Hidden item was purchased using checkout link

[GezelligHome]

Yesterday an item that is hidden in my Square online store was purchased, requiring me to email the buyer to let them know I don't have any more of that item.  When I googled the item name and my store name, I found the site for that item (is it called a checkout link?), and I could see how a buyer could then add the item to the cart and checkout without realizing that the item is hidden in the online store.

Obviously I don't want shoppers to be able to purchase things that I've hidden from view.  Am I doing something wrong, or is this a glitch in the system?

Thanks.

[Goldneye · Accepted solution]

HI, it is frustrating.  Hidden does keep it off the website but as you pointed out, it is still available for sale.  This is where Square's SEO is very good at its job.  I noticed the website and items are quickly indexed and added to everyday searches.  Best advice would be to use the Unavailable status.  Item would still be searchable but customer would get an invalid link to item 404 Page Not Found.

Hope this helps!

Terri

🛍 Shop my store

Resale Collection - http://bit.ly/HangerHues

[JKO]

Does the hidden or unavailable status sync between the Online store and the POS store? I don't want items I have marked unavailable online showing up for sale in the mobile app.

[_Violet]

Hi @JKO - Thanks for reaching out to us with your question here on the Square Seller Community.

While Items and their details can sync between your Square Online Store and Point of Sale, the "hidden" or "unavailable" item status is a feature exclusive to Online Store.

You can check out which item details will be included in the Square Sync feature here.

I hope this information is helpful but please do let us know if you have any additional questions. Always happy to help! 😊

[JKO]

Thank you for responding. This seems like a huge bug! If I want to make sure items that are unavailable on the online store are not available for sale in the POS store, do I have to delete them from the POS store? Does sync them delete them online? This is somewhat ridiculous for a supposedly integrated product.

[Lootz]

Having the same issue as the OP three years ago. Hidden items are being displayed on my Home splash page upon entering my website. Why have the option of "Hidden" with the explanation of "Your item is available to purchase but only to those with the link." if it is available to everyone who enters my website. This needs to be logged as a severity one defect and worked immediately or the "Hidden" option needs to be removed.

[JJ_]

Hello, @Lootz, and thanks for flagging. 

For this particular case, I recommend reaching out to our direct team so you can share examples with them in real time, and they can escalate this if necessary. The team can be reached at 855-700-6000 between 6 am - 6 pm Pacific Time Monday-Friday. If you call outside of these hours, you will be required to enter your Customer Code to validate your account.