ZonifyGeo blocking
Shopify Geo Blocking
Geo blocking means limiting who can use your store based on where they are. On Shopify, Zonify does it at country level: block the countries you can't serve, or allow only the ones you ship to. This page explains what geo blocking can and can't do, and what to check before you switch it on.
Free to install · No code · Nothing is blocked until you add a rule
Whole countries
Block some, or allow only a short list.
No code
One app embed. No theme edits.
Know the law first
The EU limits geo blocking between EU countries.
What geo blocking means for a Shopify store
Geo blocking, or a geographic restriction, is any rule that treats visitors differently based on their location. It can mean limiting shipping, sending visitors to another store, or keeping them out of the store altogether.
Shopify gives you part of this already. Shopify Markets and your shipping settings decide where you sell and deliver, but they don't stop anyone from opening your store. Zonify adds the missing part: visitors from countries you don't serve are turned away on the storefront, with your message or a redirect.
Three ways to restrict a Shopify store by location
Shopify Markets and shipping
Decide where you sell and which addresses checkout accepts. Everyone can still browse the store.
A theme code snippet
Can redirect some countries, but it lives in the theme, can break when the theme changes, and keeps no record of who was redirected.
A country blocker app
Keeps visitors from the countries you choose off the storefront, and records every visit it turned away. This is what the Zonify country blocker does.
Geo blocking with Zonify: whole countries, no code
Block or allow countries
Block the countries you choose, or allow only a short list and block everywhere else. Pick from 243 countries and regions.
A message or a redirect
Blocked visitors see your message, or go to a page you choose. Each country can have a redirect of its own.
IP rules alongside
Block single addresses wherever they are. See how IP blocking works.
A record of every blocked visit
Analytics shows the country, the address, the device and the rule that decided, for up to 90 days.
How Zonify tells where a visitor is
Many geo blocking tools look up the visitor's IP address in a location database. Zonify doesn't. It reads the country from the visitor's browser: its time zone first, then its language. It makes no outside lookups.
The trade-off is accuracy. Browser settings can be changed, and a traveller's device may still use their home time zone. When the country can't be told, the visitor is let through. That's why geo blocking with Zonify is for deciding where you sell, not for security.
Zonify works on whole countries only. It can't block a state, a region or a city, and it doesn't detect VPNs.
Check the rules where you sell
Geo blocking is allowed in most places, but some laws limit it. If you sell to consumers in the European Union, the EU's Geo-blocking Regulation generally stops you from blocking shoppers in other EU countries, or redirecting them without their consent, because of where they live. There are exceptions, for example when another law requires the block. Consumer protection and anti-discrimination laws can apply too.
Zonify gives you the switches. Whether a rule is lawful for your store is your decision, as our Terms of Service explain. If you're unsure, ask a lawyer before blocking countries inside the EU.
Good to know
What geo blocking on Shopify can't do
We list the limits before you install, so nothing about how Zonify works comes as a surprise later.
The first page shows for a moment
Shopify sends the page before any app can check the visitor, so on a first visit the block appears about a second later.
Checkout isn't covered
Zonify runs on your online store's pages. Shopify Markets and your shipping settings still control checkout.
Search engines are visitors too
Crawlers that run scripts, like Google's, are checked by your country rules like any visitor. Bot rules never block a verified Googlebot, but block the country a crawler appears to come from and it may see your block page.
Questions
Geo blocking questions
Can't find your answer? More answers are in the Zonify FAQ, or contact us and we'll reply.
Is geo blocking the same as country blocking?
Country blocking is one kind of geo blocking. Geo blocking can also mean restricting by region or city. Zonify works on whole countries only.
Does Zonify use IP geolocation?
No. Zonify reads the country from the browser's time zone and language, not from a location database. It does record IP addresses, and you can block exact addresses with IP rules.
Can I redirect visitors from one country to another store?
Yes. Set a redirect on a country rule, and blocked visitors from that country see your message for a moment, then go to the web address you chose. Each country can have its own redirect. Inside the EU, check the Geo-blocking Regulation first: redirecting shoppers without their consent can be restricted.