Not every WooCommerce store needs to operate like a traditional eCommerce site. In fact, many businesses — including wholesale suppliers, membership-based platforms, or catalog-only brands — don’t want to show product prices or allow purchases to all visitors. If your business model depends on selective access to products, pricing, or purchase options, the Catalog Visibility Options plugin for WooCommerce provides the exact functionality you need.
In this detailed review, we’ll explore what the plugin does, who it’s built for, its features, use cases, benefits, pricing, setup process, and why it’s a must-have for B2B and restricted-access online stores.
What Is Catalog Visibility Options?
Catalog Visibility Options plugin is a powerful WooCommerce extension that gives store owners control over how and to whom products are shown and sold. It allows you to:
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Hide product prices based on user roles or login status
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Disable the Add to Cart button for selected users or categories
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Display custom messages instead of prices or purchase buttons
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Restrict catalog visibility on a product or category level
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Tailor product visibility based on customer groups, locations, or other criteria
It’s the perfect solution for stores that want to run:
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Wholesale-only stores
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Catalog-only sites (with no online purchases)
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Membership-based shopping platforms
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Country- or region-restricted stores
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B2B stores with tiered access levels
Why Use Catalog Visibility Options?
WooCommerce, by default, displays all products, prices, and “Add to Cart” buttons to every site visitor. This works for general retail — but it fails for more nuanced business models.
Here’s where Catalog Visibility Options plugin becomes essential:
Hide Pricing from the Public
Prevent casual browsers from seeing product prices unless they’re logged in or belong to a specific group.
Restrict Purchasing Options
Disable the Add to Cart button for guests or specific roles, converting your store into a catalog.
Custom Messaging for Users
Display call-to-actions like “Login to See Prices,” “Contact for Quote,” or “Members Only” instead of price and cart options.
Control Product Visibility
Limit who sees which products or categories based on their user role, status, or login state.
These capabilities are crucial for companies offering negotiated pricing, restricted access, or high-volume B2B products.
Key Features of Catalog Visibility Options
Let’s break down the plugin’s most impactful features and how they work.
1. Hide Prices by User Role or Login Status
With a few clicks, you can hide product prices from:
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Guest users (not logged in)
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Specific WordPress user roles (e.g., “customer”, “subscriber”, “wholesale”)
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Everyone except administrators
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Specific groups via custom roles
Instead of a price, display a custom message, such as:
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“Login to view price”
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“Price available upon request”
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“Exclusive to members”
Use Case: A wholesale supplier hides prices from non-approved users to protect pricing structure.
2. Disable Add to Cart Buttons
Turn your WooCommerce store into a catalog-only site by:
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Disabling the Add to Cart button globally
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Restricting cart access to logged-in users
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Removing purchase buttons on specific product or category pages
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Redirecting users to a contact form or pricing inquiry page
Use Case: A B2B manufacturer displays product specs publicly but requires approved customers to log in before ordering.
3. Role-Based Product and Category Visibility
Granular control lets you show or hide entire product categories depending on:
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User roles
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Logged-in vs guest status
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Custom metadata or filters (for advanced users)
This feature is especially useful for tiered membership levels or distributor networks.
Use Case: A fitness brand hides professional equipment categories from retail shoppers and only shows them to gym owners.
4. Custom Messages and Redirects
You can display fully customizable messages in place of:
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Product price
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Add to Cart button
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Restricted product content
These messages can include:
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HTML
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Shortcodes
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Dynamic links (to login, register, or contact)
Use Case: A membership-based boutique shows: “Log in or sign up to view exclusive pricing and order options.”
5. Global and Per-Product Settings
Control catalog visibility:
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Globally across your store
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Per category
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Per individual product
This flexibility means you can mix retail and wholesale offerings, or restrict certain products to specific customers.
Use Case: A company sells merchandise to the public but keeps industrial tools visible only to distributors.
6. Works with Custom User Roles
The plugin integrates with:
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WooCommerce Wholesale Suite
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User Role Editor
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Members plugin
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Custom-coded roles via theme functions
You can map pricing and catalog access to any custom group you define.
