Sell customized or personalized digital products
Filemonk makes it easy to sell personalized or customized digital products where files are prepared after the order is placed based on your customer's specific needs. Whether you're creating custom artwork, personalized documents, or tailored digital content, this feature allows you to receive orders first, then upload the customized files directly to each order before sending them to your customers.
Before you can start selling personalized products, you need to configure your Shopify products to work as custom digital products in Filemonk.
Setting Up the Custom Digital Product
- Navigate to Digital Products from the left menu bar in Filemonk
- Select the product you want to sell as custom
- In the 'Content type' section, toggle Sell as a custom product
- Your product is now configured to accept custom orders
Important: Orders containing only custom products will not send automatic download emails. You'll need to manually send emails after uploading the custom files.
Managing Custom Product Orders
When customers purchase your custom products, their orders appear in your Orders section with special indicators to help you identify and fulfill them.
Identifying Custom Orders
- Navigate to Orders from the left menu bar
- Look for orders with the "Custom products purchased" note in the Note column
- These orders require you to upload custom files before delivery
- Click on any order to open the order details page
Uploading Custom Files to Orders
Once you've prepared the personalized content for a customer, you can upload it directly to their specific order.
Access the Custom Files Section
- From the Orders page, click on the order that needs custom files
- Scroll down to the Custom files section on the order details page
- This section shows any files already uploaded and provides upload options
Upload Methods
You have two options for adding custom files to orders:
Upload Files:
- Click Upload files button
- Select one or more files from your computer
- Files will be uploaded and automatically linked to this specific order
- Customers will only have access to files uploaded to their order
Create File from External Link:
- Click Create from link button
- Enter the URL of a file hosted on Google Drive, Dropbox, or other cloud storage
- Add a descriptive name for the file
- The external link will be accessible only to this customer
Delivering Custom Files to Customers
After uploading the custom files, you need to manually notify the customer that their personalized content is ready for download.
Send Download Email
- From the order details page, click Send email in the top right corner
- Enter the customer's email address (pre-populated if available)
- Choose whether to save the email to the customer profile
- Click Send email to deliver the download link
Customer Download Experience
When customers receive the email and access their download page:
- Custom files appear in a separate "Custom downloads" section
- Files are unique to their specific order
- Download links work the same as regular digital products
- Customers can download their personalized content immediately
Use Cases for Selling Personalized or Customized Digital Products
The custom digital products feature serves various business models and creative services that require personalization.
Creative Services
- Custom artwork and illustrations - Create personalized designs based on customer specifications
- Logo design services - Deliver unique logos tailored to each client's brand
- Personalized invitations - Design custom wedding, party, or event invitations
- Custom graphics and templates - Create tailored design assets for specific needs
Professional Services
- Personalized reports - Generate custom business reports or analyses
- Tailored documents - Create customized contracts, proposals, or presentations
- Custom software configurations - Provide personalized setup files or configurations
- Bespoke digital content - Develop unique digital materials for specific requirements
Educational and Training
- Personalized course materials - Create custom learning content based on student needs
- Tailored training programs - Develop specific training materials for different skill levels
- Custom worksheets and exercises - Generate personalized practice materials
Advanced Tips
These strategies help you optimize your custom digital product business and provide excellent customer service.
- Clear product descriptions: Include detailed information about what customers can expect and any requirements for customization
- Turnaround time communication: Set clear expectations about how long custom work will take to complete
- Customer requirement gathering: Use Shopify's order notes or follow-up emails to collect specific customization details
- File organization: Develop a consistent naming convention for custom files to stay organized
- Quality control: Always review custom files before uploading to ensure they meet your standards
- Customer communication: Keep customers informed about progress on their custom orders
- Backup storage: Maintain copies of custom work for potential future revisions or reorders
Troubleshooting
Common issues and solutions when working with custom digital products.
Symptom | Likely Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
"Custom products purchased" not showing | Product not configured as custom | Go to Digital Products and toggle "Sell as a custom product" |
Cannot upload files to order | Order doesn't contain custom products | Verify the order includes products marked as custom |
Customer didn't receive email | Email not sent manually | Custom orders require manual email sending - click "Send email" |
Upload button grayed out | Not on paid plan | Upgrade to a paid Filemonk subscription |
Files not appearing for customer | Files uploaded to wrong order | Verify you uploaded files to the correct order ID |
Customer can't access downloads | Email address incorrect | Verify customer email and resend if necessary |
External links not working | Link permissions or expiration | Check that external file links are publicly accessible |
Order status not updating | Browser cache issue | Refresh the page or clear browser cache |
FAQs
Q: Can I set up automatic emails for custom products?
A: No, custom products require manual email sending to ensure you only notify customers after their personalized content is ready.
Q: How do customers provide customization requirements?
A: Customers can include details in order notes during checkout, or you can follow up with them via email to gather specific requirements.
Q: Can I upload multiple files to one custom order?
A: Yes, you can upload as many files as needed for each custom order using either the file upload or external link options.
Q: What file formats are supported for custom uploads?
A: Filemonk supports the same file formats for custom uploads as regular digital products, including PDFs, images, documents, and more.
Q: Can customers reorder the same customization?
A: Customers would need to place a new order. You can reuse previous custom files by uploading them to the new order.
Q: How do I track which orders need custom work?
A: Monitor the Orders page for entries showing "Custom products purchased" in the Note column, and check regularly for new custom orders.
Q: Can I charge different prices for different levels of customization?
A: Yes, create separate Shopify products with different prices for various customization tiers, then mark each as a custom product.
Q: What happens if I forget to send the email after uploading files?
A: The customer won't receive their download link. You can send the email at any time from the order details page.
Updated on: 25/07/2025
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