Delete products or variants with linked files
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 |
| 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
- Click Filemonk in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
- Click Digital products in the app's menu and open the product.
- Choose what to delete:
- Delete product and all its variants removes the whole setup.
- Delete all variant configurations clears every variant's files but keeps the product.
- Delete files for a variant removes one variant's configuration.
- 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.
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.
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, to delete the underlying files too.
- Replace a file, if you only want a newer version.
- Create a digital product, to re-link if you deleted by mistake.
