Last updated on 29 January 2023
We would highly advise you to read our Setup Checklist. This ensures your store is set up correctly to deliver digital products without issues.
We also have an API available if you have an external solution to sell digital downloads with Shopify.
Getting started – Quick overview
Scroll down for an in-depth walkthrough.
Setting up the app is as simple as:
1. Upload
Upload your digital assets to the app.
2. Attach
Attach those assets to your Shopify products or variants.
3. Customise
Customise your settings & branding.
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.
- How to change the language of the delivery emails? Use your language.
Firstly, install the app
Go to Downloadable Digital Assets on the Shopify app store. Log in to your Shopify store and install the app. You can install the free plan for now, then choose to upgrade later if you require.
Once installed, please follow the next steps.
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.
- Once you are in the app, go to the ‘Assets’ page
- 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 assets to your 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
- Click on the blue asset link after upload
- Use the search box/drop-down to attach the asset to products
Method 2 – from the product page
- Go to the ‘Products’ page
- Click on your chosen product that you want to attach assets to
- 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 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 & bandwidth 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 Professional 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 (available on all plans). Download emails are enabled by default on installation and are available for all plans. Learn how to disable them.
Order summary Thank You page
On the ‘Thank you’ checkout page after purchase (available on the Starter plan). Learn how to enable Thank You page downloads.
This option uses a download box. Learn how to customise the download box.
Customer accounts
In the customer accounts order pages (available on the Professional plan). 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 our app if you want to build your own customer accounts.
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.
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 to the Shopify Confirmation email.
Normal email
Adjusted 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.
If you get stuck, just contact us, and we are here to help!
