How to limit file sharing
Content Vault can limit how widely a customer is able to share the files they download. The controls live in the Download protection panel of each subscription plan.
💡 These limits apply to Library Access and Content Drip subscriptions. Content Pass subscriptions don't have a Download protection panel — a content pass is governed by its download allowance instead. See Setting up a Content Pass subscription.
Where to find it
- Go to Apps → Content Vault → Subscriptions (Content Vault is listed as Digital Subscriptions in your Shopify admin)
- Open the subscription and select the plan you want to protect
- In Plan settings, choose Download protection
Limits are set per plan, so a Basic tier and an All-Access tier can be protected differently.
The two limits
IP address limit for downloads
The number of unique IP addresses allowed to download a given customer's files. IP restrictions are included on the Starter plan and above.
This is the main defense against a customer passing their download link around: one person downloading from home and from the office looks like two addresses, but a link shared with fifty people looks like fifty.
Download limit per file
How many times each individual file can be downloaded before that link stops working.
Useful when a single large file — a video, a bundle, a high-resolution asset — is the whole value of the subscription.
Leave a field empty for no limit. Both fields show Unlimited until you enter a number.
Choosing sensible numbers
There is no single right answer, but a few things are worth keeping in mind:
- Legitimate customers use more than one device. A phone, a laptop and a work machine can easily be three addresses, and mobile networks change IP addresses regularly. Very low IP limits generate support tickets from honest customers.
- Per-file limits are less disruptive than IP limits for most stores. A customer re-downloading a file they already paid for is normal behavior.
- Start permissive and tighten if you see abuse. To spot unusual downloading, open the customer's page. Once they've downloaded something, its Files activity panel shows how often they downloaded each file — see How to manage customers.
What these limits do not do
Download protection restricts access to the download link. Once a file is on a customer's machine, nothing stops them from copying it.
To deter redistribution of the file itself, use PDF stamping & watermarks (Starter plan and above), which embeds the customer's own details into each PDF, or video / audio streaming (Plus plan), which plays media in the browser instead of offering a download. Streaming isn't DRM.
Used together — a per-file limit, an IP limit and personalized stamping — these make casual sharing both harder and traceable.