Digital products are files customers download after purchase—ebooks, music, software, templates, courses, artwork, and more. CartOS handles digital delivery automatically, sending secure download links to customers as soon as their order is complete.
Setting up a digital product
Create a new product or edit an existing one. In the product editor, find the Product Type section and select Digital. This tells CartOS that the product doesn't require shipping and should be delivered electronically.
When a product is marked as digital, the checkout process skips shipping address collection and shipping rate selection for that item. If an order contains both digital and physical products, shipping is calculated only for the physical items.
Uploading files
After marking a product as digital, a Digital Files section appears in the product editor. Click Add File to upload the files customers will receive.
You can upload multiple files per product—useful for bundles or products that include several assets. Each file can be up to 5GB. Supported formats include PDF, ZIP, MP3, MP4, EPUB, and virtually any other file type.
For large files or collections, consider compressing them into a ZIP archive before uploading. This makes the download faster for customers and keeps related files together.
File variants
If your product has variants—like different formats or editions—you can attach different files to each variant. For example, an ebook might have PDF, EPUB, and MOBI variants, each with its respective file.
When setting up variants, go to each variant's settings and upload the specific file for that variant. Customers receive only the file associated with the variant they purchased.
How delivery works
When a customer completes a purchase, CartOS automatically generates secure download links for their digital products. These links are:
- Included in the order confirmation email
- Available on the order status page
- Accessible from the customer's account if they're logged in
Download links are unique to each order and protected against unauthorized sharing. You can configure link expiration and download limits in your digital product settings.
Download limits and expiration
Go to Settings › Digital Products to configure default delivery settings:
Download limit
Set the maximum number of times a customer can download their files. This helps prevent excessive sharing while still allowing customers to re-download if needed. A limit of 3-5 downloads is common. Set to unlimited if you don't want to restrict downloads.
Link expiration
Set how long download links remain active after purchase. Options range from 24 hours to never expire. Shorter expirations add security but may inconvenience customers who don't download immediately. 30 days is a reasonable default for most products.
You can override these defaults on individual products if certain items need different settings—a time-sensitive file might have a shorter expiration, while a course purchase might never expire.
Customizing delivery emails
The download link is delivered through the order confirmation email by default. To customize how digital products are presented in this email, edit the Order Confirmation workflow in the Automation Bolt.
You can also create a separate workflow specifically for digital product delivery—for example, sending a styled email with download instructions, license information, or getting started tips.
License keys
For software or products that require license keys, you can include them with your digital products. In the product's digital files section, click Add License Keys and enter your keys one per line.
CartOS assigns keys to orders automatically, ensuring each customer receives a unique key. Once assigned, a key is marked as used and won't be given to another customer. You can upload additional keys anytime as your inventory runs low.
If you need more advanced license key management—generating keys on demand or validating activations—consider a dedicated licensing bolt or external service.
Preventing piracy
While you can't completely prevent digital piracy, CartOS includes features to discourage unauthorized sharing:
- Unique download links – Each customer gets their own link that can't be shared
- Download limits – Restrict how many times files can be downloaded
- Link expiration – Expired links can't be used or shared
- PDF stamping – Optionally watermark PDFs with the customer's name or order number
For PDF stamping, enable it in your digital product settings. Each PDF download is automatically stamped with customer information, discouraging sharing since the file is traceable to the original buyer.
Refunds for digital products
Consider your refund policy carefully for digital products. Since customers receive the files immediately, refunds are more complex than for physical goods—you can't get the product back.
When you issue a refund for a digital order, you can choose to revoke download access. This disables the customer's download links so they can no longer access the files. However, if they've already downloaded the files, revocation won't remove them from their device.
Many merchants offer refunds only if the files haven't been downloaded, or limit refunds to store credit. Make your policy clear on your product pages and in your terms of service.
VAT and digital goods
Digital products are subject to VAT/GST in many countries, with rates based on the customer's location rather than yours. If you sell digital products to customers in the EU, UK, or other regions with digital tax requirements, you may need to collect and remit taxes.
CartOS can calculate digital goods tax automatically when you enable it in Settings › Taxes. Configure the regions where you have tax obligations, and CartOS will apply the appropriate rates at checkout.
Consult with a tax professional to understand your specific obligations for selling digital products internationally.
Combining digital and physical
Some products include both digital and physical components—a book with a companion PDF, or a product with a digital manual. CartOS handles mixed orders seamlessly.
You can either create a single product with both digital files and physical shipping requirements, or bundle separate digital and physical products together. For the single product approach, leave the product type as physical and add digital files—the digital files will be delivered immediately while the physical portion follows your normal fulfillment process.