DocumentationCommerceCatalog Management

Downloadable product

Last update: Mon Aug 21 2023 00:00:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

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A downloadable product can be anything that you can deliver as a file, such as an eBook, music, video, software application, or update. You can offer an album for sale and sell each song individually. You can also use a downloadable product to deliver an electronic version of your product catalog.

Because the download is not available until after the purchase, you can provide samples, such as an excerpt from a book, a clip from an audio file, or a trailer from a video. A sample is something that the customer can try before purchasing the product. The files that you make available for download can be either uploaded to your server or from a different server.

Downloadable product {width="700" modal="regular"}

Downloadable products can be configured to require that the customer logs in to an account to receive the link or can be sent by email and shared with others. The status of the order before the download becomes available, default values, and other delivery options are set in the configuration. As you plan your downloadable catalog additions, take note of the following:

  • Downloadable products can be uploaded to the server or linked to from another server on the internet.

  • You can determine the number of times a customer can download a product.

  • Customers who purchase a downloadable product can be required to log in before going through checkout.

  • The delivery of a downloadable product can be made when the order is in either a Pending or Invoiced status.

  • Because downloadable products are not shipped, the Shipping step of the checkout is skipped when the cart contains only the downloadable product.

Configure the download options

The downloadable configuration settings determine the default values and delivery options for downloadable products and specify if guests can purchase downloads.

  1. On the Admin sidebar, go to Stores > Settings > Configuration.

  2. In the left panel, expand Catalog and choose Catalog underneath.

  3. Expand Expansion selector the Downloadable Product Options section.

    Downloadable Product Options {width="700" modal="regular"}

    For a detailed list of these configuration options, see Downloadable Product Options in the Configuration Reference.

  4. To determine the status of the order process when the download becomes available, set Order Item Status to Enable Downloads to one of the following:

    • Pending
    • Invoiced

  5. To set a default limit on the number of downloads that a single customer can make, enter the number for Default Maximum Number of Downloads.

  6. Set Shareable to one of the following:

    • Yes - Allows customers to email the download link to others.
    • No - Prevents customers from sharing the download link with others by requiring customers to log in to their accounts to access download links.

  7. For Default Sample Title, enter the heading that you want to appear above the selection of samples.

    Sample Title {width="400"}

  8. For Default Link Title, enter the default text that you want to use for download links.

  9. If you want the download link to open in a new browser window, set Opens Links in New Window to Yes.

    This setting is used to keep the browser window to your store open.

  10. To determine how downloadable content is delivered, set Use Content Disposition to one of the following:

    • Attachment - Delivers the download link by email as an attachment.
    • Inline - Delivers the download link as a link on a web page.

  11. If you want to require that purchasers register for a customer account and log in before purchasing a download, set Disable Guest Checkout if Cart Contains Downloadable Items to Yes.

  12. When complete, click Save Config.

Create a downloadable product

The following instructions demonstrate the process of creating a downloadable product using a product template, required fields, and basic settings. Each required field is marked with a red asterisk (*). When you finish the basics, you can complete the other product settings as needed.

NOTE
Downloadable file names can include letters and numbers. Either a dash or underscore character can be used to represent a space between words. Any invalid characters in the file name are replaced with an underscore.

Step 1: Choose the product type

  1. On the Admin sidebar, go to Catalog > Products.

  2. On the Add Product ( Menu arrow {width="25"} ) menu at the upper-right corner, choose Downloadable Product.

    Add Downloadable Product {width="700" modal="regular"}

Step 2: Choose the attribute set

The sample data includes an attribute set called Downloadable that has special fields for downloadable products. You can use an existing template or create another before the product is saved.

To choose the attribute set that is used as a template for the product, do one of the following:

  • For Search, enter the name of the attribute set.

  • In the list, choose the Downloadable attribute set.

The form is updated to reflect the change.

Choose Attribute Set {width="600" modal="regular"}

Step 3: Complete the required settings

  1. Enter the Product Name.

  2. Accept the default SKU that is based on the product name or enter another.

  3. Enter the product Price.

  4. Because the product is not yet ready to publish, set Enable Product to No.

  5. click Save and continue.

    When the product is saved, the Store View chooser appears in the upper-left corner.

  6. Choose the Store View where the product is to be available.

    Choose Store View {width="600" modal="regular"}

Step 4: Complete the basic settings

  1. Set Tax Class to one of the following:

    • None
    • Taxable Goods

  2. Enter the Quantity of the product that is in stock.

    Take note of the following:

    • By default, Stock Status is set to Out of Stock.

    • Because downloadable products are not shipped, the Weight field is not used. If you enable this feature, it becomes a Simple product and the Is this downloadable product? tab cannot be used.

    note note
    NOTE
    If you enable Inventory Management, Single Source merchants set the quantity in this section. Multi Source merchants add sources and quantities in the Sources section. See the following Assign Sources and Quantities (Inventory Management) section.

