> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs-shpf.bsscommerce.com/bss-b2b-lock-login-password-hide-price/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs-shpf.bsscommerce.com/bss-b2b-lock-login-password-hide-price/overview/how-bss-b2b-lock-works-3-step-model.md).

# Understand and Configure BSS B2B Lock with the 3-Step Model

BSS B2B Lock helps you control who can view specific storefront content, pricing, products, or pages. It uses a simple 3-step model so you can set up access rules in a clear and predictable way.

Feature availability may vary by plan, theme structure, and the type of lock you want to create.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Quick recommendation**

Start with this order: **Lock Target** (choose what to lock) -> **Access & Message** (choose who can access it and what blocked visitors see) -> **Exclude Pages** (choose what stays open)
{% endhint %}

If you only want to hide prices, do not lock the entire store.

### Eligibility requirements

* You should know which content you want to protect.
* You should know which visitors should be allowed or blocked.
* If you use login-based access, customer accounts should already be enabled.
* If you use tag-based access, the correct customer tags should already exist in Shopify.
* If you use passcode or secret link access, you should prepare those values before setup.
* If you use page section or block hiding, your theme should support the selected target.
* If you need help, contact <support-sbc@bsscommerce.com>.

### Understanding the 3-step model

#### What it is

BSS B2B Lock works through 3 simple setup steps, shown as a stepper at the top of the lock editor:

* **Step 1 – Lock Target:** choose what content to protect
* **Step 2 – Access & Message:** choose who can access it, and check the message blocked visitors see in the **Preview** card
* **Step 3 – Exclude Pages:** keep selected pages or products open, and (for page locks) set SEO and locked-page display options

The current step is a green pill and a completed step shows a ✓. You can click the name of a **completed** step to go back to it; the data you entered is kept. You can't jump ahead to a step you haven't completed yet: finish the current step and click **Next**. The right column holds two sticky cards:

* **Summary** – the rule status (Enabled / Disabled) and what each step is set to. A step you haven't configured shows "Not setup yet".
* **Preview** – appears once you add a condition. It shows a live storefront mock of the lock message and a **Customize message** button.

<figure><img src="https://684288492-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJh4ZJQcYHPWkPeDOGrHj%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-7ff641de3ff83e3d096ef51d6588cdd334840fbb%2Fstep1-overview-stepper-summary.png?alt=media" alt="Lock editor with the 3-step stepper and the Summary card highlighted"><figcaption><p>The stepper (Lock Target / Access &#x26; Message / Exclude Pages) and the Summary card.</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://684288492-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJh4ZJQcYHPWkPeDOGrHj%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-a83b9d2eefbad4c2a0749ef31f4030b99ca3f0da%2Fstep2-signed-in-condition.png?alt=media" alt="Access &#x26; Message step with Rule 1 set to Signed-in customers, the Summary card and the Preview card"><figcaption><p>Step 2 – Access &#x26; Message: the Summary card updates to "Rule 1: Signed-in customer" and the Preview card shows the lock message.</p></figcaption></figure>

This model helps you set up a lock in the right order, so content targeting, access control, and page-level refinements stay clear and easy to manage.

#### What you can do

With the 3-step model, you can:

* Lock the entire store
* Hide prices and Add to Cart
* Hide products
* Hide collections
* Hide variants
* Lock pages, blogs, and custom URLs
* Hide sections or blocks on a page
* Control access by login status, customer tags, passcode, secret link, and other conditions
* Show custom messages and actions to blocked visitors

#### Where it applies

You can use this model for common storefront access use cases such as:

* Showing prices only to approved customers
* Hiding wholesale products from general visitors
* Locking private pages for partners or distributors
* Creating passcode-protected campaigns
* Hiding parts of a page from visitors who do not meet your rules

### Availability & limitations

| Area                                   | Availability           | Notes                                        |
| -------------------------------------- | ---------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Lock Entire Store                      | Usually available      | Best for private storefronts                 |
| Hide Price & Add to Cart               | Usually available      | Good for browse-only public access           |
| Hide Products / Collections / Variants | Usually available      | Scope depends on your selected target        |
| Pages / Blogs / URLs lock              | Usually available      | Good for gated content outside product pages |
| Section / Block hiding                 | Depends on theme/setup | Theme structure may affect results           |
| Login-based access                     | Usually available      | Requires customer accounts                   |
| Tag-based access                       | Usually available      | Tags must exist and be applied correctly     |
| Passcode access                        | Usually available      | Good for simple gated experiences            |
| Secret link access                     | Usually available      | Good for invite-only access                  |
| Advanced conditions                    | Depends on plan/setup  | Some options may not appear in all stores    |

#### Limitations

* Some settings may not be available on all plans or setups.
* Theme structure can affect how section or block hiding works.
* If multiple rules affect the same content, results may be harder to predict.
* A broad lock can accidentally hide content that should stay public.
* Login-based access will not work as expected if customer accounts are not enabled.
* Tag-based access will not work if customer tags are missing or incorrect.

