Launch Digital Products as Preorders in Filemonk

Digital product preorders allow your customers to purchase your digital products before they're available for download. This feature helps you build anticipation, secure early sales, and manage product launches effectively while providing customers with automatic access once your products are ready.

Setting Up Digital Product Preorders

To enable preorders for your digital products, you'll need to configure the preorder settings for each product collection in Filemonk. This process involves setting launch dates, customizing customer communications, and defining blocking messages.

Accessing Preorder Settings

Navigate to your Filemonk dashboard and follow these steps to set up digital product preorders:

1. From your Filemonk dashboard, click on Digital Products in the main navigation menu
2. Locate the product you want to enable for preorder and click on it to open the product details page
3. In the product configuration section, look for the Preorder area on the right side
4. Click the Set up preorder button to open the preorder configuration modal

Configuring Preorder Launch Settings

The preorder configuration modal provides comprehensive options to customize your preorder experience:

1. Enable Preorder Toggle: Check the box labeled "Enable preorder for this product" to activate preorder functionality for the selected digital product
2. Launch Date Configuration: Set the exact date when your preordered product will become available for download. Use the date picker to select your desired launch date
3. Launch Time Setup: Specify the exact time when downloads will become available. The time is automatically set to your local timezone for accuracy
4. Validation Requirements: Ensure your launch date is at least 2 hours in the future, as this is required by the system to prevent immediate releases

Important: The launch date and time must be at least 2 hours from the current time. This ensures proper processing and prevents accidental immediate releases.

Customizing Customer Email Content

Personalize the email notifications that customers receive when their preordered products become available:

1. Email Subject Line: Enter a compelling subject line for the release notification email. Default: "Your preorder is now available!"
2. Email Heading: Create an attention-grabbing heading for the email content. Default: "Your preorder is ready for download"
3. Email Description: Write a detailed message explaining that the preordered product is now available. Default: "Thank you for your patience. Your preordered product is now available for download."
4. Custom Blocking Message: Define the message customers see when they attempt to download before the launch date. This field is required when preorders are enabled

Finalizing Preorder Setup

Complete your preorder configuration with these final steps:

1. Review all your settings including launch date, time, and email content for accuracy
2. Ensure your custom blocking message clearly communicates when the product will be available
3. Click Save to activate the preorder settings for your digital product
4. The system will display a confirmation showing "Preorder is enabled" with your configured launch date and time

Tip: Test your preorder setup by placing a test order to verify the customer experience before your official launch.

Customer Experience with Digital Product Preorders

Understanding what your customers see during the preorder process helps you provide better support and set appropriate expectations.

Purchase Process

When customers purchase a preordered digital product, they experience a standard Shopify checkout process with no visible differences. The preorder status only becomes apparent when they attempt to access their downloads.

Download Page Experience

Customers accessing their download page for preordered products will encounter:

1. Product Display: The preordered product appears normally in their order with standard product information and pricing
2. Download Blocking: When customers click download buttons, they receive your custom blocking message instead of file access
3. Status Indicators: The download page clearly indicates which items are in preorder status versus immediately available

Automatic Release Notification

When your preorder launch date arrives, the system automatically:

1. Sends Release Emails: Customers receive your customized email notification with download access
2. Enables Downloads: All download buttons become functional for the preordered product
3. Updates Status: The preorder status is removed and products show as normally available
4. Maintains Order History: Previous preorder status is preserved in order records for tracking

Tracking and Managing Preorder Orders

Filemonk provides comprehensive tools to monitor and manage your preorder campaigns effectively.

Order Management Dashboard

Your Orders page includes special indicators to help you identify and track preorder-related orders:

1. Preorder-Only Orders: Orders containing exclusively preordered items display a clock icon with "Preorder items - awaiting release" status
2. Mixed Orders: Orders with both regular and preordered items show a merge icon with "Mixed order - some items in preorder" status

Advanced Tips

Maximize the effectiveness of your digital product preorders with these professional strategies and best practices.

• Timing Strategy: Schedule preorder releases during peak customer activity hours to maximize immediate downloads and engagement
• Email Optimization: Use liquid template variables like {{ customer.first_name }} and {{ collection.title }} in your email content for personalization
• Launch Coordination: Coordinate preorder releases with marketing campaigns, social media announcements, and other promotional activities
• Customer Communication: Set clear expectations about preorder timelines in your product descriptions and checkout communications
• Testing Protocol: Always test preorder functionality with sample orders before launching major campaigns to ensure smooth customer experience

Known Limitations

Understanding these constraints helps you plan effective preorder campaigns and set appropriate customer expectations.

• Minimum Lead Time: Launch dates must be set at least 2 hours in the future to ensure proper system processing and prevent immediate releases
• Storefront Visibility: Preorder status is not automatically displayed on your Shopify storefront product pages - consider using the STOQ app integration for enhanced storefront preorder visibility
• Single Launch Date: Each product collection supports only one preorder launch date - multiple release phases require separate product configurations
• Email Dependencies: Customer notifications rely on valid email addresses in order records - orders without email addresses will not receive release notifications
• Timezone Handling: All launch times are processed in your account's configured timezone - ensure customers understand timing if serving global markets

Troubleshooting

Common issues and their solutions to ensure smooth preorder operations and customer satisfaction.

FAQs

Common questions about implementing and managing digital product preorders in Filemonk.

Q: Can I change the launch date after setting up a preorder?

A: Yes, you can edit preorder settings including launch date and time until the automated release occurs.

Q: What happens if I need to cancel a preorder before the launch date?

A: You can disable the preorder by unchecking "Enable preorder" in the product settings, which will immediately make the product available for download.

Q: Do customers get charged immediately for preorders?

A: Yes, preorders follow standard Shopify payment processing - customers are charged when they place the order, not when products become available.

Q: Can I set up preorders for individual product variants?

A: Preorders are configured at the collection level, which can include specific product variants or entire products depending on your setup.

Q: How do I know if my preorder release emails were delivered successfully?

A: Check the email delivery history by going to any affected order and clicking "More" > "View email history" to see delivery status and timestamps.

Q: What happens to preorder settings after the launch date?

A: The system automatically disables preorder settings and clears the launch date once products are released to prevent future confusion.

Q: Can customers track their preorder status?

A: Yes, customers can view their preorder status on their download page, which displays either your custom message or the default preorder notification with launch date.

Q: Is there a limit to how many preorders I can set up?

A: There are no specific limits on preorder quantity - you can set up preorders for as many digital products as needed within your Filemonk plan limits.

Updated on: 08/09/2025