Beginner’s Guide – Setting Up The DDA App

We also have an API available if you have an external or customized solution to sell digital downloads with Shopify.

Getting started – Quick overview

Scroll down for an in-depth walkthrough. Please get in touch with us if you want any help with the setup.

After you have added products to your Shopify store, setting up the app is as simple as this:

Tutorials for specific requests:

• Migrate from a different digital downloads app? – It’s easier than you think.
• Selling large digital files – Here, you will find some great tips and ideas.
• Selling personalised digital products? – Find out how to attach files to orders.
• Change the language – Use your language.
• Add download button to Shopify Order Confirmation email – Allow customers to download from Shopify’s email.

Be sure to check our Shopify Academy if you want to learn more about setting up your Shopify store.

1. Install the DDA app to your Shopify store

Go to the DDA page on the Shopify app store and click the “Add app” button. You can install the free plan for now, or you can get a 7-day free trial.

Once installed, please follow the next steps.

2. Ensure you have products set up in Shopify

I assume you have already set up your products in Shopify. If you haven’t, simply go to:

1. Shopify dashboard
2. Click on “Products“
3. Click on the “Create product” button
4. Make sure you mark the product as “Digital“ if it’s only a digital product. All you need to do is, go to the “Shipping” section and uncheck the option “This product requires shipping”.

Marking the product as digital and that they don’t need to be shipped allows the DDA app to fulfil the product in your orders automatically and disables the shipping email from Shopify. If the product is physical, then that is fine. Digital files will still be delivered.

Learn how to set up variants on your Shopify products.

3. How to set up the app

Step 1 – Upload your digital assets

From your Shopify dashboard, go to the “Apps” in the left navigation, and open the app.

1. Once you are in the app, go to the “Assets” page
2. Click the ‘Upload new assets’ button. From here, you can follow the steps to upload your assets/files or attach external URLs as assets.

Check our upload troubleshooting guide if you have trouble uploading.

Step 2 – Attach the uploaded assets to your Shopify products

Please make sure you have created your products in your Shopify store. Our app automatically syncs all your Shopify products to our app, making it easy to attach assets to them.

Method 1 – from the asset page

1. Click on the blue asset link after upload
2. Use the search box/drop-down to attach the asset to products

Method 2 – from the product page

1. Go to the ‘Products’ page
2. Click on your chosen product that you want to attach assets to
3. Use the search box/drop-down to attach assets

Step 3 – Customise your settings

Now you have to set your settings so your customers receive their delivery when they place an order. You can upgrade to unlock more features (already installed? Upgrade here), such as:

• Using your own email for digital product delivery using SendGrid or SMTP
• Import all previous orders placed previous to installing the app
• PDF Stamping
• Display download links in the customers’ accounts and checkout summary page
• Set release dates on digital products
• Sell personalised digital products
• Connect an S3-compatible server
• API Access
• Updating files & notifying customers
• Customise email templates to improve branding
• Add & sell external URLs as assets, such as Dropbox links etc.
• Expire orders at a specific time or instantly
• Stats page
• Fraud protection – halt downloads if they’re high-risk fraudulent
• Restrict customers’ downloads to a number of IP addresses
• More storage allowance

Find out the best practices to prevent customers from sharing digital products. Learn more by seeing our professional guidance on 19 mistakes to avoid when selling digital products.

Go to the ‘Settings’ page. Please take your time to go through these settings and make sure they suit your store. Example of the settings page on the Premium plan:

Step 4 – Read our Checklist! Be ready for digital products

We would highly advise you to read our ‘Setup checklist’ after installation. This ensures your store is set up correctly to deliver digital products without issues.

For example, some stores are set only to collect phone numbers on an order. This needs to be changed to collect emails so we can email the digital downloads to your customer. You can learn how to do this in the checklist.

Video Walkthrough

How will my customers receive their downloads?

Your customers can receive their downloads in three methods:

Via email

Order status Thank You page downloads

On the ‘Thank you’ Order status page after purchase (available on the Basic plan or higher). Already installed DDA? Upgrade here.

Learn how to enable Thank You page downloads.

This option uses a download box. Learn how to customise the download box text.

Customer accounts downloads

In the customer accounts order pages (available on the Premium plan). Already installed DDA? Upgrade here.

Learn how to enable customer account downloads.

If your customers didn’t create an account at checkout, you could tell your customers that they can create a customer account using the email that they used to purchase. This will automatically create an account with their order inside.

This option uses a download box that uses the styling of your website’s CSS. Learn how to customise the download box.

You can also use a customer account designing application called CustomerHub with DDA if you want to build your own customer accounts.

Recommendations

Add download info to Shopify’s order confirmation email

I highly recommend adding information about the downloads in your Shopify Order Confirmation email template.

Shopify’s email domain has a very high deliverability rate and rarely falls into spam. When using your custom email, there’s a chance your emails could fall into the spam folder. Here you can add information telling your customers where to find their downloads.

Learn how to add information & download links to the Shopify Confirmation email.

Troubleshooting download issues for customers

In some rare cases, customers may run into download problems. This is usually caused by old browsers or operating systems that just need a quick restart. You can send the customer this download issue troubleshooting guide to find out what the issue could be.

Improve your knowledge

Things to know:

• Upload & sell any file type or size (within your plan limits)
• We use ultra-fast & secure download servers
• We don’t add code to your theme (unless you add customer account downloads)

Changing your plan

Learn how to upgrade or downgrade your plan easily.

Blocking a customer’s downloads

Some customers abuse the rules and learn how to block their downloads.

8 Proven ways to protect your digital products

There are a few essential methods to help protect your digital products from fraud.

19 Mistakes to avoid when selling digital products

Learn from the experts in selling digital downloads online.

Final words

If you get stuck, just contact us, and we are here to help!