1. Overview

1.1  What is PayDrop?

PayDrop is a Shopify-embedded digital downloads and software licensing app built by The Shop Ninjas. It allows you to sell digital products such as software or any downloadable file directly through your Shopify store. PayDrop handles everything that happens after purchase: secure file delivery, download link management, software license key generation, recurring subscription billing, and detailed sales reporting.

It transforms your standard Shopify products into fully managed digital goods without requiring any separate platform or complex setup.

PayDrop is capable of the following:

• Delivering secure, time-limited or unlimited download links to customers after purchase
• Automatically generating and emailing unique software license keys per order
• Managing recurring subscriptions with custom billing periods and pricing
• Tracking all downloads, orders, customers, and revenue through a built-in reporting suite
• Giving customers a self-service portal page to access their purchases and licenses

1.2  Navigation Overview

PayDrop appears in your Shopify Admin under Apps → PayDrop. Once inside the app, you will find the following pages in the left sidebar:

Downloads: Create and manage the digital files attached to your products, including download limits, link expiration, subscription settings, and software licensing.

Orders: View all customer orders that include digital products, with the ability to resend download emails and extend link expiry.

Customers: Browse all customers who have purchased your digital products.

Reports: In-depth analytics covering sales overview, download activity, file download trends, customer metrics, and refund tracking.

Licenses: View and manage all software license keys that have been generated for customer orders.

Subscriptions: Manage all active and past recurring billing subscriptions created through PayDrop.

Settings: Configure your customer portal page and set your subscription contract policy text.

2. Getting Started — Setting Up a Digital Product in Shopify

Before you can attach any digital files or licensing to a product in PayDrop, you first need to create the product correctly inside Shopify. This is a required first step.

2.1  Creating the Product in Shopify

To create a new digital product, go to your Shopify Admin and click Products in the left sidebar, then click Add product in the top right corner. Fill in the product title, description, price, and upload a product image as you normally would for any Shopify product.

2.2  Important Product Settings to Configure

When setting up a product that will be used as a digital download in PayDrop, there are two critical settings you must configure on the Shopify product page before saving.

The first setting is Inventory tracking. By default, Shopify tracks inventory for products. For digital products you do not have physical stock, so you need to turn off inventory tracking. Scroll down to the Inventory section on the product page and toggle off the Track quantity option. This ensures customers can always purchase the product regardless of any stock count.

The second setting is Shipping. Digital products are not physical items and should never be shipped. Scroll down to the Shipping section and toggle off Physical product. This prevents Shopify from adding shipping fees at checkout and removes the shipping address step from the checkout flow for this product.

Once you have configured both of these settings, click Save. Your product is now ready to be connected to PayDrop where you will attach the actual downloadable files, configure licensing, and set up any subscription billing.

3. Dashboard (Home)

The PayDrop Dashboard is the first screen you see when you open the app. It gives you a quick overview of your store’s digital product performance at a glance.

3.1  KPI Cards

At the top of the dashboard, five summary cards display your most important metrics in real time.

Total Users shows the number of unique customers who have purchased your digital products.

Active Links shows the number of currently active download links that have been sent to customers and have not yet expired.

Completed Downloads shows the total number of times customers have successfully downloaded a file.

Total Revenue shows the cumulative revenue generated from all digital product sales.

Total Subscriptions shows the number of active recurring subscription plans currently running across all customers.

3.2  All Downloads Chart

Below the KPI cards, the All Downloads chart shows download activity over time as a line graph. You can change the date range using the dropdown in the top right corner of the chart. This chart is useful for spotting peak download periods and identifying whether a recent promotion or product launch drove increased activity.

3.3  Top Products Downloaded

On the right side of the dashboard, the Top Products Downloaded section displays a donut chart showing which of your digital products have been downloaded most frequently. Each segment represents a product, with the percentage of total downloads it accounts for shown in the legend below. The center of the donut displays the total download count across all products.

