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Vendor Privacy & Security

Your store, your rules. We enforce privacy at the infrastructure level — not with cosmetic filters, but with real database-level protection that no one can inspect around.

Server-Side Enforced
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Choose How You're Discovered

Every Agora vendor selects a privacy tier that controls exactly where and how they appear across the marketplace, map, Signal bot, and API.

Marketplace

Public

Maximum visibility across every surface. Your store and products appear everywhere buyers are looking.

  • Visible on the zone map
  • Listed in shop catalog
  • Discoverable via Signal browse
  • Included in vendor counts & API
Best for: Vendors seeking maximum exposure and organic discovery from all channels.

Local

Zone-Scoped

Visible only within your specific zone. Buyers must navigate to your area to find you — like a hidden local shop.

  • Visible when your zone is selected
  • Hidden from "All Zones" views
  • Excluded from region summaries
  • Products in catalog within zone
Best for: Local artisans, neighbourhood vendors, and those who prefer organic word-of-mouth discovery.

Stealth

Hidden

Completely invisible to public discovery. Share product codes privately with your chosen buyers — like an unlisted link.

  • Hidden from map & catalog
  • Excluded from Signal browse
  • Not in any API response
  • Direct product code purchasing
Best for: Private sellers, invitation-only vendors, wholesale accounts, and trade-only relationships.

Exactly Where You Appear

A detailed breakdown of every surface in the Agora ecosystem and how each privacy tier interacts with it.

Surface Marketplace Local Stealth
Shop catalog (all zones) Visible Hidden Hidden
Shop catalog (specific zone) Visible Your zone only Hidden
Zone map pins Visible Your zone only Hidden
Vendor counts & region totals Counted Zone counts only Excluded
Signal bot "browse" Visible Visible Hidden
Vendor API responses Returned Zone queries only Never returned
Direct purchase (product code) Works Works Works
Browser DevTools inspection Data present Not in payload Not in payload

How We Protect Your Privacy

We don't hide vendors with CSS tricks or JavaScript filters. Privacy is enforced at the database layer — your data never leaves the server if it shouldn't.

Database-Level Enforcement

Privacy filters are built into our materialized views — the database queries themselves exclude hidden vendors. This isn't a UI toggle; the data is structurally absent from any query result that shouldn't include it.

No Client-Side Leaks

When your privacy tier restricts visibility, your vendor data is never sent to the browser. Even someone inspecting network traffic with developer tools will find no trace of hidden vendors in any API response or page payload.

Real-Time Refresh

Our materialized views are refreshed regularly and on-demand. When you change your privacy tier, the change propagates across all surfaces — map, catalog, API, and Signal bot — within minutes.

Seller Status Checks

Even beyond privacy tiers, we verify seller account status on every query. If a seller is suspended, their products are automatically hidden from all discovery surfaces regardless of their privacy setting.

Unlisted Link Model

Stealth vendors can still sell via direct product codes — like an unlisted video on YouTube. Share your PRD-XXXX codes privately with chosen buyers, and they can purchase directly without your store ever appearing publicly.

Auditable & Transparent

Our privacy enforcement is built on open, inspectable database views — not black-box algorithms. We can demonstrate exactly how your data is protected at every layer of the stack.

Changing Your Privacy Level

Adjusting your privacy tier is straightforward. Changes take effect across all marketplace surfaces within minutes.

1

Open Your Seller Dashboard

Navigate to your Vendor Dashboard and sign in with your seller credentials. Your current privacy tier is displayed at the top of your profile section.

2

Select Your Privacy Tier

Under Store Settings, find the Privacy Level selector. Choose between Marketplace, Local, or Stealth. A preview will show you exactly what changes.

3

Confirm & Save

Review the visibility summary for your chosen tier, then confirm. The system will update your store's visibility across all surfaces.

4

Verify the Change

Within a few minutes, check the shop catalog and map to confirm your new visibility. For stealth vendors: try browsing the catalog and confirm your store doesn't appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone find my stealth store by guessing product codes?
Product codes use a randomised format (PRD-XXXX) that makes guessing impractical. While a code that is shared will work for purchasing, there is no way to enumerate or brute-force discover valid codes. Your stealth store itself never appears in any listing or search result.
If I switch from Marketplace to Stealth, what happens to existing orders?
Existing orders are unaffected — they're already recorded in the system. Changing your privacy tier only affects future discovery. Buyers who already have your product codes can still purchase from you.
Does "Local" mean only people physically in my zone can see me?
Not geographically — anyone can navigate to your zone on the map or select it from the zone list. "Local" means you only appear when someone is actively browsing your specific zone, not when they're viewing all zones or the full region. It's about intentional discovery rather than physical proximity.
Can Agora administrators see my store even in Stealth mode?
Yes — platform administrators retain access for moderation and support purposes. However, admin access is logged and audited. Your stealth status only affects public-facing discovery surfaces (catalog, map, API, Signal bot). Admin tools operate on the underlying data, not the public views.
How quickly does a privacy change take effect?
Changes propagate within minutes. The materialized view that powers the vendor directory is refreshed on a regular schedule and can also be triggered on-demand after privacy changes. Live catalog views update instantly as they query in real time.
Is my privacy enforced on Signal as well as the website?
Yes. The Signal browse command queries the same database views with the same privacy filters. Stealth vendors will never appear in Signal browse results. Direct purchasing via "buy PRD-XXXX" still works if the buyer has a valid product code.
What if I'm suspended? Does privacy tier matter?
No — if your seller account is suspended, your products are hidden from all discovery surfaces regardless of your privacy tier. Seller status checks are enforced at the database level alongside privacy filters. Both conditions must be met for visibility.