# 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).

***

#### 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.

***

#### 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.

***

#### 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).

***

#### 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**.

***

#### 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.

***

#### 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


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