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Signup Secret Codes

Menu Location: Customers > Settings > Signup Secret Codes

Last Updated: 2026-07-26

Overview

If you have turned off new customer signups completely (the "Disable Sign-ups Completely" setting), Signup Secret Codes let you still let a specific person or group create an account. You create a secret code with an expiration date, then send that person the generated signup link. Anyone who visits that link is let past the signup block, even while signups are disabled for everyone else.

These codes have no effect when signups are not disabled. They exist only to punch a hole through the "signups completely disabled" block.

Primary Functions:

  • Create a secret access code with an expiration date
  • Get a ready-to-send signup link tied to that code
  • Let invited people sign up while signups are otherwise disabled storewide

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Page Title: "Signup Secret Codes"
  • Add New: button to create a new code

Secret Codes Table

Displays existing codes with columns:

  • Secret Code: the code text
  • Created: when the code was created
  • Expires: when the code stops working
  • Signup Link: a read-only field containing the full signup URL for this code (.../sign-up?sc=CODE), click to select and copy
  • Actions: Edit, Delete (standard admin list actions)

Creating Secret Codes

Create New Code

Steps:

  1. Click Add New
  2. Enter the code fields (see below)
  3. Save
  4. Copy the value from the Signup Link column and send it to the person or group you want to allow through

Code Fields

Secret Code

  • The text that becomes part of the signup URL (?sc=)
  • Letters and numbers only, no spaces or special characters (anything else is stripped automatically on save)

Created

  • Date/time the code was created

Expires

  • Date/time the code stops working
  • Once this passes, anyone using the link sees "Sorry, the code does not exist or has expired!" and is not let through

Managing Secret Codes

Edit Existing Code

  1. Find the code in the table
  2. Click Edit
  3. Update the secret code text, created date, or expiration date
  4. Save

Delete Code

  1. Find the code in the table
  2. Click Delete
  3. Confirm

There is no separate "disable" option, just editing the expiration to a past date or deleting the row.

How It Works For The Customer

  • If signups are not disabled storewide, this page has no effect on the signup flow.
  • If signups ARE disabled and someone visits the signup page with ?sc=CODE, and that code exists and has not expired, they are let through to sign up normally. This is remembered for the rest of their session, so they do not need to keep the ?sc= parameter on every page.
  • If the code is missing or expired, they are shown an error page and are not let through.
  • Anyone without a valid code is redirected to the new-customer waitlist page while signups are disabled.

Troubleshooting

Code Not Working for a Customer

Check:

  1. Is signups actually disabled right now? If not, the code was never needed and normal signup should already work.
  2. Is the code spelled exactly right in the link (letters/numbers only)?
  3. Has the code's expiration date passed?

Solutions:

  1. Confirm the current signup-disabled setting
  2. Re-send the exact Signup Link value from the table (do not retype it by hand)
  3. Edit the code and extend the expiration date if it has passed
  • Route/Signup Settings - where "Disable Sign-ups Completely" is turned on and off (kiv/print_labels.php)

FAQs

Do these codes give a discount or special pricing?

No. The signup_secret_codes table only stores a code, a created date, and an expiration date. There is no discount, usage limit, or eligibility configuration on this page.

What do these codes actually do?

They are only checked when signups are disabled storewide. A valid, unexpired code lets that visitor through to the normal signup flow instead of being redirected to the waitlist page.

Can I limit how many people use a code?

No. There is no usage-count or usage-limit field. A code works for anyone who has the link until it expires or is deleted.

Can I see who signed up with a given code?

No. The table does not record which signups came from which code, only the code itself and its expiration.

Open this page, find the code's row, and copy the value from the Signup Link column. It already includes the ?sc= parameter.

Change Log

2026-07-26

  • Rewritten against actual code: kiv/admin-edit.php (case 'signup_secret_codes'), kiv/database_schema/signup_secret_codes.sql, and the code-check logic in sign-up.php. Removed discount, usage-limit, eligibility, status, reporting, and export features that do not exist on this page.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.