Downloadable content only for subscribers?

Question

I'd like to use WordPress to set up a whitepapers site. Any user can check the main site with a list (blog format) of white papers available. But if a user wants to download any whitepaper, he has to be registered. So the process should be as follows:

1. Are you registered?

   1.1. Type your email

   1.2 The system checks if you're already registered. If so, it lets you download the whitepaper (the download starts inmediately or is sent by mail)

2. Aren't you registered?

   2.1 Complete the form (several fields, the normal WordPress registration form is not useful here)

   2.2 First registration should be confirmed by email to avoid false users

   2.3 The system lets you download the PDF whitepaper (the download starts inmediately or is sent by mail)

The first part (check if the user is registered / subscribed) is the difficult one for me. The idea is to build a database of really interesting users in order to send them newsletters and valuable content, and to make comfortable, easy and quick to register once and forget about this step so they can download any whitepaper I publish later on.

I would like to use phplist for this (I've got a phplist site working, but checking the registered users is a nightmare for me, I'm not a phplist expert and although I've asked on their forums there has been no luck) so WordPress is a nice alternative for me and I know something like this is more doable, maybe with some free or even premium plugins.

Answer 1

All of this can be done with code of course but since you say,

"The first part (check if the user is registered / subscribed) is the difficult one for me."

...then your time will be better spent going directly to plugins that allow for similar functionality as described in your question.

The first recommendation,

WishList Member [premium only]

This is a full-fledged membership plugin, while its not the only one of its kind, its good.

Easy Digital Downloads [free with optional premium add-ons]

This plugin, while smaller out of the box compared to the above, is focused more so with, downloads as its name suggests. It's developed by fellow WPSE user Pippin.

I'm not overly big on recommending plugins, but when I do I try to recommend those of which I have used and think are good quality (unless stated otherwise).

Answer 2

Thanks for the suggestions, but I've finally found a quite good solution for my purposes: the Cimy User Extra Fields allow me to add several fields to the user registration form. The SimpleModal Login is also useful tu customize the registration form, but this is optional, though visually interesting.

At the moment the site is working more or less as I wanted, but thanks for the suggestions userabuser