Have you attempted to use the Shopify Digital Downloads app, and it hasn’t worked, or it’s glitching out? That can be frustrating, especially when you have a business to run.
If Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app is not working, it could be due to the site rejecting your API key. To fix that, contact Shopify Support for assistance, as there could be an issue with the site’s configuration. In the meantime, consider migrating to the Downloadable Digital Assets app.
This post will explain why Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app may fail to work correctly and what you can do about it. Keep reading to learn why it’s best to switch to the Downloadable Digital Assets app to avoid such inconvenience.
Issues with Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app
Shopify’s Digital Downloads app is a popular option for allowing users to download files from a store. However, a spot-check of recent user reviews and forum posts suggests that this app doesn’t work as well as it should.
Recent common problems with the Shopify Digital Downloads app by its users:
- Uploads take forever to upload
- Uploads keep failing
- 504 Gateway timeout message
- Can no longer get unique download links
- Downloads don’t automatically get fulfilled
- Fulfils fraudulent orders
- Download links often fail for customers
- Doesn’t allow users to re-download their files
See the reviews for yourself. You can also see on the latest Shopify forum about the user’s experience.
Recent reviews of Shopify’s Digital Downloads app:
What to do if Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” fails
In most cases, Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app not working is an issue a normal user can’t solve but requires Shopify’s technical team to address.
However, there are a few things you can try in the meantime to get the app working again, such as:
Contact customer support
The first thing you should do if Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app is not working properly is to contact their customer support team. As I mentioned, this issue is likely caused by an error in the back end that you can’t solve on your own.
Therefore, contacting customer support is the best way to get your account and app fixed.
Wait for Shopify developers to address the issue
Another option is to simply wait for Shopify’s developers to fix the issue. From what I’ve seen, Shopify tends to address issues with their apps, but it takes quite some time.
However, that can be inconvenient if you need the file immediately, so you may want to consider switching to a different app.
Switch to the “Downloadable Digital Assets” App
You may want to consider switching to the Downloadable Digital Assets app, which provides several benefits that Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app lacks. For example, the Downloadable Digital Assets app offers the following features, which you won’t get with Digital Downloads:
- Fraud & file protection: The Downloadable Digital Assets app features robust fraud protection to prevent unauthorized or malicious downloads.
- Email tracking: With email tracking, you can easily keep track of who bought what file and when. That can be a great way to gather data for marketing purposes and to monitor the performance of your online store.
- Attach multiple files to a product: Shopify’s app is famously known for only allowing you to attach one file to a product. Now you can get around this issue with this other app.
Best of all about this one is that it has a free plan which is better than Shopify’s. That gives you the ability to use it, and if you need t upgrade when you start making money, you can simply upgrade.
This post about the differences between the apps provides more insights into why you should use the Downloadable Digital Assets app, so be sure to check it out.
 Nachteile der App von Shopify: |  Advantages of this app: |
| Kann nur 1 Datei pro Produkt anhängen | Unbegrenzte Vermögenswerte an Produkte anhängen |
| Unterstützt keine Downloads von Kundenkonten | Allow customer account downloads |
| Hat keine E-Mail-Verfolgung | E-Mail-Verfolgung |
| 5 GB Gesamtspeicherplatz pro Datei | Keine Beschränkungen für Dateigröße oder -typ |
| Probleme mit Cookies in einigen Browsern | Personalised digital products + attach files to an order |
| Verwirrend in der Anwendung | Display links in customer accounts |
| Keine Upgrade-Optionen | Display links on Thank You page |
| Keine Schutzfunktionen | IP-Adressbeschränkungen festlegen |
| Sie können Ihre eigene E-Mail nicht verwenden | Verwenden Sie Ihre eigene E-Mail zum Versenden von Downloads |
| Keine Shop-Branding-Funktionen | Sell digital files alongside subscription apps |
| URs als Aktiva hinzufügen | |
| API | |
| Schutz vor Betrug | |
| PDF-Stanzen | |
| Veröffentlichungstermine für Vorbestellungen festlegen | |
| Vermögenswerte aktualisieren und Kunden benachrichtigen | |
| Download-Beschränkungen hinzufügen | |
| Auftragsbandbreite & Download-Verfolgung | |
| Verbinden Sie Ihr eigenes Amazon S3 | |
| Expire an order (block customer’s downloads) | |
| Vorlagen zur E-Mail-Anpassung |
Wrapping up
In short, if Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app is not working as it should, there may be several reasons for this. Possible causes include a lack of an API key or a back-end error you can’t solve by yourself.
To address the issue, you may want to contact Shopify’s customer support team or wait for the developers to fix it.
In the meantime, you can also consider switching to the Downloadable Digital Assets app, which offers several advantages over Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app. These include:
- Schutz vor Betrug
- E-Mail-Verfolgung
- An easy-to-use interface and navigation system.
