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Restrict access to your online store

You can manage access to your online store by activating or deactivating private mode. In private mode, all of your online store's pages are hidden from visitors and search engines, and your online store displays a customizable landing page instead. Your store's landing page has a password, which you can share with visitors to allow them to access your online store when private mode is active.

When you first register for a Shopify plan, your store access is restricted to private mode by default. After you complete the required setup steps, you can launch your store to change access to public. Learn more about preparing your store for launch.

You can change your access mode from the access setting menu on the Online Store page of your Shopify admin, and manage additional private mode settings, such as your password, from the Online Store > Preferences page.

On this page

Change your online store's access mode

The access setting menu is available on the Online Store page of your Shopify admin, and displays your online store's current level of access. If your store is in private mode, then the Private icon Private label is displayed in the menu. Otherwise, the menu displays the View icon Public label.

You can use this menu to change your store's access mode, and update your store's password. Navigate to Online Store > Preferences to manage additional private mode settings, such as restricting access to B2B customers only.

Steps:

Make your store public

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store.

  2. Click Private icon Private.

  3. Select View icon Public.

  4. Click Update.

Make your store private

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store.

  2. Click View icon Public.

  3. Select Private icon Private.

  4. Optional: In the Password field, update your password.

  5. Click Update.

Manage private mode preferences

You can activate private mode for your online store, select a password that visitors can use to access your store, and optionally add a custom message to your store's password page from the Online Store > Preferences page of your Shopify admin.

Steps:

Desktop

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Preferences.

  2. In the Store access section, activate the Private mode setting.

  3. In the Password field, enter the password that you want to add to your online store and restrict access with. Don't use the same password that you use to log in to your Shopify admin.

  4. Optional: In the Message to your visitors field, enter the message that you want to display to visitors on the password page. If you don't want to display a message, then leave this field blank.

  5. Optional: Select Restrict access to B2B customers only to limit your store's access to B2B customers.

  6. Click Save.

Mobile

  1. From the Shopify app, tap the Menu icon.

  2. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store.

  3. In the Password protection section, tap Preferences.

  4. Activate the Password protection setting.

  5. Optional: In the Password field, enter the password that you want to add to your online store and restrict access with. Don't use the same password that you use to log in to your Shopify admin.

  6. Optional: In the Message to your visitors field, enter the message that you want to display to visitors on the password page. If you don't want to display a message, then leave this field blank.

  7. Optional: Select Restrict access to B2B customers only to limit your store's access to B2B customers.

  8. Tap Save or ✓.

Customizing your password page template

The Password page is the landing page displayed when a customer visits your website and private mode is active on your online store.

By default, the password page has custom Password header and Password footer sections in the theme editor, and the page also contains an Email signup banner section.

The Password header section displays a different header on the password page from the one that you set for the rest of your online store.

The Email signup banner section is intended to provide a way for customers to subscribe to your email marketing from the password page so that they can learn more about your business, such as when your online store will open.

Edit your password page template settings

You can edit the content on your password page, such as the text, colors, and typography from the theme editor.

The specific customization settings for each theme depend on your theme's developer and theme version. Learn more about finding your theme version.

If your store is in private mode, then the preview in the access setting menu on the Online Store page shows your password page. Click Edit on that preview to open your password page in the theme editor directly.

Steps:

Desktop

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store.

  2. Find the theme that you want to edit, and then click Edit theme.

  3. Click the Home page drop-down menu, and then click Password.

  4. To edit the sections on the password page, take the following steps:

    1. Click the section that you want to edit. Most themes have header, content or template, and footer sections.
    2. Make your changes to the section's settings and options.
    3. Optional: Add other sections and blocks to your password page.
    4. Click Save.

  5. You can edit your theme settings, such as typography, color, social media and favicon settings, to customize your password page. These settings also apply to the rest of your theme. To edit the theme settings, take the following steps:

    1. Click the Theme settings gear icon.
    2. Click the settings category that you want to edit.
    3. Make your changes to the theme settings.
    4. Click Save.
Mobile

  1. From the Shopify app, tap the Menu icon.

  2. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store.

  3. Tap Manage all themes.

  4. Find the theme that you want to edit, and then tap Edit theme.

  5. Tap the Home page drop-down menu, and then tap Password.

  6. To edit the sections on the password page, tap Sections, and then take the following steps:

    1. Tap the section that you want to edit. Most themes have header, content or template, and footer sections.
    2. Make your changes to the section's settings and options.
    3. Optional: Add other sections and blocks to your password page.
    4. Tap Save.

  7. You can edit your theme settings, such as typography, color, social media and favicon settings, to customize your password page. These settings also apply to the rest of your theme. To edit the theme settings, take the following steps:

    1. Tap Horizontal menu or Vertical menu, and then tap Theme settings.
    2. Tap the settings category that you want to edit.
    3. Make your changes to the theme settings.
    4. Tap Save or ✓.

Edit the theme code for your password page

If you want to make customizations that aren't available in the theme settings, then you can edit the theme code for your password page.

Steps:

Desktop

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store.

  2. Find the theme that you want to edit, click the Horizontal menu button to open the actions menu, and then click Edit code.

  3. In the sections directory, click the .liquid file that you want to edit. Search for file names containing password-header or password-footer.

  4. Make your code changes in the file.

  5. Click Save.

Mobile

  1. From the Shopify app, tap the Menu icon.

  2. In the Sales channels section, tap Online Store.

  3. Tap Manage all themes.

  4. Find the theme that you want to edit, tap the Horizontal menu button to open the actions menu, and then tap Edit code.

  5. In the sections directory, tap the .liquid file that you want to edit. Search for file names containing password-header or password-footer.

  6. Make your code changes in the file.

  7. Tap Save or ✓.

To learn more about the password.liquid template, refer to password.liquid.

Hide the footer on your password page

You can hide the footer section on your password page.

Steps:

  1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Preferences.

  2. In the Store access > Private mode section, find the Message to your visitors field, and then paste the following code either above or below any existing content in the field:

<style>footer { display: none; }</style>
  1. Click Save.