Challenge
A professional services firm needed to capture leads through gated content while maintaining strict security controls over sensitive documents.
Traditional file-sharing methods lacked the granular access controls and tracking capabilities required to manage temporary access windows and monitor document downloads.
Solution
84EM developed a dual-system WordPress solution combining secure document management with automated lead capture to create a gated content platform.
The system integrates with Gravity Forms to capture visitor information, then grants time-limited access to protected documents while tracking all download activity.
Technical Implementation
- Secure document portal: Custom post type with isolated upload directory protected by .htaccess rules to prevent direct file access.
- Document management: Admin interface for uploading multiple file types including PDF, DOC, DOCX, XLS, and RTF with automatic sanitization.
- Gravity Forms integration: Automatic lead record creation upon form submission with visitor identification system.
- Time-based access control: 24-hour download windows using hash-based verification tied to visitor IP and browser fingerprint.
- Download tracking: Comprehensive logging system that records lead ID, document ID, timestamp, and visitor details for each download.
- Security hardening: Directory traversal attack prevention with canonical path verification before file operations.
- Taxonomy system: Document categorization and tagging for organized content management across multiple campaigns.
Results
The integrated solution transformed the firm’s lead generation workflow by automating lead capture and securing sensitive documents within a unified WordPress interface.
Staff gained complete visibility into download activity and lead behavior without relying on external platforms or manual tracking spreadsheets.
The time-limited access system created urgency while the detailed audit trail enabled data-driven follow-up strategies for sales teams.