Written by Admin on 2025-05-06

How to Email Lock a Download in WordPress

Email locking a download allows you to offer a free resource to your website visitors in exchange for their email address. This can be a great way to build your email list and grow your online community. In this article, we'll discuss how to email lock a download in WordPress using the plugin WPForms.

Step 1: Install and activate WPForms

The first step is to install and activate the WPForms plugin on your WordPress site. WPForms is a powerful plugin that allows you to create all kinds of forms, including email opt-in forms. You can find the plugin by going to Plugins > Add New and searching for 'WPForms'.

Step 2: Create an email opt-in form

Once you have WPForms installed and activated, you can create an email opt-in form for your download. To do this, go to WPForms > Add New in your WordPress dashboard. Choose the 'Newsletter Signup Form' template and give your form a name.

Next, customize the form by adding the fields you want to capture from your visitors. Typically, you will want to capture their name and email address. You can also customize the form by adding your own branding, such as your logo or a background image.

Step 3: Create a download page

After you have created your email opt-in form, you'll need to create a download page where visitors can access your free resource. You can create a new page by going to Pages > Add New and giving it a name, such as 'Free Resource Download'.

On the page, you'll need to add a button or link that visitors can click to download the resource. You can do this by using the WordPress block editor or by adding HTML code. For example, you could add the following code:

<a href="https://example.com/download.pdf" class="btn btn-primary">Download Now</a>

Replace 'https://example.com/download.pdf' with the URL of your download file. You can also customize the button text and style by editing the class.

Step 4: Email lock the download

Now comes the email locking part. To email lock your download, you'll need to integrate your email opt-in form with your download page. You can do this in WPForms by going to Settings > Email Marketing and selecting your email service provider. This will allow you to automatically add new subscribers to your email list.

Next, go to Pages > All Pages and find your download page. Click the 'Edit' button to open the page in the WordPress editor. At the top of the editor, click the 'Add WPForms' button and select your email opt-in form.

Now, visitors will need to enter their name and email address in order to access your free resource. Once they submit the form, they will be redirected to the download page where they can download the file.

Conclusion

Email locking a download can be a powerful way to grow your email list and promote your brand. By following these steps, you can easily email lock your download in WordPress using WPForms. With a little creativity, you can create a compelling free resource that will attract visitors to your site and help you achieve your marketing goals.