Gated Downloads – Lead Capture & Content Locker

Gated Downloads turns any download into a lead. Place a download button anywhere with a shortcode or block; when a visitor clicks it, an accessible pop-up form asks for their details. After they submit, the lead is saved to your site and the file is delivered.

In short, it requires a form submission before the file download — so you gate your downloads with lead capture and collect leads before the download, instead of giving files away to anonymous visitors.

Common use cases include ebooks, whitepapers, checklists, brochures, price lists, documents, media kits, and any other file you want to exchange for a contact.

Key features

• Gate unlimited downloads of any file type — PDF, Word, Excel, CSV, PowerPoint, ZIP, images, audio, video, and more (upload to the Media Library or link an external URL)
• No file? No problem — leave the file empty to use any form as a simple email opt-in / subscribe form (captures the email, then shows your success message or redirect)
• Content Locker — hide any part of a post or page behind the form with [tslgd_lock id="123"]your hidden content[/tslgd_lock]; the content is never present in the page source, unlocks instantly after submission, and stays unlocked for returning visitors
• Automatic placement — add a download button to every post (or only chosen post types and categories) from one setting, before or after the content, with an optional heading; any single post can opt out or offer a different file
• Per-form configuration — every gated file has its own unique shortcode, fields, messages, and notification
• Choose, reorder, and require fields per form — Name, Email, Phone, Company, Job Title, Website, Country (drag to reorder)
• Per-form success message, submit button text, and optional redirect URL after submit
• Lightweight, accessible pop-up form (focus-trapped, keyboard & screen-reader friendly)
• Configurable fields — show/hide and require each field independently
• User-defined categories to organize your files
• Brand colors — match the button, links, and modal header to your site
• Shortcode, Gutenberg block, and a native Elementor widget (with a copy-ready Shortcode column in the files list)
• Inline link trigger — [tslgd_link id="123"]any wording[/tslgd_link] turns a phrase or an existing link into the gate, when you don’t want a button
• Download counter — count real file deliveries and optionally show “Downloaded 1,204 times” as social proof
• Campaign tracking — every lead records its utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, utm_content and referring site, shown on the Leads screen and included in the CSV export
• Leads dashboard with CSV export
• Conversion analytics — see button views, form opens, leads, and the conversion rate for every gated file (privacy-friendly: daily counters only, no cookies, no personal data)
• Admin email notification on each new lead
• Automatic download email — each lead receives their download link by email (write your own subject & message with Pro)
• Built-in honeypot spam protection — invisible to visitors, zero setup (score-based reCAPTCHA v3 in Pro)
• GDPR-friendly: optional consent checkbox, data stays in your database, export/erase support
• Works with any theme — the modal renders at the page root, immune to theme layout conflicts
• Fully translatable (text domain: templatesell-gated-downloads)
• No external services, no tracking, no data sent anywhere

How to use

1. Go to Gated Downloads → Add New Gated File.
2. Upload a file (or paste an external file URL) and set the button label.
3. Optionally open the “Form Fields & Behavior” box to pick which fields this form asks for, reorder them, mark which are required, and set the success message, button text, or a redirect URL.
4. Copy the shortcode shown in the files list, for example [tslgd_download id="123"], and paste it into any post or page. The shorter [tslgd id="123"] does the same thing, as does the Gutenberg block.
5. To lock text instead of (or as well as) a file, wrap it in the lock shortcode: [tslgd_lock id="123"]This is only visible after submitting the form.[/tslgd_lock]. Optional attributes: message, hint, button, and teaser (a short blurred preview line).
6. Read the captured leads under Gated Downloads → Leads, and export them as CSV.

Gated Downloads Pro

A separate paid add-on, Gated Downloads Pro, is available from templatesell.net. It adds custom field types, email-marketing integrations (Mailchimp, Brevo), webhooks, autoresponders, protected and expiring download links, and reCAPTCHA v3 spam protection. The free plugin here is fully functional on its own and does not require the add-on.

Privacy

This plugin collects the information a visitor enters in the capture form (such as name, email address, and phone number) and stores it in your site’s database. This data is not transmitted to any third party. As the site owner you are responsible for disclosing this collection to your visitors in accordance with applicable laws (e.g. GDPR). The plugin registers WordPress personal-data exporter and eraser hooks so you can fulfill data requests.

Campaign attribution (utm_* parameters and the referring site) is read from the visitor’s own URL and browser and held in their browser’s session storage until they submit a form; it is then stored with their lead in your database. No identifier is created, nothing is shared with any third party, and the data disappears when the visitor closes the tab without submitting.

If you use the Content Locker, a functional first-party cookie (tslgd_unlock_{id}) is set in the visitor’s browser after they submit the form, so previously unlocked content stays visible on return visits. It contains only an anonymous signed token — no personal data — and expires after 30 days.