How Do I Set Up a WooCommerce Downloadable Product?
The Two WooCommerce Settings and Their Purposes
Virtual removes the product from shipping calculations entirely — an order containing only virtual products skips shipping method selection at checkout, since there's nothing to physically ship. Downloadable adds file management (uploading one or more files, setting download limits and expiry) and triggers WooCommerce's download-delivery system, giving the customer a secure link (visible in their account and included in the order confirmation email) once payment is confirmed.
Getting the Configuration Right
- A genuine digital product (software, an ebook, a digital template) almost always needs both Virtual and Downloadable checked together.
- A virtual-but-not-downloadable product makes sense for a service or a digitally delivered item not literally a file — a consultation booking, an online course accessed through a separate membership system rather than a direct file download.
- Download limits and expiry (how many times a file can be downloaded, and for how long) are worth configuring deliberately rather than leaving unlimited indefinitely, particularly for content with real resale value.
- Download links only become active once the order reaches a status considered "paid" (Processing or Completed by default), consistent with WooCommerce's broader payment-status logic covered elsewhere.
Setting This Up Properly
- Check Virtual and Downloadable as appropriate for the specific product type.
- Upload the correct file(s) and set sensible download limits/expiry.
- Test the full purchase flow with a real or test order to confirm the download link delivers correctly.
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