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.
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 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.
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’s app: |  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 downloads | Allow customer account downloads |
| Doesn’t have email tracking | Email tracking |
| 5GB total storage per file | No limits on file size or type |
| Issues with cookies in some browsers | Personalised digital products + attach files to an order |
| Confusing to use | Display links in customer accounts |
| No upgrade options | Display links on Thank You page |
| No protection features | Set IP Address limitations |
| Cannot use your own email | Use your own email to send downloads |
| No store branding features | Sell 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.
