Platform Selection
Part of International ecommerce platform capabilities
Checking regional product availability rules
Check regional product rules across search, direct links, cart, checkout and staff orders before launching a market.
Check regional product availability wherever a customer can find or order an item. A product removed from a category may still appear in search and direct links, so test it rather than assume it is hidden. Start with a country-by-product rule, then test each customer and staff path against it.
State the intended result for each market
Choose an item sold everywhere, one sold only in Australia, one offered in a single overseas market and a product with a variant needing special attention. For each destination, state whether the item should be visible, purchasable and deliverable. These are separate outcomes: catalogue controls do not, by themselves, establish delivery eligibility or staff-order policy.
| Scenario | Expected customer result | Separate check |
|---|---|---|
| Included product | Appears in search and can be ordered | Delivery at the chosen address |
| Excluded product | Has no purchase path in that market | Direct URL and saved basket |
| Market change | Shows the correct assortment | Existing basket and checkout |
| Staff-created order | Follows the merchant's policy | Whether the platform enforces that restriction |
Check the rule the platform applies
Check Shopify Markets configuration in the Shopify admin. Confirm which products are included or excluded for each market, and how the storefront, search and unavailable product pages behave there. Check whether the same rules apply to draft orders or staff-created orders in your setup; treat these as configuration questions, not assumptions.
BigCommerce Multi-Storefront ties carts, checkouts, customers, orders and category trees to a channel. When testing a market, confirm the cart or checkout uses the correct channel_id, the category tree assigned to that channel is the one customers see, and orders and customer records carry that storefront's channel-specific information. If a product does not appear, check that channel's configuration alongside category merchandising.
Follow exceptions through the journey
Open each example product in every target market using navigation, search and a saved direct URL. Change country after adding an item to a basket, then enter the delivery address. Check what happens to excluded items and whether the customer receives a clear explanation. Repeat with a staff-created order if staff can order for customers.
Review feeds and promotions separately so an unavailable product is not advertised as purchasable in that market. Record temporary stock unavailability separately from a standing regional exclusion so staff can act on the right cause.
