Restriction on File Downloads

The File Downloads addon allows you to upload files and make them available to only your members based on their membership level or other conditions you define. You can organize files into categories, set download limits, and control exactly who can access them.

Prerequisites

User Registration & Membership Pro installed and activated

Plus or Professional plan subscription

License key activated

Content Restriction addon enabled (for access control)

At least one live membership created (for restrictions)

Activate the File Downloads Addon

Navigate to User Registration & Membership → Addons in your WordPress dashboard

Locate or search for File Downloads

Toggle to Activate

Add Your First File

Once activated, a new menu item called File Downloads will appear in your dashboard.

To upload a file:

Navigate to User Registration & Membership → File Downloads

Click Add New

Enter a file title

Click the Choose File icon and upload your file

(Optional) Add a description to provide more context

Click Publish

Configure Download Limits

Download limits help manage bandwidth and control file sharing. When adding or editing a file, you can configure:

Per User Download Limit: Specify how many times each individual user can download the file

Total Download Limit: Set the total number of times the file can be downloaded across all users

To enable download limits, click the toggle button when adding or editing a file, then set your desired limits.

Configure Category

Assign a category for your file. Useful while creating content restriction rules.

These settings help manage bandwidth and ensure files are shared in a controlled way.

Organize Files with Categories

Categories help you manage and group related files, such as templates, guides, or reports. They're also useful when creating content restriction rules.

To create a category:

Go to User Registration & Membership → File Downloads → Categories

Enter a category name and add a description

Enter a slug and (optional) parent category

Click Create

You can assign one or more categories when adding or editing a file.

Control Who Can Download Files

You can restrict file access based on membership level or other conditions using Content Rules.

To configure permissions:

Go to User Registration & Membership → Content Rules

Under Membership Rules, select your preferred rule

Under Access, click Content and choose Files

Select the specific files or file categories you want to protect

Click Save

How Members Access Files

File Downloads in My Account

After activation, members will see a File Downloads tab inside their My Account area. This section automatically displays all files the logged-in user can download. Pagination is applied automatically for sites with many files.

What Users See

When users attempt to download a file:

If they have access, the download begins automatically

If they don't have access, they will see a message explaining the restriction and which membership is required

If they've reached a download limit, they will be notified of the limit

This ensures users clearly understand their access level.