CSV Download Link

To let people download a CSV file from a web page, a link directly to the file generally would work. ("CSV" stands for "comma-separated values". It is the type of file most often exported or imported into spreadsheet software.)

If the CSV file is in a restricted directory or there are reasons to keep the file's location secret, the link may be to a script that sends the CSV to the browser without revealing the CSV file's location.

That is the purpose of the DownloadCSV.php script below. Link to the script and, when tapped, it will send the CSV file's content to the browser.

<?php
/* Download CSV File
   October 22, 2022
   Will Bontrager Software LLC
   https://www.willmaster.com/
*/

$LocationOfCSV = '/subdirectory/file.csv';

$file = "{$_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT']}$LocationOfCSV";
$fname = preg_replace('!^.*/!','',$file);
header('Content-Type: text/csv; charset=utf-8');
header("Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=$fname");
echo(file_get_contents($file));
exit;
?>

Copy the above code and save it as DownloadCSV.php or other *.php file name that you prefer. In the file, replace /subdirectory/file.csv with the location of the CSV file to download. Specify the location relative to document root.

Upload DownloadCSV.php to your server and make a note of its URL. To let people download the CSV file, link to DownloadCSV.php. Example:

<a href="https://example.com/DownloadCSV.php">Download CSV</a>

(This blog post first appeared in Possibilities newsletter.)

Will Bontrager