Before you start
PDF watermarking is a paid-plan feature — set up your shop-wide watermark defaults first (see Turn on PDF watermarking for your store). The product mapping must also have at least one PDF File or PackFile attached, otherwise the toggle is hidden.
Open the product mapping
In the Alva Digital Downloads admin, open Products, find the Shopify product, and click into its mapping page. This is the same page used to attach files, packs, and license keys to a product.
Switch on the per-product toggle
1. Scroll to the PDF Watermarking section
On the product mapping page, scroll to the PDF Watermarking section. The section only appears when the mapping has at least one PDF file or a pack containing a PDF. Products that ship videos, audio, ZIPs, or images alone won't show it.
2. Switch on the toggle
Flip Enable PDF watermarking for this product to on.
3. Save the mapping
Click Save at the top of the page. The setting takes effect immediately for the next paid order on this product.
Repeat for every PDF product
Each product is its own opt-in. There is no bulk-enable. If a shop sells 40 PDF products, the toggle gets flipped on 40 mappings. The per-product choice is deliberate — most stores only want certain products stamped (premium ebooks, paid templates) and not others (free samples, brand assets).
What changes for that product
From the next paid order onwards, every PDF in this product that has its Watermark checkbox ticked is stamped with the buyer's details before the download email is sent. PDFs you untick — and PDFs with security restrictions (for example "prevent copying"), which cannot be watermarked — are delivered unchanged. Previous orders are stamped lazily — the first time an older customer re-downloads the file, Alva stamps it and serves the stamped copy. Files in the library remain unchanged; each customer receives their own stamped version.
Personalised products always pass through unstamped — the per-customer personalisation is the watermark.
Choose which PDFs are watermarked
Once the toggle is on, every PDF row in the product's file list shows a Watermark checkbox. Untick a file to deliver it unchanged while its siblings stay watermarked — useful for a bonus file or an instructions PDF. Newly attached PDFs default to watermarked, and PDFs with security restrictions are excluded automatically with their checkbox disabled. See Choose which PDFs are watermarked for the full behaviour.
See which products are watermarked
On the Products page, a green Watermarked badge appears next to a product's name once it will actually be watermarked on delivery — that is, when this per-product toggle is on and the mapping has at least one PDF attached. If watermarking is enabled but no PDF is attached yet (for example the product only has images or a ZIP), the badge stays hidden, because there is nothing to stamp.
Frequently asked questions
The toggle is hidden if the product mapping has no PDF attached, or if your shop is on the Free plan. Add a PDF to the mapping, or upgrade your plan.
New orders from now on are stamped automatically. Previous orders are stamped lazily on first re-download — when an older customer next opens their download link, Alva Digital Downloads stamps the file and serves the personalised version.
Yes. With watermarking on, each PDF row on the product page has a Watermark checkbox. Unticked PDFs are delivered unchanged while the rest stay watermarked. PDFs with security restrictions (for example "prevent copying") are excluded automatically.
See also
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Last updated 2026-07-27