Types of Digital Products
Shopify supports selling any file type as a digital product. Common categories sold by UK merchants include:
Documents and Templates
PDF guides, Word templates, Excel spreadsheets, legal document packs, brand kits, and business plan templates. Popular with coaches, consultants, and designers.
Creative Assets
Stock photography, illustration packs, Lightroom presets, fonts, icon sets, and Canva templates. High demand with relatively low production cost per sale.
Audio and Video
Music tracks, sound effects, video footage, online course content, and meditation audio. Larger file sizes require careful attention to delivery.
Software and Code
WordPress plugins, Shopify apps, scripts, and code snippets. Often delivered as a zip file with documentation.
Setting Up Downloads
The simplest way to handle digital downloads in Shopify is through the free Digital Downloads app by Shopify, available in the App Store. For more control, Sky Pilot and SendOwl are popular paid alternatives.
- 1Install the Digital Downloads app
Find it in the Shopify App Store. It is free and made by Shopify, so it integrates cleanly.
- 2Create a product and mark it as digital
In the product editor, uncheck "This is a physical product" under Shipping. This removes shipping from the checkout for that product.
- 3Attach files via the Digital Downloads app
Open the app, find your product, and upload the file to deliver. Files up to 5GB are supported. The app links the file to the product variant.
- 4Configure download limits and expiry
Set how many times a customer can download a file and whether the link expires. Sensible defaults are 5 downloads with a 30-day expiry.
File Delivery
When an order is placed, the Digital Downloads app automatically emails the customer a download link. The link appears in the order confirmation email and in their order history if they have a customer account.
For large files, consider using a CDN-hosted link rather than uploading directly. Dropbox, Amazon S3, and Google Drive can all serve as file hosts, with apps like Sky Pilot managing access control. This approach is faster for customers and reduces strain on Shopify's servers.
VAT on Digital Products
Digital downloads sold to EU customers are subject to VAT under the EU VAT Moss rules, with VAT charged at the buyer's country rate. For UK customers, standard 20% VAT applies to most digital products. Configure your tax settings in Shopify carefully and consult an accountant if you are unsure.
Protecting Your Files
Complete protection against piracy is not possible, but you can make it significantly harder to share your files without permission:
- •Expiring download links: Set links to expire after 24-48 hours to prevent sharing.
- •PDF watermarking: Automatically add the buyer's name or email to PDF files. Apps like BookVault and Fileflare offer this.
- •Licensing terms: Include a clear licence in your product that specifies personal use only and prohibits redistribution.
- •Unique file names: Give each order a unique file so you can trace the source of any leaked copies.
Delivery Emails
The download email is the most important customer communication for digital products. Customise it under Settings, then Notifications, then the Digital Downloads template.
Include: a clear download button, instructions for what to do with the file, a note about download limits and link expiry, contact details for support, and any licence terms that apply.
Common Issues
Download link not received
Email delivery failures are common if you have not set up a custom sending domain.
Fix: Set up a custom email sending domain in Shopify Settings to improve deliverability. Allow customers to access downloads from their order history page as a backup.
Checkout still showing shipping options
If the product was not marked as non-physical, shipping options will appear.
Fix: Edit the product, scroll to Shipping, and uncheck "This is a physical product". This removes shipping requirements for that product.
Download limits exceeded after legitimate purchases
Customers who switch devices or lose a download may need to re-download beyond the set limit.
Fix: Offer a generous limit (10+ downloads) or set a longer expiry period. You can manually reset download limits from the order in the Digital Downloads app.
