1. Make sure Download System is ready
First things first, you need to have the dmzx Download System extension installed and enabled. Download Verdict builds directly on it, so without it, Download Verdict won't be able to activate. You can check its status in ACP → Customise → Manage extensions. If it's not active, enable it there.
2. Install Download Verdict
Just like any other dmzx extension, you'll need to upload the dmzx Download Verdict files to your server. Once the files are in place in ext/dmzx/downloadverdict/, navigate to ACP → Customise → Manage extensions and click Enable next to Download Verdict. The system will check for Download System and, if it's there, enable Download Verdict.
3. How it works (no configuration needed!)
One of the best things about Download Verdict is its simplicity – there are no specific settings to configure under ACP → Extensions! It works out of the box once enabled.
- Visible on file cards: A star-rating widget will automatically appear on each file card within your Download System category pages (like /downloadsystemcat).
- Average rating and count: Everyone, including guests, will see the average star rating and the total number of ratings for each file. If a file hasn't been rated yet, it will simply show "No ratings yet".
- Click-to-rate for downloaders: The clever part is that only members who have actually downloaded a specific file will see a clickable 5-star input labeled "Rate this file". This ensures that ratings come from users who have experienced the download.
- One rating per user per file: Users can update their rating if they change their mind, but they can only submit one rating per file.
What other ways do you encourage user feedback and engagement with your downloadable content?
