Question

I created a Thank You Page in WordPress, following the “Email Optins Video.”

Unfortunately, the Thank You Page contained a paid download zip file.  I had several “hackers” come in and download this file for free;  it looked like they used the product name and the word “download” while searching for it on Google.  So Google gave them the download page as a search result.

How do I tell Google not to index or spider this page, so I can prevent anyone from downloading this paid file for free?

Is the only alternative is to buy one of those membership script, so the buyers would have to log in to download the file?

Thanks for any answer on this.

Answer Provided

I always use a membership script for my downloads
but that is because I already own them all.

If there isn’t a link to your download page on any
webpage the search engines shouldn’t find it.

You can use a no index, no follow meta tag but this
doesn’t really work.  Your best bet is to use a membership
script or a download protection script like download guard
to handle your downloads but an alternative is to set up
a password protected directory and email the username
and password to the people that purchase in the confirmation
email.

Search engines can’t index pages that are password protected
because they can’t get to them.

The question here is how did your download page get indexed?

Do you have a link to it on any webpage?

A good way to check is to go to google and search for the
entire url like http://www.mysite.com/myfolder/download.htm
and see where the link is coming from.  Because sometimes
it is somebody giving out your link.  It could also be somebody
selling your product and using your site for their downloads.

Without the download URL it is hard for me to tell for sure.

I will make a video about password protecting a directory
but if you could send me the link to your sales page and let me
look at that for weaknesses too it might help me solve your
problem.

Randy