How to Sell Digital Product Downloads with PhotoBiz ECommerce

Overview

PhotoBiz ECommerce allows you to sell downloadable Digital Products, including PDFs, eBooks, photo presets, templates, ZIP files, audio files, and other digital resources.

You can deliver files stored in your PhotoBiz account or link customers to files hosted on a third-party service. Both methods provide access through the customer's online order receipt, but the available download settings are different.

Digital Products can be sold through Client Galleries or a Products Block on your PhotoBiz website. This guide explains how to configure both delivery methods, manage download restrictions, and understand what customers see before and after payment.

Digital Products vs. Digital Images and Digital Packages

Digital Products use the standard PRODUCTS area of your ECommerce Dashboard. They allow you to attach a downloadable file or external URL to a product.

They are separate from the features used to sell downloadable photographs:

Digital Images: Allow customers to purchase individual downloadable photos from Client Galleries. See How to Set Up Digital Images.
Digital Packages: Allow customers to purchase collections of downloadable images. See How to Set Up Digital Packages.

This guide covers Digital Products only. The settings described here do not apply to Digital Images or Digital Packages.

Where You Can Sell Digital Products

You can offer Digital Products through:

Client Galleries: Add the product to the price list assigned to your Client Gallery.
Products Block: Add the product to your Global price list so it can be sold through a Products Block on your website.

The Digital Download settings are attached to the product itself, so the same delivery settings apply wherever it is purchased.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Access to your PhotoBiz account.
An ECommerce Product created or ready to create.
A digital file uploaded to PhotoBiz or a direct file URL from a third-party hosting service.

If you haven't created a product yet, see How to Set Up a Product in PhotoBiz ECommerce.

Supported File Types

PhotoBiz supports the following file types in the DOCUMENTS section for Digital Product downloads:

Images and graphics: JPG, JPEG, PNG, GIF, PSD, ICO, SVG
Documents: PDF, DOC, DOCX
Spreadsheets: XLS, XLSX
Fonts: TTF, OTF, WOFF2
Compressed files: ZIP
Audio files: MP3
Web files: JS, CSS

If your file type is not supported, you can place it inside a ZIP file before uploading it. ZIP files are also useful for delivering multiple files with one purchase.

Files uploaded to PhotoBiz must meet your account's upload-size limits, explained later in this guide.

STEP ONE

This opens your ECommerce Dashboard, where you can manage products, orders, payment settings, and other online store features.

STEP TWO

At the top of your ECommerce Dashboard, hover over SELL ONLINE and click PRODUCTS.

This opens your product list, where you can create a new product or edit an existing one.

STEP THREE

Click an existing product to edit it, or click NEW PRODUCT to create a new product.

This opens the product editor, where you can configure the product name, price, description, images, and other settings.

If you have multiple products, use the search field to locate an existing product by name.

STEP FOUR

Click DIGITAL DOWNLOAD in the product settings menu.

This opens the settings for configuring how customers access your Digital Product after purchase.

You can deliver your Digital Product using a file stored in PhotoBiz or a link to an externally hosted file.

STEP FIVE

Enter the text you want customers to click when accessing their purchase in DOWNLOAD LINK LABEL.

The default label is Download, but you can customize it to describe the file or resource you're selling, such as Download Your Presets or Download PDF Guide.

Next, use the LINK TO dropdown to select your delivery method.

Option 1: File (Hosted by PhotoBiz)

Select File if your Digital Product is stored in the DOCUMENTS section of your PhotoBiz account.

Under CHOOSE A FILE, select the file you want customers to receive.

If you haven't uploaded your file yet, see How to Upload and Link to Files in PhotoBiz.

When File is selected, two additional settings appear:

NUMBER OF DAYS DOWNLOAD IS AVAILABLE: Select how long customers can access the file, from 1 to 90 days.
MAXIMUM DOWNLOADS PER ORDER: Select how many download attempts are allowed per order, from 1 to 99.

These settings apply only to files hosted in your PhotoBiz account.

Option 2: External link (Hosted Outside PhotoBiz)

Select External link if your Digital Product is stored on a third-party hosting service.

When you select External link, a URL field appears.

Enter the direct URL for the file you want customers to access. Test the URL to make sure customers can open the file without creating an account or signing in to another service.

Important: The NUMBER OF DAYS DOWNLOAD IS AVAILABLE and MAXIMUM DOWNLOADS PER ORDER settings are not displayed when External link is selected.

Customers using an external download link have unlimited download attempts during the 7-day period that their online receipt link remains valid.

FINAL STEP

If you selected File, configure NUMBER OF DAYS DOWNLOAD IS AVAILABLE and MAXIMUM DOWNLOADS PER ORDER using the limits described above.

If you selected External link, confirm that the URL is correct and accessible.

Review your settings and click SAVE CHANGES.

Your Digital Product is now configured for delivery. Once the product is available for purchase, customers can access their download through their online order receipt after the order is marked Paid.

