The Advanced Product Purchase Restrictions plugin for WooCommerce now includes a new feature that completely hides restricted products from unauthorized customers, ensuring they never see products they can’t purchase.
The Problem with Visible Restrictions
Traditional product restrictions only prevent checkout, but customers can still see restricted products in your catalog. This creates several issues:
- Customer confusion when products appear but can’t be purchased
- Support tickets asking why products are unavailable
- Poor user experience with visible but inaccessible items
- Frustration from customers who can’t access what they see
The Solution: Complete Product Hiding
The Advanced Product Purchase Restrictions plugin for WooCommerce now offers complete product visibility control. When enabled, restricted products are completely invisible to unauthorized customers across your entire store.
How It Works
Smart Email Detection
The plugin automatically detects customer email addresses through:
- Logged-in users – uses account email automatically
- Guest customers – uses billing email from cart/session
- URL validation – supports email-based access links
Intelligent Filtering
- Product queries are filtered to exclude restricted items
- All catalog views are affected (shop, categories, search, etc.)
- Performance optimized with efficient database queries
- SEO friendly – doesn’t impact search rankings
Where Products Are Hidden
Restricted products automatically disappear from:
- Product catalog pages
- Category pages
- Search results
- Product shortcodes
- Related products
- Featured products
- New arrivals
- Sale pages
- Any WooCommerce product listing
Perfect for These Businesses
Wholesale Operations
- Hide wholesale-only products from retail customers
- Show different catalogs to different customer types
- Maintain clean separation between business and consumer offerings
VIP Programs
- Create exclusive product catalogs for VIP members
- Hide premium products from regular customers
- Build anticipation for exclusive releases
Beta Testing
- Hide beta products from general public
- Show test products only to authorized testers
- Control access to experimental features
Industry Partners
- Hide partner-specific products from competitors
- Create customized catalogs for different partners
- Maintain confidentiality of collaborative products
Easy Setup
- Enable restrictions in WooCommerce > Purchase Restrictions
- Select products to restrict (individual, categories, or tags)
- Add authorized email addresses
- Check “Hide Restricted Products” option
- Save and test
Technical Benefits
Performance Optimized
- Efficient database queries
- Minimal impact on page load times
- Smart caching of filtered results
Compatible
- Works with all WooCommerce themes
- Compatible with popular page builders
- Integrates with existing plugins
Flexible Control
- Hide individual products
- Hide entire categories
- Hide products by tags
- Mix and match restriction types
User Experience
For Authorized Customers
- Full access to all products
- Normal shopping experience
- No restrictions or limitations
For Unauthorized Customers
- Clean, uncluttered catalog
- No confusing unavailable products
- Better overall shopping experience
Real-World Example
Scenario: A wholesale business wants to offer exclusive products to business customers only.
Before: Retail customers see wholesale products but get error messages when trying to purchase.
After: Wholesale products are completely invisible to retail customers, creating a clean, professional experience for both customer types.
Advanced Features
Smart Email Detection
- Multiple ways to identify customer email
- Works with logged-in and guest customers
- Supports email validation via URL parameters
Comprehensive Filtering
- Covers all product display areas
- Handles complex category and tag relationships
- Maintains product relationships and cross-sells
Easy Management
- Simple checkbox to enable/disable
- Clear admin interface
- Instant activation/deactivation
Why This Matters
Product hiding transforms your WooCommerce store from a simple restriction system into a truly exclusive shopping experience. Instead of showing customers products they can’t have, you create clean, professional catalogs that match each customer’s access level.
This feature is especially valuable for:
- B2B businesses with different customer tiers
- Exclusive membership programs
- Beta testing and product launches
- Partner and distributor relationships
Get the Advanced Product Purchase Restrictions Plugin →
Transform your product catalog into an exclusive experience with complete visibility control.
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