Get a downloadable link for a file
Every file in your content library has a direct link. Copying it is useful for checking a file, sending it to a colleague, or referencing it in your own tooling. It is not how you deliver files to customers: buyers get theirs through the download page, which is what enforces limits and access rules.
Before you begin
Treat this link like a key. Anyone who has it can reach the file without buying anything, so keep it out of your storefront, your product descriptions, and any public page.
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.
- Open the file, or use its row actions in the list.
- Click Copy link.
A Copied to clipboard message confirms it. Use Open file instead if you only want to check the contents.
Check your setup
Paste the link into a private browsing window. It should open or download the file directly, with no Filemonk page around it. That is exactly why it should not be shared publicly.
Troubleshooting
The link stopped working after I replaced the file
Copy it again. Replacing a file can change the underlying address, so a link copied earlier may be stale. See Replace a file.
I want customers to use this link
Don't. A direct link bypasses download limits, login requirements, and PDF watermarking, and it never expires with the order. Send customers to their download page instead, or email them their links. See Send emails with links for orders.
Copy link isn't in the menu
You are looking at an external file, which is already just a URL you supplied. Open it and read the Link field.
FAQ
Does downloading through this link count against anything?
It is a download of your file, so it uses bandwidth. What it does not do is count against a customer's per-order download limit, because it is not tied to an order.
Can I use it for a free giveaway or lead magnet?
You can, and people do, but understand the trade-off: the link is public forever once shared, and you cannot revoke it or see who used it. For anything you also sell, create a free product in Shopify instead so delivery goes through Filemonk normally.
Is there a different link per customer?
Yes, for delivery. Each order gets its own download page, which is what applies limits and access rules per customer. The link in this guide is a single link to the file itself.
Can I turn off direct links?
No. The link exists because the file is served over the web. This is why the protection that matters lives around the download page. See How Filemonk protects your files.
Related guides
- How Filemonk protects your files, for what protects customer downloads.
- Manage your files, for the rest of a file's actions.
- Send emails with links for orders, the right way to get a file to a buyer.
