| description | Learn how to use Locksmith's "before" and "after" date and time key conditions, including when to combine them within a single key versus adding them as separate keys. |
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Locksmith includes two key conditions for controlling access by date and time.
- Is visiting before a certain date and time
Grants access if the current time is before your chosen date. - Is visiting after a certain date and time
Grants access if the current time is after your chosen date.
These are best for one-off moments. Think launches, limited sales, or short blackout periods.
If you need a recurring weekly schedule, use a weekly schedule key. See Creating weekly schedules.
This grants access once the date and time has passed. Before that moment, access is denied.
Example use case
You're launching a collection on March 15 at 9:00 AM. Add a key that permits access after that time:
Before 9:00 AM, visitors see your lock's denial message. After 9:00 AM, the collection opens automatically.
This grants access until the date and time arrives. After that moment, access is denied.
Example use case
You're running early access that ends March 20 at midnight. Add a key that permits access before that time:
Visitors can access until the deadline. Afterwards, the lock closes automatically.
This is where AND vs OR matters. For deeper background, see combining-key-conditions.md. You can also read the overview explanation.
Here’s the rule:
- Conditions inside the same key use AND logic.
- Separate keys on the same lock use OR logic.
If you want access only between two dates, use one key. Add both conditions to that single key.
Example
Open access from March 10 at 9:00 AM. Close it March 17 at 9:00 AM.
Set up one key:
- Permit if it's after March 10 at 9:00 AM
- AND permit if it's before March 17 at 9:00 AM
Access is denied before March 10. Access is denied after March 17.
If you want to block access during a period, use two keys. No single moment can be both before a start and after an end.
Example
Block access during restocking. Restocking runs March 10 at 9:00 AM to March 17 at 9:00 AM.
Set up two keys:
- Key 1: Permit if it's before March 10 at 9:00 AM
- Key 2: OR, Permit if it's after March 17 at 9:00 AM
Before March 10, Key 1 grants access. After March 17, Key 2 grants access. During the window, neither key passes.
{% hint style="warning" %} Watch out for impossible conditions.
If you have time keys combined with "AND", and your "after" time is later than your "before" time, the key never opens. No moment can satisfy both at once. {% endhint %}
This will never work in a single combined key:
- Permit if it's after March 17
- And permit if it's before March 10
If you're trying to allow access outside a window, use two keys instead. See the OR example above.
- Open access after a single date
One key: "after [date]" - Open access until a single date
One key: "before [date]" - Open access during a window
One key: "after [start]" AND "before [end]" - Block access during a window
Two keys: "before [start]" OR "after [end]" - Recurring weekly hours
Use a weekly schedule key instead
Date and time keys use your store time zone. Set it in Shopify under Settings > General.
If you need help changing it, see Shopify’s guide: https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/intro-to-shopify/initial-setup/setup-business-settings#set-or-change-your-store-time-zone
{% content-ref url="../../basics/creating-keys.md" %} creating-keys.md {% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="../../keys/more/combining-key-conditions.md" %} combining-key-conditions.md {% endcontent-ref %}
{% content-ref url="creating-weekly-schedules.md" %} creating-weekly-schedules.md {% endcontent-ref %}