Sell ebooks, templates and files from your own site, with checkout at your provider
Selling a file doesn't need a shopping cart. It needs a page that shows exactly what the buyer gets, a button that takes payment, and something that hands over the file afterwards. Anticode builds the page; your payment provider takes the money and, if you choose the right one, delivers the download.
Why product blocks and a provider checkout, not a cart
Most people selling ebooks, design templates, presets, sample packs or printable planners sell a handful of products, and buyers usually want one at a time. A cart adds steps and code for a choice the buyer rarely makes. A clear block per product on your page, with buy buttons that open your provider's checkout, is quick to buy from and simple to explain. An Anticode account has one payment link and every buy button opens it, so with one product, point it straight at that product; with several, point it at your store page or product list at the provider, where the buyer picks the item. For a flagship product, a landing page of its own is easier to share on social media and to rank in search for that product's name.
If you sell dozens of items that people combine, or physical goods with stock and shipping, this approach stops fitting. A dedicated shop platform is the better tool; see the online store page for what Anticode's store kind does and doesn't cover.
What each product listing must show
- What's in the file. Page count, file formats, dimensions, the software it opens in. "42-page PDF, A4 and US Letter" or "Figma and Sketch files, 60 screens".
- Previews. Three or four images of the actual contents, not just a cover. For templates, show one in use.
- Licence. Personal use, commercial use, how many seats or projects. This is the question buyers most often email about.
- How delivery works. "You'll get a download link by email straight after paying."
- Refunds. Many sellers don't refund downloads; whatever your policy, state it before the button.
- The price and the button, near the top and again at the end.
Choosing how you get paid and how the file is delivered
Anticode doesn't deliver downloads itself and doesn't run a checkout. Buy buttons point at the checkout link from a provider you sign up with. The provider you choose decides how the file reaches the buyer.
| Provider | File delivery | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Gumroad | Hosts the file; buyers get it after purchase | Creators who want delivery handled and pay-what-you-want pricing |
| Lemon Squeezy | Hosts files and can issue licence keys after each sale | Software, plugins, templates sold with licences |
| Stripe Payment Links | None built in; can show a message or redirect to a page of yours after payment | Sellers already on Stripe who'll send files themselves |
| PayPal, Shopify, Whop | Varies by product and setup | If you already sell there |
With Gumroad and Lemon Squeezy, the file sits with the provider and is delivered when payment clears, which is the simplest route. With Stripe, a payment link can redirect the buyer after payment, but putting a file behind a public thank-you page means anyone with that address can download it. Use Stripe's own fulfilment options or send the file by email if that matters.
Building it with Anticode
Describe what you sell and how: "a website to sell digital products for Fieldnote Studio: three Notion templates, each with previews, licence notes and a buy button to our Gumroad store, on a Shop page". The Architect plans a home page and a Shop page, asks where a choice changes the build, and the design engine lays it out in one of seven design systems. Swiss (Inter Tight) or Technical (IBM Plex Sans) suit software templates; Editorial (Geist) suits ebooks and writing.
- Create each product in your provider, and copy the link to the product (for one) or to your store page (for several).
- Include the link in your request, or add it as your payment link after the build.
- Upload real preview images; the model sees them and places them beside the right product.
- Preview, then buy your own product once through the live link to check delivery end to end.
- Publish to an anticode.dev address, or your own domain on a paid plan.
The pages carry no scripts and no third-party trackers, which keeps them quick. Page views per day by source show whether the site is getting traffic; sales figures live in your provider's dashboard. The sell digital products guide has more on pricing and refunds.
What Anticode doesn't handle
- No file hosting or delivery. That's the provider's job, or yours.
- No cart, coupons or bundles. Create bundles and discount codes in your provider, and list bundles in your store there.
- No tax handling. Tax on digital sales depends on where buyers live; check what your provider calculates and collects.
- No customer accounts or download library. Buyers find their purchases through the provider's emails or account pages.
Questions people ask
Can I sell from my own domain instead of a marketplace profile?
Yes. The pages live on your domain (on a paid plan); only the checkout opens on the provider's page.
Can buyers pay what they want?
That's a provider setting rather than an Anticode one. Gumroad, for example, supports it; set it up there.
Can I sell a subscription to new files each month?
If your provider supports subscriptions, its checkout link works the same way. Delivery of each month's file still happens through the provider or by email.
Sources
- Gumroad: Features, checked
- Lemon Squeezy: Sell digital products, checked
- Stripe Docs: After a payment link payment, checked