downloadable digital assets shopify digital product delivery app logo

Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” App Is Not Working [Solved]

WHY IS SHOPIFY'S DIGITAL DOWNLOADS APP BROKEN

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 their recent upgrade. There have been many complaints and bugs in their most recent upgrade that are not being addressed. If you can’t wait for updates, consider migrating to the DDA Digital Downloads Shopify 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 DDA Digital Downloads app to avoid such inconvenience.

Consider installing the DDA app.

dda digital assets

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.

shopify digital downloads app

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:

review 3
review 2

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 its 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 more reliable digital products Shopify app such as DDA Digital Downloads.

Switch to the “DDA Digital Downloads” App

You may want to consider switching to the DDA app, which provides several benefits that Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app lacks. For example, the DDA app offers the following features, which you won’t get with Digital Downloads:

  • Fraud & file protection: The DDA 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.
dda digital assets

The 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 DDA app, so be sure to check it out.

shopify digital downloads Shopify’s app:downloadable digital assets DDA features and upgrades:
Can only attach 1 file to each product
Attach unlimited assets to products on any paid plan (Free plan: only attach 1 asset to each product)
Doesn’t support customer account downloadsAllow customer account downloads
Doesn’t have email trackingEmail tracking
5GB total storage per fileNo limits on file size or type
Issues with cookies in some browsersPersonalised digital products + attach files to an order
Confusing to useDisplay links in customer accounts
No upgrade optionsDisplay links on Thank You page
No protection featuresSet IP Address limitations
Cannot use your own emailUse your own email to send downloads
No store branding featuresSell digital files alongside subscription apps
Add URs as assets
API
Fraud protection
PDF Stamping
Set pre-order release dates
Update assets & notify customers
Add download limitations
Order bandwidth & download tracking
Connect your own Amazon S3
Expire an order (block customer’s downloads)
Email customisation templates

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 DDA app, which offers several advantages over Shopify’s “Digital Downloads” app. These include:

  • Fraud protection
  • Email tracking
  • An easy-to-use interface and navigation system.

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