Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Stop Download of Files in WordPress

WordPress is a popular platform for creating blogs and websites. Many website owners use WordPress to upload files for the visitors to download. However, sometimes you may want to stop the download of files from your website. In this guide, we will show you how to stop download of files in WordPress.

Why Stop Download of Files

There are several reasons why you may want to stop visitors from downloading files from your website. One of the reasons may be to protect your intellectual property. If you have a digital product that you sell on your website, you may not want visitors to download it for free.

Another reason could be that you don't want users to download and use your copyrighted material without permission. Whatever the reason, you can stop the download of files in WordPress by following the steps below.

Step 1: Install and Activate the WP CloudFront Plugin

The first step is to install and activate the WP CloudFront plugin on your WordPress website. This plugin helps you to block access to the files on your website.

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard, and click on 'Plugins' and select 'Add New.'

2. In the search bar on the top right, type in 'WP CloudFront.'

3. Click on 'Install Now,' and after installation is complete, click on 'Activate.'

Step 2: Create a Private Key Pair

To create a private key pair, you will need to sign up for an Amazon Web Services account. Once you have done that, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your AWS account and navigate to the 'Identity and Access Management (IAM)' dashboard.

2. Click on 'Users' and then click on '+ Add user.'

3. Give the user a name and select 'Programmatic access.'

4. Click on 'Next' to proceed to the 'Permissions' section.

5. Click on 'Attach existing policies directly' and search for 'CloudFront Full Access' policy.

6. Click on the checkbox next to the policy and click on 'Next' to proceed to the 'Tags' section.

7. Click on Next and then click on 'Create User.' Once the user is created, the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key will be generated.

8. Copy the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key and paste them into a text editor.

9. Save the file as 'private-key.txt' and keep it safe.

Step 3: Create a CloudFront Distribution

To create the CloudFront distribution, follow the steps below:

1. Open the AWS console and navigate to the 'CloudFront' dashboard.

2. Click on 'Create Distribution' and select 'Web.'

3. In the 'Origin Domain Name' field, select the address of the server where your files are hosted.

4. In the 'Viewer Protocol Policy,' select 'HTTPS only.'

5. In the 'Allowed HTTP Methods,' select 'GET, HEAD.'

6. In the 'Distribution Settings' section, click on 'Yes, Edit' button.

7. In the 'Default Root Object' field, type in index.html.

8. In the 'Price Class' field, select the geographic regions where you want your content to be distributed.

9. In the 'Alternate Domain Names' (CNAMEs) field, type in your website URL.

10. In the 'SSL Certificate' section, select 'Custom SSL Certificate' and upload the SSL certificate you obtained from your web host.

11. Click on 'Create Distribution.'

Step 4: Link CloudFront Distribution to WordPress

1. Log in to your WordPress dashboard.

2. Click on 'Settings,' then 'WP CloudFront.'

3. Enter the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key you saved in step 2.

4. Click on the 'Uploads' tab and enter the domain name of your CloudFront distribution.

5. Click on the 'Save Changes' button.

Step 5: Block Access to Files

To block access to files, follow the steps below:

1. Log in to your AWS account and navigate to the 'CloudFront' dashboard.

2. Click on the CloudFront distribution you created in step 3.

3. Click on the 'Behaviors' tab and click on 'Create Behavior.'

4. In the 'Path Pattern,' enter the path to your files (e.g. /wp-content/uploads/*).

5. In the 'Viewer Protocol Policy,' select 'Redirect HTTP to HTTPS.'

6. In the 'Forward Headers' section, select 'Whitelist' and add the following headers:

   • User-Agent
   • Referer

7. In the 'Caching' section, select 'Customize Caching Rules.'

8. In the 'Minimum TTL' field, enter '0' and select 'Disallow Viewer Caching.'

9. Click on 'Create.'

Conclusion

By following the above steps, you can stop the download of files in WordPress. The WP CloudFront plugin helps you to prevent visitors from downloading your files without permission. With a CloudFront distribution, you can secure your files and prevent unauthorized access. Follow the steps carefully, and you'll be on your way to gaining better control over the files on your website.