Hide specific products from certain users (product-level)
A step-by-step guide for merchants who need product-level visibility control. Hide selected products from specific visitors — guests, retail customers, or any group you define.
This guide walks you through every step: choosing which products to hide, who can still see them, and how to verify it works. Availability may vary depending on your Shopify plan and store setup.
Best Practice
Be clear about your goal before you start: do you want to fully remove the product from the storefront (no trace anywhere), or just block the product page while keeping it visible in listings? B2B Lock supports both modes — you choose in Step 1.
On This Page
Eligibility Requirements
Before setting up a Hide Products rule, confirm the following:
You have an active Shopify store on any paid plan.
B2B Lock is installed from the Shopify App Store.
You have Editor or Admin access in your Shopify store.
Your store uses a compatible theme — Online Store 2.0 is recommended.
For tag-based access: customer tags must already be set up on your Shopify customer records.
⚠️ Legacy Theme Note
On non-2.0 themes, the automatic cleanup of empty product grid slots may not render correctly. Test on a staging store or contact B2B Lock support before going live.
Understanding the Hide Products Feature
Hide Products removes selected items from your storefront entirely for visitors who don't meet your conditions — no product card, no search result, no product page. This is different from Hide Price, where the product stays visible but the price is hidden.
Mode
What blocked visitors see
Best for
Fully Hide Product
No trace anywhere — not in collections, search, or direct URL
Wholesale-only items, secret catalogs
Restrict Access
Product visible in listings, but product page shows 'Access Denied'
Items discoverable but purchasable by approved buyers only
Hide Products vs. Hide Price
Use Hide Price when everyone can see the product but only approved buyers see its price. Use Hide Products when certain customers should not know the item exists at all.
Availability & Limitations
Item
Details
Shopify plan
Any paid plan (Basic and above)
Theme
Online Store 2.0 recommended; legacy themes may show empty grid slots
Access conditions
Login, tags, passcode, secret link, email, date/time, location, and more
AND / OR logic
Supported — combine multiple conditions in one rule
Google Search
Hidden products may still appear on Google for up to 24 hours after saving
Step 1 — Lock Target: Choose Hide Products
Step 1 Lock Target — Select Hide Products and configure product scope
1. Go to your Shopify Admin.
2. Click Apps in the left sidebar.
3. Select B2B Lock from your installed apps.
4. Click Locks → Add lock.
5. In the Lock name field, enter a clear name — e.g., Hide wholesale products from retail.
6. Confirm the On/Off toggle is set to Enabled.
7. Under Select content to lock, click the Hide Products card.
In the Choose specific content section (see screenshot below):
8. Under Product Visibility Control, select your visibility mode:
• Fully Hide Product — product is completely removed from storefront (recommended for wholesale-only items).
• Restrict Access — product page shows 'Access Denied' but product card still appears in listings.
9. Under Restricted products, open the dropdown and select Specific products (or All products if applicable).
10. Use the Search product field to find and select the products you want to hide.
11. Under Product settings, optionally check Hide price on Google search to prevent prices from appearing in search results.
Note: Google re-indexing can take up to 24 hours. Your store must be public for this setting to apply.
12. Click Next to proceed to Step 2.
Step 2 — Access & Message: Define Who Can Still See the Products
This is where you set the conditions that grant access. The order in which B2B Lock evaluates rules is: Everyone → Secret Link → Passcode → Sign-In → Age Verification → Email Subscription → Date & Time → Market → Tag / Specific Customers → Custom Liquid → Specific IP → Specific Region.
Step 2 Access & Message — Choose your access condition
13. In the Rule to access section, click Grant Access To.
14. Select a condition type from the six category tiles: User type, Passcode, Email, Date & time, Location, or Advanced.
15. In the Select access rule dropdown, choose your specific rule:
• Everyone – No restrictions (use as a fallback for public content).
• Signed-in customers – Must be logged in.
• Tagged customers – Must have specific tags (e.g., wholesale, b2b-approved, distributor).
• Specific customers – Must match exact email address.
16. If using customer tags: enter the tag(s) in the tag field — e.g., wholesale or vip-partner.
17. Optional: check Reverse access rule to invert the logic (e.g., block tagged customers instead of allowing them).
18. Optional: click + Add rule to add an OR condition — for example, allow distributors OR allow visitors arriving via secret link.
Note: Visitors who don't meet any condition will not see the hidden products anywhere on your storefront.
19. Set your lock message — this is what blocked visitors see if they arrive at the product URL directly. Include a login link or instructions to request access.
20. Click Next to proceed to Step 3.
Common access condition combinations
Goal
Condition
Example tag / setting
Wholesale customers only
Tagged customers
wholesale or b2b-approved
Logged-in customers only
Signed-in customers
(no tag needed)
VIP segment only
Tagged customers
vip or gold-tier
Regional distributors
Tagged customers + Location
eu-distributor + EU region
Invited partners only
Secret link
(generate secret URL to share)
Logged-in wholesalers
Sign-in AND tagged customers
Must be logged in AND tagged wholesale
Step 3 — Exclude Pages (Optional)
Use this step to add exceptions — pages or URLs that should bypass the lock even if they relate to hidden products.
Step 3 Exclude Pages — Add exceptions to the rule
21. In the Exclude Pages section, add any URLs that should remain accessible regardless of the lock.
22. Common examples: a staff preview link, a test product URL, or a public lookbook page that references a hidden product.
23. Click Save to activate the rule.
✅ Save to activate
The rule does not apply to your live storefront until you click Save. You can return to any step to make changes before saving.
Verify It Works on Your Storefront
Test in Incognito mode after saving the rule. Use the checklist below.
Test as
Action
Expected result
Blocked visitor (guest)
Browse to a collection with hidden products
Hidden products do not appear in the grid
Blocked visitor (guest)
Visit the product URL directly
Lock message or Access Denied screen — not the product page
Approved visitor (tagged/logged-in)
Browse the same collection
Hidden products are now visible
Approved visitor (tagged/logged-in)
Click through to the product page
Page loads normally with price and Add to Cart
ℹ️ Cache tip
If results look wrong, clear your browser cache and reload. Shopify may serve cached pages for a few minutes after a rule is saved.
Common Issues & Troubleshooting
Issue
What to check
Products still visible to blocked visitors
Rule Status must be Enable → correct products selected in picker → test in Incognito
Approved customers can't see the products
Check customer tag in Shopify Admin → confirm tag name matches exactly (case-sensitive) → check Reverse access rule is not on
Empty slots in collection grid
Theme compatibility issue — switch to Online Store 2.0 or contact support
Products still showing on Google
Google takes up to 24 hours to re-index → enable Hide price on Google in Product settings → store must be public
Unintended products are being hidden
Go back to Step 1 → switch from All products to Specific products → check for other active rules overlapping
Need more help?
If your issue is not listed here, use the Chat Support button inside the B2B Lock app. The support team typically responds within 12 hours. Include your store URL, the lock rule name, and a description of what you are seeing.
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