How to Make Links Trigger Direct File Downloads

Learn how to make files download directly when you click their links, rather than opening in a browser window. 

Here is how to download files upon clicking on a link- 

1. Navigate to your website’s File Manager and locate the .htaccess file. If you don’t see it, you may need to enable “Show Hidden Files” in your File Manager settings. 
2. To make all desired file extensions downloadable when someone clicks the link, add the following line of code-

   AddType application/octet-stream .avi .mpg .mov .pdf .xls .mp4 

   For example, if you only want .pdf files to be downloadable, the line of code would look like this: 
   AddType application/octet-stream .pdf  

3. After adding the line of code, save the changes to the .htaccess file.
4. If you do not see the changes on your live site, clear the cache to ensure the changes take effect.

By following the above-outlined steps, you can make files download immediately upon clicking a link. If you find any difficulty, get in touch with our support staff. Also, do not forget to check our latest shared web hosting plans.