Privacy Settings

Updated Jan 26, 2026 Settings Reference

Configure privacy, data retention, and GDPR compliance settings in WordPress Download Manager. Access these settings from Downloads > Settings > Privacy.

Overview

Privacy Settings help you:

Comply with GDPR and other privacy regulations

Control what data is collected

Manage data retention periods

Handle data export and deletion requests

Configure consent mechanisms

Data Collection

Download Tracking Data

Data Type	Description	Default
IP Address	User’s IP address	Collected
User Agent	Browser information	Collected
Timestamp	Download time	Collected
User ID	WordPress user ID	Collected
Referrer	Source page	Collected
Location	Geographic data (from IP)	Disabled

User Profile Data

Data Type	Description	Default
Email Address	User email	Required
Display Name	Public name	Required
Download History	Past downloads	Stored
Purchase History	Order data	Stored (Premium)
IP History	All IPs used	Disabled

Cookies

Cookie	Purpose	Duration
wpdm_session	Session tracking	Session
wpdm_lock_bypass	Remember lock unlock	30 days
wpdm_cart	Shopping cart data	7 days
wpdm_consent	Consent status	1 year

Data Anonymization

Anonymization Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Anonymize IP	Store partial IP only	Disabled
Hash User Agent	Store hash instead of full	Disabled
Remove Personal Data	Auto-remove after period	Disabled

IP Anonymization

Options for IP storage:

Method	Example	Privacy Level
Full	192.168.1.100	Low
Partial	192.168.1.0	Medium
Hashed	a1b2c3d4…	High
None	Not stored	Maximum

Data Retention

Retention Periods

Data Type	Default	Configurable
Download Stats	Forever	Yes
User Sessions	30 days	Yes
Email Subscribers	Forever	Yes
Order History	7 years	Yes
Access Logs	90 days	Yes
Error Logs	30 days	Yes

Auto-Cleanup

Setting	Description	Default
Enable Cleanup	Automatically delete old data	Disabled
Cleanup Schedule	How often to run	Weekly
Notify Before	Days before deletion warning	7
Grace Period	Days after notice to act	30

Manual Cleanup

Go to Privacy Settings

Click “Data Cleanup”

Select data type

Set date range

Preview affected records

Confirm deletion

GDPR Compliance

Consent Management

Setting	Description	Default
Require Consent	Ask before collecting data	Disabled
Consent Message	Text shown to users	Configurable
Consent Checkbox	Add checkbox to forms	Disabled
Pre-checked	Checkbox pre-selected	No (GDPR requires No)

Consent Form Text

Default consent message:

By downloading, you agree to our privacy policy and
allow us to store your download activity for security
and analytical purposes.

Consent Log

Track user consent:

Field	Description
User/Email	Who gave consent
Timestamp	When consent given
IP Address	Requesting IP
Consent Type	What was consented to
Method	How consent was given

User Rights

Data Export

Users can export their data via:

User Dashboard: Self-service export

WordPress Tools: Tools > Export Personal Data

Admin Request: Admin-initiated export

Exported data includes:

Category	Included Data
Profile	Name, email, registration date
Downloads	All download history
Orders	Purchase history, invoices
Subscriptions	Email lock submissions
Activity	Login history, actions

Data Deletion

Users can request data deletion:

User Dashboard: Self-service deletion

WordPress Tools: Tools > Erase Personal Data

Email Request: Manual processing

Data	Deletion Behavior
User Account	Anonymized or deleted
Downloads	Stats anonymized
Orders	Anonymized (legal retention)
Comments	Assigned to “Anonymous”
Files	Access revoked

Right to Rectification

Users can update their data:

Data	Update Method
Profile	Edit Profile page
Email	Change email with verification
Name	Edit Display Name
Password	Change Password form

Privacy Policy Integration

Auto-Generated Content

Add WPDM-specific content to your privacy policy:

[wpdm_privacy_policy]

This shortcode outputs:

What data WPDM collects

How data is used

Data retention periods

User rights

Contact information

Policy Page Link

Setting	Description
Privacy Policy Page	Select your policy page
Show in Forms	Link in download forms
Show in Dashboard	Link in user dashboard
Show in Emails	Link in email footers

Third-Party Services

Data Sharing Disclosure

Service	Data Shared	Purpose
Payment Gateways	Order info	Process payments
Email Services	Email, name	Marketing
Cloud Storage	Files	Storage
Analytics	Anonymized stats	Reporting

Third-Party Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Share with Analytics	Send to Google Analytics	User choice
Share with Email	Send to email service	With consent
External Tracking	Allow 3rd party tracking	Disabled

Cookie Consent

Cookie Banner

Setting	Description
Enable Banner	Show cookie consent banner
Banner Position	Top, bottom, or modal
Banner Text	Message displayed
Accept Button	Accept button text
Decline Button	Show decline option

Cookie Categories

Category	Cookies	Default
Necessary	Session, security	Always on
Functional	Preferences, locks	Opt-in
Analytics	Tracking, stats	Opt-in
Marketing	Ads, social	Opt-in

Compliance Reports

Generate Reports

Export compliance documentation:

Report	Contents
Data Inventory	All data collected
Consent Log	All consent records
Deletion Log	Data deletion history
Access Log	Who accessed what

Audit Trail

Event	Logged Data
Consent Given	User, time, type
Data Exported	User, time, scope
Data Deleted	User, time, data types
Settings Changed	Admin, changes made

Tips

Enable IP anonymization for maximum privacy

Set reasonable retention periods

Test data export functionality

Keep consent logs for compliance

Update privacy policy when settings change

Review third-party integrations