Titanium Secure Downloads Tutorials

10 practical ways to manage downloads and redirects with clear, beginner-friendly control.

These step-by-step tutorials explain how to create a download or redirect, place a button without exposing the original destination on hover, design it, show useful file details, import old items and create a backup. The final guides show how Pro adds passwords, named users, Cloudflare Turnstile, Terms & Conditions, membership rules, reusable designs, Elementor wrapper links, Activity and searchable Download History.

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Hidden destination URLs
Button Studio
Safe migration tools
Pro access controls

Step-by-step download and redirect tutorials.

Start with one public item and a simple button. Add design, migration or access controls only when the website actually needs them. Each guide explains what to enter, what visitors will see and what should be tested before using the item on a live page.

FreeGetting Started

How to create your first secure download or redirect item

A Titanium item stores the real destination in WordPress and gives you one managed action to place on the site. The action can start a file download or send the visitor to another page. You do not need to edit code or build a special download page.

Create the item step by step

Install and activate Titanium Secure Downloads & Link Redirects.
Open Titanium Downloads in the WordPress admin and choose Add New.
Enter an Item name that helps administrators recognise the download. Visitors do not need to see this internal name.
Choose Download File when the destination is a file, or Redirect to URL when the visitor should open another page or website.
Paste the destination URL. For a local file, use a file inside the WordPress uploads directory.
Save the item. Titanium creates the public endpoint and shortcode for you.

FreeShortcode

How to add a Titanium button without showing the real destination on hover

The built-in Titanium shortcode renders a real button without putting the original file or redirect URL into an href attribute. When a visitor hovers over it, the browser does not show the real destination in the status bar.

Place the button on a page

Open the item and copy its generated shortcode, or copy it from the Titanium Downloads list.
Edit the WordPress page or post where the button should appear.
Add a Shortcode block and paste the Titanium shortcode into it.
In Elementor or another compatible builder, use a Shortcode element or widget and paste the same shortcode.
Update the page, open it in a private browser window and click the button.
Hover over the button before clicking. The original destination should not appear in the browser status bar.

Shortcode or public endpoint?

Use the Titanium shortcode when hiding the destination on hover is important.
Every item also has a titanium.download public endpoint for use in another button or link tool.
A normal link that uses the public endpoint can be visible on hover, even though the original destination remains server-side.
The destination is hidden from the page HTML, but the visitor’s browser still connects to it after the click.
Clear page or builder cache after replacing an old button or shortcode.

Important: Hidden does not mean encrypted or copy-protected. A visitor who successfully downloads a file can still keep and share that file. Titanium controls the click and destination, not what happens to the file afterwards.

FreeButton Studio

How to design the button and show useful file details below it

Each item includes Button Studio with a live preview. You can change the label, size, spacing, colours, icon, border, corner shape, shadow, hover effect and animation without writing CSS. Optional details can appear in a compact block below the button.

Build a clear button

Open the item and scroll to Button Studio.
Start with a solid, outline or minimal template, then change the button text to a clear action such as Download Map or Open Documentation.
Adjust width, height, padding, typography, icon, colours, borders, corners, shadows and hover styling while watching the live preview.
In Statistics & item details, enable only the details visitors need: download count, file size, version or published date.
Set the details width, text alignment, compact grid or stacked layout, and the label and value font sizes.
Save the item and check the real page on desktop and mobile.

FreeFiles & Cloud Links

How to use local files and Dropbox, Google Drive or other sharing links

Titanium can deliver permitted files from the WordPress uploads directory or redirect visitors to an external file provider. Supported sharing links are converted locally into a more suitable direct-download destination when the item is saved.

Add and test the destination

For a local file, upload it through the WordPress Media Library or place it inside the normal WordPress uploads directory.
For a cloud file, copy the sharing link from Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket or Pixeldrain.
Paste the URL into a Download File item and save it. Titanium normalises supported sharing-link formats automatically.
Open the public page in a logged-out browser and start the download.
Confirm that the correct file name, file content and destination are used.
Use HTTPS on the live website so browsers do not treat the download chain as insecure.

What Titanium does and does not do

Sharing-link normalisation happens inside WordPress; the saved URL is not sent to the provider for validation.
Local-file delivery is limited to permitted files inside the WordPress uploads directory.
External files are delivered by the external provider after the controlled Titanium action.
If an external provider changes or expires its sharing URL, update the item destination.
A browser can block or warn about downloads that start from an insecure HTTP page, even when the final file host uses HTTPS.

