Alva Digital Downloads checks a checkout link every time a buyer opens it. When that check fails, the link shows a plain "This link isn't available right now." page instead of sending the buyer to checkout, and the reason is written on the link in your admin. Open Checkout links and read the status before anything else — in most cases it names the cause outright.
Start with the link's status
A paused link carries a reason, such as "product not published" or "sold out" — both fixed in Shopify rather than in Alva Digital Downloads. Once the cause is fixed, most pauses clear on the next click. A product you re-publish or restock in Shopify is usually picked up within half an hour, and until then the link stays paused. To clear it straight away, open the link in Alva Digital Downloads and choose Check again.
Match the symptom
If the link is not paused, what the buyer sees narrows it to one cause.
| What happens | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The link opens your home page | The product is unpublished from the Online Store sales channel, is no longer active, or is out of stock. | Publish the product to Online Store and check the variant has stock or has "continue selling when out of stock" on. |
| The short link shows your 404 page | The URL redirect behind the short path was removed, or the path was renamed after the link was shared. | In Shopify, open Online Store → Navigation → URL redirects and confirm the path still points at the link. Share the long link in the meantime — it never changes. |
| Buyers see a password page | The storefront password is still on. It blocks checkout links, URL redirects and bio pages alike. | Remove the storefront password in Online Store → Preferences. |
| Buyers say the product is unavailable | The link is a draft, has expired, is outside its start and end dates or has used up its usage limit — or the deliverability check refused to send them to checkout, and the link is paused with a reason. | Read the link's status and any paused reason. "Delivery inactive" (shown as "Paused: delivery inactive") means delivery is switched off for that product — by you, or because your subscription lapsed. Turn it back on for the product; restoring billing alone does not. |
| The discount isn't applied | The code has expired, has a minimum the single item doesn't meet, or does not combine with an automatic discount already running. | Test the code in a normal checkout first. Buyers can still type it at checkout if the link cannot apply it. |
| Instagram warns the link is unsafe | Usually something sits in front of the link, such as a link shortener. A checkout link stays on your own domain from first click to checkout. | Post the link on your own domain directly, with no shortener or third-party redirect in between. |
| The link preview has no image | The product has no image and no preview image is set on the link, or the social network cached the preview before you set one. | Set a Preview image URL on the link, then re-paste the URL. Networks cache previews, sometimes for hours or longer. |
| Checkout asks buyers to sign up | Prefer Shop Pay is on. Buyers without a Shop account can meet a sign-up wall. | Turn off Prefer Shop Pay on the link. |
| Click counts look too high | Social networks fetch the page to build a preview every time the link is shared. | Nothing to fix. Preview fetches are recognised and aren't counted as clicks. |
| "That path is already used" when saving a short link | A redirect already exists at that path — often left behind by an app that was uninstalled. | Alva Digital Downloads shows where the existing redirect points, but won't replace it. Pick another path, or if you recognise the redirect and no longer need it, delete it in Online Store → Navigation → URL redirects and try again. |
Two links, one product
Every checkout link has a long address that always works and, optionally, a short path on your own domain. The short path is a Shopify URL redirect: it can be renamed or deleted in Shopify without Alva Digital Downloads knowing. The long address never changes, so it is the one to print on a QR code and the one to fall back to while a short path is being fixed.
Frequently asked questions
Shopify sends a buyer to the home page when the product in the link cannot be added to a cart. Publish the product to the Online Store sales channel, confirm it is active, and confirm the variant has stock or allows overselling.
Alva Digital Downloads checks that an order placed through the link could actually be delivered. When that check fails it pauses the link, records the reason, and shows buyers a neutral unavailable page rather than taking their money for something they would not receive.
The short path is a Shopify URL redirect on your own domain, and it can be renamed or deleted in Shopify independently of the link. Check Online Store, then Navigation, then URL redirects. The long address is served by the app itself and never changes.
Yes, if you turn it on for that link. A checkout link skips the product page, where personalisation text is normally typed, so the link needs its pre-checkout page with personalisation capture switched on. Without that, Alva Digital Downloads refuses to save the link and pauses it if the product later becomes personalised.
The links keep existing, but they pause and stop sending buyers to checkout. A lapsed subscription deactivates delivery, so an order placed through a link could not be fulfilled. Restoring billing does not switch delivery back on by itself: turn it back on for each product, and the pause clears on the next click.