How To Hide Products For Specific Customers On Shopify- A Step-by-Step Guide

In the world of e-commerce, personalization is key to delivering a great customer experience. For Shopify store owners, one powerful way to make a site feel more exclusive and tailored to individual customers is by hiding products from specific audiences. Whether you're offering exclusive products to loyal customers, limiting access to certain products based on geographic location, or just organizing your store better, hiding products for specific customers can take your store’s design and strategy to the next level.

In this blog, we’ll walk you through how to hide products on Shopify for specific customers using the Locksmith app. This app is an excellent tool for managing product visibility, restricting access, and adding more personalized shopping experiences. It’s perfect for businesses that want to make certain products available for some customers while hiding them from others. Let’s dive in!

Why You Might Want to Hide Products on Shopify

Before we jump into the “how” of hiding products, let’s first talk about why you might want to do this.

1. Exclusive Offers for Loyal Customers: One common reason is to provide exclusive deals to a select group of customers. For example, you might want to give your top customers early access to a product launch or offer a limited-edition item only to subscribers.

2. Wholesale or B2B Businesses: If you’re running a wholesale store, you might only want certain products visible to wholesale buyers. This way, regular customers can’t see wholesale prices or products that are not for their use.

3. Geographically Limited Products: Some products may only be available in certain regions. By hiding those products for customers outside of the allowed locations, you ensure that your website looks organized and provides relevant options to your audience.

4. Private Collections for VIPs: Maybe you want to create a secret collection for VIP customers—whether that’s based on purchase history, subscription level, or membership. Hiding products based on customer behavior can encourage repeat business and reward your most loyal shoppers.

5. Avoid Overwhelming Visitors: Sometimes less is more. If you have a large product catalog, hiding some items temporarily from view can simplify the shopping experience, making it easier for customers to find what they’re really looking for.

In all these cases, Locksmith for Shopify comes in as a valuable tool to help you fine-tune who can view what, giving you the flexibility to run your store exactly as you want.

What is Locksmith for Shopify?

Locksmith is a powerful Shopify app that allows you to control access to specific content, whether it’s products, collections, pages, or even individual customers. With the Locksmith Shopify app, you can set rules to hide or display products based on specific customer segments, such as:

• Customers who’ve signed up for your newsletter
• Customers from certain countries
• Returning customers
• Customers who’ve bought a certain amount or product
• Any other custom segmentation

By installing and configuring the Locksmith Shopify app, you gain the ability to make your store more exclusive, while also enhancing customer experience. This level of personalization can create a more professional and organized online store, especially for businesses looking to offer specialized content or deals.

How to Set Up Locksmith on Shopify

Now that you understand why and what you can do with Locksmith, let’s look at the step-by-step process for setting it up on your Shopify store.

Step 1: Install the Locksmith App

1. Go to the Shopify App Store: Head over to the Shopify App Store and search for “Locksmith for Shopify”.
2. Install the App: Click Add App and follow the on-screen instructions to install Locksmith on your store.

Step 2: Define Your Rules for Hiding Products

Once the app is installed, you can create rules to control which customers can access specific products. Here’s how to do that:

1. Go to the Locksmith Dashboard: In your Shopify admin panel, find the Locksmith app under Apps, and open the dashboard.
2. Create a New Rule: Click Add a Rule to create a new access rule.
3. Choose What to Lock: Select Products or Collections that you want to hide or restrict access to.
4. Define Who Can See It: You can choose specific conditions, such as:
   • Customer tags: Only customers with certain tags (e.g., VIP or Wholesale) will see these products.
   • Order history: Only customers who’ve placed a certain number of orders or purchased a certain amount can access these products.
   • Geography: Limit access to products based on a customer’s location or country.
   • Password Protection: You can even set a password that customers need to enter to unlock certain products or collections.

Step 3: Test Your Rules

Once your rules are set up, it's important to test them to ensure that only the right customers can access the hidden products. To do this:

1. Log in as a customer with the appropriate tag or condition: Make sure the right customer group has access.
2. Try logging in as an unauthorized customer: This helps confirm that customers without the necessary conditions can’t access the hidden products.

Step 4: Monitor and Adjust

After setting up your rules and testing them, monitor your store’s performance. If you find that certain products are still being accessed by unauthorized users, go back into Locksmith and adjust your settings. Locksmith’s flexibility allows you to make real-time changes, so it’s easy to fine-tune your restrictions as your business grows.

Best Practices for Using Locksmith on Shopify

While Locksmith is powerful, it’s important to use it thoughtfully to avoid confusing your customers. Here are some best practices to follow:

1. Be Transparent About Restrictions: If you’re hiding products for certain customers, make sure they understand why. For example, use messaging like "Exclusive Access" or "Available Only for Wholesale Customers." A transparent approach builds trust with your customers.

2. Use Segmentation Wisely: You can create as many customer segments as you want, but be mindful of your segmentation strategy. Too many rules can lead to a confusing experience for both customers and store owners. Keep it simple and clear.

3. Limit Access to High-Value Items: Restricting access to high-demand or high-value products can create a sense of exclusivity and increase perceived value.

4. Communicate via Email: For customers who are eligible for restricted products, sending personalized emails or offering exclusive access through other channels can enhance the shopping experience and drive sales.

5. Test Regularly: Especially when you make changes to your store or customer segmentation, always test your product visibility rules. This ensures your products are being shown or hidden as intended.

Why Consider Prateeksha Web Design for Shopify Customization?

For many small businesses, managing a Shopify store can be overwhelming. If you’re trying to implement advanced strategies like hiding products for specific customers, it can be tricky to get everything right. That’s where Prateeksha Web Design comes in.

Prateeksha Web Design is an expert in Shopify customization, including setting up tools like Locksmith to enhance your e-commerce experience. Whether you need help customizing your Shopify store’s functionality, improving the user experience, or building a stunning website from scratch, Prateeksha Web Design has the expertise to make it happen. With a deep understanding of Shopify’s capabilities and limitations, they can help you implement the right solutions for your business—whether it’s hiding products, adding custom features, or improving your overall site design.

Conclusion

Locksmith for Shopify is a powerful tool that can help you hide products on Shopify for specific customers, adding a layer of personalization to your store. With its flexible rules, you can tailor the shopping experience for different segments of your customer base, improving engagement and potentially increasing sales.

For small businesses, leveraging this tool, along with the expertise of Prateeksha Web Design, can elevate your online store to new heights. Whether you want to offer exclusive products, run special promotions, or just organize your inventory more effectively, hiding products for specific customers is a smart strategy that can help you run a more efficient, customer-friendly e-commerce site.

If you're ready to take your Shopify store to the next level with custom solutions and expert design, consider partnering with Prateeksha Web Design. Their team can guide you through every step of the process, ensuring your Shopify store is set up exactly the way you envision it.

Interested in learning more? Contact us today.