Managing eCommerce Digital Downloads

The Luminate Online Digital Downloads application lets you create products that can be downloaded after purchase. The product files are not copy-protected, but they are not visible to the Internet except through a special download servlet. In addition, the links generated are unique to the purchase being made, and can be set to expire after either a specified time or number of uses. This feature is used primarily for audio or video recordings.

The maximum digital file size is 10MB on Luminate Online eCommerce. However, you can store your content on any other location, as explained below; in such a case, the file size will be limited by that host. Finally, you have the option of using Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) to host your digital eCommerce product and, in that case, the maximum file size is 5GB. Read Integrating eCommerce with Amazon WebServices S3 for more information.

The feature must be activated for you by your Luminate Online administrator.

After you have prepared the digital material you intend to offer for purchase online, you need to define and upload that product on your Luminate Online account. After that you can publish it.

  1. Click on Fundraising and then eCommerce. The eCommerce Products page displays.

  2. Click the Create a new Product button, or edit an existing product. On the Create a new Product page that displays, Step 6, Digital Download, will be available in the Process Navigator.

  3. At the Digital Download page, check the This product can be downloaded checkbox.

  4. For Will the digital product be stored here or on another server?, you can choose either of two options:

    • Upload digital product to this server.

    • Digital product can be retrieved from another location.

      1. If you choose to upload your product to this server, click the Browse button. A file dialog opens.

      2. Locate and select the digital product you wish to upload to the server.

      3. If you choose to retrieve your product from a remote server, either enter the full address to the product on that server,

      4. or click the Select button to open a link selector popup from which you can select a link previously created on Luminate Online.

  5. Click the Upload File button. The Digital Download page will refresh and the name of the digital product, prefixed with Download_, will display as a link following the button.

  6. Click on the digital product name link. Your browser will handle the file as it has been configured to do. For example, if you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer configured to download sound files, and your product is a sound file, it will be downloaded. If you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer configured to play sound files, a new window will display and the file will play.

  7. In the form field labeled Download ticket maximum number of uses, enter how many times a user will be allowed to download the digital file. The number should be at least "2" in case a technical difficulty arises preventing a successful download.

  8. In the form field labeled Download ticket expiration time, enter how long in hours a user can still download the digital file. If this field is left empty or set to zero, the download window will not expire.

After a downloadable product is published and made available for purchase, it will appear in a catalog as ordinary item. However, after the customer has completed a purchase, a button to download the product will be displayed in the confirmation page. A separate download button will render for each item purchased, including multiple purchases of the same item.