Secure Code Download System

Claude AI generated WordPress plugin to create unique codes and use them to download a file. One code per download.

Installation

1. Create Plugin File

Navigate to plugins directory cd /var/www/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/

Create plugin directory sudo mkdir secure-download-system cd secure-download-system

Create the plugin file sudo nano secure-download-system.php

2. Copy Plugin Code

Copy the entire plugin code from the .php file in the repo. Paste it into secure-download-system.php Save and exit.

3. Set Permissions

sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/secure-download-system
sudo chmod 755 /var/www/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/secure-download-system
sudo chmod 644 /var/www/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/secure-download-system/secure-download-system.php

4. Activate Plugin

Go to WordPress Admin → Plugins Find "Secure Code Download System" Click Activate

Setup download file

1. Create Secure Directory

cd /var/www/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/
sudo mkdir secure-files
cd secure-files

2. Add Security File

Create .htaccess to block direct access

echo "Deny from all" | sudo tee .htaccess

Set permissions sudo chmod 644 .htaccess

Upload your .zip file to the secure-files directory.

3. Set file permissions

sudo chmod 644 /var/www/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/secure-files/download.zip
sudo chown www-data:www-data /var/www/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/secure-files/download.zip

Implementation

Edit a page in Elementor and use the shortcode widget. The shortcode is [download_form]

Using the plugin

1. Access Admin Panel

Go to WordPress Admin → Download Codes (in left sidebar)

2. Verify Setup Checklist

Check that all items show ✅:

✅ Database table created
✅ Secure directory exists
✅ Download file exists (should show file size, e.g., "150 MB")
✅ Security file (.htaccess) exists

If any show ❌:

Use the "Reset Database Table" button in Danger Zone.

3. Generate Codes

Scroll to "⚙️ Generate Codes" section Enter number of codes (default: 500, max: 5000) Click "Generate Codes" Wait for confirmation: "Generated X codes!"

Codes are:

6 characters long (e.g., A3K7M9) Uppercase letters + numbers No confusing characters (0/O, 1/I removed) Unique and randomly generated

4. Export Codes

Scroll to "📥 Export Codes" section Click "Download Unused Codes (CSV)" CSV file downloads with format:

   Download Code
   A3K7M9
   P5W2Q8
   Z4H6R3

Behaviour

1. Single use - Each code can only be used by 1 person
2. 15-minute grace period - User can retry download 3 times within 15 minutes if it fails
3. IP-locked - Only the person who first used the code can retry
4. Attempts tracked - Maximum 3 download attempts per code

Customization

Style the Download Form

Option A: Use Plugin CSS Editor

1. Scroll to "🎨 Custom CSS Styling"
2. Edit CSS in the textarea
3. Click "Save Custom CSS"
4. Preview on your download page

Option B: Use Elementor CSS

1. Check ✅ "Disable plugin CSS"
2. Click "Save Custom CSS"
3. Style the form in Elementor's Custom CSS panel
4. No conflicts with plugin styles

CSS Classes Available:

.sds-download-form - Main container
.sds-download-form h3 - Heading
.sds-download-form input[type="text"] - Input field
.sds-download-form button - Submit button
.sds-message.error - Error messages
.sds-message.success - Success messages

Maintenance & Troubleshooting

Delete All Codes (Keep Table Structure)

1. Go to "⚠️ Danger Zone"
2. Click "🗑️ Delete All Codes"
3. Confirm the warning

All codes deleted, table structure intact
Generate new codes as needed

Reset Database (Fix Structure Issues)

1. Go to "⚠️ Danger Zone"
2. Click "🔄 Reset Database Table"
3. Confirm the warning

Table dropped and recreated with correct structure
All codes deleted - generate new ones

Use Reset When:

Table wasn't created during plugin activation
Upgrading from old plugin version
Database structure is corrupted
Getting persistent errors

Check File Setup

File path shown in setup checklist
File size displayed when detected
Must be named exactly: download.zip Must be in: /wp-content/uploads/secure-files/