How it works
A license-key-only product is a product mapping with a license key group attached and no files, packs, or links. On every paid order Alva Digital Downloads claims the next available key from the group and delivers it by email and on the buyer's download page. Because no files are involved, no ZIP is generated and no download limits are consumed.
License keys are a paid-plan feature — Free-plan stores are prompted to upgrade before attaching a key group.
When to use it
Reach for a key-only product whenever the deliverable is a code, not a file:
- Software activation codes — the buyer activates inside your app or installer; there is nothing to download from the store.
- Gift and voucher codes — deliver a redeemable code for an external platform or service.
- Seats and memberships — sell access codes redeemed in a separate portal, community, or course platform.
Create a license-key-only product
You need at least one license key group with keys in it — upload a CSV or let Alva auto-generate keys on demand.
1. Open the product mapping
In the Alva admin, go to Products and click Add product, or open an existing mapping. Select the Shopify product the key group should serve.
2. Attach a key group — and nothing else
Leave files, packs, and links empty. In the License Keys section, click Add License Keys and pick one or more groups. Alva confirms the setup with an info banner: "Customers will receive only a license key for this product — no downloadable files or links."
Alva product mapping page with the License Keys section holding one group ("pro-plugin · 47 available"), the files section empty, and the keys-only info banner visible. No real customer data.
3. Save
Save the mapping. From the next paid order onwards, Alva claims one key per unit from the group and delivers it automatically.
Converting an existing product works the same way: remove the last file from the mapping and keep the key group. Alva asks for confirmation — "This product will now deliver only a license key; the previously generated ZIP will be removed" — because earlier buyers lose access to the previously generated ZIP.
What the buyer receives
The delivery email is titled "Your License Key Is Ready" and shows the key itself, plus a button to the buyer's personal download page. That page renders the same key with a copy button and does not expire, so the purchase survives a lost email.
The key also appears on the thank-you page right after checkout, in the customer account, and on the order status page. Selling at the counter works too — see Use license keys with Shopify POS.
When the key group is out of stock
An empty key group never blocks the sale. The order completes, and the buyer's email carries a "Your license key is on its way" note instead of a key. As soon as you add keys to the group, Alva assigns them to waiting orders — oldest first — and emails each buyer automatically. You are alerted by email when an order enters the waiting state, and low-stock alerts can warn you before the pool runs dry.
Delivery delays and quantities
A configured license key delivery delay applies to key-only products unchanged: the buyer receives a heads-up at purchase time naming the delivery date, and the key email arrives once the delay elapses.
Quantities multiply keys. An order line with quantity 3 receives 3 distinct keys — in one email and on one download page. If stock covers only part of the quantity, the available keys are delivered immediately and the remainder follows automatically at restock.
Fraud checks and EU withdrawal consent
License keys are never assigned before an order passes the fraud check, and a key-only product does not change that. While an order is held for review, the thank-you page shows the key as being prepared. If you reject the order, Alva emails the buyer that their order is under review — deliberately not "declined", because approving it later assigns the keys and sends the normal key email. See why license keys are assigned only after fraud approval.
If the EU withdrawal-consent feature is enabled on your store, it treats license keys as digital content: the download page withholds the key until the buyer confirms the withdrawal waiver, exactly as it does for file downloads.
What does not apply
- No ZIP — nothing is bundled, and any previously generated ZIP is removed when a product transitions to keys-only.
- No download limits — nothing is downloaded, so limits are never consumed.
- No page expiry — the download page keeps rendering the key after the window in which a file page would have expired.
- No update campaigns — "Notify customers" product-update emails are built around new file versions and are disabled for key-only products.
FAQ
Do I need to upload a file to sell a license key?
No. Attach only a license key group to the product mapping and leave files, packs, and links empty. Alva treats the product as license-key-only and delivers a key from the group on every paid order.
What does the customer get if they buy more than one unit?
One key per unit. An order line with quantity 3 receives 3 distinct keys in the same email and on the download page. If stock only partly covers the quantity, the available keys are delivered immediately and the rest follow automatically at restock.
What happens when the key group is empty at purchase time?
The order still completes. The buyer's email includes a "your license key is on its way" note, and as soon as new keys are added to the group Alva assigns one and emails it automatically — oldest waiting orders first.
Do download limits or the download-page expiry apply?
No. A license-key-only purchase consumes no download limits, and its download page does not expire, so the buyer can return to copy the key at any time. No ZIP is generated either.
Does the EU withdrawal-consent gate apply to license keys?
Yes. License keys are digital content, so when the EU withdrawal-consent feature is enabled the download page withholds the key until the buyer confirms the withdrawal waiver, exactly as it does for file downloads.
See also
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Last updated 2026-07-15