Open PDF in Unique Download Link directly automatically in the browser

[Witzker]

I followed this instuction:

Unique Download Link (Security Token)

Example:
1. Install Phoca Download component in your Joomla! CMS
2. Set the download folder in Phoca Download Options so it will be located behind public_html folder on your server (Phoca Download Options)
3. Enable Unique Download Link feature (Phoca Download Options)
4. Upload the file per FTP to the download folder (FTP Client)
5. Add this file to your Phoca Download (Phoca Download File Edit)
6. Set Unique Download Link Token if not set automatically (Phoca Download File Edit)
7. Create a menu link to Phoca Download if you are using SEF (Joomla! Menu Manager)
8. Set access rights for the file, so it will be not accessible by public (Phoca Download File Edit)
9. Copy the Unique Download Link(Phoca Download File Edit)
10. Share the link to selected user (e.g. your Email client, e.g. Phoca Email Component, etc.)

What I get ist a page where the user must klick to download or open the pdf

What i like to have is when a user klicks on the link to the pdf e.g. in a newsletter

the file pdf is direktly opened in the browser
I canot find the settings for this

PLS Help

[Jan]

Hi, you cannot open or access the file directly, because it is behind the public_html. This is the feature as only your server can access the files behind public_html and they cannot by accessed from public. When you want to display the file directly - e.g. display the PDF in browser, such must be public and not behind the public_html.

Jan

[Witzker]

No
I have the pdfs in the joomla folder images/server and I can open it with no problem with a direkt link to the file in the folder.
The pdf is directly displayed in the browser.

What I want to do is to see how often the pdf was opened from the link to it in a newsletter.

Mayby Phoca is the wrong choice?

[Jan]

Hi, when you open the PDF directly in the browser, you don't have any tool to store the information about how many times it was opened:

- indirectly opened e.g. by php - when you open the file indirectly, you can store the hit by php/sql and then display the PDF
- when you want to open the file directly in the browser - direct link to PDF, there is no more PHP/SQL running and you cannot store the hit.

Jan

[Witzker]

Ok
The file has to be downloded so the user can see it.
How can I track the download event not the klick!

[Jan]

Hi, you can only track download only if you run the PHP/SQL script on your server. So if there is direct link, this means user gets direct adress from his/her browser to the file on your server (without any script - php or mysql) so if there is no script between the user and server, there is no way to store the download. This is just internet feature (server - internet - browser), in fact this is not related to download script or Joomla!


So as such download does not happen in Joomla! or download component, the only option is to somehow store it on server (but really no idea if there is such tool for this - e.g. some module for apache, etc. As wrote above, if the communication runs outside the PHP script (outside Joomla! or download component), there is no way to to track it as Joomla! or download component is inactive in this case)

Jan

[Witzker]

A way to track this are UTM Parameters & analytics
I will try
Phoca is useless for me if there is no parameter to do the click event automatically without user action.

[Jan]

So in such case you should see another component which will meet your needs

Jan

[Witzker]

THX
For taking care

Youd cosider to implement UTM Tags in your direct links with option to open the Link directly
Its only a simple html code necessary!

[Jan]

Ok, added to feature reques list.

Jan