> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sitestorepro.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Setting Up Digital Downloads for Your Site Store Pro Shop

> Deliver purchased files securely with order-based download links, or embed tracked asset downloads anywhere in your CMS content using shortcodes.

Site Store Pro includes two independent download engines — one for selling digital products in your catalog, and one for embedding tracked file downloads inside CMS pages and product descriptions. Choose the engine that matches your use case, or use both simultaneously.

## Engine 1 — Order-Based Digital Product Downloads

Use this engine for digital products you sell in your store catalog: ebooks, software licenses, audio files, video courses, and similar purchasable assets. Download links are generated per-order and delivered automatically to the customer upon payment.

### Setting Up a Digital Product

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the product for editing">
    Navigate to **Admin → Products** and click **Edit** on the product you want to configure as a digital download.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable the Digital Download flag">
    Check the **Digital Download Item** checkbox in the product settings panel.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Attach the asset at the variant level">
    Open the product's variant(s) and attach the downloadable file to each variant. Site Store Pro supports three storage options:

    | Storage Option      | Description                                     |
    | ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
    | Local file upload   | Upload the file directly to your server storage |
    | Custom S3 disk      | Store the file on a configured Amazon S3 bucket |
    | Direct URL override | Point to an external file URL (e.g. a CDN link) |
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set download limits (optional)">
    Configure access restrictions on the product or variant:

    | Setting         | Field                   | Description                                                    |
    | --------------- | ----------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
    | Max Downloads   | *(e.g. 5)*              | Maximum number of times the customer can download the file     |
    | Download Expiry | *(days after purchase)* | Number of days after purchase before the download link expires |

    Leave these fields blank to allow unlimited, permanent access.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### How Customers Access Downloads

Once an order is paid, Site Store Pro automatically generates secure download links tied to the order and delivers them in two places:

* **Order summary page** — visible immediately after checkout completion.
* **Order confirmation email** — included in the email sent to the customer's inbox.

Each link uses a unique UUID token to prevent unauthorized sharing. Token validity is governed by the download limit and expiry settings you configured on the product.

<Tip>
  If a customer reports losing access to their download — due to an expired email or a full browser session — go to the Order Details page and click **Send Download Reminder**. Site Store Pro resends the `download_reminder` email with fresh, valid asset links and UUID tokens without resetting the download count.
</Tip>

***

## Engine 2 — CMS Asset Downloads Manager

Use this engine for non-purchasable file downloads embedded within CMS pages and product descriptions: PDF brochures, product spec sheets, installation guides, user manuals, and similar content assets.

### Managing Assets

Navigate to **Admin → CMS → Asset Downloads** (`/admin/cms-downloads`) to upload and manage your content assets.

For each asset, choose a storage location:

| Option       | Description                                         |
| ------------ | --------------------------------------------------- |
| Local upload | Upload directly to your server                      |
| S3 bucket    | Store on a configured Amazon S3 disk                |
| External URL | Link to a file hosted on an external service or CDN |

Site Store Pro tracks a **download count** for every asset automatically. Review download counts from the Asset Downloads index to measure content engagement.

### Embedding Downloads with Shortcodes

Once an asset is uploaded, embed it anywhere in your CMS content or product descriptions using the `[download:ID]` shortcode.

**Basic embed (uses the asset's title as the link label):**

```text theme={null}
[download:12]
```

**Custom label:**

```text theme={null}
[download:12 label="Download User Manual (PDF)"]
```

Site Store Pro resolves each shortcode at render time and automatically injects:

* The asset **title** (or your custom label)
* A **file extension badge** (e.g. PDF, DOCX, ZIP)
* The formatted **file size** (e.g. 2.4 MB)
* A **tracked download link** that increments the download counter on each click

<Accordion title="Finding an asset's ID">
  Open the asset record in **Admin → CMS → Asset Downloads**. The numeric ID appears in the URL of the edit page — for example, `/admin/cms-downloads/12/edit` means the shortcode is `[download:12]`.
</Accordion>

<Info>
  The CMS Asset Downloads engine operates entirely independently of order-based downloads. Assets managed here are freely accessible to any site visitor who reaches a page containing the shortcode — no purchase or login is required unless you restrict the page itself.
</Info>