7. WooCommerce Compatible and Lightweight
Catalog Visibility Options plugin is:
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Built for WooCommerce — no need for third-party hacks
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Clean and light — minimal performance impact
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Compatible with major themes like Astra, Flatsome, OceanWP, Storefront
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Developer-friendly with filters and action hooks
Real-World Use Cases
Let’s look at how businesses use this plugin to tailor their store experience:
1. Wholesale Storefront
Scenario: Prices should only be visible to logged-in wholesale buyers.
Solution:
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Hide prices from all non-logged-in users
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Show Add to Cart only for users with the “wholesale” role
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Display message: “Apply for a wholesale account to view pricing”
Result: Reduced price transparency to the public and increased B2B conversion rate.
2. Catalog-Only Manufacturer Website
Scenario: The company doesn’t sell online but wants to showcase its product range.
Solution:
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Disable Add to Cart globally
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Remove prices
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Include downloadable spec sheets and a “Request Quote” form
Result: Professional catalog presentation without eCommerce distractions.
3. Members-Only Product Access
Scenario: Only VIP members can buy certain limited-edition products.
Solution:
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Show specific categories only to users with “VIP” role
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Hide from guest and standard users
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Use message: “This collection is exclusive to members”
Result: Created exclusivity and encouraged account upgrades.
4. Distributor Network Management
Scenario: Distributors have access to bulk order products not visible to the public.
Solution:
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Create a “distributor” user role
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Restrict categories and product access accordingly
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Enable Add to Cart only for distributor accounts
Result: Controlled sales channel and protected B2B inventory.
Benefits of Using Catalog Visibility Options
Improved Conversion Focus
Show each customer only what matters to them — improving navigation and decision-making.
Pricing Protection
Avoid exposing sensitive or negotiated pricing to the general public or competitors.
Role-Based Marketing
Deliver tailored CTAs and messaging for retail vs wholesale or guest vs member.
Professional Catalog Mode
Turn your WooCommerce site into a sleek catalog with no distractions or unnecessary buttons.
Advanced Business Models
Supports tiered access, group-based selling, and membership strategies.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
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Easy to set up, no coding needed
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Seamless integration with WooCommerce
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Highly customizable messages and logic
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Works with user role and membership plugins
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Allows full control of price, cart, and product visibility
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Developer-friendly for advanced customization
Cons:
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Does not include dynamic pricing or quote request functionality
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Requires third-party plugin for role management if not using default roles
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Not designed for complex multi-role pricing tiers (use Wholesale Suite or B2B Market extensions)
Despite a few limitations, the plugin fills a major gap in WooCommerce’s default functionality.
Pricing
The plugin is available via:
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WooCommerce.com
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Price: $79/year (1-site license)
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Includes:
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1 year of updates
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1 year of premium support
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30-day money-back guarantee
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Larger plans available for multisite and agencies.
Given its functionality, this is a highly affordable solution for catalog-based or restricted-access stores.
How to Set It Up
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Purchase and install the plugin from WooCommerce.com
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Go to WooCommerce → Settings → Products → Catalog Visibility Options
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Set global rules for:
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Hiding prices
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Disabling Add to Cart
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Showing custom messages
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Edit products/categories individually for overrides
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Customize text and redirection behavior
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Test with logged-in, guest, and role-based users
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Pair with a user role plugin for more complex role setups
Final Verdict
Catalog Visibility Options plugin is one of the most strategic WooCommerce plugins for B2B, wholesale, and membership-driven stores. It turns WooCommerce into a tailored sales platform by giving you total control over who sees what, when, and why.
Whether you want to:
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Hide prices
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Remove purchasing buttons
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Control catalog visibility
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Customize messaging by user role
This plugin gives you the power to do it — without coding or complicated workarounds.
If your store needs more control over product visibility and pricing than WooCommerce offers out of the box, Catalog Visibility Options plugin is your go-to solution.
Click here to get Catalog Visibility Options plugin for WooCommerce now!