Testing tip: A successful click is not enough. Open the downloaded file and confirm that it is the expected file, especially after changing a cloud sharing link.

FreeItem Management

How to organise items, public identifiers, counts and Trash

The item list is the main control centre for your downloads and redirects. You can keep public identifiers readable or difficult to guess, use statuses, move old items to Trash, restore them later and perform common actions in bulk.

Keep the item list organised

Open Titanium Downloads and review the item name, action type, shortcode and status columns.
Use a readable public identifier when the endpoint should be easy to recognise, or generate a random identifier when predictability is not useful.
Change the item status instead of deleting an item when it may be needed again.
Use bulk actions for repeated status or Trash work instead of opening items one by one.
Restore an item from Trash when it was removed by mistake, or delete it permanently only when it is no longer referenced anywhere.
Use the Statistics section to view the recorded total and apply a positive or negative display offset when importing or correcting a visible count.

Avoid broken buttons

Do not change a public identifier without checking where its endpoint is used.
A shortcode continues to point to the item by its internal ID, while external links may depend on the public endpoint.
Moving an item to Trash can stop its public action, so test pages that still contain the shortcode.
A count offset changes only what visitors see; it does not create or remove real history records.
Use permanent deletion only after confirming the item is not used in a page, menu, email or external website.

Good practice: Trash is safer than immediate permanent deletion. It gives you a simple recovery path when an old button is still being used somewhere you forgot to check.

FreeImport & BackupSafe Move

How to import old download items and create a restorable backup

Titanium includes resumable import tools for Simple Download Monitor and Download Monitor. The source data is not deleted. Restricted or uncertain source items are held for review instead of being silently made public. JSON backup and restore covers Titanium-owned data.

Move existing items safely

Create a normal website backup before changing a live download system.
Open Titanium Downloads → Tools and choose the detected Simple Download Monitor or Download Monitor source.
Start the import and allow it to continue in batches. You can cancel or resume a supported run if needed.
Review every item placed in the restricted or uncertain review queue. Do not approve it until you understand the original protection.
Test imported items while the source plugin is still available, then deactivate the source plugin only when the handover is ready.
Export a Titanium JSON backup after the final review. Use Add mode to add missing data or Replace mode only when you intentionally want the backup to replace Titanium-owned data.

Important migration rules

The import does not delete source posts, metadata, tables or plugin files.
Draft, private, password, membership, CAPTCHA, terms or uncertain source items fail closed for administrator review.
Detailed visitor logs are not imported; supported aggregate counts and item metadata are preserved where available.
Legacy direct-link compatibility is disabled by default and should be enabled only during a controlled transition.
Legacy shortcode fallback can render a Titanium button after the source plugin is inactive.

Migration tip: Do not deactivate the old plugin immediately after the import finishes. First test representative public and restricted items, then switch over in a planned maintenance window.

ProPassword & Verification

How to protect one item with a password, selected users, Turnstile or Terms

Pro adds separate protection panels to every item. You can require one shared password, allow only selected WordPress users, ask Cloudflare Turnstile to check the visitor, or require acceptance of item-specific Terms & Conditions before the action starts.

Enable only the protection you need

Open the Pro item and find the protection cards below the main item settings.
For Password Protection, enable the card, enter a new password and save. Later, leave the field blank to keep the stored password.
For Specific Users, enable the card and select the WordPress accounts that are allowed to use the item.
For Cloudflare Turnstile, first add the site key and secret key under Titanium Downloads → Settings → Cloudflare Turnstile, then enable Turnstile on the item.
For Terms & Conditions, enable the card and write the heading, text and agreement label visitors must accept.
Test the item while logged out, with an allowed user and with a user who should be rejected.

Protection advice for beginners

The saved password is stored as a one-way hash and cannot be shown again in plain text.
Specific Users is for named WordPress accounts, not membership levels.
Turnstile requires valid Cloudflare keys for the same website domain.
Terms acceptance controls the action but does not replace a professionally written legal agreement.
Use the simplest protection that meets the real requirement; unnecessary checks make downloads harder for legitimate visitors.

