How to Add Ebook Downloads in WordPress (Step by Step)

If you are looking for a way to collect leads and make money from your website, then creating and offering eBook downloads could be the answer.

We’ve experimented with a lot of different lead-generation strategies, and offering eBooks and other downloadable files has been consistently effective. That’s why we recommend it for any small business.

Luckily, WordPress makes it easy to upload your eBook files in PDF format and make them available for download. You can also sell your eBooks or use them to increase your subscribers.

In this article, we will show you how to add eBook downloads in WordPress, as well as how to make the most out of your eBooks.

We will cover a few different methods, so simply click the links below to jump to the section you need:

Method 1: Direct Ebook Downloads in WordPress Posts

With this method, you can offer your ebook as a free download using the WordPress File block. This block can even display your ebook’s content directly in the WordPress post or page. 

First, you need to edit the post or page where you want to add your ebook download. You can then find the spot where you want to display your ebook and click on the ‘+’ icon to add a new block.

In the popup that appears, type in ‘File’ to find the right block.

Once you click on the File block, it will add the block to your page.

In the File block, click on the ‘Media Library’ button, and a popup will appear.

You can now select your ebook file or drag and drop the file to upload it.

By default, the File block displays your ebook’s contents in a small PDF viewer.

It also has controls that visitors can use to scroll through your ebook, download the file, or even print your ebook.

Sometimes, you may not want to display a preview.

For example, your ebook may span lots of pages or have images that you want visitors to see fullscreen. 

If you don’t want to include a preview, then you can find the PDF settings in the right sidebar of the content editor. You can then click to expand this section and turn off the ‘Show inline embed’ slider. 

WordPress will now remove the preview and display only a Download button and a link. 

Visitors can download this file to their local computer by clicking on the blue ‘Download’ button or open this ebook in a new tab by clicking on the link.

If you prefer, you can remove the Download button. To remove it, first click on the ‘Download button settings’ section in the WordPress sidebar.

You can then click on the ‘Show download button’ slider to turn this setting off.

Without the download button, visitors can still download the file manually, but they would have to launch your ebook in a new tab first to find the download option.

As you are making changes to your File block, you can see how it will appear to visitors by clicking on the ‘Preview’ button at the top of the screen. 

Once you are happy with your File block, you may want to add more blocks. For example, you might write some supporting text or add a call-to-action button to encourage visitors to download your ebook.

When you are ready, don’t forget to make your changes live by clicking on the ‘Update’ or ‘Publish’ button at the top of the screen. 

That’s it! You have now successfully added your ebook download to a WordPress post. You can now visit your website to see it in action. 

Method 2: Use Ebook Downloads to Get More Subscribers

Uploading your ebook using the File block is an easy way to offer great content for free.

However, if you are using your ebook to grow your email list or capture leads, then you’ll want to make sure your visitors can’t access the ebook until they share their email addresses.

To set that up, you’ll need OptinMonster. It’s the best lead generation plugin for WordPress.

Using this plugin, you can create high-converting optin forms without hiring a developer. We use it on WPBeginner and have increased our conversions by over 600% with this plugin alone.

OptinMonster also comes with lots of ready-made templates that you can use to create high-converting popups. To learn more about it, see our OptinMonster review.

You can use these popups to ask visitors to perform an action before sending them to the ebook download. This marketing technique is sometimes referred to as offering lead magnets.

Basically, you offer free bonus content to your visitors in return for a small action like signing up to your mailing list.

It’s a win-win for both parties. You get a new lead or subscriber, and your users get a free ebook.

For detailed instructions, see our step-by-step guide on how to add content upgrades in WordPress.

Method 3: Sell Ebook Downloads in WordPress Using Easy Digital Downloads

There are lots of different ways to earn money from your WordPress website. One option is to sell digital products, such as ebooks.

To sell ebooks, you’ll need a plugin that lets you do this easily.

We recommend Easy Digital Downloads, which is one of the best eCommerce WordPress plugins. This beginner-friendly plugin makes it super easy to sell any type of digital product, including ebooks.

Several of our partner brands are currently using it to sell their plugins and have had a great experience with it. For details, see our Easy Digital Downloads review.

First, you’ll need to install and activate the Easy Digital Downloads plugin. You can follow our tutorial on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Upon activation, the first task is adding your ebook as a new product. To get started, head over to Downloads » Add New. 

On this page, type a name for your ebook into the ‘Enter download name here’ field. This will usually be the book’s title, but it can be anything that you want. 

Next, type a description for your ebook into the main section of the post editor. This could be a sales pitch that you’ve written to promote your book, or you might use the book’s blurb or summary.

To help visitors discover your ebook, you may want to create some categories and tags. You can add this information in the Download Categories and Download Tags sections.

After that, you need to scroll down to the Download Prices section.

Here, you can set a price for your ebook.

Easy Digital Downloads also supports variable pricing. You might use variable pricing to sell other products alongside your ebook.

For example, you could give customers the option to save money by preordering your next ebook at the same time.

If you want to offer variable pricing, then select the ‘Enable variable pricing’ checkbox. This adds a new section where you can set your different prices.

Next, you need to upload your downloadable file. This is the ebook that your customers will purchase.

To do this, scroll to the Download Files section.

In the File Name field, type a name for your downloadable file. You can then click on Upload a file.

This will launch the WordPress media library, where you can upload or select a book.

The final step is adding an eye-catching product image. This can help catch the visitor’s attention and encourage them to buy your ebook.

For ebooks, you’ll typically want to use the book’s front cover as your product image. You can easily create a professional-looking cover using web design software.

To add a product image, scroll to the Download Image section.

You can then click on the ‘Set Download Image’ link. This launches the WordPress media library.

After choosing an image, there are some more settings that you may want to explore. However, this is all you need to do in order to create a downloadable ebook.

To see how your ebook will appear on your website, you can click on the ‘Preview’ button. When you are ready to publish your product, simply click on the ‘Publish’ button.

By default, Easy Digital Downloads publishes your ebook as a new page. Your goal is to drive traffic to this webpage.

This might mean adding this product page to your website’s menu. You might also link to it from different areas of your website, such as a blog post or announcement bar.

To do this, you’ll need to know the product page’s URL. You’ll find this information just beneath the product’s title.

Another option is adding the product’s Purchase Shortcode to a page, post, or widget.

This code creates a Purchase button. 

Whenever a visitor clicks on this button, it’ll add the ebook to their shopping cart.

The Purchase button will then change to a Checkout button.

Clicking on this button will take the shopper to the Easy Digital Download checkout page. The Purchase Shortcode is a great way to encourage sales from any area of your website.

To add a Purchase button to any page, post, or widget, scroll to the ebook’s Download Settings section. You can then copy the Purchase Shortcode.

For more details on how to place the shortcode, you can see our guide on how to add a shortcode in WordPress.

Finally, for more information on how to sell ebooks with Easy Digital Downloads, just see our tutorial on how to create and sell ebooks in WordPress from start to finish.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add ebook downloads in WordPress. You may also want to see our tutorial on how to set up eCommerce tracking in WordPress and our list of easy side hustle ideas to make money online.

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