<p>What code do you need to add in PHP to automatically have the browser download a file to the local machine when a link is visited?</p>

<p>I am specifically thinking of functionality similar to that of download sites that prompt the user to save a file to disk once you click on the name of the software?</p>

Here is an example of sending back a pdf.
```
```
header('Content-type: application/pdf');
header('Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="' . basename($filename) . '"');
header('Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary');
readfile($filename);
```
```
@Swish
I didn't find application/force-download content type to do anything different (tested in IE and Firefox). Is there a reason for not sending back the actual MIME type?
Also in the PHP manual
Hayley Watson
posted:
If you wish to force a file to be downloaded and saved, instead of being rendered, remember that there is no such MIME type as "application/force-download". The correct type to use in this situation is "application/octet-stream", and using anything else is merely relying on the fact that clients are supposed to ignore unrecognised MIME types and use "application/octet-stream" instead (reference: Sections 4.1.4 and 4.5.1 of RFC 2046).
Also according
IANA
there is no registered application/force-download type.