Shopify’s Unlisted Product Status: What It Is, How It Works, and When To Use It

Shopify introduced Unlisted as a new product status. It keeps a product buyable by direct link while removing it from Shopify-powered discovery surfaces like storefront search, collections, recommendations, sitemaps, internet search, and the Shopify Catalog. Shopify announced the change on October 21st, 2025.

Below is a practitioner-friendly guide that explains how Unlisted works, how it differs from other product statuses, when to deploy it, and how to avoid common SEO and merchandising pitfalls.

What Unlisted does & doesn’t do

Unlisted products have live product pages, but you gate access via the URL.

What Unlisted does

• Hides products from Shopify-powered collection pages, storefront search (including predictive search), and product recommendations
• Excludes products from your XML sitemap, internet search, and the Shopify Catalog
• Keeps the same product URL so you can share it directly
• Allows add to cart from the product page unless you customize the template to disable it
• Adds noindex, nofollow meta tags automatically on Unlisted product pages

What Unlisted doesn’t do

• It doesn’t unpublish the product page itself
• It doesn’t automatically update third-party search apps that don’t use Shopify’s native search infrastructure—verify behavior with your app vendor

API nuance (for headless builds)

Unlisted products don’t appear in general discovery queries, but they are returned by the Storefront API and Liquid when you reference them directly by handle, ID, or a metafield reference. Earlier Admin API versions may report their status as ACTIVE, so check your API versioning before you rely on status values for automation.

When to use Unlisted

• Bundle components & add-ons such as warranties or spare parts you don’t want in search or navigation
• Invite-only or early access drops where you share links with a segment by email or SMS
• Gift-with-purchase items that should be buyable only in context

How To Set a Product to Unlisted (Step‑by‑Step)

1. In Shopify Admin → Products, select one or more products.
2. Use the overflow menu and choose … → Unlist products (or open a product and set Product status → Unlisted).

Tip: After unlisting a product, validate that the SKU is absent from site search, collection pages, recommendations, and your sitemap, and confirm the product is still purchasable at its direct URL.

Unlisted vs. Other Shopify Product Statuses

Shopify now exposes four core product statuses in Admin: Active, Draft, Archived, and Unlisted.

• Active – Complete and ready to sell across selected channels. (Standard, discoverable behavior.)
• Draft – Incomplete; not ready to sell. Use when you’re still working on the listing.
• Archived – Complete but no longer for sale; hidden from your storefront and removed from the main product list. Use for retiring SKUs without deleting data.
• Unlisted – Complete and purchasable, but undiscoverable; link‑only access; excluded from sitemap, Shopify Catalog, and internet search.

Quick comparison

SEO & Analytics Considerations

• Intentional invisibility: Because Unlisted removes the SKU from discovery surfaces and your sitemap and is hidden from internet search, you don’t need to juggle theme‑level noindex hacks or collection logic.
• Governance: With organic search driving ~33% of overall traffic on average across major industries, visibility choices should be policy‑driven.
• Headless caution: If your storefront or mobile app relies on the Storefront API, Unlisted products won’t be returned in general discovery queries (like search or collections). Plan alternative flows (e.g., server‑side cart injections or using eligible statuses).
• Merchandising systems: Third‑party search or recommendations apps may require updates to honor Unlisted; test staging thoroughly

Key Takeaways

1. Unlisted = link‑only access. The product page exists and can be bought via its direct URL, but it won’t appear in your storefront search, collections, predictive search, product recommendations, the Shopify Catalog, or your store’s sitemap; it’s also hidden from internet search.
2. Channel & API limits apply. Unlisted products can’t be published to the Shop app, Shopify POS, Collective: Supplier, or any third‑party sales channels, and they’re they’re unavailable via the Storefront API’s general discovery endpoints.
3. Be intentional with visibility. Organic search still matters: across seven key industries, organic search produced ~33% of overall website traffic in 2024—so when you do decide to keep a SKU out of search, use a status built for it (Unlisted) rather than ad‑hoc workarounds.

FAQ: Shopify Product Statuses & Visibility

What is Unlisted, in plain terms?

Unlisted keeps a product purchasable by direct URL, but removes it from Shopify-powered discovery surfaces, your sitemap, internet search, and the Shopify Catalog. Shopify adds noindex, nofollow to the page.

How do I switch a product to Unlisted?

In Admin → Products, select your items and choose … → Unlist products, or open the product and set Product status → Unlisted.

Can customers still buy an Unlisted product?

Yes. They can purchase from the product’s direct URL. Add to cart works unless you customize the template to block it.

Does Unlisted appear in collections, search, or product recommendations?

No. Unlisted products don’t appear in Shopify-powered collection pages, storefront search (including predictive), or recommendations.

Is an Unlisted product included in my sitemap or the Shopify Catalog?

No. It’s excluded from both and hidden from internet search.

Will Unlisted products surface in the Storefront API?

Only when you reference them directly by handle, ID, or a metafield reference. They won’t appear in general discovery endpoints.

How is Unlisted different from Draft or Archived?

Draft means the product isn’t ready to sell. Archived means it’s no longer for sale and hidden from your storefront. Unlisted is ready to sell via direct link only.

Do I still need the seo.hidden metafield?

For “link-only” access, use Unlisted. Shopify prioritizes the Unlisted status if both Unlisted and seo.hidden are set. Unlisted also hides items from Shopify-powered collections and recommendations, while seo.hidden doesn’t.

Will third-party search or recommendation apps honor Unlisted automatically?

Not always. Third-party apps may not use Shopify’s native search infrastructure. Check your app’s documentation and run QA.

Can I still publish Unlisted products to other sales channels?

No. Unlisted hides products from all other sales channels (like the Shop app or Shopify POS), and you should share the direct URL instead for controlled access.

How Domaine Can Help

At Domaine, we’re the world’s largest independent Shopify design and development partner. We offer expert Shopify services, ensuring your store is optimized with the right Shopify product statuses.