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Spree Commerce gives merchants complete control over the sale and delivery of digital products. Whether you’re selling fully digital goods or offering downloadable add-ons, Spree provides a flexible and secure framework for instant delivery, gated access, and hybrid product configurations.

Admin Capabilities

Spree provides merchants with robust tools to manage digital products alongside physical inventory. Whether you’re distributing eBooks, music files, software licenses, or digital assets, Spree allows you to configure flexible delivery rules, streamline access, and maintain full control over the digital fulfillment lifecycle.
  • Flexible Product Configuration - Create fully digital products or attach digital files to physical products.
  • Download Access Management - Define limits for how many times a file can be downloaded and for how long download links remain active. 
  • Multiple Delivery Channels - Offer download access directly on the confirmation page, in order emails, or via the customer’s account area.
  • Digital-Only Checkout - Assign digital SKUs to a “Digital” shipping category. When only digital items are in the cart, the delivery step is skipped to streamline the checkout flow.
  • **Link Control & Expiry - **Set download permissions and expiry windows. Revoke access manually if needed to prevent abuse or for license changes.
  • Segmentation & Analytics - Track digital product performance using Spree’s reporting tools. Segment buyers based on purchase behavior or file download activity.
  • Metafield Support - Use metafields to attach structured metadata to digital products (e.g., license type, access level, product version). These can be queried for automation or integrations.

Customer Experience

Spree makes buying and receiving digital products fast, intuitive, and secure. Customers enjoy instant access to downloads after purchase, without unnecessary friction or waiting. With options to retrieve files via email or their account dashboard, the experience is smooth and dependable - building trust and satisfaction with every order.
  • Instant Access Post-Purchase - Download links can appear immediately after checkout and are also delivered via email or available in the user dashboard.
  • Frictionless Checkout Flow - When purchasing only digital products, users skip shipping steps entirely, making checkout faster and more intuitive.
  • Secure & Transparent Downloads - Customers see how many downloads remain and how long links are active. Links are secure and uniquely generated per order.
  • Ongoing Access via My Account - Digital purchases remain available in the customer’s account (if enabled), allowing repeat access without needing to contact support.

Flexible, Customizable Architecture

While many digital products features are available out-of-the-box in Spree Community Edition, the open-source foundation means you can extend and tailor the platform to your exact business model - whether that means custom commission logic, ERP integrations, or unique checkout flows. Spree offers flexibility across all layers of the platform, from code-level customization to no-code configuration.
  • Customization (Custom Code)
    • Backend (Ruby on Rails) - extend business logic, workflows, and integrations via Spree’s modular architecture. See:Spree Developer Quickstart
    • Frontend Themes (HTML, CSS, JS) - customize storefront layouts, styling, and interactivity to match your brand and UX goals. See:Storefront Customization
  • Configuration (No-Code / Low-Code)
    • Store Settings - configure store name, logo, contact details, and supported languages/currencies.
    • Custom Domains & Code Snippets - set up domains and inject scripts (e.g., Google Tag Manager, Hotjar) without code.
    • Shipping & Tax - define shipping zones, rates, and tax rules per market.
  • Theme Editor (No-Code / Low-Code)
    • Drag-and-Drop Editor - create and rearrange content using pre-built modules.
    • Modular Pages - build landing pages, homepages, and campaign sections.
    • Brand Asset Management - upload logos, banners, and product imagery without developer input.

Full Ownership And Control

With Spree, you’re not locked into a black-box SaaS model. You retain complete control over your infrastructure, data, and roadmap, enabling long-term flexibility, scalability, and compliance.
  • API-Driven Extensibility
    • Full API Coverage - extend the platform via REST or GraphQL APIs for storefronts, checkout, vendor dashboards, or 3rd-party integrations. See:API Reference
    • Custom Integrations - seamlessly connect with ERPs, CRMs, payment providers, POS systems, or headless frontends.
  • Deployment Flexibility
    • Self-Hosting Options - deploy Spree anywhere; your cloud provider, on-premise, or in specific geographic regions. See:Deployment Guide
    • Provider Agnostic - run on AWS, GCP, Azure, or Render. Tailor infrastructure to budget, compliance, and performance needs.
  • Scalability & Performance
    • Built for Scale - Spree supports advanced architectures using load balancers, Redis caching, CDN layers (e.g., Cloudflare or Fastly).
    • High Availability - avoid downtime during peak sales periods or global rollouts with scalable infrastructure.
  • Security Under Your Control, included in the Enterprise Edition
    • Data Encryption - Protect sensitive data in transit and at rest using standard encryption protocols.
    • Anti-DDoS & Rate Limiting - configure your own network protections using preferred security services.
    • Vulnerability Management - patch quickly, audit dependencies, and apply security policies with no vendor bottlenecks.
  • Compliance Ownership
    • Full Compliance Control - build to meet your exact regulatory requirements, whether WCAG, GDPR, HIPAA, or SOC2.
    • Data Sovereignty - keep data within borders required by your industry or region.

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Further Reading

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