Digital Goods vs Digital Services

When creating a product on Leenkies, you choose one of two product types: Digital Good or Digital Service. This choice determines how the product is fulfilled after a customer completes their purchase. Understanding the difference is essential for setting up your product correctly and ensuring your buyers have a smooth experience.

Digital Goods

A Digital Good is a product that is delivered automatically and immediately after purchase. There is no manual intervention required from you -- the buyer pays, and Leenkies handles the delivery.

How Digital Goods Work

1. A visitor views your product on your page and clicks to purchase.
2. They complete the checkout process and payment is processed through Stripe.
3. Immediately after successful payment, Leenkies automatically delivers the product to the buyer.
4. Delivery happens in one of two ways, depending on how you configured the product:
   • File Upload -- The buyer receives a secure, time-limited download link to the file you uploaded. They can download the file directly from their order confirmation page and email.
   • External Link -- The buyer receives a link to an external resource (a Google Drive folder, a Notion template, a Dropbox file, a membership site, etc.).
5. The order is automatically marked as fulfilled. No action is needed from you.

What Digital Goods Are Best For

• eBooks and PDF guides
• Templates (spreadsheets, presentations, design files)
• Stock photos, icon packs, and design assets
• Audio files and music
• Software tools and code snippets
• Notion templates and Airtable bases
• Any product where the deliverable is a file or a link

Digital Services

A Digital Service is a product that requires manual fulfillment from you, the seller. After the buyer purchases, you are notified and must deliver the service personally.

How Digital Services Work

1. A visitor views your product on your page and clicks to purchase.
2. During checkout, the buyer fills out custom form fields that you defined when creating the product. These fields collect the information you need to deliver the service (for example, their business name, preferred date, specific requirements, or project details).
3. Payment is processed through Stripe.
4. You receive an email notification alerting you that a new order has come in, along with the buyer's form responses.
5. You fulfill the service manually -- this could mean scheduling a call, delivering custom work, providing a consultation, or any other action specific to your service.
6. Once you have delivered the service, you mark the order as fulfilled from your Leenkies dashboard.

Custom Form Fields

When setting up a Digital Service product, you configure custom form fields that the buyer must fill out at checkout. These fields collect the specific information you need to deliver the service. The available field types are:

• Text -- A single-line text input for short responses like names, email addresses, or titles.
• Phone -- A phone number input for collecting the buyer's phone number.
• Textarea -- A multi-line text area for longer responses like project descriptions, detailed requirements, or special instructions.
• Radio -- A set of mutually exclusive options where the buyer selects one choice. Useful for offering variants (e.g., "Choose your package: Basic / Standard / Premium").
• Checkbox -- A set of options where the buyer can select multiple choices. Useful for add-ons or preferences (e.g., "Select topics of interest").

You can add as many fields as you need, label them with your own question text, and mark them as required or optional.

What Digital Services Are Best For

• Consulting and coaching sessions
• Custom design work (logo design, brand kits)
• Personalized content creation (social media audits, content strategies)
• 1-on-1 tutoring or mentoring
• Done-for-you services (website setup, email configuration)
• Any product where you need specific information from the buyer to deliver

Side-by-Side Comparison

Aspect	Digital Good	Digital Service
Delivery	Automatic -- immediate after purchase	Manual -- you fulfill it personally
Buyer Input	No custom fields needed	Custom form fields at checkout
Fulfillment Method	File download or external link	You deliver the service directly
Seller Notification	Order recorded, no action needed	Email notification with buyer details
Order Status	Auto-marked as fulfilled	You manually mark as fulfilled
Scalability	Fully scalable -- sell unlimited copies	Limited by your time and capacity
Setup Effort	Upload file or provide link once	Define form fields, fulfill each order

When to Use Each Type

Choose Digital Good when:

• The deliverable is a file or link that is the same for every buyer
• You want a fully hands-off, automated sales process
• You want to sell while you sleep without needing to actively fulfill each order
• The product can be duplicated infinitely without additional work from you

Choose Digital Service when:

• Each delivery is unique and customized to the buyer
• You need specific information from the buyer before you can deliver
• The product involves your time, expertise, or personalized attention
• You want to collect requirements upfront to ensure smooth delivery

Pro Tip: If you offer a service that includes a standard deliverable plus custom elements, consider creating two products: a Digital Good for the standard component (like a template or guide) and a Digital Service for the custom component (like a personalized review or setup). This way, the buyer gets immediate value from the downloadable component while you work on the custom part.