When running a Shopify store, have you ever struggled with wanting to prevent customers from purchasing "this product" and "that product" together? Various shipping conditions or inventory management needs can create a requirement to restrict specific products. Using bundle restrictions is extremely important for resolving challenges like these.
In this article, we'll explain in detail the recommended Shopify apps for bundle control, how to set up bundle control using each app, and even some advanced settings.
What Is Bundle Control (Bundle Restrictions)?
"Bundling" refers to putting multiple products together in a single box. In this article, "bundling" means combining multiple products in a Shopify store's cart into a single order.
On the other hand, "bundle control (bundle restrictions)" refers to a mechanism that prevents products with different shipping timing or conditions from being placed in the cart together and ordered at the same time. This makes it possible to configure specific products so that customers cannot purchase them at the same time.
Recommended Shopify Apps for Bundle Restrictions
RuffRuff Order Limits
RuffRuff Order Limits is a Shopify app that lets you implement quantity limits, amount limits, weight limits, bundle limits, customer limits, payment limits, delivery limits, and access limits — all within a single app.
You can specify the products you want to apply bundle restrictions to directly, by collection, or by product tag. In addition, you can choose from 5 restriction methods, enabling flexible bundle restrictions.
Bundle Controls You Can Achieve with RuffRuff Order Limits
Products in the Same Rule Can Be Bundled
Products set as eligible items within the same rule can be purchased together. This is a bundle control in which products outside the rule cannot be purchased at the same time.
Products from the Same Vendor Can Be Bundled
Eligible items from the same vendor can be purchased together. This is a bundle control in which products from a different vendor cannot be purchased at the same time.
Variations Within the Same Product Can Be Bundled
If an eligible item has variations A and B, A and B can be purchased at the same time. This is a bundle control in which products other than those variations cannot be purchased at the same time.
Individual Purchase Only
Items can only be purchased individually. This is a bundle control in which the item cannot be purchased at the same time as other variations or products.
No Individual Purchase Allowed
Items cannot be purchased individually and must be purchased together with other variations or products. This is the "Complementary" bundle limit level.
RuffRuff Pre-Orders
RuffRuff Pre-Orders is a Shopify app that lets you easily set up pre-orders with simple settings. Beyond pre-orders, it also lets you implement limited-time sales, VIP-member-only sales, early-bird discounts, launch announcements, deferred payment, purchase restrictions, and quantity limits — all within a single app. Of course, it can also handle bundle control.
Bundle Controls You Can Achieve with RuffRuff Pre-Orders
Pre-Order Items Can Be Bundled
Pre-order items can be purchased together with each other, but this is a bundle control in which pre-order items and regular items cannot be purchased at the same time.
Pre-Order Items Within the Same Rule Can Be Bundled
Pre-order items within the same rule can be purchased together with each other, but this is a bundle control in which pre-order items under different rules cannot be purchased at the same time.
Cannot Be Bundled with Other Products
This is a bundle control in which a pre-order item cannot be purchased at the same time as other products.
How to Implement Bundle Restrictions with RuffRuff Order Limits
This section introduces the steps for using RuffRuff Order Limits to implement a "bundle restriction that prevents an item from being purchased together with other products."
Step 1. Install the App
(1) Install RuffRuff Order Limits from the Shopify App Store
You can find "RuffRuff Order Limits" by searching for "ruffruff" in the Shopify App Store. Or you can install it from the URL below.
Install RuffRuff Order Limits here
Step 2. Subscribe to a Paid Plan
Using the app may require a paid plan. Subscribe to an appropriate app plan based on your business scale and required features.
(1) Open the app and select "Pricing Plans" from the left menu
(2) Click "Change Plan" for the plan you want to subscribe to
(3) Review the plan details and click "Approve"
Step 3. Enable the App Embed in Your Shopify Theme
Enable the app embed in your Shopify theme. This allows control of the quantity picker and the display of product messages, among other things.
(1) Go to "Online Store" from the Shopify admin
(2) Select "Themes" and click "Customize"
(3) Select "App embeds" on the left side of the screen
(4) Enable the app embed named "RuffRuff Order Limits"
(5) Click "Save"
Step 4. Create a Bundle Rule
Once you've upgraded your plan, set up a bundle rule. Use the bundle rule to define "what kind of bundle restriction to apply to a specific product."
(1) Select "Bundle rules" in the app
(2) Click "Create rule"
(3) Enter any name you like in "Rule name"
(4) Select "Individual" for Bundle limit level
(5) Select the products (or collections) you want to apply the bundle restriction to in Eligible items
(6) Add any desired content to the product message and alert message
(7) Click "Save"
Step 5. Run a Functional Test
Access the product you configured with the bundle rule in Step 4 and check whether the bundle restriction is working as intended.
