Sell a Downloadable Product

In short. Tick Downloadable on any product's General tab. Upload the file to the Media library, paste its URL into the file list, and optionally set a download limit (how many times the link works) and an expiry (how many days after payment the link stays active). Leave both blank for unlimited, permanent access. When the order goes to Paid, SGEN sends the buyer their download link automatically — no manual step required. For a purely digital product, also tick Virtual to remove shipping fields from checkout.

On this page: Before you start · Steps · Virtual vs Downloadable · What success looks like · Example setups · Anti-patterns

Use this guide when a product's value is a file the buyer receives after checkout — a PDF ebook, audio track, software ZIP, or template bundle.

Not for: physical goods (leave Downloadable unticked, use the Shipping tab); services or consultations (tick Virtual only, no file delivery); subscription-gated content libraries (Downloadable delivers once per paid order, not on a recurring basis).

Full product-type reference: Ecommerce in SGEN — concepts.

Before you start

Confirm the following before opening the product editor:

• The Ecommerce module is switched on for your site.

Go to Modules Config in SG-Admin and verify the store module is active. If the Ecommerce sidebar section is missing, the module is off.

• You have the file you want to sell ready to upload.

Supported formats depend on what you allow buyers to download. Any file type the Media library accepts can be attached.

• You have at least one payment gateway configured.

Go to Ecommerce → Configuration → Payment Gateways and confirm a gateway is connected. Without a gateway, buyers cannot complete checkout.

• Your store currency and country are set.

Go to Ecommerce → Configuration → General to verify.

Steps

Step 1 — Upload the file to the Media library

Navigate to Media in the SG-Admin sidebar. Click Upload Files (or Add New). Select the file you want to sell — for example, your-ebook.pdf or template-pack-v2.zip. Wait for the upload to complete. Copy or note the file's URL from the Media library detail panel. You will paste this URL into the product's file list in Step 3.

Why upload first?
The product editor's file list asks for a URL, not a direct file picker.
Uploading to the Media library first gives you a stable, hosted URL to reference.

Step 2 — Create or open a product

Navigate to Ecommerce → Products in the SG-Admin sidebar. To create a new product, click Add new product. To update an existing product, click its name in the product list. The product editor opens.

On the General tab, confirm the product type. For a single-file digital product, Simple product is the correct type. For a digital product that comes in multiple variants (for example, a template pack in three different size formats), use Variable product — and set the Downloadable flag on each variation's settings.

Step 3 — Enable the Downloadable flag and configure delivery

On the General tab, locate the product modifiers section. Tick the Downloadable checkbox. The General tab expands to show three new fields:

Fill the three exposed fields:

Downloadable files list Click Add file. Enter a display name — this is what the buyer sees on their order confirmation. Paste the file URL you copied from the Media library in Step 1. You can attach more than one file to a single product. Each file gets its own name and URL row.

Download limit Enter a number to cap how many times the link can be used. Leave this blank to allow unlimited downloads. A limit of 3 means the buyer can download the file up to three times before the link stops working.

Download expiry Enter a number of days to set an expiry window. Leave this blank if the link should never expire. An expiry of 30 means the download link stops working 30 days after the order was paid.

Step 4 — Combine with Virtual (recommended for fully digital products)

If your product has no physical component — no box, no shipping label, no fulfilment step — tick Virtual as well as Downloadable.

Ticking Virtual removes the Shipping tab from the product editor. It also removes the shipping address fields from checkout when the buyer's cart contains only virtual products. For a purely digital product, this is the correct setup: the buyer pays, receives the download link by email, and is never asked for a shipping address.

Step 5 — Set price and remaining product fields

Still on the General tab, fill the Regular price field. Set a Sale price if you want to run a promotional discount. Move to other tabs as needed:

On the Inventory tab, decide whether to track stock. For digital products, stock tracking is optional — there is no physical inventory to run out of. If you leave Manage stock off, set the Stock status to In stock so the product remains purchasable.

On the SEO tab, add a meta title and description for the product page if you want to override the store defaults.

On the Advanced tab, add a Purchase note if you want to send the buyer a short message alongside their order confirmation. This is a good place to include instructions — for example, "Check your email for the download link. Links expire in 30 days."

Step 6 — Save and publish the product

Click Save (or Publish if your store uses a draft/publish workflow). The product is now live in your store catalog. Buyers can find it via the store archive, a direct product page URL, or any Ecommerce block you have placed on a custom page.

After saving, the product appears in the Products list. The product list shows the Downloadable badge alongside the product name, confirming the flag is active.

The highlighted row (blue background) is the newly saved downloadable product. The Downloadable and Virtual badges in the Flags column confirm both modifiers are active. A product without those flags — like the shirt in the last row — shows no badges.

What success looks like

After a buyer completes checkout and payment is authorized, the order moves from Pending to Paid in the Orders module.

At the Paid stage, SGEN sends the buyer an order confirmation email that includes the download link. The buyer clicks the link to receive the file. If you set a download limit, the counter decrements each time the link is used. If you set an expiry, the link becomes inactive after the configured number of days. No further action is required from you — the delivery is automatic.

To verify a specific order, open Ecommerce → Orders and click the order number. The order detail view shows the products purchased, the payment method, and the download link status. For more on reading and managing order records, see Orders.

Example setups

For multi-file products, add one row to the file list per file — each gets its own display name and Media library URL.

Anti-patterns

Tips

Set a purchase note on the Advanced tab to set buyer expectations upfront — for example: "Your download link will arrive by email within minutes of payment. Links expire after 30 days." This reduces support contacts from buyers who are unsure when to expect the file.

Multi-price tiers (personal-use vs commercial-use, for example) should be separate products — each carries its own file list, price, and download rules.

Updating the file — if a template pack gets a new version, update the file URL in the product's file list. Check Orders for how to manage buyers whose links have expired or hit the download cap.

Reference — Downloadable field summary

Related reading

• Ecommerce in SGEN — concepts reference — full product model, Virtual vs Downloadable, store configuration.
• Products — all product tabs, inventory tracking, variable products.
• Orders — order lifecycle, how to view order status, refund handling.