How to sell ebooks, PDFs, courses and templates from Instagram in India

Short answer: you can now sell e-books, PDFs, course files, templates and music on Slaby. The buyer pays, and the download opens straight away. The money goes into your own Razorpay or Cashfree account, and Slaby takes 0% commission. Any store on Lite (₹299 a month) or a higher plan can sell digital products. If you are new, start at the “Sell ebooks & digital files” sign-up and you get a 14-day Lite trial.

This guide is for creators who sell from Instagram: a fitness coach with a diet plan PDF, a teacher with notes, a designer with Canva templates, a musician with tracks. It is written in simple English, with short steps.

The problem with selling PDFs in DMs

Many creators sell like this today: a buyer sends a DM, you share a UPI QR, they send a screenshot, and you send the PDF on WhatsApp. It works for five orders. At fifty orders it takes your whole evening.

• You have to check every screenshot against your bank app.
• Buyers who pay at midnight wait until morning for their file.
• The same PDF gets forwarded to a Telegram or WhatsApp group, and nobody knows who shared it.
• You have no list of past buyers to tell about your next e-book.

What you can sell

Anything that is a file. Slaby accepts PDF, EPUB, ZIP, MP3, M4A, MP4, JPG, PNG, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

One file can be up to 100 MB on Lite, 250 MB on Starter, 500 MB on Growth and 1 GB on Pro. A long video course may need a bigger plan, or you can split it into parts and put them in a ZIP.

• E-books and guides (PDF or EPUB)
• Course notes, workbooks and worksheets
• Planners and templates (Canva links in a PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Music, beats and audio lessons (MP3, M4A)
• Video lessons (MP4) and photo presets or wallpapers (ZIP, JPG, PNG)

How to start in about 10 minutes

1. 1

   Sign up as a creator

   Open the “Sell ebooks & digital files” start. Enter your name, mobile number and store name, and pick what you sell. You get a 14-day Lite trial. You can add your Instagram handle too.

   Sell ebooks & digital files
2. 2

   Accept the content rules

   Read the digital content policy and accept it. It is short: sell only what you made or have the right to sell.

3. 3

   Connect Razorpay or Cashfree

   Add your own Razorpay or Cashfree keys, so buyers can pay by UPI, card or net banking and the money lands in your account. Slaby never holds your money.

   Connect Razorpay
4. 4

   Add your first product and upload the file

   Create a product, choose digital, set the price, add a cover image and a short description, then upload the file. Add a free sample, such as the first chapter, if you like.

   Adding products
5. 5

   Wait for Slaby's review

   Slaby checks every store before its first digital sale, and checks new files. This keeps pirated and harmful files off the platform, so buyers can trust stores like yours.

6. 6

   Put the link in your Instagram bio

   Copy your store link and add it to your bio, stories and reels. Your yourname.slaby.in link works fine; your own domain is optional.

   Bio shop link

What your buyer sees

The buyer taps your link, opens the product and pays. The order page shows the download button right away. The same files are in their Account → Downloads, and they also get an email with the download.

By default each buyer can download each file 5 times within 30 days. You can change both numbers for your store. Download links are short-lived and your files sit in private storage, so a copied link stops working quickly.

If you take UPI straight to your own UPI ID instead of a gateway, the files unlock once you confirm the payment.

Stop your PDF from going round Telegram groups Turn on PDF stamping and every page of the buyer's copy gets a small line with their name, the last 4 digits of their phone number and the order number. (Very large or password-locked PDFs are sent as they are.) Nothing can stop all sharing, but most people think twice before forwarding a file with their own name on every page.

Tools that help you sell more

Free download (lead magnet)

Price it at ₹0

The buyer verifies their phone number to get it, and lands in your Leads list. Good for a free checklist that leads to your paid e-book.

Pay what you want

Set a minimum price

Buyers can pay more if they like your work.

Free sample file

First chapter or a few pages

Lets people read before they buy.

Coupons

Launch codes

For example a code for your first 48 hours, shared in your stories.

Order bump

“Add this too” at checkout

Offer the workbook with the e-book in one tap.

Bundles

“Buy together and save”

Put three e-books in one bundle at a lower total price.

Reviews

From real buyers

People who bought your file can leave a review on the product page.

Messages to past buyers

Including “file updated”

Tell buyers when you release a new edition, or announce your next product.

Questions to ask any platform before you choose

• Does it take a cut of every sale, or is it 0% commission?
• Does the buyer's payment go into your own Razorpay or Cashfree account, or into the platform's account first?
• Can Indian buyers pay in rupees with UPI?
• Is the money paid out to your Indian bank, and when?
• Does it protect PDFs from being shared, for example with the buyer's name on each page?
• Can you keep a list of your buyers and message them later?

How Slaby answers those questions

Global creator platforms (the Gumroad-style kind) are built to sell to the whole world, and that is useful if most of your buyers are abroad. Read their pricing page to see what each one takes per sale and how it pays out.

Slaby is built for selling in India. There is no commission on Slaby. Payments go into your own Razorpay or Cashfree account, and from there to your bank. Buyers pay in rupees with UPI, cards or net banking. You also get a full store, so you can sell printed books or merchandise next to your files if you want.

What is not allowed Slaby's content policy bans pirated content, PLR and “resell rights” packs, adult content, malware, and get-rich-quick schemes, among other things. Sell your own work and you will have no problem.

GST on digital products

Your store's own GST settings apply. If your store has GST turned on, digital lines on the invoice use a SAC code (998431 for e-books by default, and you can change it). If your store has GST off, no GST is added. Whether you need to register for GST, and which rate applies to your product, is a question for your CA. We do not give tax advice.

Common questions

Can I sell digital products on the Free plan?

No. Digital products need Lite (₹299 a month) or a higher plan. New creators who sign up through “Sell ebooks & digital files” get a 14-day Lite trial.

Does Slaby take a commission on my e-book sales?

No. Slaby takes 0% commission. Your payment gateway (Razorpay or Cashfree) charges its own fee per payment, and the rest is yours.

How does the buyer get the file?

Right after payment, on the order page, in Account → Downloads, and by email. By default they can download each file 5 times within 30 days, and you can change that.

Can I stop buyers from sharing my PDF?

No platform can stop all sharing. Slaby can stamp each buyer's name, the last 4 digits of their phone number and the order number on every page, which discourages forwarding.

Do I need my own domain or a website?

No. Your Slaby store link works in your Instagram bio, stories and WhatsApp. You can add your own domain later if you want one.

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