How can PHP be used to offer files for download without displaying them directly in the browser?

To offer files for download without displaying them directly in the browser, you can use PHP to set the correct headers and force the browser to download the file instead of displaying it. This can be achieved by sending the appropriate Content-Type and Content-Disposition headers in the PHP script that serves the file. 

<?php
$file = 'path/to/your/file.pdf';

if (file_exists($file)) {
    header('Content-Description: File Transfer');
    header('Content-Type: application/pdf');
    header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="' . basename($file) . '"');
    header('Content-Length: ' . filesize($file));

    readfile($file);
    exit;
} else {
    echo 'File not found';
}
?>

Keywords

PHP file download header content-disposition attachment

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