Setting up the Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) plugin

To set up the Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) plugin to sell a single PDF download, follow these steps:

1. Initial Setup

Since you’ve already installed the plugin and haven’t changed any settings, the first step is to configure a few essential options to start selling digital products.

2. Configuring General Settings

  1. Navigate to EDD Settings:
  • Go to your WordPress dashboard.
  • From the sidebar, go to Downloads > Settings.
  1. General Settings:
  • Currency: Make sure the currency is set to your preferred one under the General tab.
  • Payment Gateway: Under the Payment Gateways tab, select the payment methods you want to offer (PayPal, Stripe, etc.). If no payment gateways are set, EDD defaults to testing mode.
  1. Download Method:
  • Go to Downloads > Settings > Misc.
  • Scroll down to File Download Method and choose the method:
    • Forced Download is usually recommended to ensure secure delivery of the files.

3. Creating a Product (PDF Download)

  1. Add New Download:
  • Go to Downloads > Add New from the WordPress dashboard.
  • Title your product. For example, “Sample PDF Product.”
  • In the Main Content Area, you can add a description of the PDF download.
  1. Set the Price:
  • Scroll down to the Download Prices meta box.
  • Enter the price for your PDF in the Price field.
  1. Upload the PDF File:
  • Scroll down to the Download Files section.
  • Click Add New File.
  • In the File Name field, give your file a name (e.g., “Sample PDF”).
  • In the File URL field, upload your PDF file by clicking the upload button or paste the URL if the file is already hosted.
  1. Additional Information (Optional):
  • You can also set up download limits, and expiration times if needed under the Download Limits and Download Expiry sections.

4. Setting Up Payment Gateway

  1. Go to Downloads > Settings > Payment Gateways.
  • Choose your preferred payment gateway (like PayPal or Stripe).
  • Set the default gateway and enable others if needed.
  1. Configuring PayPal or Stripe:
  • For PayPal, enter your PayPal Email under the PayPal settings.
  • For Stripe, you’ll need to follow the instructions to connect your Stripe account.

5. Test Purchase (Optional)

Before making the product live, you can run a test purchase. Enable the “Test Payment Gateway” under Downloads > Settings > Payment Gateways and try purchasing the PDF to ensure everything works smoothly.

6. Displaying the Product on Your Site

  1. Shortcode for a Single Product:
  • You can display the purchase button for this product anywhere on your site using a shortcode. Use the following format:
    php

EXAMPLE: [download id=”123″]

Replace 123 with the actual ID of the product you created. The ID can be found in the Downloads list.

  1. Adding the Product to a Page:
  • You can create a new page or post and use the shortcode above to embed the product.
  1. Direct Link:
  • By default, the product will also have its own product page at a unique URL, such as yourwebsite.com/downloads/sample-pdf-product/.

7. Final Check and Go Live

Once you’re satisfied with the setup:

  1. Disable Test Payment Gateway: Disable the “Test Payment Gateway” if you enabled it.
  2. Make Product Live: Ensure the product is marked as Published.
  3. Check the Product Page: Visit the product page and ensure everything (pricing, purchase button, file download link) looks good.

Conclusion

Now, your single PDF download should be ready for purchase through Easy Digital Downloads. You can manage the product, track sales, and update settings through the EDD dashboard.

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