How-to Guide: Sell Digital Products Online

From eBooks and stock photos to software, templates, and online courses, digital products are a smart choice for modern sellers. With no need for inventory or shipping, they offer low overhead, instant delivery, and global reach. This makes them ideal for creators and businesses scaling through platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce, as well as online marketplaces like Amazon or eBay.

Set up the e-commerce store for digital sales

Shopify

Shopify makes it easy to sell digital products with a few adjustments to the store. While the platform is built primarily for physical goods, it supports digital downloads through optional apps. You have few options to get started, here are more popular ones:

• Digital Downloads (by Shopify): A free app that lets you attach files to products and deliver them automatically after purchase.
• SendOwl: A third-party app with more advanced features, such as secure download options.
• Sky Pilot: Another app with a bigger focus on streaming content in a dedicated account area.

Create a product in your Shopify store and add the details to its page. Install the digital download app of your choice and link your product to the file you want to deliver. When this item is sold, the connected app will send an email with the download link to the customer. The emails can usually be configured in the digital downloads app.

When selling a digital product in Shopify, make sure to disable shipping for it. Deselect the “This is a physical product” option on the product page to avoid charging extra for shipping:

BigCommerce

BigCommerce supports digital products natively, making it a solid choice for selling downloadable items like software, media, or digital art. To set this up, add the product to BigCommerce. Specify that it is a digital item in the Product Type field, and upload your deliverables in the Files section.

Adjust the rest of the settings as needed and save the item. When this product is sold, BigCommerce will handle the email delivery automatically.

BigCommerce’s native digital product support makes it easy to launch without relying on external tools, which is ideal for sellers who want a straightforward setup.

PrestaShop

PrestaShop offers strong built-in functionality for digital products, making it a flexible option for sellers with some technical familiarity.

Start by creating a new product, and select “Virtual product” in the type field. Activate the “associated file” option and select the file below.

Add the rest of the product details and save the item. When an item like this is purchased, the store will send a usual order confirmation email to the customer. Because this is marked as a virtual item, the email will also contain a download link.

PrestaShop’s native tools give you precise control over how digital files are delivered, making it a good choice for sellers who want customization without relying heavily on apps.

Digital products on online marketplaces

Amazon

Amazon is powerful but highly regulated for digital content, so it’s best suited for sellers focused on ebooks, apps, or large-scale digital media distribution. The platform allows digital sales, but only through specific programs channels. Here are the available options:

• Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) — suited for eBooks and digital publications. With Kindle, you can upload your publication, and Amazon will handle the distribution, DRM, and royalties.
• Amazon Appstore — for apps and games targeting Android and Fire devices. Participating in this program requires developer registration through the Amazon Developer Console.

Amazon does not allow selling downloadable files like digital art or PDF documents through a standard Amazon Seller Central account. To sell digital products, merchants have to enroll in one of the above programs.

Etsy

Etsy is one of the most popular platforms for selling digital products like printable art, design templates, or fonts. It’s built to support digital downloads natively.

The publishing process is hardly different from the usual. Create a new listing and choose Digital files under the What type of item is it? prompt.

After the purchase, Etsy sends an automated email with a link to the buyer’s Purchases and Reviews page, where they can download the files at any time.

eBay

Selling digital products on eBay is possible, but it comes with strict regulations. The rules a slightly different for approved and non-approved digital sellers. Here are the available options:

• Non-approved sellers can list digital items in the Everything Else > Information Products category of the Classified Ad format. This way, eBay does not mediate the transaction, and sellers discuss payment and other terms on their own.
• As another way, sell a physical item containing the digital file. It can be a USB drive or disk containing your product.
• Become an eBay approved seller of digital products. The exact requirements depend on the marketplace, so you should check the official resources for more information.

When posting on online marketplaces, good presentation can make or break the sale. Try to come up with compelling titles and descriptions. If you are selling visual products, make sure to include pictures or screenshots.

File hosting options

Not all platforms provide robust file hosting. For some sellers, platforms with built-in hosting may be too limiting in size limits or lack of features. Taking an extra step to think about the hosting solution can be beneficial for some sellers.

Third-party hosting services

If you are using a third-party app to integrate digital downloads, consider the options that it offers.

• SendOwl – Designed for digital product sellers; integrates with Shopify, BigCommerce, and others. Offers license key generation, download limits, and expiring links.
• FetchApp – Integrates with Shopify and BigCommerce. Great for simple file delivery.
• Pulley – Great for creatives; integrates with Etsy.

Using a third-party service requires an additional subscription but can be beneficial if you are interested in extra features and security measures, or just need more storage for your digital goods.

Cloud storage

Use cloud platforms for hosting large or niche files with more control:

• Google Drive / Dropbox / OneDrive – Useful for small sellers; easy sharing but limited branding and control.
• Amazon S3 – Enterprise-grade storage with customizable access controls, ideal for developers or advanced users.
• Cloudflare R2 – An S3-compatible, low-cost alternative optimized for bandwidth-heavy delivery.

Using a cloud solution can offer even more space and customization options, but may require additionl setup. Solutions like this do not integrate directly with marketplaces, so you may need to offer the products as an account or a link with access to the hosted items.

Selling digital products is one of the most affordable ways to start or grow an online business. Whether you’re using Shopify, Etsy, Amazon, or another platform, you have plenty of options to share your content with customers. With the right setup and tools, you can deliver your products quickly and give buyers a great experience.