Digital goods sell well online: design assets, templates, e-books, music, software and course files. Selling them safely is harder than selling physical items, because a file link can be shared the moment it's sent. This guide covers how to sell digital goods by auction or at a fixed price from your own site, and what the Digital Assets add-on for BidKing and PrizeX does to keep files with the buyers who paid.
What Digital Assets adds
Digital Assets is an add-on, available from Add-ons in your admin panel for BidKing (any edition) and PrizeX. It adds a Digital item type to every form where items are created: the item library, the shop product form and the auction lot form.
- Secure storage. Uploaded files are kept outside the website's public folder where the server allows it. Otherwise they go in a protected folder that can't be opened by a direct link and can't run as code.
- File checks. Uploads can be up to 200 MB. Each one is checked for its real file type, and anything that could carry a script is refused: executable code, and also SVG, HTML and XML files.
- Delivery to the buyer only. A download works only for a signed-in customer who owns a paid order for that item. Downloads are rate-limited, and every attempt is logged.
- No public link. There's no file URL to copy and share. The download is served through the buyer's own order.
If you switch the add-on off, the Digital option disappears from item forms and downloads stop until you switch it back on. Nothing already uploaded or sold is deleted.
Auction lots vs shop items
Both work with digital items, and they suit different goods:
- Auction lots suit one-of-a-kind or limited digital goods: an exclusive design or a numbered edition. The winner pays the winning amount through the cart, and the file is then available from their order.
- Shop items suit goods you sell many times at a fixed price, such as templates, presets and e-books. They need the shop, which is in BidKing Plus, Pro and PrizeX.
Mixing the two works well. Sell the standard pack in the shop, and auction the exclusive or extended version.
The "digital-only marketplace" setting
Digital Assets has a store-wide Digital-only marketplace setting. When it's on, every new item has to be a digital download, which stops sellers listing physical goods by mistake. Turn it on if your site sells nothing physical. It pairs well with multi-vendor selling (BidKing Plus and Pro) for a marketplace of independent creators.
Licensing your files
The add-on delivers a file. It doesn't issue serial numbers or licence keys, and it can't stop a buyer passing the file on once they've downloaded it. So:
- State the licence on every listing: personal or commercial use, number of projects or seats, and whether resale is allowed. Include a licence file in the download.
- Only sell what you have the rights to. On a marketplace, require sellers to confirm they own or are licensed to sell each file, and act quickly on takedown requests.
- Plan for refunds. A downloaded file can't be returned. Decide your refund policy for digital goods before launch, check it against your local consumer rules, and publish it.
- If you sell software that needs a licence key, issue the keys from your own system, or include them in the file per buyer.
Common questions
Can I sell digital products by auction?
Yes, with the Digital Assets add-on. It adds a Digital item type to the auction lot form, and the winner downloads the file from their order after paying.
How are digital files protected from sharing?
Files are stored out of public reach and served only to a signed-in buyer who owns a paid order for the item. Downloads are rate-limited and logged. Nothing can stop a buyer passing the file on after downloading it, so state your licence terms clearly.
What file types and sizes are allowed?
Files up to 200 MB. Uploads are checked by their real type, and anything that could carry a script is refused, including SVG, HTML and XML.
Which edition do I need?
Digital Assets is an add-on for BidKing (any edition) and PrizeX. For fixed-price digital sales you also need the shop, which is in BidKing Plus, Pro and PrizeX.