How it works
Shopify Files caps a generic file at 20 MB and serves it from a public URL that works for anyone who has it, forever. Alva File Storage lifts the cap to 500 MB per file and changes how the file reaches the student: nothing is written into the lesson except a reference, and a short-lived signed link is created each time a student who can open that lesson views it. Inline files (a PDF viewer, an audio player, an image, an EPUB reader) get a link that lasts a reading session; download buttons get a link created on click that lasts about a minute.
Every file block offers both options. Shopify Files stays exactly as it was, on every plan. Alva File Storage appears as a second tab on Unlimited Pro. Lessons you built before this feature are untouched.
Add a stored file to a lesson
1. Open the Files library
In the Shopify admin, open Alva Courses and click Files in the left menu. The page shows how much of your 10 GB is in use, space reserved by uploads still in progress, and every file you have stored with its type, size and status.
2. Upload a file
Click Upload file, drop in a file of up to 500 MB and give it a title. Any type is accepted here. You can also upload from inside a lesson, so this step is optional if you prefer to work block by block.
3. Add it to a lesson
Open a lesson and add a PDF, Audio, Image, EPUB, MS Office or File block. Choose the Alva File Storage tab, then Choose from library to pick an existing file or Upload new file to add one. The library filters to files that suit the block, so a PDF block only lists PDFs.
4. Save and preview
Save the lesson and open it in the storefront preview. Inline blocks show the file in place; download blocks show a button that fetches the file when it is clicked. Nothing in the saved lesson contains a permanent link to the file.
The File block
Alongside this release, a generic File block joins the lesson editor on every plan. It offers any file type as a download button with a title you choose: a template, a spreadsheet, a ZIP of resources. On Unlimited plans it stores files in Shopify Files up to 20 MB; on Unlimited Pro it also offers Alva File Storage up to 500 MB.
Good to know
- Office documents stored with Alva are always a download. The inline Office viewer relies on Microsoft fetching the file from a public URL, which a secure link is not. Keep Office files on Shopify Files if you want them embedded.
- Deleting a file frees its space shortly afterwards, not instantly, and a file that is still used in a lesson warns you before it is removed.
- Course PDF exports list stored files by title without a link, because a link inside a document would outlive the secure link's lifetime.
- Downloads are named after a cleaned-up version of the file name. Accented or non-Latin names are simplified in the saved file.
What learners see
Learners see a PDF viewer, audio player, image or reader inside the lesson, exactly as they would for a Shopify-hosted file, and a branded button for downloads. Long reading sessions keep working because inline links are renewed in the background. A link copied out of the page stops working once it expires, so course files stay with the students who bought the course.
See also
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Last updated 2026-09-10