Shopify Digital Product Access Limits: Resend, Update or Deactivate?

Shopify Digital Products access limits control how often a customer can use a download or access link. Resending an existing email, sending an update and creating a share link do not have the same effect on the allowance. Identify the order, asset and link type before promising a customer more access or trying to revoke it.

Understand how the allowance is counted

Shopify's Digital Products guide says access is unlimited by default and can be limited per variant. The limit is counted per link the customer receives: files in one variant share a count, while each external link has its own count. An update email or a share link starts a new count; resending the original download email retains the existing count.

Action	Documented effect
Resend download email	Sends the same links; prior uses still count
Send update email	Provides new links with a new allowance
Create share link	Creates a separate link with its own count
Deactivate an order link	Stops that customer's download link
Increase variant limit	Changes the configured allowance; verify the effect for the case

Resend download email

Documented effectSends the same links; prior uses still count

Send update email

Documented effectProvides new links with a new allowance

Create share link

Documented effectCreates a separate link with its own count

Deactivate an order link

Documented effectStops that customer's download link

Increase variant limit

Documented effectChanges the configured allowance; verify the effect for the case

A “three-use” setting is not necessarily a lifetime total for every link ever issued to one customer. Keep that distinction clear when designing licenses or support procedures. The app's counters are not a complete digital-rights-management system.

Configure and test a variant

In Apps > Digital Products, open the product and review the relevant variant's assets and access limit. Shopify documents switching from Unlimited to Limited and entering the allowed times per customer. Review the delivery method, then save. If the product has multiple variants, check each variant separately.

Place an approved test order and verify the customer email, correct asset and access behavior. Use a non-sensitive sample file. Check how one download, a resend and an update affect the links, and record the result without posting live links in shared tickets. Explain the allowed uses accurately on the product page and in support scripts.

Handle a support request

First verify the customer's identity, order and purchase. If the email was lost, resending the original link does not reset prior usage. If additional access is justified, review the approved method and its consequences: an update or new share link can provide a fresh allowance. A share link is not tied to a specific order or customer, so distribute it carefully.

Request	Review before acting
“I lost the email”	Resend the original after identity verification
“My limit is exhausted”	Check policy, existing usage and authorized remedy
“The file changed”	Verify which link and version the customer receives
“Remove access”	Deactivate the order link and check other access paths
“The external page is private”	Review the provider's access settings and destination

“I lost the email”

Review before actingResend the original after identity verification

“My limit is exhausted”

Review before actingCheck policy, existing usage and authorized remedy

“The file changed”

Review before actingVerify which link and version the customer receives

“Remove access”

Review before actingDeactivate the order link and check other access paths

“The external page is private”

Review before actingReview the provider's access settings and destination

Shopify says share links do not expire and are not deactivated by disabling a customer's order link. A customer who saved an external destination URL might still open it directly; change access on the external provider as well when necessary. Revoking a link cannot retrieve a file already downloaded.

Maintain an asset and access log

Assign an owner for file updates, support exceptions and external sharing permissions. Shopify notes that existing purchase links can continue to work after assets are edited or deleted, and a same-name replacement can affect what an old link delivers. Test the specific version before notifying customers. Keep the change record separate from customer-facing links and protect personal information.

Related guides: digital product delivery and test order safety.

Does resending the original email reset the allowance?

No. Shopify says the same links are resent and previous uses still count.

Does deactivating the order link disable every share link?

No. Shopify says share links are separate and are not disabled by that action.

Can deactivation remove a file already downloaded?

No. Link access controls cannot retrieve copies already saved by a customer.