  3. Accept the default Visibility setting of Catalog, Search.

  4. To feature the product in the list of new products, select the Set Product as New checkbox.

  5. To assign Categories to the product, click the Select… box and do either of the following:

    Choose an existing category:

    • Start typing in the box until you find a match.

    • Select the checkbox of each category that is to be assigned.

    Create a category:

    • Click New Category.

    • Enter the Category Name and choose the Parent Category, which determines its position in the menu structure.

    • Click Create Category.

  6. Set Format to one of the following:

    • Download
    • DVD

    If necessary, you can edit the attribute to add more values.

    There might be additional attributes that describe the product. The selection varies by attribute set and you can complete them later.

Assign sources and quantities (Inventory Management)

For multisource merchants using Inventory Management, scroll down to the Sources section and assign sources and quantities:

  1. To add a source, click Assign Sources.

  2. Browse or search sources and select the checkbox next to the sources that you want to add for the product.

    Assign sources to the product {width="600" modal="regular"}

  3. Click Done to add the sources.

  4. To manage the quantity and status of the source, click Advanced Inventory and set Manage Stock to Yes.

  5. Set Source Item Status to In Stock.

  6. Enter an amount update the Qty for on-hand stock.

  7. To set a notification for inventory quantities, do one of the following:

    • Custom Notify Quantity - Clear the Notify Quantity Use Default checkbox and enter an amount in Notify Quantity.

    • Default Notify Quantity - Select the Notify Quantity Use Default checkbox. Commerce checks and uses the setting in Advanced Inventory or global store configuration.

    Update Product Quantities per Source {width="600" modal="regular"}

Step 5: Complete the downloadable information

Scroll down, expand Expansion selector the Downloadable Information section, and select the Is this downloadable product? checkbox.

When enabled, the Downloadable Information section has two parts. The first part describes each download link, and the second part describes each sample file. The default value for many of these options can be set in the configuration.

Downloadable Information {width="600" modal="regular"}

  1. In the Links section, enter the Title that you want to use as a heading for the download links.

  2. If applicable, select the Links can be purchased separately checkbox.

  3. Click Add Link and do the following:

    • Enter the Title and Price of the download.

    • For both File and Sample files, choose one of the following methods of distribution for the downloads:

      • Upload File - Choose this method to upload the distribution file to the server. Browse to the file and select it for upload.
      • URL - Choose this method to access the distribution file from a URL. Enter the full URL to the download file.
    note note
    NOTE
    You cannot use links to external resources as downloadable products. Valid link domains are predefined programmatically in the env.php file (see env.php reference in the Configuration Guide).

    • Set Shareable to one of the following:

      • No - Requires customers to log in to their accounts to access the download link.

      • Yes - Sends the link by email, which customers can share with others.

      • Use Config - Uses the method that is specified in the Downloadable Product Options configuration.

    • Do one of the following:

      • To limit downloads per customer, enter the maximum number for Max. Downloads.
      • To allow unlimited downloads, select the Unlimited checkbox.

    Link Detail {width="600" modal="regular"}

  4. To add another link, click Add Link and repeat these steps.

Complete the samples

  1. In the Samples section, enter the Title that you want to use as a heading for the samples.

  2. To complete the information for each sample, click Add Link.

    Samples {width="600" modal="regular"}

  3. Complete the link detail as follows:

    • Enter the Title of the individual sample.

    • Choose one of the following distribution methods:

      • Upload File - Choose this method to upload the distribution file to the server. Browse to the file and select it for upload.
      • URL - Choose this method to access the distribution file from a URL. Enter the full URL to the download file.

    • To add another sample, click Add Link and repeat these steps.

    • To change the order of the samples, grab the Change Order ( Position controller ) icon and drag the sample to a new position.

Step 6: Complete the product information

Scroll down and complete the information in the following sections as needed:

Step 7: Publish the product

If you are ready to publish the product in the catalog, set Enable Product to Yes and do one of the following:

Method 1: Save and Preview

  • In the upper-right corner, click Save.

  • To view the product in your store, choose Customer View on the Admin ( Menu arrow ) menu.

    The store opens in a new browser tab.

    Customer View {width="600" modal="regular"}

Method 2: Save and Close

On the Save ( Menu arrow {width="25"} ) menu, choose Save & Close.

Storefront experience

In the customer account dashboard, the My Downloadable Products page links to each order of downloadable products. The downloads become available from the customer’s account when the order is complete.

My Downloadable Products {width="700" modal="regular"}

The following table describes the My Downloadable Products values:

Column
Description
Order#
The order in which the downloadable product was purchased. Provides a link to the order detail.
Date
Order creation date.
Title
The name of the downloadable product purchased with the order. Provides a link to the downloadable product.
Status
Order processing status.
Remaining Downloads
Number of available downloads of the downloaded product.

To download a product file from the account dashboard

  1. In their account dashboard, the customer chooses My Downloadable Products.

  2. Finds the order in the list and clicks the link after the title.

  3. In the lower-right corner of the download window, clicks the download icon.

  4. Locates the file in their downloads location and saves the file to the desired location.

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