Secret Collection for Approved B2B Customers

This page focuses on a popular integration pattern:

Use B2B & Wholesale Solution for approval + tags Use B2B Lock to create a secret B2B-only collection

This is a more integrated and polished version of the “Secret B2B collection” recipe (see section 3.9).

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1. What you’re building

You want:

• A B2B-only collection that:

  • Doesn’t appear to retail shoppers.

  • Isn’t visible to guests or searchers.

• Only approved B2B customers should see it:

  • They apply via B2B registration form.

  • You approve them.

  • They log in and the B2B catalog appears.

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2. Step 1 – Prepare B2B tags via registration app

In B2B & Wholesale Solution:

1. Set up a B2B registration form (e.g., “Apply for wholesale account”).

2. Configure the approval step so that approved customers receive a tag, for example:

   • b2b-approved

   • Or more specific tags if needed (wholesale, eu-b2b, etc.).

3. Test once:

   • Submit a dummy application.

   • Approve it.

   • Confirm the test customer gets the correct tag.

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3. Step 2 – Create the B2B-only collection in Shopify

In Shopify Admin → Products → Collections:

1. Create a new collection called something like:

   • B2B Only, Wholesale Catalog, Distributor Products, etc.

2. Add all products you want to be available only for approved B2B customers.

3. Don’t add it to main navigation yet (you can later add B2B-only menus for logged-in customers if you like).

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4. Step 3 – Lock the collection in B2B Lock

In B2B Lock:

1. Go to Locks → Add lock.

2. Step 1 – Lock content

   • Target: Hide collections

   • Select your B2B-only collection (e.g., B2B Only).

3. Step 2 – Control access

   • Condition: If the customer is tagged with b2b-approved

   • You can also include more tags if needed, such as wholesale:

     • “Customer is tagged with b2b-approved OR wholesale”.

4. Step 3 – Advanced settings

   • Lock message for blocked visitors:

     • Title: “B2B catalog access only”

     • Body: “This collection is reserved for approved B2B customers. Please apply for a wholesale account or log in with your approved email.”

   • Add buttons:

     • “Apply for B2B account” → link to your registration form (from B2B & Wholesale Solution)

     • “Login” → link to login page (OTP or password login, depending on your setup)

Click Save.

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5. Step 4 – End-to-end behavior

After everything is wired:

• Retail visitors / guests

  • Do not see the B2B collection in navigation.

  • If they somehow hit the URL, they see your lock message with “Apply for B2B account”.

• Pending applicants (not yet approved)

  • Same as guests until you approve them (no b2b-approved tag yet).

• Approved B2B customers

  • Tag is added automatically on approval.

  • After login, B2B Lock sees b2b-approved

  • The B2B collection is now visible and accessible.

Result: A self-contained B2B experience:

• Smooth self-service entry via registration form.

• Manual or semi-automated approval step.

• Automatic unlocking of the B2B-only collection, powered by B2B Lock.

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6. Where this fits with the rest of the guide

This pattern builds directly on:

• Section 3.9 – Create a secret collection just for approved B2B customers

• Section 6 – Tags, Segments & Catalog Strategy

You can reuse the same idea for:

• Region-based B2B collections (tags like eu-b2b, us-b2b)

• Tier-based catalogs (tags like silver, gold)

• Special partner-only product lines