Creating and Managing Packs

Learn how to create file bundles (Packs), add files, organize content, and manage your Pack library.

Creating Your First Pack

Step 1: Navigate to Packs

Open Alva Digital Downloads app
Click Files & Packs in navigation
Select the Packs tab

Step 2: Create New Pack

Click Create New Pack button (top right)

Pack creation modal appears

Step 3: Enter Pack Details

Fill in the following information:

Pack Title (Required)

Clear, descriptive name
Examples: “Social Media Bundle”, “Video Course Module 1”, “Premium Template Pack”
Avoid generic names like “Pack 1” or “Bundle”

Description (Optional)

What’s included in the Pack
Who it’s for
Any special notes

Example:

Complete marketing template collection including:
- 10 Instagram templates
- 5 Facebook cover designs
- Email newsletter templates
- Brand guidelines PDF

Category (Optional)

Assign Pack to category for organization
Same categories as files
Helps filter Packs in large libraries

Step 4: Add Files to Pack

Click Add Files button

File selector modal opens
Browse or search for files
Check boxes next to files you want to include

Click Add Selected Files button
Files appear in Pack file list

Alternative: Drag and Drop (If Supported)

Open file library in another tab/window
Drag files from library
Drop into Pack editor area
Files automatically added

Step 5: Organize Pack Files

Once files are added, organize them:

Reorder Files

Hover over file in Pack file list
Click and hold drag handle (⋮⋮ icon)
Drag file up or down
Release to set new position

File order matters: Files appear in ZIP archive in this order.

Best Practice: Put important files first (instructions, main content, then extras).

Remove Files from Pack

Click × or trash icon next to file
Confirm removal
File removed from Pack (but not deleted from library)

Step 6: Save Pack

Review Pack details and file list
Click Save Pack button

Pack is created and appears in your Pack library

Pack Editor Interface

Overview

Header Section

Pack title
Edit/Delete buttons
Last modified date

Details Section

Description
Category
File count
Total size

File List Section

All files in Pack
File thumbnails
File names and sizes
Drag handles for reordering
Remove buttons

Actions Section

Add Files button
Save Changes button
Preview Pack button

Managing Existing Packs

Viewing All Packs

Go to Files & Packs → Packs tab
All Packs display in list or grid view

Pack List Information

Each Pack shows:

Thumbnail: First file’s preview or Pack icon
Title: Pack name
File Count: Number of files included
Total Size: Combined size of all files
Category: Assigned category (if any)
Created Date: When Pack was created
Actions: Edit, Delete, Duplicate buttons

Editing Packs

Edit Pack Details

Click Pack title or Edit button
Modify:
- Title
- Description
- Category
Click Save Changes

Adding More Files

Open Pack editor
Click Add Files
Select additional files
Click Add Selected
New files appear in Pack file list
Save Pack

Removing Files

Open Pack editor
Find file to remove
Click × or trash icon
File removed from Pack
Save Pack

Note: Removing from Pack doesn’t delete the file from your library.

Replacing Files

To replace a file in a Pack:

Option 1: Remove and Add

Remove old file from Pack
Add new file to Pack
Reorder if needed
Save

Option 2: Keep Same Name

Upload new version of file with same name
Pack automatically uses latest version
No Pack edits needed

Duplicating Packs

Create variations of existing Packs:

Find Pack to duplicate
Click Duplicate button (or ⋮ → Duplicate)

Pack is copied with ” (Copy)” appended to title
Edit the duplicate as needed

Use Cases:

Create tiered versions (Basic, Pro, Premium)
Seasonal variations
Language-specific versions
Test different file combinations

Deleting Packs

Safe Deletion

Click Delete button on Pack

Confirmation dialog appears

Review what will happen:
- ✅ Pack removed from library
- ✅ Files remain in library (not deleted)
- ⚠️ Product mappings using this Pack will break
- ❌ Cannot be undone
Click Confirm Delete

Before Deleting

Check:

Is Pack mapped to any products?
- View “Used in Products” section in Pack details
- Update product mappings first if needed
Do you have backups?
- Export file list for records
- Screenshot Pack contents

Pack File Limits & Best Practices

File Count Recommendations

Pack Size	File Count	Use Case
Small	1-10 files	Simple bundles, modules
Medium	10-50 files	Course lessons, template sets
Large	50-200 files	Asset libraries, mega bundles
Very Large	200+ files	Avoid if possible, slow performance

Total Size Recommendations

Ideal: Under 500 MB
Good: 500 MB - 2 GB
Acceptable: 2 GB - 5 GB
Problematic: Over 5 GB (consider splitting)

Why?

