Completed Order Email doesn’t Contain Download Links

If a customer receives the completed order email but it does not include download links, check the product files, order status, and download permissions first. These checks help you restore access and distinguish a download-access problem from an email customization.

This guide covers the completed order email generated by WooCommerce core. An email builder, template override, or extension can change what appears in the message.

Identify the problem

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1. Confirm that the customer received the email. If the entire message is missing, follow the email troubleshooting guide instead.
2. Confirm that the message is the Completed order email and that it contains the correct order summary.
3. If the customer has an account, check My Account > Downloads. This helps distinguish a permission problem from a customized email that omits the downloads section.

WooCommerce includes the downloads section only when the order contains a downloadable item, the order permits downloads, and the customer has a permission record for a current product file.

Check the product files

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1. Go to Products > All Products and edit the product in the affected order.
2. In Product data > General, confirm that Downloadable is enabled.
3. Confirm that Downloadable files contains at least one file with a name and a valid file URL.
4. Review the download limit and expiry. A permission that has reached its limit or expiry will not give the customer a usable download.
5. Update the product if you changed a setting.

The Virtual setting is useful for digital products that do not need shipping, but Downloadable and a valid file are what define the download. See the Digital/Downloadable Product Guide for file storage, access, and customer-delivery settings.

Check the order status and access setting

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Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Products > Downloadable products and review Grant access to downloadable products after payment:

• When enabled, an order can permit downloads while it is Processing or Completed.
• When disabled, the order must be Completed before the customer can download the files.

Open the affected order under WooCommerce > Orders. Verify that payment has been received before changing its status or granting access. Confirm that it contains the expected downloadable product and has the required status. If the order is still Pending payment, On hold, Cancelled, Failed, or Refunded, resolve the order or payment issue rather than granting access prematurely.

Review or repair the download permissions

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On the order screen, find Downloadable product permissions. Each permission shows the product, file, and download count. Expand the file to see Downloads remaining and Access expires.

• If the correct file appears, check its remaining downloads and expiry. Then continue to the email checks below.
• If the permission is missing, search for the downloadable product and select Grant access.
• If the product files changed after the purchase, grant the new file or use Order actions > Regenerate download permissions when you intentionally want WooCommerce to replace the order’s permissions with permissions for the product’s current files.

After the permission is correct, use Order actions > Send order details to customer to send current order details. The message can include the downloads now available to the customer.

Check the email configuration

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1. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > Emails and open Completed order. Confirm that the notification is enabled and review its email type and additional content. See Email settings.
2. Create a new test order for the same product and complete it using a safe test payment method. Do not use a live payment method for troubleshooting.
3. Go to WooCommerce > Status > Logs and check the transactional-emails log for the test order. Check for a generation or sending error. A successful handoff does not confirm delivery to the customer’s inbox.
4. Review the Templates section of the System Status Report for an override of the completed order or email-download templates. Update an outdated override before retesting.
5. Temporarily disable the email builder or custom code on staging. If the core email contains the links, the customization needs to preserve WooCommerce’s downloads output.

If the cause is still unclear, follow the plugin and theme conflict test on a backed-up staging site.

When to ask your host for help

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If permissions cannot be saved or WooCommerce reports database errors, go to WooCommerce > Status and review the System Status Report and logs. Ask your host to investigate missing tables, failed updates, or other database errors on a backed-up staging copy. Database changes are not a routine fix for missing email links.

Collect diagnostic information

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If the links are still missing, collect the following information for your support request. If a third-party email builder or template causes the problem, share the results with its developer.

• The affected order status and whether My Account > Downloads contains the file.
• The product’s downloadable-file settings and the order’s permission panel.
• A sanitized copy of the email and the matching transactional-email log entry.
• The System Status Report, relevant logs, template overrides, and conflict-test result.

Remove customer names, email addresses, download URLs, server paths, credentials, and other private data before sharing diagnostics.

Questions and support

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Do you still have questions and need assistance? 

• If you’re looking to extend the core functionality shown here, we recommend reviewing available extensions in the WooCommerce Marketplace.
• Need ongoing advanced support or a customization built for WooCommerce? Hire a Woo Agency Partner.
• Are you a developer building your own WooCommerce integration or extension? Check our Developer Resources.

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