Add files from Google Drive or Dropbox
If your files already live in Google Drive, Dropbox, or anywhere else with a public link, you can point Filemonk at them instead of uploading a second copy. Customers who buy the product get the link after checkout, the same as any other file.
Before you begin
- The link must work for someone who is not signed in to your account. Test it in a private browsing window first. A Drive file set to "restricted" gives your customers an access request screen, not a download.
- Filemonk does not host the file, so anything that happens to it at the source happens to your customers: moving it, deleting it, or changing its sharing settings breaks their download.
- External files do not count towards your plan's storage, since nothing is stored here.
Choose upload or link
| Use | When |
|---|---|
| Upload files | Default. Filemonk hosts the file, so protection and limits apply fully. See Upload files. |
| Create file from link | The file is large, already hosted, or maintained somewhere your team works. |
Upload is the safer choice for anything you sell regularly. Linking suits files you cannot practically upload.
Set it up
- Click Filemonk in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
- Click Content library in the app's menu, on the Files uploaded tab.
- Click Create file from link.
- Enter a Name. This is what customers see, so name it as the product deliverable rather than the raw file name.
- Paste the file's URL into Link.
- Click Create.
The file appears in your list marked External. Link it to a product the same way as an uploaded file. See Create a digital product.
Check your setup
Open a private browsing window and paste the link you used. If the file downloads or opens without asking you to sign in, your customers will get the same. If it asks for permission, fix the sharing setting at the source and test again.
Troubleshooting
Customers see a request access screen
The file's sharing is still private. In Google Drive set it to "Anyone with the link"; in Dropbox create a shared link. Then re-test in a private window.
The link opens a preview page instead of downloading
Drive and Dropbox links usually open their own viewer. That is often fine, but if you want a direct download, use the host's direct-download link format instead of the share link.
The file stopped working for everyone at once
It was moved, renamed, deleted, or its sharing was changed at the source. Fix it there, or edit the file in Filemonk and paste a new URL. Editing the link updates it for all orders, past and future.
The watermark isn't applied to my external PDF
Watermarking works on PDFs that Filemonk hosts, because it has to modify the file before serving it. A file that lives elsewhere is handed over as-is. Upload the PDF instead if you need it watermarked. See Protect PDFs with a watermark.
FAQ
Do external files count against my storage?
No. Filemonk stores only the name and the link, so external files use none of your plan's storage.
Can someone share the link with people who didn't buy?
Yes, and this is the real trade-off. The link is a normal public URL at the host, so it works for anyone who has it. Filemonk's download limits and login requirements protect the page the link sits on, not the file at the far end. Upload files you genuinely need to protect. See How Filemonk protects your files.
Can I change an external file's link later?
Yes. Open the file and edit it. The change applies everywhere the file is used, including orders already placed.
Can I mix uploaded and external files on one product?
Yes. A product can carry both, and customers see them together on the download page.
Do downloads of external files show in reporting?
They appear as downloads, but the bandwidth is not yours, since the transfer happens between your customer and the host.
Related guides
- Upload files, to host the file with Filemonk instead.
- Manage your files, to edit or replace a link later.
- How Filemonk protects your files, for what protection does and does not cover.