3.4  Recent Downloads

At the bottom of the dashboard, the Recent Downloads section shows a list of the most recent individual download events. Each row shows the order number, the customer name, the product that was downloaded, and the exact date and time of the download. You can click View all in the top right corner of this section to go to the full Downloads list page.

4. Downloads

4.1  Downloads List

The Downloads page is the central hub for managing all the digital files attached to your Shopify products. To access it, click Downloads in the PayDrop sidebar. The list shows every download you have created. For each entry you can see the file name, the current status (Active or Inactive), the number of files attached, the total number of times that file has been downloaded across all orders, the date of the last download, and action buttons to Edit or Remove the download. You can search for a specific download using the search bar at the top, and filter by status or sort by name using the dropdowns on the right.

4.2  Creating a Download (Adding Digital Files to a Product)

To attach a digital file to a product, click the Create Download button in the top right corner of the Downloads page. This opens the Add Digital Files to Product page, which walks you through a five-step setup process.

Step 1: Select Product

The first step is to choose which Shopify product this download will be linked to. Click the dropdown and select the product you want to attach a file to. Once selected, the product handle and variant count are shown below the dropdown confirming your selection. Only products that have already been created in Shopify will appear in this list.

Step 2: Upload Files

In this step you upload the actual digital file that customers will receive after purchasing. Click Add files or drag and drop your file into the upload area. PayDrop supports any file type including ZIP archives, PDFs, and executables. The upload progress is shown as a percentage bar. Once the upload reaches 100% the file is attached and ready to be configured.

Step 3: Configure Settings

After uploading, you configure the download behaviour using two settings.

Download Limit controls how many times a customer can download the file after purchasing. You can select Unlimited to allow the customer to download as many times as they want with no restriction, or select Limited to and enter a specific number for example entering 5 means the customer can download the file up to 5 times before the link becomes inactive.

Link Expiration controls how long the download link remains active after purchase. You can select Never to keep the link active indefinitely, or select Expire after and enter a number of days for example entering 30 means the link will automatically expire 30 days after the order is placed.

Step 4: Subscription Settings (Optional)

This step allows you to enable recurring billing for this product, turning it into a subscription. If you do not want recurring billing, leave Enable Subscription set to No and skip this step. If you enable subscriptions by selecting Yes, the following fields appear:

• Billing Period: the frequency of recurring charges such as Monthly, Yearly, Weekly, or Daily
• Billing Interval: works alongside the billing period  for example Monthly with an interval of 3 means the customer is billed every 3 months
• Initial Amount: an optional one-time setup fee charged at the time of the first purchase on top of the recurring amount
• Recurring Amount: the amount charged to the customer at every billing cycle
• Trial Period: an optional number of days during which the customer can use the product for free before their first charge begins  leave blank for no trial

Step 5: Software Licensing (Optional)

This step enables automatic license key generation for this product. If your product does not require license keys, leave Enable Licensing set to No and skip this step. If you enable licensing by selecting Yes, the following fields appear:

• License Key Format: The format of the generated keys’ UUID is the default and recommended option
• Activation Limit: the maximum number of devices or machines that can activate a single license key
• License Expiry: set to Never for a perpetual license or Expire after to set a time limit
• Renewal Type: determines what happens at the end of a license period, such as No Renewal or automatic renewal
• Version Number: the current software version associated with this download, shown to customers to indicate whether an update is available
• Update File: an optional separate file to serve as the auto-update endpoint for your software

Once all steps are complete, click Save & Attach Files to finalise the download and attach everything to the selected product.

5. Orders

The Orders page shows a full list of every customer order that includes a digital product managed by PayDrop. To access it, click Orders in the PayDrop sidebar.

5.1  Orders List

Each row in the orders list displays the order number, the customer name and email address, the name of the digital product purchased, the date and time the order was placed, the customer’s location, the order total, and the current status. The status for most completed digital orders will show as Completed, meaning the payment was successful and the download link has been sent to the customer. You can filter orders by date range, filter by status, and search for a specific order or customer. You can also export the full order list as a CSV file by clicking Export CSV in the top right corner.

5.2  Order Actions

Each order row has two action buttons on the right side.

