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Alva Digital Downloads

Uploading Digital Files

Learn how to upload digital files to Alva Digital Downloads, including supported formats, size limits, and best practices.

Supported File Formats

Section titled “Supported File Formats”

Alva Digital Downloads supports a wide variety of digital file types:

Documents

Section titled “Documents”
  • PDF: .pdf
  • Word: .doc, .docx
  • Text: .txt, .rtf
  • Rich Text: .rtf

Images

Section titled “Images”
  • Common: .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif
  • Vector: .svg, .ai, .eps
  • Professional: .psd, .sketch, .fig
  • Web: .webp
  • High Quality: .tiff, .tif

Videos

Section titled “Videos”
  • Web: .mp4, .webm
  • Professional: .mov, .avi, .mkv, .flv
  • Streaming: .m4v

Audio

Section titled “Audio”
  • Common: .mp3, .wav
  • High Quality: .flac, .aac, .ogg, .m4a
  • Professional: .aiff

Archives

Section titled “Archives”
  • Compression: .zip, .rar, .7z
  • Unix: .tar, .gz, .tar.gz, .tgz

Spreadsheets

Section titled “Spreadsheets”
  • Excel: .xls, .xlsx
  • CSV: .csv
  • Open Office: .ods

Presentations

Section titled “Presentations”
  • PowerPoint: .ppt, .pptx
  • Keynote: .key
  • Open Office: .odp

Code Files

Section titled “Code Files”
  • Web: .html, .css, .js, .jsx, .tsx
  • Data: .json, .xml, .yaml
  • Languages: .py, .php, .rb, .java, .c, .cpp

Fonts

Section titled “Fonts”
  • TrueType: .ttf
  • OpenType: .otf
  • Web: .woff, .woff2

Other

Section titled “Other”
  • eBooks: .epub, .mobi
  • CAD: .dwg, .dxf
  • 3D: .obj, .fbx, .stl

Note: File type restrictions can be configured per shop. Check with your plan for specific limitations.

File Size Limits

Section titled “File Size Limits”

File size limits depend on your subscription plan:

PlanMax File SizeStorage Allocation
Free/Starter100 MB20 GB
Basic500 MB50 GB
Pro2 GB200 GB
Enterprise5 GB1 TB+

Tip: For very large files (over 1GB), consider compressing them or splitting into parts.

How to Upload Files

Section titled “How to Upload Files”
Section titled “Method 1: Drag and Drop (Recommended)”
  1. Navigate to Files & Packs in the app
  2. Click Add New File button (top right)
  1. The file upload modal will appear
  2. Drag your file from your computer into the dropzone
  1. Release the file over the dropzone
  2. Upload will begin automatically
  1. Wait for upload to complete
  2. File will appear in your library

Method 2: Browse and Select

Section titled “Method 2: Browse and Select”
  1. Navigate to Files & Packs in the app
  2. Click Add New File button
  3. In the upload modal, click Browse button
  1. Your system file picker will open
  2. Navigate to your file
  3. Click Open
  4. Upload begins automatically

Method 3: Bulk Upload

Section titled “Method 3: Bulk Upload”

To upload multiple files at once:

  1. Click Add New File
  2. In the file picker, hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac)
  3. Click multiple files to select them
  4. Click Open
  5. All files will upload sequentially

Note: Files upload one at a time to ensure reliability. Large uploads may take several minutes.

Upload Process Details

Section titled “Upload Process Details”

What Happens During Upload

Section titled “What Happens During Upload”

  1. File Validation

    • File type is checked against allowed types
    • File size is verified against your plan limits
    • Filename is validated for special characters

  2. Upload to Cloud Storage

    • File is uploaded to Cloudflare R2 or BackBlaze B2
    • Secure storage with enterprise-grade reliability
    • Files are encrypted at rest

  3. Database Record Creation

    • File metadata saved to database
    • Storage usage updated
    • File appears in your library

  4. Ready to Use

    • File can now be mapped to products
    • Added to packs
    • Delivered to customers

Upload Status Indicators

Section titled “Upload Status Indicators”
  • ⟳ Uploading: File transfer in progress
  • ⚙ Processing: Server processing and validation
  • ✓ Complete: Ready to use

Setting File Details

Section titled “Setting File Details”

After upload completes, you can edit file details:

File Title

Section titled “File Title”
  • Defaults to filename (without extension)
  • Used in admin interface for identification
  • Not visible to customers (unless you choose to display it)

Category (Optional)

Section titled “Category (Optional)”
  • Organize files into categories
  • Filter files by category
  • Helps with large file libraries

File Information (Read-Only)

Section titled “File Information (Read-Only)”

System automatically detects and displays:

  • File size: Displayed in MB or GB
  • File type: MIME type and extension
  • Upload date: When file was added
  • Storage location: Cloud provider and region

Upload Best Practices

Section titled “Upload Best Practices”

1. Use Descriptive Filenames

Section titled “1. Use Descriptive Filenames”

Good: premium-photoshop-actions-v2.zip Bad: untitled-file-final-FINAL.zip

Clear filenames help you manage files and identify them quickly.

