If you run a store selling digital products, you’ll know it isn’t always as simple as uploading a file and calling it done. While Wix makes it easy to set up digital product sales, there are a few limitations when it comes to how customers access those files — and how you, as a store owner, manage them.
Over time, what seems like a small issue can turn into a daily source of support requests, customer frustration, and administrative overhead. I’ve experienced this first-hand and thought it would be useful to share what I learned, and a simple tool that helps tidy up the whole process.
The Challenge of Expiring Download Links
By default, when a customer buys a digital product on Wix, they receive a download link that expires after 30 days. This is a precautionary security measure, but in practice, it creates friction for legitimate customers who expect to access their purchase whenever they need it. After the link expires, the only way to retrieve the file is to contact the store owner directly, leading to time-consuming support emails and occasional frustration on both sides. There are more secure ways to protect files while still giving logged in customers access.
No Built-In Way to Deliver Updates or Fixes
Another issue is how to handle updates, patches, or new versions of a digital product. Wix’s digital product system doesn’t currently include a way to automatically notify or deliver updated files to customers after a purchase is made. This is fine for one-off products, but for anything that evolves — like software, game add-ons, or design resources — it becomes a logistical challenge. You either have to email everyone manually, or hope customers reach out when they notice something’s missing.
Managing Cancelled or Refunded Orders
Revoking access to files when an order is cancelled or refunded is another tricky area. The original download link expires after 30 days, but if you’ve emailed files directly or used third-party hosting, you’ll need to track who should and shouldn’t have access manually. It adds another layer of admin, and increases the risk of someone keeping files they’re no longer entitled to.
Customer Expectations Have Shifted
These days, most customers expect to be able to log into an account area on a store’s website and download the latest versions of their purchases. It’s how most major digital marketplaces work, and it’s what people are used to. When that experience isn’t available, it can feel like a step backwards — even if the store itself is otherwise modern and well-run.
The Problem with External Hosting Services
Some store owners turn to paying for additional services like SendOwl, Gumroad, Dropbox, Google Drive, or private web hosting to manage digital product delivery. While this works, it introduces extra costs, setup time, and the risk of shared links being posted online. Managing permissions and ensuring only legitimate customers have access becomes complicated, especially at scale.
A Secure, Automated Option
What’s needed is a system that allows customers to access their purchases on-demand, receive updates when available, and restricts access to those who’ve legitimately bought the product — all while being easy for store owners to manage.
A simple solution: Customer Download Hub for Wix
After running into these challenges in my own store, I couldn’t find an existing solution that ticked all the boxes — so I decided to build one. That project turned into the Customer Download Hub, now available in the Wix App Market for other store owners facing the same issues.
The app lets you assign digital files to your products and display them in a secure download area for logged-in customers. Customers can access the latest version of their purchases anytime by logging in, and you can update files in the admin panel without reprocessing orders or manually sending emails. It uses temporary, tokenized URLs for each download session, which helps deter link sharing while keeping legitimate customers covered. It solves entitlement management too... Order cancelled? The download link disappears. Mixed Physical and Digital carts/orders? Customer Download Hub can handle it.
Best of all, setup takes just a few minutes — it integrates with your existing product catalogue and inherits your site’s theme, so it feels like a native part of your store rather than a bolt-on.
Key Benefits:
- On-Demand Access: No more expired 30-day links — customers can download their purchases anytime.
- Automatic Updates: Replace product files in your dashboard and customers instantly get the new version.
- No Extra Hosting Costs: Uses your existing Wix storage allocation.
- Secure Download Links: Temporary, token-based URLs reduce link sharing risks.
- Quick Setup: Connect products to files in minutes.
- Self-Contained: No need for external services or extra subscriptions.
- Looks Native: Inherits your site’s style and branding.
How it Compares
| Option | Cost (USD/mo) | Ease of Integration | Entitlement Management | Storage Cost | Integration | Mixed Physical & Digital Orders | Branding & Theme Control | Checkout Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customer Download Hub (this app) | $8.99 | ★★★★★ (Wix Stores Native) | ✔️ (automatic, order-based) | Included (Wix site storage) | ★★★★★ (native Wix Stores product integration) | ✔️ Yes (handles mixed orders/carts) | Full control via Wix site editor | Seamless Wix Stores checkout |
| SendOwl | $39+ | ★★★☆☆ (External using code snippets) | ✔️ Automatic, license keys & downloads | Included (SendOwl storage) | ★★★☆☆ (external platform) | ✔️ Yes (handles mixed carts) | Limited, mostly preset themes | Hosted checkout on SendOwl |
| Gumroad | 30% per sale (Discover)/10% + $0.50 per direct sale | ★★★☆☆ (External Manual Setup) | ✔️ (with customer accounts) | Included (Gumroad servers) | ★★★☆☆ (external checkout; no mixed carts) | ❌ No (cannot mix physical + digital in one order) | Basic branding, limited theme control | Hosted Gumroad checkout |
Final Thoughts
If you sell digital products through Wix and have experienced similar little hurdles around download links, file updates, or access management, this is the exact tool I use to solve those problems in my own store. I decided to release it on the Wix App Market so other store owners could benefit from it too.
It’s not a complete overhaul of Wix’s digital product system — and it doesn’t need to be. It’s a neat extension that adds the kind of functionality growing stores often need, without introducing extra complexity.
You can check it out in the Wix App Market here and see if it’s a good fit for your own store.
Things to Keep in Mind
This is a useful tool for anyone selling digital products that might be updated over time — things like templates, guides, plugins, or software. It keeps download management simple for both you and your customers without needing complicated workflows or extra hosting costs.