We highly recommend using Shopify Functions for advanced gifting or discount logic instead of hidden products.
Step 1: Create a Custom Metafield in Shopify Admin
To start, you’ll need to create a custom metafield in Shopify. This metafield controls the visibility of the product.
How to do it:
In your Shopify Admin, go to Settings > Metafields and metaobjects.
Click on Products, then Add definition.
Set the following fields:
Name:
Hide ProductNamespace and key:
seo.hiddenNote: If you don’t see this section, click the metafield name to expand it.
Click Select type and choose Integer.
Click Save.
Why seo.hidden? The seo.hidden metafield hides an Active product from Shopify's storefront search while keeping it purchasable via direct URL or Rebuy widgets. It applies to Active products only and controls Shopify search visibility independently of Rebuy's data source filtering.
The Namespace and key section may be minimized when creating a new metafield definition. Click on "custom.hide_product" under the Name section to open up the Namespace and key input field.
Step 2: Update the Product Settings
Once the metafield is created:
Go to the product you want to hide in Shopify Admin.
Scroll down to the Metafields section.
Find the Hide Product metafield and enter a value of
1.Click Save.
⚠️ Important: If you use automatic collections, be sure to exclude this product by setting a ruleset (e.g. exclude product type = hidden). Otherwise, it may still appear on your storefront.
Important: If you use automatic collections, be sure to exclude this product by setting a ruleset (e.g. exclude product type = hidden). Otherwise, it may still appear on your storefront.n.
Step 3: Test and Fine-Tune
Use your storefront search to check if the product is truly hidden.
If it still appears:
Please note that Rebuy does not have control over the above workflows as these are controlled by Shopify. If you are still experiencing issues with the above, please reach out to Shopify Support for assistance.
Shopify Unlisted Products and Rebuy Widgets
Shopify's "Unlisted" product status hides a product from storefront search, collections, sales channels, and internet search results, while still allowing access via direct URL.
Unlisted products are automatically filtered from any Rebuy datasource response driven by AI, Top Sellers, collections, tags, or algorithmic ranking. No additional tags or filters are needed to achieve this.
When Unlisted products can still appear: If you explicitly pin an Unlisted product in a data source using a specific product return, Rebuy will surface it. This is intentional and supported for use cases like Gift With Purchase items, hidden SKUs, and pre-release product previews.
Note: The exclude_rebuy tag is not needed to prevent Unlisted products from appearing in Rebuy's AI, Top Sellers, or algorithmically ranked recommendations.
For a full guide on using Unlisted products specifically for Gift with Purchase setups see Using Unlisted Products for Gift With Purchase Offers.
Example screenshot above showing a Shopify product set to “Unlisted” status
Optional: Hide from Rebuy Widgets
Note: This step applies to Active products you want to exclude from Rebuy's recommendation algorithms. Unlisted products are automatically filtered from any datasource response driven by AI, Top Sellers, collections, tags, or algorithmic ranking and do not require the exclude_rebuy tag.
If you wish to prevent the product from being surfaced in Rebuy widgets that are using the Recommended AI endpoint, you will need to ensure you follow the steps in the guide linked below to apply the 'exclude_rebuy' product tag to the product's settings in Shopify Admin.
You can also add smart cart related product tags in to the gift in Shopify. These tags can disable or remove the quantity selectors and prevent customers from navigating the the gift's product page through the cart.
Once you have added the product tag in Shopify, be sure to resync your product data in Rebuy Admin by following the guide linked below to ensure that Rebuy detects the newly applied product tag.
Migrating from Other Metafield Apps
If you used a third-party metafield app (like Metafields Guru) and see an error saying “Namespace and key are already taken”, follow this workaround:
Visit this link (replace with your store's domain):
https://yourdomain.myshopify.com/admin/settings/custom_data/product/metafields/migrate/seo/hiddenComplete the product definition.
Repeat Steps 1 and 2 above.
Limitations
Rebuy does not currently support true Buy One, Get One (BOGO) or Buy X Get X promotions when the qualifying product and the gifted product are identical and require matching quantities.
For example, these scenarios are not natively supported:
Buy 1, Get 1 Free of the same product
Buy 2, Get 2 Free of the same SKU
Buy 3, Get 1 Free of the same variant
This limitation applies to all widgets and cart types using Rebuy logic. The challenge lies in tracking matching quantity conditions and applying a gift or discount automatically when the item is already in the cart—without duplicating or conflicting with existing cart logic
To work around this, we recommend: Creating a hidden duplicate of the product you want to offer as a gift as outlined in this document.
FAQs
What should I do if the Shopify product page for the product remains visible?
If the product page of the gift is not concealed, this guide will demonstrate a workaround by eliminating the Add to Cart Button from the gift's product page.
My hidden product is showing up in search—how do I fix this?
If you’d like to hide the product from Shopify search then follow the steps outlined in the Hide Products From Shopify Search article.
Why is my hidden product showing up in Rebuy widgets?
If you’d like to prevent the product from showing up in Rebuy widgets then follow the steps outlined in the Hide Products From Being Recommended guide here.
Why is my Unlisted product appearing in Rebuy widgets?
Unlisted products are automatically filtered from any data source response driven by AI, Top Sellers, collections, tags, or algorithmic ranking. If you're seeing an Unlisted product in widget recommendations, it is likely because it was explicitly pinned in a data source via a specific product return. This is supported behavior for GWP items and hidden SKU setups.
If the product is appearing unexpectedly and was not explicitly pinned, a product resync and cache clear may be needed to ensure Rebuy has the latest status data from Shopify. See Sync Product Data, Store Data, and Clear Cache for instructions.