Description
Simple File Vault is a beautiful, lightweight frontend file vault designed for agencies, law firms, and small businesses to exchange client documents securely.
Built with performance and security at its core, it ensures your files are protected from unauthorized access while providing your users with a modern, fast file management experience right inside your WordPress site.
Stop sending clients to third-party services. Use Simple File Vault as a secure alternative to Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive, and keep your clients on your own website.
Live Demo: View the Live Demo of Simple File Vault
Core Features (Free Version)
- Secure File Storage & Path Isolation: Safeguards files by placing them in isolated, non-browsable directories with robust RCE prevention, strict MIME-type validation, and path traversal mitigation.
- Instant Live Previews & Media Streaming: Integrated lightbox allows users to open and preview PDFs, images, and audio/video files (MP4, MP3, WebM, etc.) directly in their browser without downloading.
- Drag-and-Drop Upload Form: Clean, responsive frontend uploader that makes file submissions effortless for clients and staff alike.
- Modern CSS Grid & List Layouts: Ultra-fast, hardware-accelerated layouts to display uploaded files beautifully across mobile, tablet, and desktop screens.
- Automated Upload Notifications: Trigger instant email alerts to administrators and clients upon successful file submissions.
- Webhook Integrations: Seamlessly dispatch upload event payloads to Zapier, Make, Slack, or Microsoft Teams.
- Visual File Badges & Favorites: Clear status badges, file extension icons, and favorite indicators in file list views.
- Cross-Platform Path Normalization: Full compatibility across different hosting operating systems, preventing broken links and directory mapping errors.
- Frontend Shortcode: Easily embed file vaults and upload dropboxes anywhere using the
[sfvlt_safe_file_vault]shortcode.
Simple File Vault Pro (Premium Upgrade)
Looking for enterprise-grade control? Upgrade to Simple File Vault Pro for a complete, all-in-one client portal solution:
- Unlimited Subfolders: Organize complex document libraries with nested directory trees.
- Role-Based & Individual Access Control: Lock vaults to specific WordPress user roles or create isolated, private client vaults.
- Instant AJAX Search & Pagination: Search through thousands of documents in milliseconds with full Unicode normalization support.
- Bulk File Operations: Select multiple files to download as a unified ZIP archive or delete in bulk.
- Expiring Email Share Links: Generate and email secure, time-limited download links directly from the interface.
- Advanced File Metadata: Set automatic file expiration dates, download count limits, and custom tags.
- FTP/SFTP Auto-Sync: Upload large files directly via FTP and sync them into your vault with one click.
Screenshots
Blocks
This plugin provides 2 blocks.
- Safe File Vault Uploader A secure drag-and-drop file uploader block.
- Safe File Vault Table Displays the uploaded secure vault files in a table.
Installation
- Upload the entire
simple-file-vaultfolder to the/wp-content/plugins/directory, or install the plugin directly through the WordPress plugins screen. - Activate the plugin through the ‘Plugins’ menu in WordPress.
- Add the
[sfvlt_safe_file_vault]shortcode to any post or page where you want the file vault and upload form to appear.
FAQ
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How can I report security bugs?
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Security is our top priority. If you find a security vulnerability, please reach out to our support team directly via our official website contact form so we can patch it immediately before public disclosure.
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What happens to the WordPress Media Library?
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Simple File Vault completely bypasses the standard WordPress Media Library. Files are stored in an isolated, secure directory structure. This keeps your regular Media Library clean and ensures sensitive client documents are never mixed with public website images or accidentally exposed.
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Absolutely. That is its primary purpose! Simple File Vault allows you to create secure client portals, document drop-boxes, and file-sharing directories directly on your own WordPress website, avoiding third-party services like Dropbox or Google Drive.
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Do I have to pay for using the plugin?
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The core Simple File Vault plugin is 100% free and always will be. We also offer a premium «Pro» version that adds advanced capabilities like subfolder support, unicode search, role-based security walls, and individualized client folders.
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Do you offer support?
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Yes! We provide community support for the free version on the WordPress.org forums. Customers using Simple File Vault Pro receive priority email support.
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Does Simple File Vault work with some other plugin?
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Yes. Because it utilizes standard WordPress shortcodes (
[sfvlt_safe_file_vault]) and Gutenberg blocks, it integrates perfectly with most page builders (Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder) and membership plugins. -
Is this a download manager, file sharing plugin, media library or what?
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It is primarily a Secure File Sharing and Client Portal plugin. While it has download management capabilities, its core focus is providing a safe, isolated vault for two-way document exchange between you and your clients.
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Can the visitors or logged in users upload files?
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Yes! You can place the frontend upload form on any page. By default, anyone who can access that page can upload. If you want to restrict uploads to logged-in users only, you can simply place the shortcode on a password-protected page, or use Simple File Vault Pro to enforce role-based upload restrictions.
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Can I use FTP to upload files?
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Yes! If you need to bulk upload gigabytes of files, you can upload them directly via FTP/SFTP to the vault directories. The Pro version includes a dedicated «Auto-Scan FTP Uploads / Purge Metadata» sync tool in the dashboard to instantly register manually uploaded files.
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Can I use the plugin only as a file manager in the WordPress admin area?
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Yes, you can manage all files entirely from the WordPress backend Safe File Vault Dashboard without ever publishing the frontend shortcode.
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Who can download the files?
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In the free version, anyone with the direct secure link (or access to the page where the shortcode is embedded) can download files. If you need strict access control, Simple File Vault Pro allows you to lock folders to specific WordPress user roles or create private, individualized client vaults.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“Simple File Vault” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.1.0
- Feature: Integrated interactive Live Preview Modal Lightbox into core for instant PDF, audio, video, and image document inspection.
- Feature: Added visual Star indicators for favorite files and tag badges in frontend file list views.
- Feature: Added automated Admin and Client email notification triggers upon successful file upload submissions.
- Feature: Added Webhook integrations support (Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zapier) and download countdown timer settings.
- Enhancement: Implemented automated production minified asset pipeline (
view.min.js,index.min.js) withSCRIPT_DEBUGdevelopment fallbacks. - Enhancement: Refactored directory path resolution utilizing native WordPress core mechanics (
wp_normalize_path,validate_file). - Security: Hardened REST download gateways with protective HTML gatehouse challenges and HMAC-signed folder verification.
- Compliance: Complete WordPress.org standard compliance migration, applying unique
sfvlt_prefixing and passing WP-CLI plugin-check validation with zero errors.
1.0.0
- Initial release of Simple File Vault.
- Implemented core secure path isolation.
- Added flat-folder upload form and frontend file layout view.