Test 1. Access the Product Subject to the Bundle Restriction
Access the product and check whether the product message set in the bundle rule is displayed.
Test 2. Add a Non-Bundlable Product to the Cart
Since we've implemented a bundle control that "cannot be purchased at the same time as other products," add the product subject to the bundle restriction to your cart, then try to add another product to the cart, and check whether an alert message is displayed.
How to Set Up Other Bundle Restrictions with RuffRuff Order Limits
The previous section introduced how to set up a bundle rule for "a bundle restriction that prevents a product from being purchased together with other products." Here, we'll introduce various other ways to set up bundle restrictions (mainly different Bundle limit level settings).
Variations Within a Product Can Be Bundled
This setting allows variations included in the same product to be bundled together.
For example, if Apparel Product A (with color variations red, yellow, and blue) and Apparel Product B (with color variations purple, brown, and gray) exist, this setting lets you allow red and yellow of Apparel Product A to be purchased together, while preventing red of Apparel Product A and purple of Apparel Product B from being purchased together.
To configure this, go to Limit details > Bundle limit level > check "Same product" and save.
The demo product below has the same setting applied, so please use it as a reference.
Products Within the Same Collection Can Be Bundled
This introduces how to configure products included in the same collection so they can be bundled together.
For example, if you have a Hardware collection that groups game consoles and a Software collection that groups games, this setting lets products within the Hardware collection be purchased together, while restricting products in the Hardware collection from being purchased together with products in the Software collection.
To configure this, go to Limit details > Bundle limit level > check "Within rule," set the collection you want to restrict in Eligible items, and save.
The demo product below has the same setting applied, so please use it as a reference.
Products from the Same Vendor Can Be Bundled
This introduces how to configure things so that, among products included in the same collection, only products from the same vendor can be bundled together.
For example, if you have a collection that groups hardware products, this setting allows the iPad and iPhone to be purchased together because they share the same vendor, Apple Inc., while restricting the iPad and Kindle from being purchased together because they have different vendors.
To configure this, go to Limit details > Bundle limit level > check "Same vendor," set the collection you want to restrict in Eligible items, and save.
Restriction That Prevents a Product from Being Purchased on Its Own
This is a setting where a specific product cannot be purchased unless it's purchased together with another product.
To configure this, go to Limit details > Bundle limit level > check "Complementary," set the eligible items, and save.
The demo product below has the same setting applied, so please use it as a reference.
Troubleshooting When RuffRuff Order Limits Bundle Restrictions Don't Work
Cause 1. Not Upgraded to a Paid Plan
You need to subscribe to the Lite plan to use the app.
Upgrading to the Lite plan is required even for development stores.
Cause 2. You're Checking the Product in "Preview Mode" or the "Theme Editor"
The product preview only reflects the state at the moment the preview button was pressed. For example, if you change a setting in the app after pressing the preview button and then refresh your browser, the change will not be reflected on the preview page — please be aware of this. If this is the issue, reopen the preview page or check in the live environment.
Cause 3. The App Embed Is Not Enabled
If this is the case, please access your Shopify theme editor, enable the app embed, and check again.
Cause 4. The Rule Is Not Enabled
If this is the case, check the status of the relevant rule on the rules screen. If the Status is "Disabled," change it to "Enabled" and check again.
Cause 5. The Collection Linked to the Rule Is Not Published
To apply an order restriction to products within a collection, the collection itself must be published.
Please publish the relevant collection and check again.
Cause 6. Reflecting Changes Is Taking Time Due to Caching
Changes may take time to be reflected due to Shopify's own caching feature. If this is the case, please wait a while and check again.
Cause 7. checkout.liquid Has Been Customized
If checkout.liquid has been customized, this app cannot be used because it's incompatible with the Shopify Functions this app relies on.
Reference page: Customizing and Replacing the Thank You Page and Order Status Page | Shopify Help Center
How to Implement Bundle Restrictions with RuffRuff Pre-Orders
This section introduces the steps for using RuffRuff Pre-Orders to implement a "bundle restriction where only pre-order items can be purchased together with each other, and regular items cannot be purchased together with pre-order items."
The page below is a demo product that actually has bundle control applied. Please use it as a reference.
[Demo] Bundle Control (Simultaneous Order Restriction) | RuffRuff Pre-Orders
Step 1. Install the App
(1) Install RuffRuff Pre-Orders from the Shopify App Store
You can find "RuffRuff Pre-Orders" by searching for "ruffruff" in the Shopify App Store. Or you can install it from the URL below.
