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How do you protect your Download Page?

by Kwerk
49 replies
If you're selling an information product (eBook and/or package of videos) on ClickBank or with another shopping cart method, as I understand it the customer buys the product and then is redirected to a Download Page on your own site to grab the product. How do you protect this page from being easily navigated to by people looking for your product without paying for it, and from being indexed by search engines? You can give the site's subdirectory that contains the Download Page a name that is not guessable, sure, but what else can be done?
#download #page #protect
  • Profile picture of the author BacklinkExcellence
    1.) Make sure your download page isn't being mentioned in your sitemap, in case you have one
    2.) Block search engines from accessing your download page via the robots.txt file
    3.) Use something like DigitalAccessPass or E-Junkie that creates dynamical download pages (a unique page for every buyer which expires within the time frame you specify)
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  • Profile picture of the author Brian Lett
    You might want to check out Download Guard. It creates a temporary path for the download, which enables you to limit both the amount of time that the customer has to download your product, and the number of times they may download. Once the time elapses, and the number of uploads has reached quota, the link no longer is active.

    Moreover, it works as a shopping cart for your products, working with the most popular payment processors. You products are unlimited, and there is only a one-time fee for downloading the software.

    Just search "Download Guard" in the search engines, and you will find the website.

    Last but not least, the customer services is outstanding. The creator really stands behind his product.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kwerk
    Thanks for the excellent advice, both of you!
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  • Profile picture of the author jeremysteam
    Originally Posted by Kwerk View Post

    If you're selling an information product (eBook and/or package of videos) on ClickBank or with another shopping cart method, as I understand it the customer buys the product and then is redirected to a Download Page on your own site to grab the product. How do you protect this page from being easily navigated to by people looking for your product without paying for it, and from being indexed by search engines? You can give the site's subdirectory that contains the Download Page a name that is not guessable, sure, but what else can be done?

    This is the Number 1 Way to protect it...

    Have the product hosted on a totally different domain than the one you are trying to sell it on.

    So if your sells letter is on Informationmoneynow.com
    After they buy it redirects them to the download page which is on

    Makemoneyfromhomeinfo.com/download or something like that.

    Just from site searches is how people steal products, beware
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    • Profile picture of the author vkdjk
      This is what i did for my vendor product Get Rid of Tattoo Naturally | How to Remove Unwanted Tattoo Using Natural Products, I hosted the download page in a completely different website with no index tags, also i added a php code before the html tag that request the following data from clickbank server such as cb receipt, time, item etc..

      This thread from digital point helped me in setting up the Thank you page
      Protect Your Thank You or Download Page [for Vendors]

      This way even if someone has a direct download page link, the php script redirects to anyurlyou want (i redirect to local host 127.0.0.1) when the cb receipt, time, item and cb pop are incorrect
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    • Profile picture of the author paulie888
      Originally Posted by jeremysteam View Post

      This is the Number 1 Way to protect it...

      Have the product hosted on a totally different domain than the one you are trying to sell it on.

      So if your sells letter is on Informationmoneynow.com
      After they buy it redirects them to the download page which is on

      Makemoneyfromhomeinfo.com/download or something like that.

      Just from site searches is how people steal products, beware
      While this may reduce the chances of people searching for and discovering the product on your domain, this does not really do anything to prevent them from sharing your download link. Implementing the strategy outlined above sounds like doing extra work for very little (if any) benefit.
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    • Profile picture of the author John Romaine
      Originally Posted by jeremysteam View Post

      This is the Number 1 Way to protect it...

      Have the product hosted on a totally different domain than the one you are trying to sell it on.

      So if your sells letter is on Informationmoneynow.com
      After they buy it redirects them to the download page which is on

      Makemoneyfromhomeinfo.com/download or something like that.

      Just from site searches is how people steal products, beware
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  • Profile picture of the author Jake Gray
    I use E-Junkie.

    Probably would suite you best.
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  • Profile picture of the author WillR
    Originally Posted by jeremysteam View Post

    This is the Number 1 Way to protect it...