2. Compress Large Files

Section titled “2. Compress Large Files”

For files over 100MB:

  • Use ZIP compression for documents
  • Optimize images before upload
  • Compress videos with H.264 codec
  • Consider splitting very large files

3. Organize Before Upload

Section titled “3. Organize Before Upload”
  • Create categories first
  • Plan your folder structure
  • Group related files
  • Use consistent naming conventions

4. Test Files Before Upload

Section titled “4. Test Files Before Upload”
  • Verify files open correctly
  • Check for corruption
  • Ensure complete content
  • Test on multiple devices/software

5. Check Storage Regularly

Section titled “5. Check Storage Regularly”
  • Monitor storage usage
  • Delete unused files
  • Optimize file sizes
  • Upgrade plan if needed

Troubleshooting Upload Issues

Section titled “Troubleshooting Upload Issues”

Upload Failed or Timeout

Section titled “Upload Failed or Timeout”

Possible causes:

  • File too large for plan
  • Unstable internet connection
  • Unsupported file type
  • Browser compatibility issue

Solutions:

  1. Check file size against plan limits
  2. Test internet connection stability
  3. Try a different browser (Chrome recommended)
  4. Disable browser extensions temporarily
  5. Try uploading smaller files first
  6. Check file format is supported

File Not Appearing After Upload

Section titled “File Not Appearing After Upload”

Solutions:

  1. Refresh the page - Click browser refresh
  2. Check upload status - Look for completion message
  3. Search for filename - Use search bar to find file
  4. Check storage limits - Verify you haven’t exceeded quota

Unsupported File Type Error

Section titled “Unsupported File Type Error”

Solutions:

  1. Check the supported file types list above
  2. Convert file to supported format
  3. Compress in a ZIP archive
  4. Contact support to request new file type

Upload Stuck at 99%

Section titled “Upload Stuck at 99%”

This usually means the file is being processed:

  1. Don’t refresh - Wait for processing to complete
  2. Wait 1-2 minutes - Large files take time to process
  3. Check internet - Ensure connection is stable

If stuck for over 5 minutes:

  1. Refresh the page
  2. Check if file appears in library
  3. If not, try uploading again

Storage Management

Section titled “Storage Management”

Checking Storage Usage

Section titled “Checking Storage Usage”
  1. Go to Dashboard or Files & Packs
  2. View storage meter at top of page

What Counts Toward Storage

Section titled “What Counts Toward Storage”
  • ✅ Individual uploaded files
  • ✅ Files within packs
  • ✅ Generated ZIP files (cached)
  • ❌ Email attachments
  • ❌ Shopify product images

Managing Storage

Section titled “Managing Storage”

When approaching limits:

  1. Delete unused files

    • Remove old versions
    • Delete test files
    • Clean up duplicates

  2. Optimize file sizes

    • Compress images
    • Use more efficient formats
    • Reduce video quality if acceptable

  3. Upgrade your plan

    • Increase storage allocation
    • Raise file size limits
    • Access advanced features

Security & Privacy

Section titled “Security & Privacy”

File Security

Section titled “File Security”
  • Encryption at rest: All files encrypted in storage
  • Secure transmission: HTTPS/TLS for all uploads
  • Access control: Only you and authorized customers can access
  • Backup: Automatic backups for data protection

File Retention

Section titled “File Retention”
  • Files stored indefinitely while your shop is active
  • Deleted files removed within 30 days
  • Upon app uninstall, files deleted after 90 days (grace period)

Who Can Access Files

Section titled “Who Can Access Files”
  • You: Full access via admin panel
  • Customers: Only files from their purchases, with time-limited links
  • Alva Support: No access to your files (only metadata for debugging)

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

After uploading files:

  1. Managing Your File Library - Organize and update files
  2. Understanding File Categories - Create organizational structure
  3. Mapping Files to Products - Link files to Shopify products