### Adding/configuring

To open the lock editor:

1. Go to **BSS B2B Lock → Locks**. The **Lock list** opens.
2. Click **Add lock rule**. The **Start with a preset** modal opens.
3. Select a preset (for example **Require login to view prices**) or **Create my own lock**.
4. Click **Continue**.

#### Step 1: Lock Target – choose what to lock

1. In the **General Information** card:
   * Enter a **Lock name**. The name is required; if you leave it empty you see "Rule name is required".
   * Set **Status** to **Enable** or **Disable**.
2. In the **Lock Target** card, open **What do you want to lock?** and select one of these targets:
   * Entire store
   * Price and add to cart
   * Products
   * Collections
   * Variants
   * Pages, blogs and URLs
   * Sections, blocks, and snippets
3. Complete the settings for the selected target (for example **Which products to restrict?** and **What do you want to hide?** for **Price and add to cart**).
4. Click **Next**.

<figure><img src="https://684288492-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJh4ZJQcYHPWkPeDOGrHj%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-e1f1c2060c59ac42489ac5d59062d25485ca364e%2Fstep1-lock-target-dropdown.png?alt=media" alt="What do you want to lock? dropdown open with all 7 lock targets"><figcaption><p>Select a target in <strong>What do you want to lock?</strong></p></figcaption></figure>

**Notes**

* Use **Entire store** when your storefront should be private.
* Use **Price and add to cart** when visitors can browse but should not see prices or buy.
* Use **Products** when some visitors should not know the products exist.
* Use **Collections** when an entire catalog group should be hidden.
* Use **Variants** when the product stays visible but selected options should be hidden.
* Use **Pages, blogs and URLs** for gated content outside the product catalog.
* Use **Sections, blocks, and snippets** for more detailed control inside a page.

**Caution**

* Do not choose a broad target if you only need to hide one part of the storefront.
* If some pages should stay public, plan exclusions before you save the rule.

#### Step 2: Access & Message – choose who can access it

In Step 2, you decide which visitors are allowed to unlock or view the content you selected in Step 1.

Step 2 answers two questions:

* Who should be allowed to access this content?
* What should blocked visitors see?

**How rules and conditions work**

The **Access rules** section works with rules and conditions:

* Conditions inside the same **Rule** are joined by **AND**. A customer must meet every condition in that rule. The rule shows an **AND** pill and a badge such as "2 conditions - all must match".
* Separate rules are joined by **OR**. A customer who meets any one rule gets access. An **OR** pill appears between rules.
* A rule can't be empty. If you click **Next** with an empty rule, you see "Add at least one condition to this rule before you continue."

**Add conditions**

1. In the **Rule 1** card, click a condition chip under **Select a condition to add to the rule**:
   * **User type**
   * **Passcode**
   * **Date & time**
   * **More** → **Email**, **Location** or **Other condition**
2. In **Select access rule**, choose the option you need. Tick **Reverse access rule** to invert the condition.
3. Click **Done**.
4. To let a different group in, click **+ Add rule** and add conditions to the new rule. To delete a rule, click **Remove rule**.
5. Click **Next**.

<figure><img src="https://684288492-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJh4ZJQcYHPWkPeDOGrHj%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-817a3adc22e4cfd667441a7a2a160e9637a0e31e%2Fstep2-two-rules-or.png?alt=media" alt="Two rules joined by an OR pill, with Rule 1 and Rule 2 listed in the Summary card"><figcaption><p>Separate rules are joined by <strong>OR</strong>; the Summary card lists each rule.</p></figcaption></figure>

**Common access conditions**

* **User type** – Everyone, Signed-in customers, Tagged customers, Specific customers, Request access, Customer must be in this company name, Customer must be in this company location, and B2B customer – Shopify B2B only.
* **Passcode** – visitors must enter the correct passcode. You can add several passcodes, auto-generate one, or import a list.
* **Date & time** – the content is visible from or until a date and time, based on your Shopify store's time zone.
* **Other condition** – URL parameter (for UTM or affiliate links) and Custom code (Liquid) for advanced setups.

**How it works**

* Use **Signed-in customers** when access should depend on login status.
* Use **Tagged customers** when access should depend on buyer groups such as wholesale or VIP.
* Use **Passcode** when you want simple protected access without requiring an account.
* Use Secret link when access should depend on a private URL.
* Use **Specific customers** when only selected customer accounts should be allowed.
* Put conditions in the same rule when all of them must be true (AND).
* Add a separate rule when any one group should be allowed (OR).

