# Download Monitor Major Update

Managing premium features is about to become much simpler.

This major update brings our premium add-ons together inside Download Monitor Pro. Instead of installing and maintaining a separate plugin for each feature, you can now manage the complete Pro toolkit through one plugin and one update flow.

The release also introduces Password Lock, Expiring Links, and completely reworks the way you build custom download buttons in the WordPress block editor.

##### One Download Monitor Pro plugin

Download Monitor Pro is now the home for all premium Download Monitor features. The individual add-ons are bundled into Download Monitor Pro, reducing the number of separate plugins you need to install, activate, and update.

For existing customers, the practical benefit is straightforward: fewer moving parts and a more consistent experience across the product. Your premium features continue to work with Download Monitor, but their code and future updates are delivered through Download Monitor Pro.

After updating, you can deactivate and remove superseded standalone add-on plugins once you have confirmed that the corresponding features are available through Download Monitor Pro.

##### **Share links that expire**

Expiring Links helps you distribute files without leaving a permanent public download URL in circulation.

For each protected download, you can generate a private link with:

\- A specific expiration date and time
\- A maximum number of uses, or unlimited uses during the active period
\- A dedicated private URL endpoint

The new Active Links screen gives you a central view of generated links. You can copy links, check usage, filter them by download or status, edit expiration and usage limits, temporarily disable links, or delete them.

![](https://download-monitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/expiring-links-settings-example.png "expiring-links-settings-example")Anyone who has an active private link can use it, so treat these URLs as credentials and share them through an appropriate private channel.

##### **Protect a download with a password**

Password Lock gives you a simple way to share files with a specific audience without requiring visitors to create an account.

You can set a password on an individual download or enable one global password for every download on the site. If you use the global rule, an individual download can override it with its own password.

![](https://download-monitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/password-lock-download-settings.png "password-lock-download-settings")##### **Design download buttons directly in Gutenberg**

Buttons is no longer a separate add-on or a separate design screen. Its replacement is built directly into Download Monitor Pro and the `Download Button` block.

Select a download and customize its button without leaving the editor. You can control:

\- Button text and download-data placeholders
\- Background, text, border, and icon colors, including hover states
\- Solid colors or gradients
\- Built-in icons or custom SVG markup
\- Icon position, size, and spacing
\- Font family and size
\- Border width and radius
\- Button width, content alignment, padding, and margins

You can also save a design as a reusable template and apply it to other Download Button blocks.

![](https://download-monitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/download-button-block-editor.png "download-button-block-editor")Existing templates from the standalone Buttons add-on are migrated into the new template system automatically the first time the updated admin loads.

##### **Before you update**

This release requires Download Monitor 5.3.0 or newer. Back up your site, update Download Monitor first, and then update Download Monitor Pro.

If you currently use standalone premium add-ons, verify the corresponding workflows on your site before removing the old plugins. Existing Buttons templates are migrated automatically, but checking important pages after a major update is always good practice—especially if your site uses caching, custom templates, or additional access rules.

##### **A simpler foundation for Download Monitor Pro**

This release is more than a collection of new features. It gives Download Monitor Pro a clearer foundation: one premium plugin, access controls that cover more sharing scenarios, and design tools that live where you already build your content.

Update Download Monitor and Download Monitor Pro to start using the new experience.