Deciding when to use the ‘Upload Secure Files’ section or the standard Media Manager Uploads section can be confusing until you understand how it works.

Here’s what I recommend.

If you are going to be using a file (image, audio or video) on your ‘Public’ site that everyone can see then DON’T use the ‘Secure Files’ section.

But, If you are going to use a file (for example: image, audio or video) that you will want to protect and make available only to certain levels of membership THEN use UPLOAD SECURE FILES section.

When you upload any files to the ‘Upload Secure Files’ section those files will not be accessible to the general public.

Infact the files will not be accessible to anyone until they have been ‘linked to – from a post or page that is protected already’ or embedded into a post or page that is already protected by a membership level.

Clear as mud?

So if you’re going to use or want to use a file and make it only available to ‘Members’ and not to the public then use the Secure Files section.

If it’s going to be available to both e.g. Public visitors plus Members then use the normal Media Upload NOT the Secure files one.

Note: you can still use the ‘Non Secure Files’ section for ‘protected pages and posts’. Meaning that if you create a normal web page or blog post and then protect that page / post e.g. make it accessible to ‘Gold’ Level members only you can still add images, video, audio etc. to that post from the ‘non-secure’ media manager.

The images below are old and not the current admin area.

When creating a Post or a Page you will see this:

This is where you can select to upload an ‘Image, Video file, or Audio or any other ‘media’ files.

Once you get in to the media manager you depending on what type of file you selected to upload you will see something like this: (this is the screen you will see when you choose the ‘Image button’ in the ‘Add Media’ section).

Note: you can upload multiple files simultaneously by clicking the ‘Browse’ button and then selecting the files you want to upload (Ctrl + Click or Shift + Click)

OK, so you want to know if you can use the SAME ‘Secure File’ on multiple membership levels?

Yes! you can. You can make a post or page accessible to as many different membership levels as you like and the user will only be able to get access if they have the appropriate membership level for that page or post.

I hope this helps you decide how to know and decide where to upload your images and videos.

Have a great day

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