Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Download a File After Form Submission in WordPress Using a Plugin

If you're using a form on your WordPress website to collect information from your visitors, you may want to provide them with a downloadable file after they submit the form. This can help to provide additional value to your visitors and encourage them to continue engaging with your website.

In this article, we'll show you how to use a plugin to enable a file download after form submission in WordPress.

Step 1: Install and Activate Caldera Forms Plugin

The first step to setting up a download file after form submission in WordPress is to install and activate Caldera Forms plugin. This plugin is a popular form builder that allows you to create responsive, professional-looking forms in WordPress.

Once you've installed and activated Caldera Forms, you'll need to create a form that will capture the information you need from your visitors and trigger the download of the file after they submit the form.

Step 2: Create a PDF File to Download

Before you can set up the file download, you'll need to create the file you want your visitors to download. This can be a PDF document, an ebook, a whitepaper, or any other type of file that provides value to your visitors.

Once you've created the file, you'll need to upload it to your WordPress media library so that it can be easily accessed by your visitors.

Step 3: Create a Form that Triggers the File Download

Now that you have your form and your file ready, it's time to create a form that triggers the download of the file after submission.

To do this, you'll need to:

1. Open Caldera Forms plugin and create a new form.
2. Drag and drop the fields you want to include in your form onto the design canvas.
3. From the left-hand menu, select "Actions & Notifications."
4. Click "+ Add New Action" to add a new action to the form.
5. From the dropdown menu, select "Download File."
6. Enter the name of the file you want to download and the URL of the file. To add the URL, click the "Insert URL" button and select the file from your media library.
7. Save the action and publish the form.

Now, when a visitor submits the form, the file will be automatically downloaded to their device.

Conclusion

Providing a downloadable file after form submission is an effective way to add value to your visitors and encourage them to engage further with your website. With Caldera Forms plugin, it's easy to create a form that triggers the download of a file, making it simple to set up this feature on your WordPress website.