Assign new keys to an order

Sometimes the key a customer received has to change: it was already used, it went out during a test, or the order was refunded and you want the key back. Sometimes an order needs a key it never had, such as the next issue of a subscription or an update released after the purchase. All of these are done from the order.

Reassign a key

1. Click Filemonk in the left menu of your Shopify admin.

2. Click Orders in the app’s menu and open the order.

3. On the licence key’s row under Products, click the … button and choose Assign new key.

   

4. Pick a replacement from the available keys in that tag. Search if the list is long.

5. Confirm with Reassign.

The current key is unassigned and returned to the pool, and the new one takes its place on the customer’s download page.

Add a key to one order

Use this to give a single order a licence key without changing the product. The key belongs to that order only, so other customers who bought the same product don’t get it. Adding a key this way needs a paid plan; on the Start plan the button is greyed out.

1. Click Filemonk in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
2. Click Orders in the app’s menu and open the order.
3. In the Custom files card, click Assign licence key.
4. In Tag, choose the tag the keys were uploaded under. If the keys aren’t set up yet, click Set up keys for another tag to add them without leaving the order.
5. Under Select key from, choose one option:
   1. Next available key, to take the next unused key with that tag.
   2. Choose a specific key, then pick the key from Available licence keys. Use Search licence keys if the list is long.
6. Tick Email the customer to resend the download email so the customer gets the new key. Leave it unticked to add the key quietly: it still shows on the customer’s download page.
7. Click Assign key.

If you choose Autogenerated keys in Tag, Filemonk creates a new key for the order instead of taking one from your uploaded keys.

Unassign a key

Choose Unassign keys on the order instead, then decide what happens to the key:

Choice	Result
Return to pool	The key becomes available again for future orders
Mark as used	The key is retired and never issued again

Return it to the pool for a cancelled test order. Mark it used when a customer has had the key and you do not want it circulating, for example after a refund where they may still have it.

Unassigning also stops further keys from that tag being assigned to the order.

Check your setup

Open the order’s download page with Visit Download page and confirm the key shown is the new one. If you returned a key to the pool, check the tag’s Remaining count went up. See Manage licence keys.

Troubleshooting

No available keys in the tag

The pool is empty, so there is nothing to reassign. Add more keys, then try again. See Add licence keys.

The customer is still using the old key

Reassigning changes what the download page shows; it cannot reach into your licensing system. Revoke the old key there if it needs to stop working.

I unassigned and now the order has no key

Unassigning stops further keys being assigned for that tag. Reassign one deliberately to give the customer a key again.

Assign licence key is greyed out

Your store is on the Start plan. Adding a key to one order is a paid feature. See Filemonk pricing and plans.

I returned a key to the pool that a customer still has

It can now be issued to someone else while the original customer may still be using it. Find it in the pool and mark it used instead. See Check licence key status.

FAQ

Is the customer notified?

Not when you reassign or unassign a key. Send them the download email if they need to know their key changed. See Send emails with links for orders. When you add a key to one order, tick Email the customer to resend the download email with it.

Which should I choose when a customer refunds?

Mark as used, in most cases. They may have already activated the key, so putting it back in the pool risks issuing a burnt key to the next buyer.

Can I assign a key to an order that never had one?

Yes. Click Assign licence key in the order’s Custom files card and pick the tag. The product doesn’t need to have licence keys set up.

Can I add a key to several orders at once?

No. Keys are added one order at a time from each order’s page. To give every buyer of a product a key, set it up on the product instead. See Assign licence keys to a product.

Can I add a key to an order before my Ignore old orders cutoff?

Yes. The cutoff only stops keys being assigned automatically. A key you add by hand to one order is always assigned. See Ignore orders before a date or order number.

Does reassigning use up a key from my pool?

It swaps one for another: the new key is consumed, the old one returns to the pool.

Related guides

• Check licence key status, to see what state a key is in.
• Handle orders without licence keys, for orders waiting on a pool.
• Manage licence keys, for the pool itself.