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WM Open · Joomla 6

WM Downloads for Joomla

Free v1.5.6

Free download manager extension

Lightweight, modern download manager for Joomla 6. Publish files and external links in a clean, searchable list — ideal for reports, factsheets, annual reports, submissions and document libraries.

Download free package ↓ Documentation License Support

Requires Joomla 5.0+ / 6.0+ · PHP 8.1+ · GNU General Public License version 2 or later · Package pkg_wmdownloads

Why this package?

Sites that only need a simple, reliable way to:

  • Store documents securely (not as open media URLs)
  • Organise downloads by category
  • Track download counts
  • Mix real files with external links
  • Present everything in a polished front-end list

WM Downloads focuses on that job — without the weight of a full document management suite.

Public library — search, sort & cards
Public library — search, sort & cards
Admin — items list & filters
Admin — items list & filters
Admin — item editor
Admin — item editor

Capabilities

What’s included

Package contents

  • com_wmdownloads — Main component (admin + site)
  • mod_wmdownloads_latest — “Latest downloads” module for sidebars, footers or home pages

Current version: 1.5.6

Features

  • Files or links — upload documents or point to an external URL
  • Protected storage — files served through Joomla, not open directory browsing
  • Categories — use com_content categories for organisation
  • Hit counting on every download or link open
  • Publishing window — start and finish dates
  • Ordering — manual order for list priority
  • Front-end list — search, sort, type icons, subcategory filter
  • Latest module — sidebar/home “latest downloads”
  • CSV import for bulk creation

Admin

  • Create file downloads or external link items
  • Upload files into a protected storage folder
  • Use existing content categories (com_content)
  • Set author, description, icon override, access level and language
  • Publishing options: status, created date, publish start/end, ordering, hits
  • Publish / unpublish / trash from the items list
  • CSV import for bulk creation (files already in storage)
  • Clean Joomla 6 admin UI (search tools, tabs, toolbar actions)

Front end

  • Category menu view (assign a category to a menu item)
  • Search downloads on the page
  • Sort by date, title, author, size or category
  • Optional subcategory filter
  • File size, date, hits, author and category meta
  • Type-aware icons (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.)
  • Responsive layout that works with modern templates

Module

  • Show the latest N downloads
  • Optional category filter
  • Show/hide date and size
  • Open downloads in a new window/tab

Best suited for

  • Association and industry council resource libraries
  • University / faculty document portals
  • Annual reports, statistics packs and submissions
  • Any Joomla 6 site that needs a tidy public download list

Documentation

Install, configure & use

WM Downloads is a free Joomla package (component + latest-downloads module) for public document libraries. Publish files or external links, organise by category, track hits, and show a searchable front-end list.

Requirements

  • Joomla 5.x or Joomla 6.x
  • PHP 8.1 or newer
  • MySQL / MariaDB (standard Joomla database)

Install

  1. Download the package zip from this page.
  2. In Joomla: System → Install → Extensions → Upload Package File.
  3. Select pkg_wmdownloads_v1.5.6.zip and install.
  4. Confirm com_wmdownloads and mod_wmdownloads_latest installed successfully.

Quick start

  1. Create or reuse Categories under Content (Content → Categories). WM Downloads uses com_content categories.
  2. Open Components → WM Downloads → Items.
  3. New → choose File (upload into protected storage) or Link (external URL).
  4. Set title, category, author, description, publish dates, ordering and access as needed.
  5. Menus → Add New Menu Item → WM Downloads → Category Downloads, then select the category.
  6. (Optional) Modules → New → Latest WM Downloads for a sidebar or home module.

More detail

Bulk import: Components → WM Downloads → CSV Import. Files must already exist in the protected storage folder. Columns: filename, title, description, category, author, created_date, hits.

Downloads are delivered via a component task (hit counting + access checks). Physical files live under a protected media path. After install, clear Joomla cache if styles or language strings don’t appear immediately.

License

GNU General Public License version 2 or later

GPL-2.0-or-later

This software is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

A copy of the license is included in the package as LICENSE.txt. Full text: gnu.org · GPL v2.

  • Install on as many of your own Joomla sites as you like
  • Licensed under GPL-2.0-or-later (same family as Joomla)
  • Support and custom development available on request

Support

Get help

Community support via the contact form on this site. Commercial support, branding and custom features available on request from WM Studios.

Contact support ↗ Download package

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Support & custom work

Built for real production use — including document-heavy resource libraries. For support, branding tweaks or custom features, contact WM Studios.

Contact WM Open ↗ Download package All open source