A direct download link (DDL) is a hypertext link typically provided on an Internet site that can be used to download a file directly from a hosting system. These types of links are used in a variety of ways, both legitimate and illegal, to allow users to more easily share files over the Internet. Businesses can use these links to provide customers with easy ways to download various files from a website, including digital manuals, software, and drivers for hardware support. A direct download link can be used to spread illegal or malicious software, so anyone using such a link should be careful.
With a direct download link, a file can be downloaded directly from your hosting site.
In general practice, a direct download link is nothing more than a hypertext link on a web page that is used to link directly to a specific file rather than another web page. Users can click the link to easily start downloading the linked file through this page, instead of downloading a file through another method. Peer-to-peer file sharing, for example, was once a popular way for Internet users to share files and media, often in violation of copyright ownership. However, as many companies clamped down on these services, many users started using a direct link to share a file.
A business can legally use a direct download link to provide customers with links to software or other files offered by the business.
A business can legally use a direct download link to provide customers with links to software or other files offered by the business. Video card companies, for example, may provide multiple links on a single page to files that are digital copies of the user manuals provided with the cards. Other software, such as control center utilities for a specific graphics card, can also be provided via a link, and usually allows the user to start downloading that program with a single mouse click. The same company can also use a direct download link to provide users with video card driver downloads, and a simple web page design can make organizing and displaying all these links quite simple.
Since many file sharers have switched to using a direct download link, these links have also become a way to spread illegal or malicious software. Many movies, music recordings, and video games are available for download online, without payment to the manufacturers of these products. Not only does this violate copyright laws in many countries, but it can lead to criminal theft charges against those who download or share these programs. Since a direct link can be manipulated like any other type of hypertext link, these links can also be used to deceptively distribute malware to those who click on them.
