WooCommerce has native digital product support: mark a product as "Virtual" and "Downloadable," attach files, set download limits, and the platform handles secure delivery after payment. Shopify's approach is different — the platform doesn't natively support file delivery the same way. This guide covers how to migrate digital products from WooCommerce to Shopify and which tools fill the gap.

WooCommerce digital product types

Downloadable products: Files attached directly to the product (PDF ebooks, music, fonts, templates, stock photos, software). Customers receive a download link after purchase.
Virtual products: No physical delivery, no download file. Typically used for services, coaching sessions, or memberships sold via WooCommerce.
Variable downloadable: Different file per variant (e.g. "Beginner PDF" / "Advanced PDF" as size variants of one product).
Licence-gated products: Software with serial numbers or licence keys generated/delivered per purchase.
Streaming content: Video courses or audio content delivered via a membership or protected page rather than a download file.

Shopify's native digital product support

Shopify handles digital products with two partial native tools:

Shopify Digital Downloads app (free, by Shopify): Attach files to products. After purchase, customer receives a download link in the order confirmation email. Supports multiple files per product, download attempt limits, and file update without changing the product.
Shopify's "physical" product flag: Set a product as not requiring shipping by unchecking "Requires shipping" in the product settings. This prevents shipping rates from appearing at checkout for virtual/digital products.

The native Digital Downloads app works for simple use cases. It lacks: subscription-based access, licence key management, DRM, variable downloads per variant, and analytics on download activity. For these, third-party apps are required.

Digital product delivery apps for Shopify

Use case	App	Price
Simple file downloads	Shopify Digital Downloads (native)	Free
Large file hosting + analytics	SendOwl	$18/mo+
PDF stamping / watermarking	SendOwl, Fileflare	$9/mo+
Licence key delivery	Licence King, Sky Pilot	$19/mo+
Video courses + memberships	Thinkific (external), Courses by Shopify (Beta)	Varies
Music / audio download stores	Sky Pilot, SendOwl	$9/mo+
Software + serial numbers	Licence King	$19/mo+

Migrating downloadable products with k-sync

When importing WooCommerce downloadable products via k-sync, the product data (title, description, price, SKU) migrates as normal. What does not migrate:

Attached download files (stored on your WooCommerce server — not accessible via WooCommerce REST API)
Download limits and expiry settings (platform-specific metadata)
Customer download history and access records

To handle this during migration:

Tag all downloadable products in WooCommerce before export: add a tag downloadable or category Digital
After k-sync import, filter products by this tag in Shopify to identify which products need file attachment
Upload files to your chosen delivery app (SendOwl, Sky Pilot, etc.) and link them to the Shopify products
Ensure the "Requires shipping" checkbox is unchecked for all digital products

Variable digital products

WooCommerce allows different download files per variant (e.g. variant "Standard" delivers one PDF, variant "Extended" delivers a different PDF with more content). Shopify's native Digital Downloads app does not support variant-level file assignment. For this:

Sky Pilot supports variant-level file delivery
SendOwl handles variant-specific downloads via product variant mapping

If you have variable downloadable products, test your chosen app's variant file support before migration.

Licence key and serial number delivery

Software stores often generate unique licence keys per order. WooCommerce handles this via licence management plugins (WooCommerce Serial Numbers, WC Software Add-On). In Shopify:

Licence King: Upload a CSV of licence keys; delivers one per order automatically
Sky Pilot: Supports licence key delivery alongside file downloads
For API-generated keys: use Shopify webhooks (orders/paid) to trigger your licence generation service and deliver via order note or email

VAT on digital products (UK and EU)

Digital products sold to UK/EU consumers are subject to VAT at the consumer's location rate, not the seller's. This is handled differently by platform:

WooCommerce: Requires EU VAT Compliance plugin or Taxamo Assure to calculate location-based VAT
Shopify: Shopify Tax (available on all plans) handles EU digital VAT automatically for Shopify Payments users. For non-Shopify Payments, configure tax overrides manually or use Quaderno / Sufio apps

Verify digital VAT configuration before going live — misconfigured digital VAT can mean under-collecting on EU sales or overcharging UK customers.

Post-migration checklist for digital product stores

All digital products have "Requires shipping" unchecked
File delivery app installed and files re-uploaded
Variable products: variant-level file delivery tested end-to-end
Download limits configured (if applicable)
Licence key pool uploaded (if selling software with serial numbers)
Order confirmation email includes download link (test with a real purchase)
Digital VAT configuration verified for UK/EU customers
Download analytics baseline set (to monitor delivery completion rates)

Selling digital products and downloads on Shopify after WooCommerce (2026)