Simple Download Monitor Plugin Review

4.5 out of 5

Simple Download Monitor is arguably the most easy-to-use WordPress plugin for managing and tracking digital downloads from your website. The free plugin provides all the simple tools needed to address the basic needs of users. Moreover, the plugin is extensively used to track and publish downloadable items on your website.

Simple Download Monitor provides its users with the most robust tools to manage downloads. Apart from managing your downloads, extensive details about your website visitors can also be viewed using the plugin. To further aid its users, the plugin allows you to gauge the popularity of your downloads through relevant stats and figures. All its features collectively solve the issue of dealing with downloads on WordPress.

Simple Download Monitor Usage

Step 1: Installation

The plugin can be installed using the WordPress plugin repository. To install the plugin, do the following:

  • Click on ‘Plugins.’
  • Next, click on ‘Add New.’
  • Next, search for ‘Simple Download Monitor.’
  • Click ‘Install Now’ to install and choose ‘Activate’ to activate the plugin.

Step 2: Creating Downloads

Simple Download Manager allows for all file types to be added to your website. This enables users to add anything they wish to their websites. To add a new download, do the following:

  • First, click on the newly added ‘Download’ menu on your dashboard.
  • Next, click on the ‘Add New’ button.
  • A new page will appear where you can add further details of your download. For example, you can give a title or description to your download.
  • Click ‘Select File’ to add your desired file from the media library or upload a file from your computer.
  • Users can set an ‘Offset Count’ to modify the download count or add a ‘File Size’ and ‘Version’ for their files.
  • After all necessary information has been added, the user can publish their download using the ‘Publish’ button.
simple download monitor review

Step 3: Posting Downloads

Downloads can be posted on existing as well as new pages. To post a downloadable item, users need to:

  • Click on the ‘Shortcode inserter’, which you can see above the text editor in WordPress posts/pages.
  • From the drop-down menu that appears, select your desired item.
  • Choose whether to include a fancy box on your page using the checkbox provided. A fancy box displays details about your download.
  • Users can also choose to open their downloads in a new window.
  • Click on the ‘Insert SDM Shortcode’ button.
  • Publish your page or post
simple download monitor review

Step 4: Viewing User Details and Stats

The Simple Download Monitor logs details of all visitors downloading an item from your website. To see these statistics, the user needs to:

  • Then, click on the ‘Downloads’ menu.
  • Click on ‘Logs.’ The Log displays all visitors’ information who have downloaded at least a single item from your page. The Log shows the title, file URL, visitors’ IP address, the date and time of the download, the country from where the file was downloaded, and the visitor’s username.

To check the count of downloads for your downloadable items, click on ‘Downloads’ and then on ‘Stats.’ A page appears displaying the numbers of downloads using a graphical interface. Downloads can be categorized by country or date for the user to gain greater insight.

Also ReadHow To Add Pay with a Tweet Button and Offer Free File Downloads

Simple Download Monitor Features

Easy-to-use interface

Simple Download Monitor provides an easy-to-use interface to add, edit or delete digital downloads on your website. All of this can be done conveniently from your WordPress dashboard. Moreover, users can assign tags to their downloads or categorize them. The simple dashboard interface allows not only to view all downloads and make changes but also to view different statistics.

Tracking Downloads

The plugin helps users track the number of downloads for each download added to the website. The number of downloads can also be visible to visitors on the page.

simple download monitor review

Shortcodes

The plugin works by creating a small line of code for each of the downloads added to your website. The lines of code, called “Shortcodes,” can be used to place your downloadable items anywhere on a page. Visitors can then download your files using the download button inserted.

Customizable Download Buttons

Download buttons added to the website can be easily customized according to your preferences so that your website looks are not disturbed. The user can also alter the text visible on the button to suit their needs. Moreover, the plugin has an option to add a custom box around the download button that provides more information about the files your website visitors could download. Users can also add a thumbnail and title regarding the downloadable files.

Password Protection

This feature allows users to restrict access to specific download files to certain visitors. Using the feature, users can restrict visitor behavior by prompting them to log in before downloading items.

Searchable Downloads

If a website features many downloads, visitors can use the search feature to look for specific downloads. Users can also add a file tree browser using shortcodes to give visitors access to a large repository.

Drag and Drop Uploads

This plugin uses the WordPress media uploader interface, allowing you to upload files easily by dragging files from your computer to the admin panel.

Tracking stats

The plugin allows users to track extensive information about visitors downloading files from a user’s websites. The plugin logs statistics such as viewer IP address, date and time for downloads, the number of downloads, and the country from which the visitors accessed a particular file.

Copy/Clone downloads

The simple Download Monitor plugin allows users to add duplicates of existing downloads throughout the entire website.

Google reCAPTCHA

Including reCAPTCHA in the plugin features ensures your downloads are safe from bots.

Downloads by Country

With the help of the detailed viewer information given to its users through the plugin, users can gauge the popularity of their downloads across different countries. This, in turn, helps users to focus on specific viewers to improve their viewer’s experience.

Terms and Conditions

To their convenience, users can also add terms and conditions to their downloads, which viewers must abide by before downloading.

Addons and Extensions

Simple Download Monitor comes with several extensions. Here are some of the extensions to improve your user experience and functionality.

  • Squeeze Form Addon (Email Lock)
  • Hidden/Private Downloads Addon
  • Amazon S3 Integration
  • Email Notification on Download Addon
  • Allow Other File Types to be Uploaded

Last Thoughts

With all the essential features a developer would need, Simple Download Monitor is bound to be one of the most popular download managers for WordPress. The easy-to-use plugin has won our hearts by making it so simple to monitor, manage and track our downloads. Simple Download Monitor is undoubtedly one of the best widgets available, providing incredible customizability and the ability to track visitor information with a fantastic UI.

Try Simple Download Monitor Plugin Today!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links and we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, which helps us to keep delivering quality content to you. Here is our disclosure policy.

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Stats

Version
3.9.25
WordPress Version Required
5.5
WordPress Version Tested
6.6.2
Rating
4.6
Total Downloads
1.1M+
Last Updated
10/14/2024

Reviews (1)

August 6, 2018

Overall (4.5 out of 5)
Design & User Experience (5 out of 5)
Functionality & Integrations (5 out of 5)
Usability (4 out of 5)
Value For Money (5 out of 5)
Security and Performance (4 out of 5)
Support & Documentation (5 out of 5)
Updates & Compatibility (4 out of 5)
Thanks for introducing a feature rich plugin simple download monitor. The stats and security for downloads features are amazing

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Overview

Overall (4.5 out of 5)
Design & User Experience (5 out of 5)
Functionality & Integrations (5 out of 5)
Usability (4 out of 5)
Value For Money (5 out of 5)
Security and Performance (4 out of 5)
Support & Documentation (5 out of 5)
Updates & Compatibility (4 out of 5)

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Thanks for introducing a feature rich plugin simple download monitor. The stats and security for downloads features are amazingSimple Download Monitor Plugin Review