Helpful Note: If a customer uses an offline payment method or their order has a Pending payment status, the download will not appear on their online receipt until the order status is updated to Paid.

Download Settings Explained

The DIGITAL DOWNLOAD section allows you to configure how customers access purchased files.

Settings Available for Both Delivery Methods

DOWNLOAD LINK LABEL: Controls the clickable text customers see on their online order receipt. The default label is Download.
LINK TO: Determines whether your Digital Product uses a file stored in PhotoBiz or a third-party URL.

PhotoBiz-Hosted File Settings

When File is selected, you can configure:

CHOOSE A FILE: Selects a file uploaded to your PhotoBiz DOCUMENTS section.
NUMBER OF DAYS DOWNLOAD IS AVAILABLE: Allows downloads for 1 to 90 days.
MAXIMUM DOWNLOADS PER ORDER: Allows 1 to 99 download attempts per order.

These settings control access to the Digital Product itself and are separate from the 7-day receipt-link expiration.

Externally Hosted File Settings

When External link is selected, the URL field appears for entering your file's direct address.

PhotoBiz does not provide configurable expiration or maximum download settings for external links.

Customers can access the external download link with unlimited attempts while their 7-day receipt link remains valid.

Access to the underlying file also depends on the third-party hosting service and its sharing settings.

Using an External Link for a Digital Product

If you host your Digital Product outside PhotoBiz, the third-party service must allow you to provide a direct link customers can use to access the file.

Some file-storage services require customers to sign in or visit a sharing page before opening a file. PhotoBiz does not recommend a specific third-party file-hosting provider.

Before adding an external link to your product, test the URL and confirm that it opens the intended file without requiring customers to sign in.

If you change or remove the externally hosted file, or its URL changes, the Digital Product link may stop working.

Keep the file and its direct URL active for as long as customers may need access.

What Your Clients See

After a customer completes checkout, PhotoBiz provides an online order receipt. Whether the Digital Product download appears depends on the payment status of the order.

Offline Payments and Pending Orders

If a customer selects an offline payment method or their order has a Pending payment status, they can still view their online order receipt.

The receipt displays their order information, including the purchased product, quantity, price, payment method, and order total.

However, the Digital Downloads section does not appear while the order is Pending.

Once payment has been received and the order status is updated to Paid, the Digital Product becomes available on the customer's online receipt.

Paid Orders

When an order is marked Paid, the Digital Downloads section appears below Item Details on the customer's online receipt.

This section displays the purchased Digital Product and its download information, including:

Product: The name of the purchased Digital Product.
Download Link: The clickable text configured under DOWNLOAD LINK LABEL.
Expiration Date: The download expiration information.
Attempts: The download attempt information.

For PhotoBiz-hosted files, expiration and attempt information reflects the settings configured for that product.

For externally hosted files, customers have unlimited download attempts during their valid 7-day receipt-link period.

Customers click the download link to access their purchased file or external URL.

Both delivery methods use the same online receipt experience. The difference is how download availability and attempts are controlled.

Receipt Link vs. Digital Product Download Availability

All PhotoBiz order receipt emails include a VIEW RECEIPT link that remains valid for 7 days. This applies to all PhotoBiz orders, not just Digital Product purchases.

The receipt-link expiration is separate from the download settings for PhotoBiz-hosted Digital Products.

File (Hosted by PhotoBiz): You can configure download availability from 1 to 90 days and allow 1 to 99 attempts per order.
External link (Hosted Outside PhotoBiz): Customers have unlimited download attempts during the 7-day receipt-link validity period.

What Happens When the Receipt Link Expires?

If a customer needs to access their Digital Product after the original 7-day VIEW RECEIPT link expires, you must manually resend their order receipt from your ECommerce Dashboard.

Resending the receipt provides a new 7-day receipt link. PhotoBiz does not automatically send a replacement when the original link expires.

For PhotoBiz-hosted files, resending the receipt does not reset the Digital Product's configured expiration or number of remaining download attempts.

For example, if you configure a PhotoBiz-hosted file to remain available for 30 days, the customer's original receipt link still expires after 7 days. You can resend their receipt to provide access during the remaining download availability period.

See How to Resend an Order Receipt.

If a PhotoBiz-hosted download itself has expired or the customer has reached the maximum allowed attempts, see How to Extend a Digital Product Download Link in PhotoBiz ECommerce.

Important: Do Not Change or Delete the Source File

If you use a file stored in your PhotoBiz account, do not change or delete the original source file after customers begin purchasing the Digital Product.

Customer download links point to that specific file. Changing or deleting the source file can break download links already provided to customers.

If you need to offer an updated version, upload it as a new file and update the product for future purchases.

Keep the original source file available as long as previous customers may still need access to their purchases.

Offering Multiple Digital Product Options

If you want to sell different versions of a Digital Product at different prices, create a separate product for each option.

