Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Add 'Click to Download PDF' Feature in WordPress

WordPress is undeniably one of the most popular content management systems (CMS) out there. Its flexibility, ease of use, and vast community of developers and users make it an ideal platform for individuals and businesses of all sizes. If you're looking to display PDF files on your WordPress site, you might want to consider adding a "click to download" feature. In this article, we'll show you how to do just that.

Adding a Button to Download a PDF File

First, you need to upload your PDF file to your WordPress media library. To do this, go to your WordPress dashboard, click on Media, then Add New. Select your PDF file and click on the Upload button. Once the file has been uploaded, copy the URL next to the file on the right side of the screen.

Next, you need to create a new post or page where you want to display the PDF file. Click on Add New under Posts or Pages and create your post or page as usual. Once done, you now need to add a link to your PDF file. Type in the text you want to use for the link, highlight it, and then click on the Insert/edit link button in the editor.

In the URL field, paste the URL you copied earlier. In the link text field, enter the text you want to be displayed for the link. Finally, you can add the label 'Click to Download PDF' (or similar) on the text field so that users know what to do.

Setting the Download Attribute

To ensure that PDF files are not opened directly in the browser, but downloaded instead, you need to add the download attribute to your link. In the editor, switch to the Text mode and add the download attribute to your link.

<a href="https://yourwebsite.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/pdffile.pdf" download>Click to Download PDF</a>

That's it! You have now added a "click to download" feature to your WordPress website. By clicking on the link, the PDF file will be downloaded to the user's device.

Conclusion

Adding a "click to download" feature to PDF files in WordPress can be useful in various situations, such as sharing reports, brochures, or documents. It helps to prevent users from clicking on the link and opening the PDF file directly in the browser, which may not be ideal in some cases. By following the steps we've outlined above, you can add this feature to your WordPress website quickly and easily.