Home / Plugins / Smart Download Redirector

Freev1.0.1 · updated Jun 24, 2026 · GPL · no Pro version

Smart Download Redirector for WordPress

A branded countdown page for external download links. Files on Dropbox, Google Drive or a CDN open on your domain first, with your wording, your colors and a manual link when the timer hits zero.

A bare share link becomes a page on your domain: heading, countdown, destination, manual link. Ten seconds that belong to you.

Download free — wordpress.org How it works ↓

1.0.1current version

7.0.4tested up to WP

GPLfree, no Pro version

A visitor clicks your manual, your price list, your installer, and lands on Dropbox or Google Drive. The visit ends there, and the raw link is what gets shared in forums for years. Smart Download Redirector puts a stop on your own domain in between: a countdown page you design, with the destination checked against your domain list, rate-limited and safe to cache.

Installs, version and the WordPress version it was tested with are read live from the wordpress.org plugin directory. Version 1.0.1 made the links cache-safe with stable signed tokens. Everything on this page is in the free plugin: domain targeting, the 1 to 60 second timer, three layouts, styling, rate limiting. There is no Pro version and there will not be one.

What it does

Routes every link to the domains you list through a countdown page on your site. Timer, layout, wording and colors are yours; the destination is validated and rate-limited.

Who it’s for

Sites that hand out files hosted elsewhere: software and digital products, course materials, manuals and data sheets, agency deliverables.

What it does NOT do

No file protection, no hidden URLs, no analytics, no tracking. The destination stays readable on the page; confidential files need real authentication.

See the countdown page

The three layouts from the settings, live.

yoursite.com/download/

Your download starts in

Manual · PDF · 4.2 MB. Meanwhile: the quick-start guide is one click away.

destinationdropbox.com/s/x7q9…/manual.pdf

Continue to download →

If nothing happens, use the link above. Limited to 50 downloads per hour.

A live demo, not a screenshot: the ring counts down, the manual link appears at zero, and the chips switch between the plugin’s three layouts. Everything you see is a setting.

Features

Everything it does

Domain-based targeting

List the file hosts, one per line. Every link on your site pointing there routes through the countdown page; every other link stays untouched.

Countdown from 1 to 60 seconds

Separate delays for the countdown and the redirect. Ten seconds with something worth reading on the page is the sweet spot.

Three layouts

Standard with a centered ring, Compact with text left and counter right, or a horizontal progress bar instead of the ring.

Your wording

Heading and manual-link text are yours to write, translatable and WPML-ready.

Manual link safety net

When the timer reaches zero a plain link appears, so a blocked redirect never strands anyone.

Styling per element

Color, size and border for heading, ring and number, container, manual link and destination box. Native WordPress color picker.

Rate limiting

Cap a visitor at 10, 50, 100 or 500 downloads per 15 minutes, hour or day. Presets for small and busy sites.

Cache-friendly signed links

Stable HMAC tokens instead of WordPress nonces: links do not expire and survive full-page caching.

Security headers and validation

Protective headers on the countdown request; every destination is checked against your domain list before any redirect.

Clean uninstall

Two reset buttons restore the defaults; uninstalling removes every option and transient.

Who uses it

Software & digital products

Installers and archives that live on a CDN or a file host, but should still feel like they come from you.

Courses & memberships

Worksheets and slide decks stored outside WordPress. The countdown page is the moment to point at the next lesson.

Manuals & data sheets

Instructions and spec sheets that get linked from forums for years. The link keeps leading to your page, not to a bare file.

Agencies

Assets handed over from external storage, wrapped in a branded page rather than a share link with someone else's logo on it.

Set up in three steps

Install

Plugins → Add New → search "Smart Download Redirector" → Install → Activate. Or download the ZIP from wordpress.org.

Create the countdown page

Add a page, drop in the shortcode [smartdr_download_countdown], write whatever should sit above and below it: the next lesson, a newsletter form, a thank-you.

List your file hosts

Settings → Download Redirector: domains, timer, layout, colors. Existing links to those hosts start routing through your page. Nothing to rewrite.

Free forever, and why

There is no Pro version and there will not be one. Every feature ships in the plugin on wordpress.org, the settings have no locked tabs, and nothing in your admin asks you to upgrade. It is funded by the paid desk9 plugins and themes.

What that means for you: what you install today is the whole product. New features land in the free plugin. If it saves you time, a review on wordpress.org or a look at the other desk9 products is the best way to give something back.

Say thanksRate it on wordpress.org →

Need somethingAsk in the support forum →

Screenshots

screenshot — replace me (grayscale)

Fig. 1 — General settings: target domains, heading and manual-link text, layout, countdown timer.

screenshot — replace me (grayscale)

Fig. 2 — Styling: heading, countdown number and ring, container background and border.

screenshot — replace me (grayscale)

Fig. 3 — Styling: the manual redirect link with hover color, and the destination URL box.

screenshot — replace me (grayscale)

Fig. 4 — The countdown page as visitors see it, Standard layout.

All screenshots from the current version, unedited, grayscale per store convention.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to change my existing links?

No. Links pointing to a listed domain are rewritten on output. Old posts, menus and widgets start routing through the countdown page the moment you save the domain list.

How long can the countdown be?

Anything from 1 to 60 seconds, with a separate delay for the redirect itself. Ten seconds with something worth reading on the page is common; sixty seconds of empty screen teaches people to look for a mirror.

Which links are redirected?

Only links whose destination is on your domain list. Internal links and every other external link stay exactly as they are.

Can I put my own content on the countdown page?

Yes. The countdown is a shortcode on an ordinary page. Forms, products, the next lesson or a plain thank-you can sit above and below it.

Does it work with caching plugins?

Yes, since 1.0.1. Links carry a stable signed token instead of a WordPress nonce, so a cached page never hands out an expired link.

What does rate limiting do?

It caps how many countdown pages one visitor can request per 15 minutes, hour or day. Presets of 10, 50, 100 or 500 cover small and busy sites.

Does it protect my files?

No. The destination stays readable on the page; anyone who wants the raw URL can read it. Routing discourages hotlinking and rate limiting blunts abuse. Confidential files need real authentication.

What if the redirect fails?

When the countdown reaches zero a manual link appears. Blocked JavaScript or an aggressive browser never strands the visitor.

Is there a Pro version?

No, and there will not be one. Everything this plugin does is in the free version on wordpress.org. There are no locked settings and no upgrade notices.

How is it funded?

By the paid desk9 plugins and themes. This plugin stays free; reviews and word of mouth keep it maintained.

Changelog & roadmap

No releases published yet.

Free forever. No Pro, no nag screens.

Maintained monthly, funded by the paid desk9 products.

Download free All desk9 plugins →

At a glance

Version1.0.1

Last updateJun 24, 2026

Requires WP6.8+

Tested up to7.0.4

PHP7.4+

LicenseGPL

Why it is free

This plugin is funded by the paid desk9 plugins and themes. If it saves you time, a review on wordpress.org is the best way to say thanks.

All desk9 plugins →
All Access →