Sometimes you want to give a file away, a sample chapter, a free preset pack, or a lead magnet. Avenia Digital Products supports free catalog downloads that skip the cart and checkout entirely.
Turn On Free Download For A Product
- Edit the product.
- In Product Details, attach a file or external URL as usual.
- Check Free download (catalog). The label in the admin is: “Offer this file for free without checkout or cart.”
- Update or publish the product.
On the front of your site, the product page shows a Download button instead of Add to Cart. Visitors never enter payment details for that product.
With Or Without Email
Under Settings → General you will find Require Email for Free Downloads.
When it is unchecked (the default)
The file downloads immediately when someone clicks Download. No email is collected, no customer record is created, and no account is required. This is the simplest option for pure freebies.
When it is checked
The visitor must enter an email address first. They receive a download link by email, a customer record is created in Avenia Digital Products → Customers, and they can re-download from My Account if they later have (or receive) an account.
Use email capture when the free file is part of your marketing list. Leave it off when you simply want frictionless sharing.
What Free Downloads Do Not Do
Free catalog products are intentionally separate from paid checkout:
- They cannot be added to the cart.
- Direct checkout links are not generated for them (the link tool is hidden on free products).
- Instant free downloads (no email required) do not create email download links or account download history the way paid or email-gated free downloads do.
If you need someone to “buy” at $0 through checkout for accounting reasons, that is a different workflow, free catalog download is specifically for no-checkout delivery.