hide store front requesting email authentication

Store Design
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Topic summary

Goal: restrict the entire Shopify storefront to authenticated visitors, ideally by email, effectively hiding it from the public.

Findings/attempts:

  • Examined Customer accounts settings:
    • New (recommended): one-time code via email (no passwords).
    • Classic: email and password.
    After enabling these, test visits didn’t prompt for login or account setup, creating confusion about whether these settings gate the storefront at all.

Desired outcome: a solution that gates the whole storefront and manages access rights via email entry.

Latest update: Tried the “C: Easy Lock” app to lock the store, but it crashed the customized theme and the user can’t access it afterward. They’re asking for alternative apps that work more reliably.

Status: Unresolved. Key open questions:

  • Can Shopify natively hide the entire storefront or require email authentication before viewing?
  • Which third-party app can securely gate the storefront without breaking a customized theme?
Summarized with AI on December 15. AI used: gpt-5.
1

I am researching if I can within Shopify restrict access to my store front for individuals who have to enter their email address so are authenticated.

I’ve found an option where there it states under “customer accounts” :

  • show login links:
  1. New (recommended). Customers log in with a one-time code sent to their email (no passwords)
  2. Classic. Customers create an account and login with their email and password.

However, I’ve selected both of these options and when I test it doesn’t request me to login or set-up an account? So I’m confused.

What I’m looking to do is hide the storefront from the public and manage the access rights via people entering their emails.

So my question is it possible to hide the whole store front from the public or is there a solution to control the access?

Thanks

2

seems that I can do this with C: Easy Lock however, its crashed my “customised theme” and cannot get into this. IS there any better apps to work with? Thanks