    Have the product hosted on a totally different domain than the one you are trying to sell it on.
    Originally Posted by vkdjk View Post

    I hosted the download page in a completely different website with no index tags, also i added a php code before the html tag that request the following data from clickbank server such as cb receipt, time, item etc
    Whatever you do, don't listen to the horrible advice listed above.

    There is no point going through all the steps of hosting them on different domains, etc. That is still not going to stop people sharing those download pages around forums and things like that. The only way to properly secure your page is to use something like DLGuard
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    • Profile picture of the author vkdjk
      Originally Posted by WillR View Post

      Whatever you do, don't listen to the horrible advice listed above.

      There is no point going through all the steps of hosting them on different domains, etc. That is still not going to stop people sharing those download pages around forums and things like that. The only way to properly secure your page is to use something like DLGuard

      If only you'd like spend $147 on DL Guard, else please read

      Protecting Your Product
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      • Profile picture of the author WillR
        Originally Posted by vkdjk View Post

        If only you'd like spend $147 on DL Guard, else please read

        Protecting Your Product
        People can still get around that stuff very easily. If you aren't prepared to pay money to secure your product properly from download thief's then you can't be too concerned about it. It's just a cost of business. You can afford it if your product is selling.
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        • Profile picture of the author jeremysteam
          I've Personally found sites dedicated to hosting paid products on the net. The only ones they have trouble with is finding the download links when they are not on the same domain.

          Besides, all it takes is for a certain group of people to pitch $10 each to get the product and then post it all of the internet for other people.

          It happens all the time. There is no real way to protect your products my friend. Even with DLguard or any other protected type of software or service
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike McAleer
    I use UploadNSell.com which is pretty good. It gives the user 24 hours to download from there and then it is gone.
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  • Profile picture of the author jikanv
    Well, most people that search for downloads on your site are using site:yourdomain.com or whatever extension. If you don't include the file in the sitemap and in the navigation this method will not find it.
    Since they have no idea of what file name you are using and even if they do and type in the domain and file name -site:yourdomain.com/filename.pdf they'll get a broken link msg.

    Pretty simple and effective. ftp will not bring it up either 'cause your ftp is password protected.
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  • Profile picture of the author galadhari
    Here's a $5 service to protect your CB product

    fiverr.com/users/affinity1/gigs/secure-and-protect-your-clickbank-download-link-and-thank-you-page
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  • Profile picture of the author Scott Skinner
    DL Guard, hands down
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  • Profile picture of the author Nickolie0990
    from my own experience all the protection on the world isn't going to stop the pirates from uploading your stuff. Now I don't want you to think there isn't anything to be done about it.

    Take the advice of all the other posters, they are posting good stuff. But the truth is people are going to purchase your stuff, then ask for a refund, just to upload your stuff on file sharing sites.

    How can you protect against that...?

    Mark
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  • Profile picture of the author Jody_W
    I want to preface this by saying that I haven't tried this, but I saved the link because it looks interesting. This plugin works with paypal and imprints the buyers name and paypal email addy on the ebook. It won't protect your download page, but it will discourage sharing.

    WP PDF Stamper Plugin | Tips and Tricks
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    • Profile picture of the author Deji
      Originally Posted by Jody_W View Post

      I want to preface this by saying that I haven't tried this, but I saved the link because it looks interesting. This plugin works with paypal and imprints the buyers name and paypal email addy on the ebook. It won't protect your download page, but it will discourage sharing.

      WP PDF Stamper Plugin | Tips and Tricks
      That's very easy to bypass. All the buyer has to do is convert the PDF or whtever format the document is in to a Microsoft Word file and take out the buyer name and Paypal email address which can be done in several ways. DL Guard is good but really only creates self-expiring links, amongst other security features that it has. What happens if someone actually decides to pass the file around after downloading it through DL Guard?
      In the long run, there is no such thing as 100% security. Granted, not everybody knows how to get around such security features, there are those that do.
      Implement what you can and don't fuss about what you can't do anything about. Except of course if you want to be suing people for illegal sharing and downloading of your products frequently.
      All the best!
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  • Profile picture of the author Trieu
    DLguard is a good one to use. It also has lots of great fearures as well, such as the integration with Aweber which allows buyers to add to email list after purchase without the need of optin in.
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  • Profile picture of the author Mike Adams
    Download Guard Hands down!
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  • Profile picture of the author craigmo
    I am just getting started with clickbank myself and I asked them this question. They offered a suggestion for protecting the page from being indexed by search engines:

