How do I integrate with DriveThruRPG in the Pledge Manager?

Deliver digital downloads via DriveThruRPG

If you use DriveThruRPG, you can connect it with BackerKit and automatically deliver your titles to backers as digital downloads. When a backer is eligible, the title is dropped straight into their DriveThruRPG library.

What you'll need:

• A DriveThruRPG publisher account
• An active BackerKit pledge manager project

• Your DriveThruRPG Application Key

  
  

Step 1: Connect your DriveThruRPG account

1. On the menu on the left, click Digital Downloads
2. Click the Integrations tab
3. Find the DriveThruRPG section
4. Paste your Application Key into the field and click Verify & Save

Where to find your Application Key: It's in your DriveThruRPG customer account settings. Make sure to toggle on "Distribution."

Once your key is verified, the DriveThruRPG section will show your account and a green Connected status. If you already connected DriveThruRPG during a crowdfunding campaign on BackerKit, the integration carries over automatically.

Step 2: Create your download

1. Click Create a New Distribution Rule
2. In the Name of Distribution box, enter a name for the download
3. In the If the order includes list, select the item associated with the download
4. In the give them this download list, select Create a New Download
5. In the Name box, create a name for your download. This name will be backer-facing, so choose something that will make sense to backers receiving the download.
6. Select DriveThruRPG as the type
7. Enter your Product ID — the number that appears in your title's DriveThruRPG URL. (If your product page is drivethrurpg.com/en/product/123456/your-title-name, your Product ID is 123456.) It's also listed on the title's page in your publisher dashboard. This is different from the Stock ID #.
8. Add optional instructions for your backers
9. Save

You can also create and manage downloads from the View Downloads tab, but setting one up as part of a distribution rule is the simplest way to get started.

Step 3: Send it to your backers

Click Start Distribution on a single rule, or Start all distributions to send everything at once. Then click Blast Notification Emails to let your backers know. See How do I send my digital download to my backers? for the full walkthrough.

How delivery works

When you start distribution, BackerKit grants the title to each eligible backer's DriveThruRPG library, matched by the email on their order.

• If the backer doesn't already have a DriveThruRPG account, one is created from their email and DriveThruRPG sends them a confirmation.
• On their rewards page, the backer will see a "Go to my DriveThruRPG library" link rather than a download link.
• The title appears in their library at drivethrurpg.com/en/mylibrary.

What if my DriveThruRPG account uses a different email?

If your DriveThruRPG account uses a different email address than the one on your order, your rewards are delivered to a separate DriveThruRPG account created with your BackerKit order email.

You can combine the two so everything lives in one library. DriveThruRPG sends an email to the address on your order, and at the bottom of that email you'll find instructions for merging accounts.

One thing to know before you start: log into the DriveThruRPG account you want to keep. That's the account you'll use going forward, and the one your merged library will live in.

How do I troubleshoot DriveThruRPG error messages?

If your digital download was not successfully delivered to backers, you will see one of the below error messages. Please review the instructions below each error message to resolve the issue.

"DriveThruRPG product 580938 is set to restricted access in your catalog."

Update the product settings in DriveThruRPG to make the content accessible. Then come back to the Digital Downloads page and click 'Refresh' next to the distribution rule.

"We couldn't find DriveThruRPG product {123456} in your catalog."

Your Product ID is the number in your DriveThruRPG title URL (https://drivethrurpg.com/en/product/ 123456/your-title-name ). Note that this is different from your Stock ID #. Once you verify that the DriveThruRPG title matches the download title set up in BackerKit, click 'Refresh' next to the distribution rule.

"We couldn't sign into your DriveThruRPG account."

For DriveThruRPG to connect with BackerKit, Distribution has to be toggled on in your DriveThruRPG account settings. If you entered your application key in BackerKit before Distribution was toggled on in DriveThruRPG, the integration may not have connected.

Retry by setting it up in this order:

1. In DriveThruRPG, open your account settings and turn Distribution on.
2. Copy your Application Key.
3. In BackerKit, go to Digital Downloads → Integrations, paste the key, and hit Verify & Save.]
4. Click 'Refresh' next to the distribution rule.

"DriveThruRPG was temporarily unavailable. Try again in a few minutes."

No settings need to be changed. Simply wait a few minutes then click 'Refresh' next to the distribution rule.