Glossary: Access
Secret link
A secret link is a web address with a hidden token that lets anyone who has it view a restricted page or collection without logging in. It shares private content with a chosen audience without creating accounts.
In detail
A secret link works like a key in the URL. A page or collection stays locked for ordinary visitors, and a visitor who opens the link with the right token gets in. Sellers use it for a trade-show collection, an early look at a new range, a price list for one buyer or a private launch.
The strength of a secret link is also its weakness. Anyone who has the link can use it, and the link can be forwarded, pasted into a public post or saved in a browser history. It is a convenience for sharing, not an identity check, so do not use it for anything that needs proof of who the visitor is.
Treat the link as a bearer token. Use a long random value, share it with a limited group, and change it when the audience changes. If the content must stay out of search results, add a noindex setting yourself, because a hidden link is not automatically kept out of search engines.
A secret link sits between a passcode and a login. A passcode asks the visitor for a code they type in, and a login ties access to a named account. Pick a secret link when a quick, low-friction way in matters more than control, and a login when you need to know who bought.
Example
A brand shares yourstore.com/collections/trade-show?token=abc123 (an illustrative link) with 30 buyers it met at a trade show. They open the collection without an account, and visitors without the link see the lock message.
In BSS B2B apps
BSS B2B Lock has a secret link condition: the app reads a token from the link, and anyone who holds the link gets in. The link does not hide the page from search engines by itself, as noindex is a separate option. Lock rules on pages, products and collections keep the locked content out of the page HTML. Most Lock rule targets need a paid plan.
Learn more
Read the Access control hub for guides, use cases and setup docs, or the complete Shopify B2B guide.