A useful document library gives visitors a clear route to the right file. They should be able to search for a product, recognise the matching guide and reach its supporting download without working through a long page of links.

DocToucan Free lets you bring public files, help articles and external references into one WordPress library. This guide uses the fictional Cairn & Fern outdoor collection: a Ridgeway tent guide, its field specification and a campsite image. The same approach works for product manuals, policy collections and resource hubs.

▶ Watch the 84-second Free library walkthrough

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Add the resources people need

Install and activate DocToucan Free, then open DocToucan → Add Document. Choose the source that fits the resource:

• Article for instructions written in the WordPress editor.
• Media attachment for a file in the WordPress Media Library.
• External URL for a resource hosted elsewhere.

For a Media attachment, choose Choose file to select or upload the public source. Give the Document a title your visitors will recognise. “Ridgeway 2 field specification” tells a reader more than an internal filename. Add a short description explaining what the resource contains, then choose a useful Document Category. Publish it when it is ready for public readers.

A Document has one primary source. If a guide needs a separate specification, create the specification as its own Document and add it as a related resource. That keeps both resources available for reuse elsewhere on the site.

Ordinary Media Library and public external links remain public. Hiding a Document from a library is not a way to secure its source file. For restricted material, read the protected-delivery guide before choosing a storage and access workflow.

Put the library on a page

Edit the WordPress page where visitors should find your resources. Insert the Document Library block. In Library settings, choose Table / list or Grid / cards. The compatible [doctoucan_library] shortcode is also available when your page setup needs it.

A table is useful when readers need to compare titles, file types or dates. A grid gives featured images more room, which can help people recognise a product or visual reference. Both layouts are included in Free; choose the one that makes your collection easier to scan.

Keep the search and filters that help visitors narrow the collection. A category such as “Setup” can be more useful than several internal filing labels. Preview the page at a narrow width as well as on your desktop before publishing it.

Follow the reader’s route

In the guided library demo, enter Ridgeway in Search documents, then choose Update results. The matching resources stay together in the results. Open the pitching guide to read it on the website.

The guide’s contents links take readers to a particular section. Its related field specification is available below the instructions as a download. The library and guide are different ways into the same Document collection, not separate copies that need maintaining independently.

For a visual collection, try the grid and its supported image preview. Readers can inspect the image and return to the library without losing their place.

Check the page as a visitor

Open the published page in a signed-out window. Before sharing the library, open it as a visitor and try a few real questions. Search for a product name, use a category filter, open a guide and download a public file. Check what happens when a search has no matches. Make sure file titles and descriptions give readers enough information to choose.

If WooCommerce is active, you can also relate these public Documents to an individual product through its DocToucan resources controls. The same guide can then appear beside that product without uploading another copy. WooCommerce is not required for the library itself.

When Pro becomes useful

Free covers public table and grid libraries, search, filters, reading aids and public resources on individual WooCommerce products. Pro adds workflows such as folder browsing, selected-file ZIP downloads and indexed search inside supported files. It works with the same central Documents, so upgrading does not mean rebuilding the collection.

Compare the editions or try the guided demo. Start with the reader’s task, then choose the tools that make that task easier.