Resend Email allows you to resend the download link email to the customer. This is useful if a customer reports they did not receive their download link or if the original email was lost or sent to spam.

Extend Link Expiry allows you to manually extend the expiration date of the download link for that specific order. This is useful when a customer’s link has expired and they need more time to complete their download.

6. Customers

The Customers page provides a list of all customers who have purchased one or more digital products through your store. To access it, click Customers in the PayDrop sidebar. Each customer entry shows their name, email address, number of purchases, total spend, and the date of their most recent order. You can click on a customer to view their full purchase history including all orders, download activity, active licenses, and subscriptions associated with their account.

7. Reports

The Reports page provides detailed analytics about your digital product business across five tabs. Each tab can be filtered by date range using the Date Range dropdown at the top. To access Reports, click Reports in the PayDrop sidebar.

7.1  Overview Tab

The Overview tab gives you a high-level summary of your store’s performance for the selected date range. It displays Total Sales (number of completed orders), Total Earnings (total revenue), Average Order Value (mean value per order), New Customers (first-time buyers in the period), Refunds (number of refunded orders), and Refund Amount (total value of all refunds). Below the summary cards, a Sales & Earnings Trend chart shows how your sales count and revenue have changed over time within the selected date range.

7.2  Downloads Tab

The Downloads tab gives you a product-focused breakdown of your download activity. It shows Total Products (number of distinct digital products sold), Total Sales (number of orders), Total Earnings (total revenue), Avg Sales/Product (average number of sales per product), and Avg Earnings/Product (average revenue generated per product). Below the summary cards, a Top Sellers bar chart shows which products have sold the most units during the selected period.

7.3  File Downloads Tab

The File Downloads tab focuses on actual file download events rather than purchase events. It shows Total Downloads (the total number of times any file was downloaded) and Unique Downloaders (the number of distinct customers who performed a download). A Downloads Over Time chart shows the day-by-day download volume across the selected period.

7.4  Customers Tab

The Customers tab provides customer-focused revenue metrics. It shows New Customers (first-time buyers in the period), Total Revenue (all revenue from the period), Avg Revenue/Customer (average spend per customer), Total Customers (cumulative customer count), and Avg Lifetime Value (average total revenue per customer across their entire history). A Customer Acquisition Trend chart shows how your new customer count has grown over time.

7.5  Refunds Tab

The Refunds tab tracks all refund activity for the selected period. It displays Refund Count, Refund Amount, Avg Refund Amount, Avg Refund Time (how quickly refunds are typically processed), Refund Rate (refunds as a percentage of total orders), and Total Orders for context. You can filter by status using the Status dropdown. A Refund Trend chart below the cards shows refund volume over time. If there are no refunds in the selected period the chart will display a no data available message.

8. Licenses

The Licenses page shows every software license key that has been automatically generated by PayDrop across all orders. To access it, click Licenses in the PayDrop sidebar.

8.1  Licenses List

Each row in the licenses list displays the license key, the current status (Active or Revoked), the product the license was issued for, the customer name, the order number, the number of activations used out of the maximum allowed, the expiry date, and the date the license was created. You can search for a specific license key, product name, or customer using the search bar, and filter by status or sort by newest or oldest using the controls at the top.

8.2  License Actions

Each license row has five action buttons.

View Details opens a detailed view of that specific license showing its full history, activation records, and associated order information.

Extend allows you to manually extend the expiry date of the license if the customer needs additional time.

Renew resets or renews the license for another billing period, which is useful for subscription-based software licenses.

Revoke immediately deactivates the license key, preventing the customer from using it. This is typically used in cases of abuse, chargebacks, or policy violations.

Regenerate creates a brand new license key for that order, replacing the existing one. The old key is invalidated and the new key is sent to the customer.

9. Subscriptions

The Subscriptions page lists all recurring billing subscriptions created through PayDrop. A subscription is created automatically whenever a customer purchases a product that has subscription billing enabled in its download settings. To access this page, click Subscriptions in the PayDrop sidebar.