Install RuffRuff Pre-Orders here
Step 2. Subscribe to a Paid Plan
Using the app may require a paid plan. Subscribe to an appropriate app plan based on your business scale and required features.
(1) Open the app and select "Pricing Plans" from the left menu
(2) Review the terms of service and check "I agree to the terms of service"
(3) Click "Change Plan" for the plan you want to subscribe to
(4) Review the plan details and click "Approve"
Step 3. Create a Pre-Order Rule
Once you've subscribed to a paid plan, first create a pre-order rule.
(1) Click "Pre-order rules" in the left menu
(2) Click "Create rule" from the pre-order rules list page
(3) Fill in the required fields on the pre-order rule detail page
Since we're using the "Always pre-order" setting this time, please enter only the "Rule name" and "Cart button text."
(4) Click "Save" in the upper right of the screen
Step 4. Apply the Pre-Order Rule to the Products You Want to Sell as Pre-Orders
Apply the pre-order rule you created in Step 3 to the products you want to sell as pre-orders, turning them into pre-order items.
(1) Click "Pre-order products" in the left menu
(2) Select the products you want to apply the pre-order rule to from the pre-order products list page
(3) Click "Apply rule," which appears at the bottom of the screen
(4) Select the pre-order rule you want to apply from the pop-up that appears
(5) Click "Apply"
Step 5. Configure Bundle Control
Finally, configure the bundle control settings.
(1) Click "Order limits" in the left menu
(2) In the "Simultaneous order restriction" section, select how strict the restriction should be from the restriction level
(3) Under the restriction on the product page, check "Enable restriction"
(4) Enter any message you like in the Alert message field
(5) Click "Save" in the upper right of the screen
Step 6. Run a Functional Test
Access the product to which you applied the pre-order rule in Step 4, and check whether the bundle restriction is working as intended.
Test 1. Access the Pre-Order Item
Access the product and check whether the cart button and product message are displayed as configured in the pre-order rule.
Test 2. Add a Non-Bundlable Product to the Cart
Since we've implemented a bundle restriction "where only pre-order items can be purchased together with each other, and regular items cannot be purchased together with pre-order items," add a regular item to your cart, then try to add a pre-order item to the cart, and check whether an alert message is displayed.
How to Set Up Other Bundle Restrictions with RuffRuff Pre-Orders
The previous section introduced how to set up a bundle restriction "where only pre-order items can be purchased together with each other, and regular items cannot be purchased together with pre-order items." Here, we'll introduce various other ways to set up bundle restrictions.
Only Pre-Order Items in the Same Rule Can Be Bundled
This setting allows only pre-order items to which the same pre-order rule is applied to be purchased together.
To configure this, go to the Order limits page, select "Allow only pre-order items in the same rule" from the restriction level in the Simultaneous order restriction section, and save.
Cannot Be Bundled with Other Pre-Order Items Either
This setting prevents the item from being purchased together with other pre-order items as well.
To configure this, go to the Order limits page, select "Do not allow" from the restriction level in the Simultaneous order restriction section, and save.
Troubleshooting When RuffRuff Pre-Orders Bundle Restrictions Don't Work
Cause 1. Not Upgraded to a Paid Plan
You need to subscribe to the Lite plan to use the app.
Upgrading to the Lite plan is required even for development stores.
Cause 2. You're Checking the Product in "Preview Mode" or the "Theme Editor"
The product preview only reflects the state at the moment the preview button was pressed. For example, if you change a setting in the app after pressing the preview button and then refresh your browser, the change will not be reflected on the preview page — please be aware of this. If this is the issue, reopen the preview page or check in the live environment.
Cause 3. The App Embed Is Not Enabled
If this is the case, please access your Shopify theme editor, enable the app embed, and check again.
Cause 4. Reflecting Changes Is Taking Time Due to Caching
Changes may take time to be reflected due to Shopify's own caching feature. If this is the case, please wait a while and check again.
Cause 5. You Haven't Checked the Page to Restrict
In RuffRuff Pre-Orders, you need to check the pages on which to apply the bundle restriction. If this is the case, go to the Order limits page, check the checkbox for the pages on which you want to apply the bundle restriction, and check again.
In Conclusion
Bundle control is an essential feature for guiding a Shopify store to success. To improve the customer experience, flexible bundle restrictions based on shipping conditions and inventory management are indispensable. Using the methods introduced in this article as a reference, try building the optimal bundle rules for your own store's operating policy and product characteristics.
Ultimately, by making effective use of bundle control, you can achieve efficient store operations and improved customer satisfaction at the same time. We encourage you to put this into practice!
