LocksmithUse case · Launches & VIP
Run private drops and early access.
Give your best customers first access with a passcode or a secret link, then open the product to everyone at a time you choose. No duplicate products, and no manual unlocking on launch morning.
The setup
Early access, then launch.
- Lock
The new product, hidden from collections and search until launch.
- Two keys
Key 1 has the condition "gives the passcode
SPRING-DROP". Key 2 has the condition "after April 1 at 9:00 a.m." Either one opens the lock. - Everyone else
A passcode form with a message about the launch date.
Choose your conditions
Ways to hand out early access.
One passcode
Send the same passcode to your whole list. Send each passcode to its own page with passcode-specific redirects.
Passcode keys →Single-use codes
Upload a list of codes, or connect a Google Sheet, and let each code work once.
Input lists →Secret links
Share a private URL that opens the lock, so subscribers don't need to type anything.
Secret link keys →Your email list
Open the lock for members of a Klaviyo list or segment, such as your VIP segment.
Klaviyo keys →Past customers
Reward repeat buyers with the conditions "has placed at least x orders" or "has purchased" a product. Pair one with "is signed in" in the same key.
Purchase history keys →Protect the drop
Keep bots and resellers out of checkout.
A locked product page stops people from browsing to it. Checkout validation stops people from buying it through a cart permalink or a script. Use both for limited releases.
- Require a customer account, and a tag, to buy products tagged for the drop
- Hide the product from collections, search, and sitemaps until it opens
- Remove locked products from the Shop app automatically
- Follow the guide to protecting against bots
Questions
Before you set it up
Can people find the product before launch?
Not through your store. Turn on hiding for the lock, and the product stays out of collections, search results, navigation, and your sitemap until it opens.
Once someone enters the passcode, do they need it again?
Locksmith remembers that the visitor has unlocked the lock for their session. Single-use codes from an input list work once.
Can I lock just the add-to-cart button?
Yes. Keep the product page visible and hide prices and add-to-cart until one of the lock's keys works for the visitor, so people can see what's coming.
Put the first lock on your store today.
Your price follows your Shopify plan, not the features you use. Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial.