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Alva Digital Downloads

Installation & Initial Setup Guide

Installing the App

Section titled “Installing the App”

Step 1: Find the App in Shopify App Store

Section titled “Step 1: Find the App in Shopify App Store”
  1. Log in to your Shopify admin dashboard
  2. Navigate to Apps in the left sidebar
  3. Click Customize your store or search for “Alva Digital Downloads”
  4. Click on the Alva Digital Downloads app listing

Step 2: Install the App

Section titled “Step 2: Install the App”
  1. Click the Add app button
  2. Review the permissions the app requires:
    • Read and write products: To link digital files to your products
    • Read orders: To detect purchases and deliver files
    • Read customer data: To send download links to customers
    • Write files: To manage your digital file library
  3. Click Install app

Step 3: Complete Installation

Section titled “Step 3: Complete Installation”

After clicking install, you’ll be redirected to the Alva Digital Downloads welcome screen. The app will automatically:

  • Create necessary database records for your shop
  • Set up default email templates
  • Configure default security settings
  • Enable the checkout and account extensions

Initial Configuration

Section titled “Initial Configuration”

Understanding the Setup Guide

Section titled “Understanding the Setup Guide”

When you first open the app, you’ll see a guided setup checklist. This helps you configure the essential features:

Step 1: Configure Basic Settings

Section titled “Step 1: Configure Basic Settings”
  1. Navigate to Settings from the main menu
  2. Review these key settings:

Download Expiry Time

Section titled “Download Expiry Time”
  • What it does: Sets how long download links remain valid
  • Default: 60 days
  • Recommended: 30-90 days for most businesses

IP Address Limits

Section titled “IP Address Limits”
  • What it does: Limits how many different IP addresses can download files per order
  • Default: 3 IP addresses
  • Recommended: 2-5 for personal use products, higher for business licenses

Download Count Limits

Section titled “Download Count Limits”
  • What it does: Maximum number of times files can be downloaded per order
  • Default: 0 (unlimited)
  • Recommended: Set to 5-10 to prevent abuse, or leave unlimited for better customer experience

Step 2: Enable Email Notifications (Optional)

Section titled “Step 2: Enable Email Notifications (Optional)”

By default, email notifications are disabled. To enable them:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Toggle Email Notifications to ON
  3. The app will send download links via email after purchase

Note: Even with emails disabled, customers can still download files from the Thank You page and their account. Emails are just one delivery method.

Step 3: Customize Email Template (If Enabled)

Section titled “Step 3: Customize Email Template (If Enabled)”

If you enabled email notifications, customize your template:

  1. Navigate to Email Settings from the main menu
  2. Customize:
    • Subject line
    • Email title
    • Message text
    • Button text and color
    • Your logo
    • Brand colors

See our full Customizing Email Templates guide for details.

Step 4: Configure Theme Extensions

Section titled “Step 4: Configure Theme Extensions”

The app automatically installs two theme extensions:

Thank You Page Extension

Section titled “Thank You Page Extension”

Shows download buttons on the order confirmation page after purchase.

Customer Account Extension

Section titled “Customer Account Extension”

Displays all purchased digital products in the customer’s account dashboard.

These extensions are enabled by default. To customize them:

  1. Go to Settings
  2. Scroll to Extension Appearance
  3. Choose your brand color for download buttons

Setting Up Your First Digital Product

Section titled “Setting Up Your First Digital Product”

Now that basic configuration is complete, you’re ready to create your first digital product! Follow our Quick Start Tutorial for a step-by-step walkthrough.

Required Shopify Theme App Extension Setup

Section titled “Required Shopify Theme App Extension Setup”

Enabling Extensions in Your Theme

Section titled “Enabling Extensions in Your Theme”

The app includes two theme extensions that need to be activated:

  1. Go to your Shopify admin
  2. Navigate to Online Store → Themes
  3. Click Customize on your active theme
  4. In the theme editor, go to App embeds (bottom left)
  5. Enable these extensions:
    • Alva Digital Downloads - Thank You
    • Alva Digital Downloads - Account

Important: These extensions must be enabled for customers to access their downloads on the Thank You page and in their accounts.

Verifying Installation

Section titled “Verifying Installation”

After setup, verify everything is working:

Checklist

Section titled “Checklist”
  • App appears in your Shopify Apps list
  • You can access the Alva Digital Downloads admin panel
  • Settings page loads correctly
  • Theme extensions are enabled
  • Email settings are configured (if using emails)

Common Installation Issues

Section titled “Common Installation Issues”

Issue: App doesn’t appear after installation

Section titled “Issue: App doesn’t appear after installation”

Solution:

  • Refresh your Shopify admin page
  • Clear your browser cache
  • Try accessing the app directly from the Apps menu

Issue: Permission errors

Section titled “Issue: Permission errors”

Solution:

  • The app requires specific permissions to function
  • If you denied permissions during install, you’ll need to reinstall the app
  • Contact Shopify support if you can’t grant required permissions

Issue: Extensions not showing on storefront

Section titled “Issue: Extensions not showing on storefront”

Solution:

  • Verify extensions are enabled in Theme Editor → App embeds
  • Check that your theme supports app extensions (Online Store 2.0 required)
  • Try switching to a compatible theme

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

Now that installation is complete:

  1. Quick Start Tutorial - Create your first digital product
  2. Understanding the Dashboard - Learn the app interface
  3. Uploading Digital Files - Start adding your digital content