Decision: Investigate next. Price hypothesis: $180 one-time. Estimated pilot: 8–15 working days.
Problem
Read-only diagnosis maps purchased files, access permissions, order status and file reachability. Propose a narrowly scoped repair with a preview; preserve existing counts/logs rather than blindly regenerating everything.
Buyer
WooCommerce sellers of regularly updated files, courses or subscription downloads; migration and maintenance agencies.
Competition and substitutes
Core Woo controls and official guidance already handle simple cases; a free GitHub utility grants past-order access, with a scaling warning. EDD is a platform alternative.
Monetization hypothesis
Test $180 for one-store diagnosis and reviewed repair. A $15/month monitoring option is only a later hypothesis if access failures recur.
Acquisition hypothesis
Hypothesis: migration agencies, digital-product support specialists and guides for file-update versus new-file behaviour. No outreach or sales performed.
Risk
Many cases are one-time configuration issues. Automated repair could revoke valid access, reset histories or grant access to ineligible subscribers.
Next test
Use synthetic orders to test edited file, newly added file, guest order, refunded order, active/expired subscription and migrated storage. Read-only scan first, then idempotent targeted repair with before/after records.
When to stop
Do not build recurring SaaS if documentation/manual fixes resolve most cases quickly or access-control correctness cannot be demonstrated for the supported subscription plugin.
Scope and uncertainty
Working days for one experienced full-stack developer building a narrow pilot for one store/theme. Excludes marketplace review, legal documents, universal compatibility, marketing and ongoing support. Assumption, not a delivery commitment.
Sources and limitations
NC08: Access to download files after file update
Open primary source — user report. Retrieved 2026-10-14; opened page.
Merchants discuss missing old-customer access after changing downloadable files; later support distinguishes editing an existing file row from adding a new file.
Limitation: Early support answers conflict with later clarification. Use current Woo documentation for authoritative behaviour.
NC09: Downloads Broken After Migration
Open primary source — user report. Retrieved 2026-10-14; opened page.
Store reports downloads failing after hosting migration despite files still existing; thread includes a 403 and permission/subscription troubleshooting.
Limitation: Can be a hosting/configuration repair rather than a recurring plugin problem. Exact publication date not extracted.
NC10: Grant download permissions for active subscriptions
Open primary source — user report. Retrieved 2026-10-14; opened page.
Merchant cannot manually grant updated files across many active subscriptions; reports an existing GitHub utility does not cover subscription products.
Limitation: Historical report around 2024. Current subscription compatibility and scale not reproduced; no purchase verified.
NC11: Regenerate permissions without losing old files
Open primary source — user report. Retrieved 2026-10-14; opened page.
Merchant wants new-file access while preserving already granted downloads. Replies suggest manual permission management and an attachment plugin.
Limitation: Older question. Distinguish preserving files from preserving download logs; not every regeneration complaint has the same cause.
NC12: WooCommerce Digital/Downloadable Product Guide
Open primary source — platform documentation. Retrieved 2026-10-14; opened page.
Native order controls grant/revoke access. Editing an existing file row updates past links; adding a row does not. Regeneration replaces permissions and loses old counts/logs.
Limitation: Native functions already solve many cases. Version-specific details must be checked in the target store; no live test performed.
NC13: WooCommerce grant past-order download permissions
Open primary source — substitute. Retrieved 2026-10-14; opened page.
Free WooCommerce GitHub plugin restores granting new files to past purchases; repository explicitly warns of heavy queries and poor scalability.
Limitation: Do not install untested on production; maintenance/version compatibility not established. Strong substitute for small/simple cases.
NC14: Easy Digital Downloads pricing
Open primary source — substitute. Retrieved 2026-10-14; opened page.
Alternative digital-commerce platform offers free Lite and Personal $99.50 introductory year, normally $199; broader paid tiers add features.
Limitation: A platform migration substitute, not a drop-in Woo permission repair. Introductory price renews at full price; migration costs unmeasured.