How to sell digital products with WooCommerce in 2025

You see digital products everywhere these days. When we say “digital products,” we’re talking about e-books, online courses, music, stock photos, design templates, software files, and even meal plans — they’re all completely virtual, easy to download, and can be delivered straight to your customer’s device in seconds.

The good news is  there’s already a tool built with digital commerce in mind — WooCommerce. Out of the box, it supports digital downloads and virtual products, so businesses and creators can operate a fully digital store without the need for any extra plugins.

There’s no shipping to manage, no storage costs, and no concerns about physical inventory. When someone clicks buy, they get their download instantly. This ease of buying and selling is partly why the digital goods market is set to be worth over $416 billion by 2030. Now, the bad news: There are also a few challenges. You need to think about secure file delivery, smooth checkout flows, and file size limitations. Then, there’s the hassle of licensing for digital assets.

Worry not, though. Below, we share how to sell digital products with WooCommerce. This guide walks you through how to set up your store and start selling without the headache.

How to sell digital products with WooCommerce

Want to learn how to sell online? We’ve got you. 

Follow these steps to create a store where you can sell WooCommerce virtual products.

Step 1: Adjust your digital product setting  

Start in your WordPress dashboard under WooCommerce. Then, go to Settings → Products → Downloadable Products. 

Use the Force Downloads option if you want WooCommerce to handle delivery securely. We also recommend asking customers to log in, so only real buyers get your files. You can also prevent unauthorized sharing by adding a unique string to file names.

Step 2: Add your first product

Now, it’s time to add a downloadable product with WooCommerce and make it live on your site. 

Head to Products, and click Add New.

Add a title and a short description so shoppers know exactly what they’re getting. In the Product Data panel, select both Virtual and Downloadable options.

Upload the file under the Downloadable Files section or provide a secure URL. After that, you can set pricing, add a product image, and publish the product.

Step 3: Offer product variations (if needed)

If you want to sell e-books through WooCommerce in multiple formats, such as PDF and ePub, you can create a Variable Product. Add custom attributes like Format and assign different downloadable files to each variation. 

Customers will see their choices at checkout.

Step 4: Refine the checkout experience

The faster your checkout, the fewer carts get abandoned — which means more happy customers (and more sales for you). A WooCommerce plugin for digital product checkout can determine any shipping fields you don’t need, so you’re able to keep things nice and simple.

Step 5: Test before launch

Don’t make the store public just yet. Place a test order first. 

Confirm that payment goes through, files are delivered instantly, and download restrictions (such as limits or expiry dates) work just how you want.

Now, you have a fully functional store where you can sell WooCommerce digital downloads. Yes, it’s that simple! 

Advanced methods to grow digital product sales

Once your store’s up and running, it’s time to help the sales grow. Here’s how to get those WooCommerce digital downloads rolling. 

Streamline the checkout for digital-only sales

A checkout built for physical items slows down buyers who want only a file download. Remove unnecessary fields — such as shipping addresses — for a faster flow with WooCommerce’s digital product checkout.

You’ll see higher conversion rates, though it requires plugin support or custom adjustments. The downside? You may lose helpful customer data for future marketing campaigns.

Bundle or upsell digital products

Bundles let you combine multiple products into a single offer your customers can’t refuse. For example, you can sell an e-book with an audio version. Shoppers love getting more for less, and your average order size gets a nice boost too.

One issue you could face here is having to manage multiple versions of the same product, which is a bit tricky, especially if you’re updating files regularly. 

Sell subscriptions or memberships

Instead of one-off purchases, sell ongoing access to digital content. With WooCommerce Subscriptions or a membership plugin, you can send out fresh content, such as lessons or templates, every month.

The best part? You’ll get steady, recurring revenue. Just make sure to keep things fresh so your subscribers stick around.

Promote digital products with SEO and marketing

Use simple keywords like “template download” in your product descriptions so people can actually find you on Google. From there, spread the word with email campaigns, social posts, or even a few friendly influencers.

While SEO offers long-term benefits, it takes time to see results. Therefore, paid campaigns give your store the much-needed push in the early stages.

Use keyword-rich product pages, email funnels, and upsells

Want to increase sales? Make your product as visible as possible by using keyword-focused product titles and descriptions. This lets search engines index your WooCommerce digital downloads.

Back it up with a few friendly follow-up emails so new buyers get the most from their purchase. Maybe introduce them to premium templates or extended licenses while you’re at it.

On the plus side, this brings a steady increase in customer lifetime value. However, you’ll have to keep the messaging consistent across product pages and campaigns.

Protect revenue with security features

Digital products face risks like unauthorized sharing or repeated downloads, but WooCommerce lets you set download limits, apply expiry dates, and even add watermarks to sensitive files. You can even use digital rights management (DRM) for advanced protection.

These steps protect your income. Just don’t go overboard — make sure it’s still easy for real customers to get what they paid for.

Analyze sales data with WooCommerce analytics and Google Analytics

WooCommerce has handy reports showing your bestsellers, repeat customers, and when sales spike during the year. You can also use Google Analytics to learn about traffic sources and user behavior.

These tools show you which products are converting and where you need to make changes. Just a reminder: If there’s a data overload, you’ll have to filter out the noise to focus on the important  information. 

Most effective method to boost sales: Use Jotform AI Chatbot for WordPress

Of all ways to grow digital product sales, the Jotform AI Chatbot for WordPress is easily the most impactful. This no-code plugin introduces an AI-native assistant designed specifically for WordPress and WooCommerce. It learns directly from your site’s content, FAQs, and product pages, so the responses are always 100 percent accurate.

That’s not all Jotform’s WordPress AI chatbot does. This little helper guides customers through checkout, tracks orders, and even saves lost sales.

If you’re concerned about how to use Jotform’s AI chatbot with WordPress, the setup is super simple. You don’t need to be a tech guru to get started. Plus, the integration with the Jotform platform keeps all customer data right there in your WordPress dashboard. 

Use WooCommerce and Jotform to drive conversions

Once the core setup is complete, it’s quite simple to learn how to sell digital products with WooCommerce. The platform already includes everything needed to publish, price, and deliver digital content. You simply have to start. 

However, growth comes from the layers you add. For example, faster checkout flows reduce friction, bundled products raise order value, subscriptions bring in regular income, and SEO makes your store easy to find. As for analytics, they show you what’s working (or not), and security features keep your revenue safe. 

Positioned among the best WordPress plugins for marketers, the Jotform AI Chatbot for
WordPress supports WooCommerce with AI-native assistance. It takes your customers through checkout, answers product questions, recovers abandoned carts, and syncs customer interactions in one place. Pretty handy, right? 

Start with the basics, then have fun experimenting. The more you tweak and test, the smoother your store will feel. At the end of the day, great stores are built on great experiences, the kind that leaves customers satisfied and eager to come back  for more.