Creator Guide
Why the migration?
To be honest, the previous setup was holding the site back. Pages loaded slowly, navigation was clunky, and design elements didn’t always function correctly. That was due to outdated, poorly-coded plugins that kept making the experience worse.
This upgrade should make CartographyAssets faster, more stable, and better equipped to grow.
About missing or negative balances
If your dashboard shows missing income or even a negative balance, here’s the reason:
During the migration, I discovered that orders with (partial) refunds weren’t migrated, even if your part of the order wasn’t refunded.
Example:
Order #001 included your €100 product and someone else’s €1 item. If the €1 item was refunded, the entire order was skipped — and your €100 now looks like it never existed.
This means:
- Your commission for that order isn’t currently showing
- If you withdrew that income before, it may look like you “owe” money
This is a technical limitation of the migration tool — not something you did wrong.
I’m working with Dokan’s developers on a permanent fix. It may take some time, but your earnings are safe and will be reconnected properly.
Withdrawals and balances
You may notice different sales totals compared to the old system:
- WCFM: Store 1 – €3.690 / Store 2 – €4.277
- Dokan: Store 1 – €3.895 / Store 2 – €4.501
Dokan includes tax and shipping in total sales figures, which WCFM did not.
What happened to my old balance?
If you made sales before the migration, those were processed using a system where:
- The full payment went to me (as platform admin)
- Your earnings were tracked separately and shown as a balance
Since these payments weren’t split automatically at checkout, your share now needs to be sent manually by me.
To request it:
- Go to Creators Hub → Withdrawals
- Submit a manual withdrawal request
- I process requests every morning
- Once approved, you’ll receive payment via your chosen method (e.g. PayPal)
These payouts are no longer instant and require manual approval.
(Withdrawals are currently disabled and will be reactivated next week.)
Why were payouts instant before?
WCFM used an old PayPal method (MassPay) that allowed automatic payments to your PayPal email. While convenient, it didn’t use a secure account link — and PayPal no longer recommends this method.
I’m currently working on switching to PayPal Marketplace, which allows you to securely connect your PayPal account and receive instant payouts after each sale.
Bundles
CartographyAssets still supports WooCommerce Product Bundles, but due to Dokan’s current limitations, vendors cannot manage them through the dashboard.
What you can’t do (yet)
- You can’t create or edit bundles yourself
- Editing a bundle may cause issues or break it
What still works
- Existing bundles remain fully functional
- You will still receive commission on sales
- Customers can browse and purchase bundles normally
If you want to:
- Create a new bundle
- Update an existing one
Just contact me directly and I’ll take care of it manually. I’m also in contact with Dokan to add official support or explore custom-coded alternatives for better long-term integration.
Tips to Keep File Sizes Optimized
Large files slow down downloads and take up more server resources. Here are a few things you can do to keep your products fast and accessible:
Use Efficient Image Formats
- Convert high-res PNGs and JPEGs to WebP where possible.
- This format offers smaller sizes without losing quality.
- This also improves website performance a ton!
Always Zip Your Files
- Upload your product files as .zip archives — this reduces size and keeps everything organized.
- You can bundle multiple items (e.g. images, assets, text files) in one compressed package.
If you ever need to upload something slightly larger for a special release or complex pack, just reach out and I’ll help make it work.
Recommended visuals for Store Page
Banner
- Size: 1200 × 400 px
- Format: .webp (preferred for quality & speed)
- Max file size: 500 KB
- Tip: Keep important visuals/text centered—edges may be cropped on mobile.
Avatar
- Max file size: 100 KB
- Size: 300 × 300 px
- Format: .webp
Export orders & Converter tool
Did you know you can export your orders as a .csv file? Just press the “Export all” or “Export Filtered” button on the Orders page in your Creators Hub and it will generate a list of all your orders for you.
Please note that the exports will contain orders with status: failed, pending payment, cancelled and on-hold. Which are not available for withdrawal.
Located in Europe?
Then you will notice that your spreadsheet software might have issues with the file. This is because .csv files are comma separated, but in Europe use of a comma is also used for amounts such as €210,00. To make everything work for you here’s a handy converter tool:
CSV Format Converter
- You need to login before applying for Creator.
Creator Guide
How to use the Creators Hub on CartographyAssets
Welcome to CartographyAssets. As a Creator, you can share and sell your digital assets with a growing community of mapmakers, worldbuilders, and tabletop enthusiasts. This guide explains everything you need to know about managing your content, earnings, and store through the Creators Hub.
All Creators are expected to follow the Rules and Guidelines at all times.
1. Getting Access to the Creators Hub
To become a Creator on CartographyAssets:
- Go to the registration page and create an account.
- During registration, choose the option to register as a Creator.
- Once your account is active, you will gain access to the Creators Hub, which is your dashboard for managing products, orders, and earnings.
No technical knowledge is required. The Creators Hub is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive.
2. Overview of the Creators Hub
The Creators Hub is your personal dashboard. From here, you can:
- Upload and manage your products
- Track and fulfill orders
- View your earnings and request payouts
- Customize your public store page
- Set up discount codes (coupons)
- Respond to customer reviews
- Receive announcements from the site owner
The menu is located on the left-hand side and gives you quick access to each section.