    The following HTML code inside your <HEAD> element of a page should prevent a robot from indexing that page or following links on that page: <META name="robots" content="noindex, nofollow">

    I haven't tried it or know if it works, but anyway there it is. Hope it helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dwight Anthony
    Easy, use DLGuard. Excellent product
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  • Profile picture of the author lwills
    Hi,

    I've been looking into ways to protect my ebook downloads and have come to the conclusion that purchasing software is the best way. DLGuard is obviously a popular option on these forums and seems extremely good.

    I have also come across PDF Marker, it does not look as professional as DLGuard but is a 1/3rd of the price and allows you to watermark individual downloads. Has anyone used PDF Marker? What are your thoughts?

    Thanks in advice.
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  • Profile picture of the author CyberSorcerer
    While all the above options are good. THEY DON'T WORK!

    There ARE ways around all of them. The person the mentioned Google actually didn't cover all the commands that a hacker would use to search a directory.

    There is also software they will find this and I could go on with other ways. But the fact of the matter is you're not going to stop it. It's the same with serial keys for software. You're not going to stop people from reverse engineering and cracking it. Just isn't going to happen.

    I am speaking from about 20 years of security experience too.
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  • Profile picture of the author Christophe Young
    While all the above options are good. THEY DON'T WORK!
    That's missing the point.

    The idea is to discourage the average customer from stealing or sharing your products. Not to stop the world's best hackers from doing the same.
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    • Profile picture of the author Graphix Marketing
      Download guard seems to be the best at the moment, but why beat yourself up over this, most people are honest believe it or not, so its just a fact of life that if your work is worth pinching, there are going to be some people who will oblige. All you can do is make it a little difficult for them, why not put some viral links in there so that at least you might benefit from it.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ben Gordon
    For me, I use several techniques.

    First off, the member's area/download page is blocked. You need a username and password to get in.

    I have an IPN script that generates a random username and password and emails the customer the username and password. Then, the customer logs in, and they have the option to change their username and password to something they prefer. Next, they are taken to the download page/member's area which they can access at all times via their login .

    Hope that helps,
    Ben
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    • Profile picture of the author Istvan Horvath
      Originally Posted by Ben Gordon View Post

      Hope that helps,
      Ben
      Not really, sorry.

      You mention a "members' area" but we don't know what script/program is used for the membership.

      You mention a script but we don't know whether it's something written by/for you; something that can be purchased or... ?

      It is OK if you don't want to mention or reveal the technical background of what you do; I can understand that. However, making vague references to scripts that we don't have access to - didn't help much.
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  • Profile picture of the author digitalmoolah
    I agree. Host your files somewhere else. I can suggest fileburst Their plan starts at five dollars a month. Very cheap and good service. I am not affiliated with them. I used them in the past and they worked great for me.
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  • Profile picture of the author GuardianAngel78
    For Wordpress pages i use a simple Plugin, works perfect with Clickbank.

    You find on wp-download-protect.com
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Tracey
    I have to agree with those recommending Down Load Guard.

    It protects you from people sharing your download link, something more prevalent than people uploading your product to a pirate sight (or so I believe)

    Additionally Sam Stephens the product creator provides exceptional after sales service
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Thompson
    Guys - here is a tutorial that explains a lot of the most COMMON way to protect your digital downloads and automate the delivery.

    http://OutsourceFactor.com/digitaldownloads
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  • Profile picture of the author abhijitpani
    I recommend DL guard as well.
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    • Profile picture of the author Jill Carpenter
      Originally Posted by Jody_W View Post

      I want to preface this by saying that I haven't tried this, but I saved the link because it looks interesting. This plugin works with paypal and imprints the buyers name and paypal email addy on the ebook. It won't protect your download page, but it will discourage sharing.

