`	60	300

Quick Start

Download the plugin from WordPress.org or your account at wpdownloadmanager.com
Navigate to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
Select the ZIP file and click Install Now
Click Activate Plugin
Go to Downloads > Add New to create your first package

Installation Methods

Method 1: WordPress Admin (Recommended)

This is the simplest method for most users.

Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
Navigate to Plugins > Add New
Search for “WordPress Download Manager”
Click Install Now on the WPDM plugin
Once installed, click Activate

Method 2: Upload via Admin

Use this method if you downloaded the plugin as a ZIP file.

Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard
Navigate to Plugins > Add New
Click the Upload Plugin button at the top
Click Choose File and select the downloaded ZIP file
Click Install Now
Once the installation completes, click Activate Plugin

Method 3: FTP/SFTP Upload

For advanced users or when the admin upload fails due to file size limits.

Extract the downloaded ZIP file on your computer
Connect to your server using an FTP/SFTP client
Navigate to /wp-content/plugins/
Upload the extracted download-manager folder
Log in to WordPress admin
Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins
Find “WordPress Download Manager” and click Activate

Method 4: WP-CLI

For developers and server administrators.

# Install from WordPress.org
wp plugin install download-manager --activate

# Or install from a URL
wp plugin install https://example.com/download-manager.zip --activate

Post-Installation Setup

After activating the plugin, complete these essential setup steps:

1. Configure Basic Settings

Navigate to Downloads > Settings > General Settings and configure:

Files Directory: Set where uploaded files are stored
Download Speed: Limit bandwidth per download (optional)
Chunk Size: For large file downloads

2. Set Up Permalinks

If package URLs show 404 errors:

Go to Settings > Permalinks
Click Save Changes (no changes needed, just save)
This flushes the rewrite rules

3. Configure File Protection

Navigate to Downloads > Settings > Media Protection:

Enable Protect Upload Directory to prevent direct file access
This adds htaccess rules to block unauthorized downloads

4. Set Default Access Permissions

Go to Downloads > Settings > Frontend Access:

Configure which user roles can access downloads
Set default download limits if needed

Installing Premium Add-ons

Premium add-ons extend WPDM’s functionality. To install:

Purchase and download the add-on from wpdownloadmanager.com
Navigate to Plugins > Add New > Upload Plugin
Upload the add-on ZIP file
Activate the add-on

License Activation

Premium add-ons require license activation:

Go to Downloads > Settings > License
Enter your license key from your wpdownloadmanager.com account
Click Activate License

Verifying Installation

Confirm WPDM is working correctly:

Create a Test Package

– Go to Downloads > Add New
– Enter a title and attach a small test file
– Click Publish

View the Package

– Click the View Package link
– Verify the download button appears

Test the Download

– Click the download button
– Confirm the file downloads successfully

Troubleshooting Installation Issues

Plugin Won’t Activate

Symptoms: White screen or error message on activation

Solutions:

Increase PHP memory limit in wp-config.php: define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');
Check for plugin conflicts by deactivating other plugins
Review error logs in wp-content/debug.log

404 Errors on Packages

Symptoms: Package pages return “Page not found”

Solution: Flush permalinks by visiting Settings > Permalinks and clicking Save Changes.

File Upload Failures

Symptoms: Files won’t upload or upload fails mid-way