Buzz
Providing download links for files through your website is a common need, and there are numerous ways to accomplish this. Platforms like GoDaddy, WordPress, and Weebly often include features for uploading files while creating links. If you're building a website from scratch, you can generate multiple download links using simple HTML code for files hosted on your server.
Steps
Using HTML
Create an HTML page if you don't already have one. You will add the download link to an HTML web page. If you don't have one, you can create a simple HTML page to test the download link. Check out the article Create a Simple Web Page with HTML for detailed information.
Open the directory on the server for both the page and the file. The easiest way to create a link for a file is to place the file in the same folder as the HTML file of the page. Use the Control Panel file manager or the file browser in your FTP program to locate the folder containing the HTML file where you will add the link.
- Your FTP client should already be configured to connect to the web server since you have previously uploaded your page there. If not, you can learn how to use FTP to configure your FTP client and connect to your server.
- If your website has an online Control Panel, you can access your server files directly through the web administration interface. You also have this permission when logging into your site as an administrator. Once in the Control Panel, select "File Manager."
- If you built your website using tools like WordPress, Weebly, or Wix, you can refer to detailed instructions for each tool in the methods below.
Upload the file you want to create a link for. You are allowed to upload a wide variety of file types, from PDFs to ZIPs. Note that some servers may limit the size of files you can upload, and large files can quickly consume your bandwidth. Some browsers also block potentially harmful files like EXE or DLL to prevent visitors from downloading them.
- To upload a file using an FTP program, drag the file into the folder in the FTP window where you want it uploaded. The file will begin uploading immediately. Upload speeds are usually much slower than download speeds, so it may take a while to complete.
- If you are using a virtual Control Panel file manager, click the "Upload" button at the top of the screen. Locate the file on your computer that you want to upload. It may take some time to upload large files to your server.
Open the webpage where you want to add the link in the code editor. Once the file is uploaded, you need to add a link to it on your website. Open the HTML file where you want to add the link. You can double-click it in the Control Panel file manager to open it in the built-in page editor. If using FTP, right-click the HTML file on your server and click "Open With" to open it in a text or code editor.
Locate the position on the page where you want to add the link. Place the cursor in the line of code where you want to insert the download link. This line could be in the body of a paragraph, at the bottom of the page, or anywhere else.
Add the code for the link. Type the following HTML5 code for your download link. The download will start immediately after the user clicks the link. If the file is in the same folder as the HTML file, you only need to use the file name and extension. If the file is in a different folder, you need to include the directory structure.
<!-- File uploaded in the same location as the HTML file --> <a href="examplefile.pdf" download>Link text</a> <!-- File uploaded in a different location from the HTML file --> <a href="/path/to/file/examplefile2.jpg" download>Link text</a>
- The <a> download attribute does not work in Safari, Internet Explorer, or Opera Mini. Users of these browsers must open the file in a new page and save it manually.
Create a download button instead of a link. You can use an image instead of text to create a download link. The button image must already be available on your web server.
<a href="examplefile.pdf" download> <img src="/images/downloadbutton.jpg"> </a>
Rename the downloaded file. If you define the <a> download attribute, you can rename the file when someone downloads it. This makes it easier for users to identify the files they download from you.
<a href="083116sal_rep.pdf" download="August 31 2016 Sales Report">Download the report</a>
Save the changes to the HTML file. Once you are satisfied with your code, save the changes to the HTML file and upload it again if necessary. You will be able to see the new download button on your website.
Using WordPress
Open your page in the WordPress editor. If you use WordPress to manage and publish your website, you can use the built-in tools to add download links to any of your pages. Log in to the WordPress admin dashboard with your administrator account.
Position the cursor where you want the link to appear. You can place the link in the middle of a paragraph or create a new line for it.
Click the "Add Media" button. You will find this button above the post tools at the top of the page.
Click "Upload Files" and drag the file into the window. You can upload various types of files, but WordPress may limit the size depending on your account type.
- You may need to wait a while for the upload to complete, as upload speeds are generally slower than download speeds for most connections.
Add a description for the file. You can type a description below the file in the Add Media window. This text will be displayed as the download link.
Click the "Insert into post/page" button. This step inserts the download link at the cursor's position. Note that the link will direct to an attachment page rather than the actual file, which is a limitation of WordPress.
Using Weebly
Open your website in the Weebly editor. Log in to Weebly and access your site using the Weebly editor.
Select the text or object you want to turn into a link. You can highlight text in a text field or choose an image on the page to convert into a download link for your file.
Click the "Link" button. When text is selected, it will resemble a chainlink icon at the top of the text editor. After selecting an image, click "Link" in the image Control Panel.
Select "File" and then click "upload a file". This will open the file browser.
Select the file you want to create a download link for. Once selected, the file will begin uploading.
- Regular users are only allowed to upload files up to 5 MB. Paid users have a file size limit of 100 MB.
Publish your page to see the new link. After uploading the file, the link will be ready to use. Click the Publish button to apply the changes to your page immediately. Visitors to your site can now click the link and download the file.
Using Wix
Open your website in the Wix editor. If you use Wix to create and manage your site, log in to the Wix website and load your site in the page editor.
Select the text or image you want to turn into a link. You can create a link from text or images on your page.
Turn your selection into a link. The steps for text and images will differ slightly:
- For text - Click the Link button in the Text Settings window. This button looks like a chainlink. It will open the link menu.
- For images - Select "A link open" from the "When image is clicked" menu in the Image Settings window. Click "Add a link" under "What does the link do?". This will open the link menu.
Select "Document" from the list of link options. This allows you to upload various text files.
Click the "Choose File" button. This will open the file upload window.
Drag the file you want to upload into the window. You are only allowed to upload DOC, PDF, PPT, XLS, ODT (and some related sub-formats). This means you are essentially limited to uploading text files. The file size limit is 15 MB.
Publish your page. After uploading the file, your link is ready. Click the "Publish" button in the top-right corner to save the changes and publish them to your site.
Using GoDaddy
Open your page in the GoDaddy editor. If you use the GoDaddy website builder, log in to the GoDaddy website and open your site in the editor.
Select the object or text you want to convert into a link. You can turn any object on your page into a link, as well as any text within a text box. If you want to create a download button, click the "Button" option from the left menu to insert one.
Create a link from the selected text or object. If selecting an object, click the Settings button to open the menu. If selecting text, click the "Link" button in the text formatting toolbar, which looks like a chainlink.
Click the red arrow below "Link (URL)" and select "Upload". This allows you to choose the file you want to upload to your website.
Click the "Browse" button and locate the file you want to upload. The file size limit is 30 MB. You are not allowed to upload HTML, PHP, EXE, DLL, or other potentially harmful file types.
Click "Insert" once the file is uploaded. You will see a checkmark next to the file in the window once it has been successfully uploaded.
Click "Save" to create the link. Clicking "Save" will attach the file to the text or object link you created.
Click "Publish" to save the changes to your page. This will make the new link live, and visitors to your site will be able to download the linked file.
