> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.auctionplusapp.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.auctionplusapp.com/products-and-checkout/restricting-purchases-for-auction-products.md).

# Restricting Purchases for Auction Products

When a product is on auction, Auction Plus attempts to automatically remove the "Add to Cart" button from the product page so customers can only participate through bidding. However, there are a few additional steps you should take to ensure full purchase restriction.

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## What Auction Plus Does Automatically

When auctions are enabled on a product, Auction Plus:

* **Removes the "Add to Cart" button** from the product page.
* **Replaces it with the bidding form** so customers can place bids instead of purchasing directly.

This works out of the box on most Shopify themes, however some themes may require additional adjustments to fully restrict purchases.

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## Additional Steps for Full Restriction

Before running an auction campaign, we recommend reviewing the following areas to ensure customers can only purchase through the auction process:

### 1. Sales Channels

Ensure auction products are only published to the **Online Store** sales channel. If a product is also published to other channels (Shop, Facebook, Instagram, Google, etc.), customers could purchase it through those channels and bypass the auction.

To check and update sales channels:

1. Open the product in your **Shopify admin**.
2. Scroll to the **Publishing** section.
3. Remove the product from all sales channels except **Online Store** and optionally **Point of Sale** if you want to allow in-person purchases.
4. Click **Save**.

### 2. Third-Party App Conflicts

Some Shopify apps may add their own "Add to Cart" functionality that can conflict with Auction Plus. Common cases include:

* **Wishlist apps** that include "Add to Cart" buttons on wishlist pages.
* **Sticky cart or quick-buy apps** that add floating cart buttons.
* **Product recommendation apps** that show "Add to Cart" on recommended product cards.

If you notice customers can still add auction products to their cart, check whether any installed apps are adding cart functionality. Disable or configure those apps to exclude auction products, or contact our support team for help resolving any issues.

### 3. Theme-Specific Issues

Some Shopify themes display "Add to Cart" buttons on collection pages, quick-view modals, or other locations that Auction Plus may not control. If you see this happening in your theme, contact our support team for help with theme-specific adjustments.

* **Email:** <support@auctionplusapp.com>

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## Next Steps

* Learn how to remove auctions from products in [Removing Auctions from Storefront](/products-and-checkout/removing-auctions-from-storefront.md).