Use your own branded link for downloads
By default the download page is served by Filemonk, so customers see a filemonk.io address in the browser. You can serve the same page from your own store instead, so the link reads as your domain. Customers who look at where a link goes before clicking it are reassured, and the page stops looking like a third party.
Before you begin
- This uses Shopify's app proxy. The path you pick in Filemonk and the path configured in Shopify have to match exactly, or the link 404s.
- If you are on Filemonk's older download page, the app tells you so with a Legacy Download Page notice, and switching needs support. Contact them rather than changing settings.
Set it up
- Click Filemonk in the left menu of your Shopify admin.
- Click Settings in the app's menu, then open the Download page tab.
- Find Download files from and choose to serve the page from your store.
- Pick the path prefix, either
/apps/filemonkor/a/filemonk. - Save.
- Open your Shopify app proxy settings and confirm the prefix there matches the one you just chose.
Downloads now run through your-store.com/apps/filemonk/... rather than a Filemonk address.
What customers will see
The same download page, on your domain. Emails, the Thank you page button, and the customer account links all point at the new address.
Check your setup
Place a test order and open the download link. The address bar should show your store's domain, and the files should download normally. If you get a 404, the two paths do not match. See Create a test order.
Troubleshooting
The download link 404s
The prefix in Filemonk and the prefix in Shopify's app proxy settings are different. Compare them character for character, including whether it is /apps/ or /a/, and make them identical.
Old links customers already have stopped working
Links point at whichever host was configured when they were sent. Re-send the download email for any order where a customer is stuck. See Send emails with links for orders.
The page loads but looks unstyled or broken
Your theme is wrapping the proxied page and its CSS is interfering. Check the page in a theme preview, and adjust with the download page's own CSS if needed. See Customize the download page and email with CSS.
I see a Legacy Download Page notice
Your store is on the older download page, hosted at app.filemonk.io, and the source cannot be changed from settings. Contact support to move across.
FAQ
Do I need my own SSL certificate or DNS changes?
No. The page is served through your existing Shopify domain, so there is nothing to configure with your DNS or certificates.
Which prefix should I pick?
Either works. /apps/filemonk is the more conventional choice; /a/filemonk is shorter. What matters is that Shopify's setting matches.
Does this improve security?
Not by itself. It changes the address, not the access rules. It does make requiring a login more natural, since customers are already on your store. See Require customers to log in.
Can I switch back?
Yes. Change Download files from back, and re-send links to any customer with a stale one.
Related guides
- Customize the download page, for how the page itself looks.
- Require customers to log in, which pairs naturally with serving from your store.
- Send emails with links for orders, to re-issue links after switching.