      WP PDF Stamper Plugin | Tips and Tricks
      That is a nice little plugin!

      Originally Posted by CyberSorcerer View Post

      While all the above options are good. THEY DON'T WORK!

      There ARE ways around all of them. The person the mentioned Google actually didn't cover all the commands that a hacker would use to search a directory.

      There is also software they will find this and I could go on with other ways. But the fact of the matter is you're not going to stop it. It's the same with serial keys for software. You're not going to stop people from reverse engineering and cracking it. Just isn't going to happen.

      I am speaking from about 20 years of security experience too.
      Hi Lonnie!

      I totally agree that there are always ways around all of them, but the majority of us are not hackers and some basic security can make sharing a hassle thus deterring most from bothering.
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  • Profile picture of the author paul nicholls
    When ever i use affiliate platforms to deliver my product i use wp file lock so that you need to be a member in order to see the download page

    it's compatible with wso pro, digi results and clickbank
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    • Profile picture of the author jadesource
      Hi Folks!
      I'm about to launch my first little 7.00 ebook. No big deal really. More interested in getting opt ins.

      I can't use E-Junkie since I'm residing in the Philippines, and they said they don't offer it here.

      What about wp pdf stamper? Anybody using that.

      Do I really need to F%$*&%ing protect a 7.00 ebook?

      I would just hate to lose the opt in as opposed to the 7 dollars.

      I haven't done this before, so just want to see if anyone has any ideas.

      thanks!
      Mark
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      • Profile picture of the author WillR
        Originally Posted by jadesource View Post

        Hi Folks!
        I'm about to launch my first little 7.00 ebook. No big deal really. More interested in getting opt ins.

        I can't use E-Junkie since I'm residing in the Philippines, and they said they don't offer it here.

        What about wp pdf stamper? Anybody using that.

        Do I really need to F%$*&%ing protect a 7.00 ebook?

        I would just hate to lose the opt in as opposed to the 7 dollars.

        I haven't done this before, so just want to see if anyone has any ideas.

        thanks!
        Mark
        Have you checked out a tool like dlguard?

        DLGuard - Download page protector, create expiring download links
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      • Profile picture of the author CyberAlien
        Originally Posted by jadesource View Post

        What about wp pdf stamper? Anybody using that.
        I've seen people use it before, but don't really see the point to it. Sure, it'll show whatever information that customer provided to you when registering - which is probably fake if they plan on distributing it.

        And even if you have their real information, what are you really going to do about it when you see it being shared by people overseas? Prosecute over a $7 product?
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  • Profile picture of the author twister85
    I heard That some People do it with Aweber. They just leave their Download page as a lonely wolf but of no value. means the product they download is a ZIP password protected file and only the buyers gets random passwords to access the file via email.

    its same as protecting a Product with a serial key like All big companies do, You know Microsoft don't use DL guarad or something like that to protect their Windows products.

    disadvantage: only works on downloadable products.
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    • Profile picture of the author dsouravs
      Originally Posted by twister85 View Post

      means the product they download is a ZIP password protected file and only the buyers gets random passwords to access the file via email.
      disadvantage: only works on downloadable products.
      How are the random passwords generated?
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  • Profile picture of the author ChrisDouthit
    Your affiliate manager should have some sort of protection on the thank you page. If you need more security you can always install membership software so only paid customers with usernames and passwords can access the download area.
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  • Profile picture of the author thedanbrown
    It's tough to protect the page itself unless you can host your downloads inside a membership site. Otherwise you ahve to take measures to encrypt your file so that it cannot be downloaded and shared but you're basically hosed in terms of protecting the download page link.

    Another option is send your info to them by email...
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  • Profile picture of the author Mo Goulet
    Here's a unique free method. Set up a Facebook secret group for each of your products and you can give access to only your customers. You are the only admin who can allow new members. This is where they go to download your product. From there you'll need to figure which method people use to secure your product once they have it so they cannot distribute it. It will stop bots and hackers from getting to your download page.
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