How To Enable Zip Archive In WordPress

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WordPress is a versatile and powerful content management system (CMS) that allows you to manage and share various types of content, including ZIP archives. By default, however, WordPress only supports a limited number of file formats for uploading, and ZIP archives aren’t one of them. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to enable ZIP archive uploads in WordPress, allowing you to share compressed files with your website visitors.

Step 1: Update the Allowed File Types

To enable ZIP archive uploads, you’ll need to update the list of allowed file types in your WordPress installation. This can be done by adding a few lines of code to your theme’s functions.php file or by using a plugin. We’ll discuss both methods below.

Method 1: Update functions.php

For this method, you need to access your WordPress theme’s functions.php file. You can do this via an FTP client or the file manager tool in your hosting control panel. Once you’ve accessed the file, add the following code:

    function custom_upload_mimes($mimes) {
        $mimes['zip'] = 'application/zip';
        return $mimes;
    }
    add_filter('upload_mimes', 'custom_upload_mimes');

This code defines a function that adds the ‘zip’ MIME type to the list of allowed file types and then hooks the function to the ‘upload_mimes’ filter. Save the file and refresh your WordPress site. You should now be able to upload ZIP archives.

Method 2: Use a Plugin

If you prefer not to edit your theme files, you can use a plugin to enable ZIP archive uploads. One such plugin is WP Add Mime Types.

To install the plugin, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
  2. Go to Plugins > Add New.
  3. Search for “WP Add Mime Types” and click Install Now on the plugin’s card.
  4. Once the plugin is installed, click Activate.

After activating the plugin, go to Settings > Mime Type Settings. In the “Add Values” field, enter the following:

zip = application/zip

Click Save Changes, and you should now be able to upload ZIP archives to your WordPress site.

Step 2: Upload and Share ZIP Archives

With ZIP archive uploads enabled, you can now upload and share ZIP files with your visitors. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Create a new post or page in WordPress, or edit an existing one.
  2. Click the Add Media button to open the media uploader.
  3. Click Upload Files and select the ZIP archive you want to upload.
  4. Once the file is uploaded, configure the attachment display settings as desired.
  5. Insert the ZIP archive into your post or page, and publish or update it.

Your visitors will now be able to download the ZIP archive directly from your WordPress site.

Conclusion

Enabling ZIP archive uploads in WordPress is a simple process that allows you to share compressed files with your visitors. You can either update your theme’s functions.php file or use a plugin like WP Add Mime Types to enable this functionality. With ZIP archives enabled, you can easily upload and share files in a compressed format, making it easier for your visitors to download and access them.