---
title: "Delete products or variants with linked files"
description: "Remove a digital product setup, and understand who loses access."
url: https://help.filemonk.io/delete-products-with-linked-files/
section: "Digital products"
last_updated: 2026-09-08
---

# Delete products or variants with linked files

> Remove a digital product setup, and understand who loses access.

Deleting a digital product in Filemonk unlinks its files. **Customers who already bought it lose access.** The files themselves stay in your content library, so nothing you uploaded is destroyed, but the connection that delivers them is gone and cannot be undone.

## Before you begin

Decide what you actually want:

| You want | Do this |
|---|---|
| Stop selling, but past buyers keep their files | Unpublish or archive the product in Shopify. Leave the Filemonk setup alone. |
| Swap the file for a new version | Replace the file. See [Replace a file](https://help.filemonk.io/replace-a-file/) |
| Remove one variant's files only | Delete that variant configuration |
| Remove the whole setup, past buyers included | Delete the product in Filemonk |

Most of the time, the first row is what people mean. Deleting in Filemonk is for a product you genuinely no longer support.

## Set it up

1. Click **Filemonk** in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
2. Click **Digital products** in the app's menu and open the product.
3. Choose what to delete:
   1. **Delete product and all its variants** removes the whole setup.
   2. **Delete all variant configurations** clears every variant's files but keeps the product.
   3. **Delete files for a variant** removes one variant's configuration.
4. Read the confirmation, which states plainly that customers who already purchased will lose access, then confirm.

## What customers will see

Past buyers opening their download page find the files gone. They are not notified, so a customer who paid for lifetime access will contact you.

## Check your setup

Open a past order for the product and use **Visit Download page**. That is what your customer now sees. If it is not what you intended, re-link the files to the product, then re-sync the affected orders. See [Troubleshoot a single order](https://help.filemonk.io/troubleshoot-an-order/).

## Troubleshooting

### I deleted it and customers are complaining

Re-link the files to the product, then re-sync the affected orders so they pick the links up again. Do this before replying, so your answer is that it is fixed.

### I meant to stop selling, not remove access

Unpublishing or archiving in Shopify is the right tool for that. Re-link the files in Filemonk, then unpublish in Shopify instead.

### Could not delete

Something is still referencing the configuration. Reload and try again; if it persists, contact support rather than forcing it.

### I deleted the Shopify product, not the Filemonk setup

The configuration remains, showing as a deleted variant or an unavailable product. Tidy it up in Filemonk. Customers who bought before the deletion keep whatever access they had.

## FAQ

### Does deleting remove the files from my library?

No. The files stay and can be linked to another product. Only the link is removed.

### Does it free up storage?

No, because the files remain. To reclaim storage, delete the files themselves. See [Manage your files](https://help.filemonk.io/manage-your-files/).

### Can I undo it?

Not as an undo. You can re-link the same files and re-sync the affected orders, which restores access, but it is manual.

### Are customers told?

No. They find out when they try to download, which is why unpublishing is usually the better choice.

## Related guides

- [Manage your files](https://help.filemonk.io/manage-your-files/), to delete the underlying files too.
- [Replace a file](https://help.filemonk.io/replace-a-file/), if you only want a newer version.
- [Create a digital product](https://help.filemonk.io/create-a-digital-product/), to re-link if you deleted by mistake.