How B2B Lock works (3-step model)

B2B Lock’s Rule Builder follows a simple 3-step model for every rule you create:

Step 1: Lock content → Step 2: Control access → Step 3: Advanced settings

This mental model is used consistently in the product and throughout this guide.

Step 1: Lock content

Decide what you want to protect on your storefront.

In Step 1, you define the target of your lock – the specific content that will be hidden or restricted. Typical targets include:

• Prices & “Add to cart” buttons on selected products or across your catalog.

• Products or variants (e.g., wholesale-only products).

• Collections (e.g., “Wholesale”, “B2B Partners”, “Distributor-only”).

• Pages, blogs, or custom URLs (e.g., lookbooks, policy pages, partner portals).

• Entire storefront for private or B2B-only stores.

You also give the rule a name so it’s easy to recognize later (e.g., “Hide prices from guests”, “Lock wholesale collection”).

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Step 2: Control access

Define who can (or cannot) see that content.

In Step 2, you add conditions that describe which visitors are allowed to access the locked content – and which are blocked. This is where B2B Lock becomes very powerful.

Examples of conditions you can use:

• Login-based: signed-in vs guest customers.

• Customer attributes: customer tags, specific emails, email domains, email subscribers.

• Keys & links: passcodes, secret links.

• Compliance / checks: age verification, schedule (before/after a date), Custom Liquid.

• Geo & environment: Shopify market, geographic region, IP address.

You can also combine conditions using AND / OR logic, like:

• “Must be logged in AND tagged wholesale”

• “From US market OR tagged distributor”

This step answers the question:

“Which visitors should see this content, and which ones should see the lock message instead?”

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Step 3: Advanced settings (BSS Commerce extras)

Fine-tune how the lock behaves.

In Step 3, you configure optional behavior and edge-case handling, so the rule matches your exact business logic.

Depending on the target and conditions, advanced settings can include:

• Custom messages: what blocked visitors see (e.g., “Login to see prices”, “This area is for approved wholesale partners only”).

• Forms & CTAs: showing login forms, signup links, or email subscription forms in the lock message.

• Hide from Google: options to keep prices or products out of search results.

• Exclusions: leave some products or pages public even when locking a whole collection or section.

• Session behavior: how long a passcode stays valid, whether to remember unlocks, etc.

• Checkout-specific behavior (Shopify Plus): what message to show and what rules to apply when a checkout is blocked.

Once you save the rule, B2B Lock automatically updates your theme and starts enforcing the rule on your storefront. A toast notification confirms the update.