Local testing: Use HTTPS when testing browser downloads whenever possible. HTTP development sites can trigger browser warnings or incomplete finalisation in external download chains even when the final provider is secure.

ProConditional AccessMemberships

How to allow downloads by login, role or membership plan

Conditional Access is the Pro rule builder for visitor-based decisions. Conditions inside one group use AND, which means they must all match. Separate groups use OR, which means any complete group can allow access.

Build a rule you can explain

Open the item, enable Conditional Access and create the first rule group.
Choose a condition such as logged-in status, WordPress role or a supported membership plan.
Add another condition to the same group only when both must be true, for example Logged in AND Gold membership.
Create a second group when another complete route should also be allowed, for example Administrator OR Gold membership.
Choose what happens when the visitor does not qualify: hide the shortcode, show a message, offer an alternative download or show an alternative redirect button.
Save and test every expected visitor type, including a logged-out user and a user who should not qualify.

ProTemplates & Elementor

How to reuse button designs and make an Elementor element clickable

Pro can save complete Button Studio designs as Global Button Templates. It also adds an Elementor Wrapper Link field to supported containers, sections, columns and widgets so a larger visual area can open a Titanium-managed endpoint.

Reuse a design and add a wrapper link

Open Titanium Downloads → Settings → Global Button Templates and create a clearly named design.
Configure the complete Button Studio appearance and save the template.
Open an item, choose the saved template and load it into the item. The design is copied, so later item changes remain independent.
For Elementor, copy the item’s titanium.download endpoint.
Edit the Elementor container, section, column or widget, open its Wrapper Link section and paste the endpoint into the Link field.
Update the page and test mouse click, keyboard focus and opening in a new tab when that option is enabled.

Use wrapper links carefully

Name templates by purpose, such as Primary Download Button or Small Document Button.
Loading a template copies the design; it does not permanently link the item to future template edits.
Do not put interactive buttons or form controls inside a large clickable wrapper unless you test the result carefully.
The Elementor Link field can also normalise supported direct-download sharing URLs.
A normal wrapper link can show its Titanium endpoint on hover; use the built-in shortcode button when no hover URL is preferred.

Accessibility tip: A clickable Elementor wrapper should still have clear visible text explaining where it goes. Do not rely only on a background image or colour change.

ProActivity & LogsPrivacy

How to use Activity, Download History and retention without keeping data forever

Pro adds rolling statistics and searchable successful-action logs. Activity shows totals for recent periods and counts alternative actions separately. The item page shows its own history, while Tools → Download Logs provides the global log and privacy controls.

Investigate a download or redirect

Open the item and review Activity: Total, Alternative actions, Last year, Last 90 days, Last 30 days, Last 7 days and Last 24 hours.
Use the item Download History at the bottom of the page to review that item in pages of 50 records.
Open Titanium Downloads → Tools → Download Logs to search and filter activity across all items.
Compare the action type, time, item, account, request and destination evidence before deciding what happened.
Choose a retention period of 30, 90, 180 or 365 days, or use unlimited retention only when the site has a clear reason.
Run manual cleanup when needed and describe the enabled logging in the website privacy policy.

Understand the counters

Total includes successful normal and alternative actions.
Alternative actions shows the successful alternative downloads and redirects separately.
Failed passwords, failed Turnstile checks and simple access denials are not counted as successful actions.
Disabling Download history logging keeps the aggregate Total increasing but stops new detailed history and rolling Activity records for that item.
Registered-user logs support the WordPress personal-data exporter and eraser.
Logs can contain personal or technical evidence, so access should be limited to trusted administrators.

Privacy tip: The default retention period is 90 days. Keep data only as long as it is genuinely useful for support, abuse investigation or reporting.

Start with one item, one destination and one clearly labelled button.

Free covers unlimited public downloads and redirects, hidden destination buttons, Button Studio, optional file details, cloud-link normalisation, safe migration, backup and aggregate totals. Pro adds access rules, membership integrations, passwords, named users, Turnstile, Terms, reusable templates, Elementor wrapper links and detailed Activity.

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Need controlled access and detailed activity?

Use Titanium Secure Downloads Pro when the website needs login, role or membership rules, named users, password protection, Cloudflare Turnstile, Terms & Conditions, alternative denied-access actions, reusable button templates, Elementor wrapper links and searchable Download History.

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