This guide explains how to connect your Shopify subscription app with Sky Pilot to deliver digital content automatically. Depending on how you want to structure your content access, you can choose between two models: Model A: Regular Subscription (Product-Specific Access) or Model B: Magazine-Style Subscription (Cycle-Based Swap).
Important:
-
Subscription integration requires the Sky Pilot Growth plan or higher. It is not available on the Free plan.
-
Sky Pilot is strictly a product-based delivery app. It does not possess built-in subscription timing, time-based logic, or automated content-rotation features.
Choose Your Subscription Model
Before configuring your apps, choose the structure that matches your business logic:
Model A: Regular Subscription (Product-Specific Access)
-
How it works: Customers pay a recurring fee to maintain access to a specific designated product and the digital files attached to it. While subscribed, they can access these files. If they cancel, their access to this specific product's files is revoked.
-
The Catch: This model only grants access to files attached directly to the subscription product itself. It does not grant a blanket "all-access pass" to files attached to other separate products across your store.
-
How Sky Pilot tracks this: Via Customer Tags. Your subscription app applies a specific tag (e.g., active_subscriber) to the customer's Shopify profile upon payment and removes it if they cancel or fail payment.
Model B: Magazine-Style Subscription (Cycle-Based)
-
How it works: Customers receive a brand-new, distinct piece of content each month (e.g., March Edition, April Edition). They retain lifetime access to the specific editions they paid for, even if they cancel later. However, if they pause or cancel, they do not receive future editions.
-
How Sky Pilot tracks this: Via Order History. Because Sky Pilot delivers files based on the specific products purchased, your subscription app must handle the product-swap logic at the billing layer, automatically changing the actual Shopify product on the user's contract every month.
Step-by-Step Setup
1. Install Required Apps
- Install your preferred Shopify subscription app (if choosing Model B, ensure it explicitly supports automated monthly product swapping or cycle workflows).
- Install Sky Pilot and ensure your account is upgraded to the Growth Plan.
- Enable the subscription widget on your Shopify product pages via your theme customizer.
2. Configure Your Shopify Products & Subscription Plans
For Model A: Regular Subscriptions (Tag-Based)
- Create a product in Shopify to represent your subscription (e.g., "Monthly Digital Vault").
- In your subscription app, create a subscription plan and attach it to this product.
- In your subscription app settings, configure a unique Customer Tag to be assigned to this plan when active (e.g., vault_active).
For Model B: Magazine-Style Subscriptions (Product-Based Swap)
- Create separate, unique Shopify products for every single monthly or cycle-based edition (e.g., Digital Magazine - January, Digital Magazine - February).
- Configure your Subscription App's Rotation Logic: Set up a "Product Swap" workflow inside your subscription app. Configure it to automatically swap the active product on the customer's subscription contract to the upcoming month's product after every successful billing cycle.
- Note: Do not configure customer tags for Model B; they are unnecessary.
3. Link the Logic Inside Sky Pilot
For Model A: Regular Subscriptions (Tag-Based)
- In Sky Pilot, navigate to Settings > Tags, Subscriptions, and Watermarking.
- Click Add Subscription Tag and input the exact customer tag generated by your subscription app (e.g., vault_active).
- Navigate to Products in Sky Pilot, open your specific subscription product, and attach the digital files you want subscribers to access.
Sky Pilot Workflow: Customer Tag Assigned -> Grants ongoing access to the specific Subscription Product -> Delivers attached files. If tag is removed, access is blocked.
For Model B: Magazine-Style Subscriptions (Product-Based Swap)
- Leave the Sky Pilot Tag settings empty.
- Navigate to Products in Sky Pilot.
- Open each distinct monthly product and attach only the specific digital file meant for that month (e.g., attach the January PDF exclusively to the January product).
Sky Pilot Workflow: Subscription App Bills Customer -> Subscription App Swaps Product -> Shopify Generates Order for New Monthly Product -> Sky Pilot delivers files attached to that specific new product.
Test the Setup
Always run a test purchase through your storefront using a test payment gateway to confirm the system performs as expected:
-
For Regular Subscriptions (Model A): Ensure the test customer profile receives the active tag in Shopify and can see the files attached to that product. Cancel the subscription and verify that the tag is removed and file access is immediately restricted.
-
For Magazine Subscriptions (Model B): Verify that the initial checkout order creates a line item for the current month's product, granting access only to that specific file. Simulate a subscription renewal in your subscription app to ensure it successfully swaps the product and generates an order for the next month's edition.
Architecture Summary
Model A: Regular Subscription Summary
-
Access Type: Ongoing access to files attached only to the subscribed product.
-
Product Structure: One single product in Shopify containing the specific files.
-
Automation Source: Handled through Shopify Customer Tags mapped in Sky Pilot.
-
When a User Cancels: The subscription app removes the tag; access to the product's files is immediately revoked.
Model B: Magazine Subscription Summary
-
Access Type: Lifetime access to specific recurring editions purchased individual-by-individual.
-
Product Structure: Separate, distinct products created for each month/cycle.
-
Automation Source: Handled through your subscription app's product-swap logic.
-
When a User Cancels: The subscription app stops generating new orders; user loses future files but keeps lifetime access to past ordered products.
Recommendation
If you are implementing a magazine-style model, you must ensure your chosen subscription app explicitly supports product rotation or bundle-cycle workflows. Sky Pilot handles file delivery flawlessly, but the restriction of month-by-month content entirely relies on your subscription app feeding Sky Pilot the correct Shopify product orders.
