Lots of people ask us how to create a WooCommerce hidden store. You might want a public-facing website that anyone can access, with a hidden e-commerce area that only people with the specific access can see. Or you might want to hide your entire WooCommerce store.  In this article, we will discuss Prices by User Role plugin and how using this plugin you can disable WooCommerce store till the user login.

However, before going deep into the functionality, let us check out briefly about Prices by User Role plugin and some of the advanced features that it provides.

WooCommerce Prices by User Role plugin is the #1 role based pricing plugin that has the capability to control user access to your products (prices). This plugin offers WooCommerce store owners advanced features such as bulk product import,  catalog mode, price adjustments, guest restrictions etc. If you want to check out the whole list of features this plugin provides, kindly visit the link here

Now since you are well aware of the plugin and the features it provides, let us check out how the plugin allows you to set a Members-Only WooCommerce Store.

1. Before you start

To build a WooCommerce hidden store, you need a WordPress website with the WooCommercea and Prices by User Role plugins installed. You also need a WooCommerce-compatible theme.

Once you have done this, you should add your WooCommerce products in the usual way. You can also create the public pages of your website (if you’re having one) such as Home, About and Contact.

Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to hide products and transform your website into a hidden WooCommerce store.

2. Hide your store from guest users and some roles

If you ant customers with specific roles to have access to all the products within your WooCommerce hidden store:

Step #1  Install WooCommerce Prices by User Role

Step #2  Open Dashboard > WooCommerce > Prices by User Role > Hiding Rules

Step #3 Enable hiding store 

WooCommerce Hidden Store

After setting applied, store will be hidden for all current users and for all new users until you provide access to products for separate roles on product page.

Step #4 Provide access to products for roles on the product page. Open editing product page and go to product data > Hide Roles Price  and untick checkbox with needed role. Click Save Changes once all settings are configured.

Hide Products per Role settings

3. Check your WooCommerce store is hidden

Now comes the fun part. Visit your public website and try to find your WooCommerce hidden store:

• Try accessing any of your WooCommerce pages – e.g. your main Shop page, a product or category. You’ll be taken to the 404 page.
• Test the navigation menu.
• Check that no WooCommerce widgets (e.g. Products, Product Categories or Product Filters) are showing.

Once you’re happy that your WooCommerce store is 100% hidden, login as a customer with access to store. Now you can test what customers will see after they unlock the private store.

4. Give the rights to your customers

When you’re completely happy with your WooCommerce hidden store, you can start using it. Give the access for your customers.