Selling eBooks on Hostinger Website Builder is an incredibly easy and cost-effective way to start your digital publishing business. However, as your sales grow, you will quickly face a major industry headache: eBook piracy and unauthorized sharing.
Once a customer downloads your raw PDF from Hostinger, they can easily email it to friends, upload it to forums, or resell it.
To prevent this, smart creators use VeryDRM Content Security Platform to protect their PDF eBooks. But since Hostinger has strict rules on external links, how do you integrate VeryDRM secured links into your Hostinger store?
In this guide, we’ll share the 4 best workarounds to successfully sell protected eBooks on Hostinger using VeryDRM.
The Challenge: Hostinger’s External Link Restrictions
Hostinger Website Builder is great, but its “Digital Products” feature only allows direct uploads of raw files (which offers zero piracy protection) or external links from a very limited list of supported services (like Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox).
Because VeryDRM is a highly secure, dedicated DRM platform rather than a simple cloud storage provider, Hostinger’s backend doesn’t support adding a direct verydrm.com short link as an external link.
Thankfully, there are four highly effective ways to bypass this limitation and ensure your digital books are 100% secure.
Method 1: The “Key PDF” Direct Upload (Highly Recommended & Easiest)
This is the ultimate workaround. Since Hostinger fully supports direct PDF uploads up to 100MB, you can deliver a “Key PDF” (or Download Guide) directly to your customers.
Instead of delivering the raw, unprotected eBook, you deliver a beautiful, one-page PDF that acts as their “access key.”
How to set it up:
- Create a simple document (using Word, Google Docs, or Canva) named Access_Your_Book.pdf.
- Add your delivery message and the VeryDRM secured link inside the PDF. For example:
“Thank you for your purchase! Please click the secure link below to access and read your eBook: Click Here to Access Your Secure eBook“
- In Hostinger Website Builder, go to your Digital Product settings, select Upload file, and upload this Access_Your_Book.pdf.
Why this is the best method:
- Zero Technical Hassle: No need to set up third-party cloud storage or manage permissions.
- 100% Hostinger Compatible: Since it’s a direct PDF upload, Hostinger accepts it instantly.
- Professional Brand Image: It looks like a formal digital receipt/delivery note. You can even include your customer support email, social media links, or a discount code for future purchases inside the PDF!
Method 2: Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox Redirection
If you prefer to keep your Hostinger setup strictly aligned with their officially supported “External Link” integration, you can use a major cloud storage provider as a bridge.
How to set it up:
- Create a small PDF containing your VeryDRM secure link (similar to Method 1).
- Upload this PDF to Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox.
- Set the sharing settings of the file to “Anyone with the link can view.”
- Copy the sharing link and paste it into the External Link field in Hostinger.
Why use this method:
Hostinger officially supports these cloud providers, making the setup process smooth within Hostinger’s standard workflow.
Method 3: Using Your Own Domain as a Custom Redirect
If you want to maintain a highly professional, branded experience under your own domain name (e.g., download.yourdomain.com), you can set up a simple redirect page.
How to set it up:
- On your web server, create a folder/page (e.g., /download-book/).
- Add an index.php file inside that folder with the following redirect code:
PHP
<?php
header(“Location: https://verydrm.com/r/AAAAA”);
exit;
?>
- In Hostinger, add your custom URL https://yourdomain.com/download-book/ as the external link.
When your customers click the link in Hostinger, they will see your domain name briefly before being automatically and securely redirected to VeryDRM.
Why You MUST Protect Your Hostinger eBooks with VeryDRM
While Hostinger is a fantastic platform to host your storefront, it is not a security platform. Relying on Hostinger’s default file upload means your hard work is vulnerable to being leaked instantly.
By securing your PDF eBooks with VeryDRM before selling them on Hostinger, you get advanced features that protect your revenue:
- Prevent Copying, Printing, and Downloading: Keep your content strictly inside our secure viewer.
- Dynamic Watermarking: Burn the customer’s email or IP address onto the pages of your PDF in real-time to deter screenshots and unauthorized sharing.
- Device Control & Expiry Dates: Limit how many devices can open the book, or set the access link to expire after a certain number of days.
- Full Access Analytics: See exactly who opened your book, when, and from where.
Don’t let piracy eat away at your eBook profits. Sign up for VeryDRM today and secure your digital publishing business on Hostinger!
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