> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.cartble.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Sell digital products with automatic file delivery
> Automatically deliver secure download links or external URLs to customers the moment payment is confirmed — no manual follow-up required.
When a customer pays for a digital product in your Cartble store, the platform automatically handles delivery for you. As soon as the order's payment is confirmed, Cartble generates a secure download link for each digital item and makes it available in the customer's order detail page — no emails to send, no manual uploads to manage. You control whether to host the file directly in Cartble or link out to an external URL, and you can set download limits and expiration windows on each product.
## How digital delivery works
The moment an order's payment is confirmed, Cartble automatically scans the order's items for any digital products and generates the appropriate link for each one — no action required on your part.
Upload your file directly to Cartble. When the order is paid, Cartble generates a **signed URL** — a time-limited, cryptographically secure link to the file in cloud storage. The link expires after the number of days you configure on the product.
Paste a URL from any external source (Google Drive, Dropbox, a CDN, or your own server). Cartble stores the link and reveals it to the customer only after payment is confirmed — your file stays where it already lives.
## Setting up a digital product
Go to **Admin → Products → New Product**. Fill in the product name, description, price, and images as you would for any product.
In the **Product Type** selector, choose **Digital**. The digital delivery fields will appear below the main product form.
Choose one of the two delivery modes:
* **Upload a file** — drag and drop or browse for the file you want to sell (e.g., a PDF, ZIP archive, audio file, or software binary). Cartble stores it securely and generates signed URLs at purchase time.
* **External link** — paste the full URL of your file hosted elsewhere (e.g., a Google Drive share link or a Dropbox direct download URL). Cartble will surface this URL to the customer after payment.
Enter a number in the **Download Limit** field to cap how many times the link can be accessed (e.g., `3`). Leave blank or set to `0` for unlimited downloads.
Enter the number of days the download link should remain valid in the **Link Expiration (days)** field. For example, `7` means the link expires one week after the order is paid. The default is **7 days**.
Write a short message in the **Delivery Instructions** field. This text is shown to the customer alongside their download link after purchase — use it to explain how to install software, unzip files, or access a course platform.
Set the product status to **Active** and save. Your digital product is now live and ready to sell.
## What the customer sees after purchase
Once an order containing a digital product is paid, Cartble automatically populates a **Downloads** section in the customer's order detail view. For each digital item in the order, the customer sees:
* The **product name**
* A **Download** button or link pointing to the signed URL or external link
* The **expiry date** of the link (for hosted files)
* Any **delivery instructions** you added to the product
The customer does not need to contact you or wait for a follow-up email — access is instant upon payment confirmation.
Signed download links for hosted files expire after the number of days you configured on the product. Once expired, the link stops working and the customer can no longer download the file. Remind customers in your delivery instructions to download their purchase promptly after payment.
## Delivery modes compared
| | Hosted file | External link |
| ------------------- | ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **File stored in** | Cartble cloud storage | Your external service |
| **Link type** | Signed URL (time-limited) | Direct external URL |
| **Link expiration** | Configurable per product | Not applicable — link persists as long as the external source does |
| **Download limit** | Configurable per product | Not enforced by Cartble |
| **Best for** | eBooks, software, audio files, templates | Large video files, courses on third-party platforms |
Set your link expiration to at least **7 days** (the default) to give customers a reasonable window to download across different devices and schedules. For evergreen products like software licenses, consider a longer window such as 30 days.
## Managing digital products
You can update the file, expiration settings, or delivery instructions on a digital product at any time from **Admin → Products**. Changes apply to future orders only — links already delivered to existing customers are not affected.
If you delete or move a file that is referenced by an existing signed URL, customers who haven't yet downloaded their purchase will receive an error when they try to access the link. Always replace rather than delete hosted files, or extend link expiration before removing a file.