Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

Downloading Files on WordPress Instead of Opening Them in Browser

WordPress is a popular content management system that is used by millions of websites all over the world. One of the most common issues that developers face when working with WordPress is the challenge of downloading files instead of opening them in the browser. This issue can arise when users click on a download link, and instead of the file being saved to their computer, it opens in the browser window. In this article, we will look at how to download files in WordPress instead of opening them in the browser.

What Causes Files to Open in the Browser Instead of Downloading?

In WordPress, files are handled by the web server. When a user clicks on a file link, the server sends a response to the browser. Depending on the response header, the browser either downloads or opens the file. By default, browsers are configured to open certain types of files such as images, PDFs, and text files in the browser window, while other file types such as zip files, audio and video files are downloaded to the user's computer.

How to Download Files in WordPress

To ensure that files are downloaded instead of opened in the browser, you need to change the response header of the file. Here is how you can do it.

1. Locate the file that you want to download on your WordPress site

2. Copy the link to the file

3. Next, open a text editor and create a new file

4. Paste the link to the file in the new file

5. Save the file with a .htaccess extension, for example, download.htaccess

6. Upload the .htaccess file to the same directory as the file that you want to download

7. Test the download link to ensure that the file is downloaded instead of opened in the browser.

In conclusion, downloading files instead of opening them in the browser is essential when working with WordPress. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can ensure that your users can easily download files from your site without the frustration of having to open them in the browser first. So, get started today and make the necessary adjustments to your WordPress site to enable easy file download for your users.