For example:

Lightroom Preset - Standard Edition
Lightroom Preset - Pro Edition
Lightroom Preset - Complete Bundle

Digital Product downloads do not support multiple downloadable file selections or versions within a single product.

Creating separate products allows each version to have its own price, file or external URL, product information, and download settings.

Selling Multiple Files with One Product

If you want customers to receive several files with one purchase, combine them into a ZIP file.

A ZIP file can contain photo presets, templates, images, design files, instructions, and other supporting resources.

Upload the ZIP file to your PhotoBiz DOCUMENTS section, then select it using CHOOSE A FILE under DIGITAL DOWNLOAD.

Customers can download the ZIP file and extract its contents on their computer or device.

For complete instructions, see How to Deliver Multiple Files Using a ZIP Download in PhotoBiz ECommerce.

File Size Limits

Your maximum PhotoBiz upload size depends on the file storage features active on your account:

Website Package: Up to 4 MB per file.
Original Files: Up to 50 MB per file.

If your file is larger than 4 MB but no larger than 50 MB, you will need Original Files before uploading it to PhotoBiz.

If your file exceeds 50 MB, you will need to reduce its size or use a third-party hosting service that supports direct file links.

The PhotoBiz upload limits apply to files stored in PhotoBiz. Externally hosted files are subject to the limitations of the third-party service.

Placing files inside a ZIP file does not increase your PhotoBiz upload limit.

For more information, see How to Add the Original Files Feature to Your Account.

Sales Tax on Digital Products

If you need to collect sales tax on a Digital Product, configure the appropriate Sales Tax lines in your ECommerce Dashboard and enable tax for the product.

Tax requirements for digital products vary by location. You are responsible for determining which taxes apply to the products you sell.

See How to Collect Sales Tax on Products in PhotoBiz.

Troubleshooting / FAQs

Why doesn't my file appear under Choose A File?

Confirm that the file has been uploaded to the DOCUMENTS section of your PhotoBiz account and uses a supported file type.

If necessary, place unsupported file types inside a ZIP file. Make sure the completed file meets your account's upload-size limit.

Why don't I see the download expiration or maximum download settings?

These settings appear only when File is selected under LINK TO.

When External link is selected, PhotoBiz displays a URL field instead. External downloads have unlimited attempts during the valid 7-day receipt-link period.

Why doesn't my customer see a Digital Product download link on their receipt?

First, check the order's payment status in your ECommerce Dashboard.

If the order is Pending or uses an offline payment method that has not been marked Paid, the Digital Downloads section will not appear.

Once payment has been received, update the order status to Paid so the customer can access their download.

If the order is already Paid and the download link is missing, confirm that the product has been configured correctly under DIGITAL DOWNLOAD.

Why isn't my customer's download working?

If the order is Paid, check the following:

PhotoBiz-hosted files: Confirm the download has not expired, the maximum attempts have not been reached, and the original source file still exists.
External links: Confirm the URL is correct and the externally hosted file is accessible.
Receipt access: If the customer's VIEW RECEIPT link has expired, resend their order receipt.

What happens if the customer's receipt link expires?

All PhotoBiz VIEW RECEIPT links expire after 7 days.

If the customer needs another receipt link, you must manually resend the receipt from your ECommerce Dashboard.

See How to Resend an Order Receipt.

What if the Digital Product download itself expires?

For PhotoBiz-hosted files, you can extend download availability or add more download attempts from the customer's order in your ECommerce Dashboard.

These changes apply only to that specific order, not the original product settings.

See How to Extend a Digital Product Download Link.

Can I offer unlimited downloads for an externally hosted Digital Product?

Yes. External links allow unlimited download attempts during the 7-day receipt-link validity period.

PhotoBiz does not provide customizable download expiration or attempt limits for external links.

Can Digital Products be sold through Client Galleries?

Yes. Add the Digital Product to the price list assigned to your Client Gallery.

You can also sell Digital Products on your PhotoBiz website through a Products Block using your Global price list.

Can I offer different versions or multiple files in one Digital Product?

To deliver multiple files together, combine them into a ZIP file.

To sell different versions at different prices, create separate products so each has its own file, pricing, and download settings.

NEED HELP?

Our Passionate Support Team Is Here for You.

Have questions or need a hand? Our team is happy to walk you through the steps and help you get the most out of your PhotoBiz account.

Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm EST
866.463.7620
Phone, Live Chat & Support Ticket

CONTACT SUPPORT

Previous Post Next Post

How to Deliver Multiple Files Using a ZIP Download in PhotoBiz ECommerce

March 24, 2026

How Can I Add The Original Files Feature To My Account?

July 31, 2026

How To Set Up Digital Packages

March 25, 2026

How Can I Provide Image Downloads for My Customers?

April 27, 2026

Selling Digital Product Downloads in PhotoBiz ECommerce