Configuration
Every toggle lives in System → Plugins → Content - RCA J2C Direct Download. The options screen opens with a shortcode note that separates direct download from J2Commerce cart checkout. Read that note once so you do not paste the wrong tag and then email support about cart behavior.
Enable Direct Free Downloads
Leave this on for normal operation. When you turn it off, the plugin stops rendering download controls site-wide. That is useful only for temporary testing or when you want shortcodes to disappear without uninstalling the plugin.
Allow Guest Downloads
Set this to Yes when anonymous visitors may download eligible free files. Set it to No when every downloader must log in or register first. This single setting replaced an older redundant Require Login toggle in version 1.0.4. Guests who are blocked see login or register messaging, and the download endpoint returns unauthorized until they authenticate.
Track Downloads
Leave this on when you want rows in the RCA ledger table for reporting and audit. Turn it off only if you genuinely do not want local download history. Tracking does not replace J2Commerce order history when order tracking creates orders for logged-in users.
Button Label and Free Label
Button Label defaults to DOWNLOAD NOW. Free Label defaults to FREE and appears when Show Price Label is enabled. Adjust both to match your site voice. These are presentation strings only; they do not change eligibility.
Show Price Label
When enabled, the form may show the free label beside price context for eligible products. Turn it off if your article already explains pricing and the extra label clutter the layout.
Use J2Commerce Order Tracking
Auto is the default and usually the right choice. Auto creates a completed free J2Commerce order in the background for logged-in users who have an email on the account so the download also appears in normal J2Commerce order history. Force Yes or No when you have a compliance or reporting reason. Guests never receive fabricated orders with invented emails when guest downloads are allowed.
Duplicate Download Handling
Choose whether every successful click counts in the ledger or only the first success per user or session, depending on how you measure leads. This affects analytics, not whether the file is allowed on repeat visits when the product still qualifies.
Debug Logging
Turn debug on only while troubleshooting, then turn it off again. Debug writes diagnostic detail to PHP error logs. Leaving it on in production fills logs and tells you nothing new after the first fix.
Per-product overrides in J2Commerce
When your J2Commerce product parameters include direct download overrides, a product-level disable blocks the shortcode even when the global plugin is on. Global enable does not override a product that explicitly disables direct download. Configure the product in J2Commerce when a specific SKU must stay on checkout-only path.