Large ZIPs take longer to generate
Customers may have download timeout issues
Slower customer experience

Organizing Packs with Categories

Just like files, Packs can be categorized:

Assign Category to Pack

Edit Pack
Select Category dropdown
Choose category or create new
Save

Filter Packs by Category

In Packs tab, use category filter sidebar
Click category name
View only Packs in that category

Suggested Categories for Packs

Organize Packs differently than individual files:

By Product Line:

Beginner Products
Pro Products
Enterprise Products

By Content Type:

Course Modules
Template Bundles
Resource Packs
Bonus Content

By Version:

Current Versions
Legacy Packs
Beta/Testing

Pack Naming Best Practices

Good Pack Names

✅ Descriptive and Specific

“Social Media Marketing Bundle - Instagram”
“Video Course Module 1: Introduction to SEO”
“Lightroom Presets - Vintage Film Collection”

✅ Include Versioning

“Ultimate Template Pack v2”
“Course Bundle 2024 Edition”
“Asset Library Q1 2025”

✅ Indicate Content

“10 Business Card Templates PSD”
“Complete Shopify Theme Package”
“50 Stock Photos - Nature”

Bad Pack Names

❌ Too Generic

“Pack 1”
“Bundle”
“Files”

❌ Too Vague

“Stuff”
“Templates”
“Resources”

❌ Too Long

“The Ultimate Complete All-Inclusive Marketing Social Media Template Design Bundle Pack Collection 2024 Professional Edition”

Pack Preview Feature

Preview what customers will download:

Open Pack editor
Click Preview Pack button

Preview window shows:
- ZIP filename
- All files that will be included
- Total ZIP size (estimated)
- File structure

Click Download Preview ZIP to test actual ZIP

Use this to:

Verify all files included
Check file order
Test ZIP extraction
Confirm customer experience

Bulk Pack Operations

Create Multiple Packs

When creating many Packs with similar structure:

Create first Pack completely
Duplicate it
Modify duplicate (change files, title)
Repeat as needed

Bulk Delete Packs

Check boxes next to multiple Packs
Bulk Actions → Delete Selected
Confirm deletion

Pack Versioning

Managing Pack Versions

When updating Pack contents:

Option 1: Update in Place

Edit existing Pack
Add/remove/update files
Save
All products using Pack automatically updated

Pros: Simple, automatic updates Cons: Can’t rollback, customers get new version

Option 2: Create New Version

Duplicate Pack
Rename with version number (“Pack v2”)
Update files
Map products to new version
Keep old version for archival

Pros: Version history, can rollback Cons: More management, manual remapping

When to Version

Create new version when:

✅ Major content changes
✅ Breaking changes (different file structure)
✅ Need to maintain old version for existing customers
✅ Want to A/B test content

Update in place when:

✅ Minor bug fixes
✅ Small improvements
✅ All customers should get update
✅ Additions (not removals or replacements)

Pack Templates (Advanced)

Create reusable Pack templates:

Use Case

You sell monthly content packs with similar structure:

Template Structure:

Intro video
Main content files
Bonus resources
License PDF

Monthly Packs:

January Pack (using template structure)
February Pack (using template structure)
etc.

How to Implement

Create “TEMPLATE - Monthly Pack”
Add placeholder files or actual recurring files
Each month:
- Duplicate template
- Rename to current month
- Replace placeholder files with new content
- Save

Pack Storage Considerations

How Packs Affect Storage

Files in Packs count toward storage ONCE:

Example:

File A (10 MB) in Pack 1
File A (10 MB) also in Pack 2
Storage used: 10 MB (not 20 MB)

However, generated ZIPs are also cached:

Pack 1 ZIP: ~10 MB (cached)
Pack 2 ZIP: ~10 MB (cached)
Total storage: 10 MB (files) + 20 MB (ZIPs) = 30 MB

Optimizing Pack Storage

Reuse files across Packs - No extra storage for files
Monitor ZIP cache - Generated ZIPs add storage
Limit Pack sizes - Smaller ZIPs = less cache storage
Clear unused Packs - Delete Packs not mapped to products

Troubleshooting

Pack Not Saving

Solutions:

Check all required fields filled (title)
Ensure at least one file added
Check internet connection
Try refreshing page

Files Not Adding to Pack

Solutions:

Verify files exist in library
Check file selection (boxes checked)
Click “Add Selected Files” button
Refresh and try again

ZIP Generation Failing

Causes:

Pack too large (timeout)
Too many files
Storage limit reached

Solutions:

Split Pack into smaller Packs
Reduce file sizes
Contact support

Pack Shows Wrong File Count

Solution:

Open Pack editor
Verify files listed
Save Pack to refresh count
Clear browser cache

Next Steps

Importing Files from Packs - Reuse Pack files efficiently
Mapping Packs to Products - Link Packs to products
ZIP Generation Methods - Understand ZIP creation