3. Adding and Managing Products
To create a new product:
- Open the Products section in the Creators Hub.
- Click Add New Product.
- Fill in the required details:
Product Details
- Product Name: This is the title shown in the marketplace.
- Short Description: A brief summary shown at the top of the product page.
- Full Description: Detailed information about what is included, how it works, and how to use it.
Product Files
- Upload your product as one or more downloadable files (ZIP).
- Customers will receive access to these files once the order is completed.
What happens if you edit a downloadable product’s files after customers have purchased it?
Editing an existing download file row (changing the name, file URL or both) updates the download links on past purchases, but it leaves the expiry date and downloads remaining intact.
Adding a new download does not affect past orders. Only new purchasers gain permission to download it.
Tip: If you intend to add more files in the future, consider adding placeholders now that you can replace later.
Product Type
- Simple Product: A single product with one price and one download (most common).
- Variable Product: A product with options or variants, such as different styles or resolutions.
Categories and Tags
- Choose the appropriate category that best fits your product (e.g., Textures, Brushes, Maps).
- Use tags to describe your product and improve search visibility (e.g., forest, watercolor, medieval).
Pricing
- Set the regular price in euros (€).
- Optionally, you can set a discount price.
Product Images
- Upload a main image that will be used as a thumbnail.
- Add gallery images to show examples, previews, or usage.
Once you’re done, click Submit. Your product will either go live immediately or be reviewed before publication.
4. Managing Orders
Every time someone buys one of your products, it will show up under Orders.
From here, you can:
- View the product(s) purchased
- See the status of each order
- Check the buyer’s information if needed
- Mark an order as completed (if it’s not already done automatically)
Since CartographyAssets deals only in digital products, there is no shipping. Customers can download their files immediately once payment is processed. If your order shows status “Processing” it means your content is not set up as a virtual product.
5. Earnings and Payouts
In the Earnings section, you can see:
- A list of your sales
- The total amount you’ve earned
- The available balance you can withdraw
You can request a payout at any time. Payouts are made through the method you’ve set up in your Settings (usually PayPal or bank transfer). Make sure your details are accurate.
6. Customizing Your Store Page
Each Creator has a public store page. You can customize it via the Settings tab in the Creators Hub.
Customizable options include:
- Store Name: Display name shown on your profile.
- Biography: Short description about who you are or what you create.
- Store Banner: Large banner image for your store page.
- Store Icon or Logo: Optional logo or avatar image.
- Location: Optional.
- Website and Social Links: Link to your own website or social media.
- Store Hours: Optional, can be used to display your availability or time zone.
These details help customers learn more about you and your work.
7. Coupons and Discounts
To create a discount code:
- Open the Coupons section in the Creators Hub.
- Click Add New.
- Set a custom code (e.g., “SPRING10”).
- Choose the type of discount (fixed amount or percentage).
- Set usage limits, expiration dates, and which products it applies to.
Customers can enter this code during checkout to receive the discount.
Perpetual sales
Perpetual sales are forbidden. When content is on sale, it must be sold at its regular price for (at least) the same period it was on sale. Content cannot be on sale for more than a month at a time.
More information: Rules and Guidelines
8. Reviews
Customers can leave public reviews on your products. In the Reviews section, you can:
- Read feedback from buyers
- Reply to reviews
- Report inappropriate reviews
Positive reviews help other buyers feel confident in your work, so keeping your descriptions accurate and your files cleanly organized is important.
9. Announcements
Site-wide news and important updates from the platform are published in the Announcements section of the Creators Hub.
Announcements may include:
- Changes to the rules
- Scheduled maintenance
- Feature updates
- Community events or Creator highlights
Check this section regularly to stay informed.
10. Rules and Responsibilities
All Creators must comply with the Rules and Guidelines of CartographyAssets. These cover:
- What types of products are allowed
- Content ownership and licensing expectations
- Use of AI-generated content
- Minimum quality standards
- Ethical and legal expectations
- Update and support responsibilities for your products
Violating the rules may result in removal of your products, loss of access to the Creators Hub, or a permanent ban.
You are expected to:
- Upload original or properly licensed content
- Provide clear product descriptions and previews
- Organize downloadable files in a logical and clean way
- Avoid misleading or spammy tags and names
- Ensure your content remains accessible and up-to-date
CartographyAssets is a curated platform, and quality control is a key part of what makes it valuable to customers and fair to other creators.
11. Support and Contact
If something goes wrong or you have questions:
- Check the announcements and this guide first.
- If you need direct help, you can contact me through the support form on the site (if available).
- You may also be able to leave a message or comment on site updates.
CartographyAssets is run by one person, so replies may take some time — thank you for your patience and understanding.
12. Best Practices
- Use consistent naming across your product files and descriptions.
- Include a clear README or overview file inside each ZIP if your product has multiple components.
- Keep your files under a single root folder inside the ZIP archive to prevent clutter.
- Update older products if you’ve improved them.
- Use preview images that reflect the actual contents.
- Avoid uploading too many products at once — focus on quality.
This guide is intended to help you succeed as a Creator on CartographyAssets. If anything is unclear or missing, feel free to suggest edits or improvements through the platform.
Welcome to the community, and thank you for contributing to a better worldbuilding experience for everyone.