9.1  Subscriptions List

Each row in the subscriptions list shows a unique subscription ID, the customer name and email, the product the subscription is for, the billing amount and frequency (for example $20.00 Per month or $35.00 Per year), the linked Shopify order number, the next renewal date, the current status (Active, Cancelled, or Expired), the payment gateway being used, and action buttons.

9.2  Subscription Actions

Each subscription row has four action buttons.

View opens the full subscription detail page showing the complete billing history, upcoming renewal schedule, and customer information.

Sync Shopify manually synchronises the subscription data between PayDrop and Shopify’s native subscription records. This is useful if there is a discrepancy between what PayDrop shows and what Shopify’s billing system reflects.

Extend allows you to manually push the next renewal date forward, giving the customer additional time on their current billing cycle without charging them.

Cancel immediately cancels the subscription and stops all future recurring charges. The customer retains access to any files or licenses they have already received but will not be billed again.

10. Settings

The Settings page allows you to configure two important aspects of PayDrop: the customer-facing download portal and your subscription contract policy text. To access it, click Settings in the PayDrop sidebar.

10.1  Customer Portal Page

The Customer Portal Page is a page on your storefront where customers can log in and access all of their digital purchases, download links, license keys, and subscription details in one place without needing to contact your support team. To set this up, click the Create Customer Portal Page button. PayDrop will automatically create a new page in your Shopify store under Online Store → Pages with the portal embedded. Once created, you can link to this page from your store’s navigation menu so customers can find it easily. If you ever need to update or recreate the portal page simply return to this Settings page and click the button again.

10.2  Subscription Contract Policy

The Subscription Contract Policy section contains the legal policy text displayed to customers at checkout when they purchase a subscription product. This text is required by Shopify’s subscription API guidelines, meaning it is mandatory if you sell any subscription-based products through PayDrop. The policy covers the billing schedule, cancellation process, refund conditions, price change notifications, and what happens in the event of a failed payment. You can edit the text in the Contract / Policy Text field to match your store’s specific terms and policies. Once you are satisfied with the content, save your changes and the updated policy will automatically appear at checkout for all subscription products.

11. Customer-Facing Experience

This section describes the complete experience your customers go through when purchasing a digital product from your store.

11.1  Product Page (Storefront)

When a customer visits your store and opens a digital product page, the experience looks identical to any standard Shopify product page. They see the product image, name, price, and description. Since the product is configured as a non-physical item with shipping disabled, no shipping address or delivery options are shown. The customer simply selects their quantity and clicks Add to cart or Buy it now to proceed. PayDrop works entirely in the background and the customer has no visibility into the file delivery system until after their payment is complete.

11.2  Checkout

The checkout experience is Shopify’s standard checkout. The customer enters their contact information, payment details, and billing address. The order total is displayed on the right side of the screen along with the product name and price. Customers can also apply a discount code or gift card if you have set one up in Shopify. If the product has subscription billing enabled in PayDrop, the Subscription Contract Policy text you configured in Settings will be shown at checkout for the customer to review before completing the purchase. Once the customer completes payment, PayDrop automatically handles everything that follows.

11.3  License Key Email Delivery

Immediately after a successful order is placed, PayDrop automatically sends a post-purchase email to the customer containing their download link and, if software licensing was enabled for that product, their unique software license key. The email shows the customer’s name, the order number and date, and for licensed products it includes the product name, the license key itself, the current status, the number of allowed activations, and the expiry date. The email also contains a direct link to the Customer Portal page where the customer can view and manage all of their purchases, download their files, and check their license status at any time. This entire process from payment completion to email delivery happens automatically without any manual action required from the store owner.

12. Support & Resources

If you need help with PayDrop, the following resources are available to you.

Documentation: https://theshopninjas.com/docs

Plans & Pricing: Navigate to Apps → PayDrop and click Plans in the sidebar inside Shopify Admin.

Support: https://theshopninjas.com/contact-us

Website: https://theshopninjas.com

PayDrop is a product of The Shop Ninjas — making digital product delivery simple and powerful for Shopify merchants worldwide.