**Lock message**

Once a rule has a condition, the **Preview** card appears in the right column. Use it to check and edit the message shown to blocked visitors:

1. Select the message in the **Preview** card dropdown (for example **Message Hide Price**, **Passcode** or **Access Denied Message**). The storefront mock updates in real time.
2. Click **Customize message**. The **Preview & customize message** modal opens.
3. Edit the text content (click **Edit with editor**) and, if needed, **Custom CSS**. Check the desktop and mobile preview on the right.

<figure><img src="https://684288492-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJh4ZJQcYHPWkPeDOGrHj%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-38a5e3ec0c6e76b356dd1374b39d1b1b58e342f5%2Fpreview-card-customize.png?alt=media" alt="Preview card with the message dropdown and the Customize message button"><figcaption><p>Edit the lock message from the <strong>Preview</strong> card → <strong>Customize message</strong>.</p></figcaption></figure>

Use this message to explain:

* why the content is locked
* who the content is for
* what the visitor should do next

For example:

* Login to view prices
* Wholesale access only
* Enter passcode to continue

**Notes**

* Login-based access requires customer accounts to be enabled.
* Tag-based access works best when customer tags are already organized correctly.
* Keep the lock message short and action-focused.
* Test complex conditions before going live.

**Caution**

* Missing tags can block approved buyers by mistake.
* Overlapping conditions can make the final result harder to predict.
* If the message is unclear, visitors may not know what to do next.

#### Step 3: Exclude Pages – choose what stays open

In Step 3, you choose which content stays open even though the lock is active, and you adjust page-level options for page locks.

By this point, you have already told BSS B2B Lock:

* what to protect in Step 1
* who can access it in Step 2
* what blocked visitors should see (in the **Preview** card)

Step 3 answers this question:

* Are there any pages, products, or display settings that should behave differently under this lock?

**Available options in Step 3**

* **Exclude from lock rules** – shown for every lock.
* **SEO and Meta Tag Options** and **Hide content on locked page** – shown for page-type locks such as **Entire store**.

**Exclude from lock rules**

Use exclusions when some areas should stay visible even though the lock is active. Selected content will not be locked.

Tick the content that should stay open:

* **Home page**
* **Customer areas** (login, register, and account pages)
* **Policy pages**
* **Specific pages** (enter a URL and click **Add**)
* **Selected products** (keep some products shoppable while the lock is on)

This is useful when you want a broad lock but still need a few public areas to remain open.

<figure><img src="https://684288492-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJh4ZJQcYHPWkPeDOGrHj%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-77985ebabc43cdcdeae8ec501368d6f01d95ecb7%2Fstep3-exclude-pages-no-stepper.png?alt=media" alt="Exclude Pages step with the Exclude from lock rules list, the Summary card and the Save button"><figcaption><p>Step 3 – Exclude Pages. The Summary card shows what is excluded.</p></figcaption></figure>

**SEO and Meta Tag Options**

Tick **Add the "noindex" meta tag to any pages protected by this lock**.

This helps prevent search engines from indexing locked pages.

Use this option when protected content should not appear in search results.

**Hide content on locked page**

For page-type locks, you can also hide layout elements on the locked page:

* **Hide store's header and footer**
* **Hide store's navigation bar**

This can create a cleaner locked experience and reduce unwanted browsing paths for blocked visitors.

<figure><img src="https://684288492-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FJh4ZJQcYHPWkPeDOGrHj%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-4509270dd0e0e7a1c6b26b87162ab3e3d77f608e%2Fstep3-entire-store-seo-hide-only.png?alt=media" alt="Exclude Pages step for an Entire store lock with SEO and Meta Tag Options and Hide content on locked page highlighted"><figcaption><p>For an <strong>Entire store</strong> lock, Step 3 also shows SEO and Meta Tag Options and Hide content on locked page.</p></figcaption></figure>

**Save the lock**

Click **Save** at the bottom of Step 3. You can also click **Save** in the Shopify Contextual Save Bar ("Unsaved changes") at any step. You see the toast "Saved lock settings", and the title changes to **Edit lock**.

**Notes**

* Exclusions are especially useful when the target in Step 1 is broad.

**Caution**

* Too many exclusions can weaken the lock logic.
* Adding noindex affects search visibility for protected pages.
* Hiding header, footer, or navigation can change how blocked visitors move through your store.

***

## **Still Need Help?**

If you have questions or need assistance configuring BSS B2B Lock, our dedicated support team is here to help.

* **In-App Assistance:** Click **Need help?** or use the in-app chat button within BSS B2B Lock.
* **Email Support:** Contact us at [**support-sbc@bsscommerce.com**](mailto:support-sbc@bsscommerce.com) with your store URL and specific rule details.