Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to force download PDF files in WordPress

If you are running a WordPress site that shares PDF files with your visitors, you may want to force a download instead of letting the PDF open in the browser. This can be helpful in situations where you want users to have access to the file without allowing them to view it directly on the website.

Thankfully, forcing a download of PDF files in WordPress can be achieved with a few lines of code. Here's how you can do it.

Step 1: Find the functions.php file

The first step is to locate the functions.php file in your WordPress theme. This file is responsible for adding functions and features to your site, and is located in your theme's directory. If you are using a child theme, you will want to edit the functions.php file in your child theme, not the parent theme.

Step 2: Add the code

Once you have found the functions.php file, you will want to add the following code to it:

``` function forcedownloadpdf() { header("Content-Type: application/pdf"); header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename='filename.pdf'"); readfile("http://www.example.com/wp-content/uploads/files/filename.pdf"); exit; }

addaction('init', 'forcedownload_pdf'); ```

Note that you will want to replace http://www.example.com/wp-content/uploads/files/filename.pdf with the URL of the PDF file on your site.

Step 3: Save and test

Once you have added the code to your functions.php file, save the file and test it to make sure it works. You can do this by navigating to the page on your site where the PDF file is located and clicking on the link to download it.

If everything is working properly, the PDF file should automatically download to the user's computer without opening in the browser.

Conclusion

By using the code above, you can force a download of PDF files on your WordPress site, making it easier for users to access the files without viewing them directly on the site. This can be particularly useful if you are sharing sensitive information or if you want to track who is accessing the file.

As always, it's important to keep your WordPress site up-to-date and secure by following best practices and keeping your plugins and themes updated.