> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.violet.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.violet.io/prism/merchants/configuration/offer-publishing-and-visibility.md).

# Offer publishing and visibility

Two settings on the [catalog settings resource](/prism/merchants/merchant-configuration-resources.md#catalog-settings) control what happens to a merchant's offers as they sync: whether they publish automatically, and whether their visibility is forced on.

## Publish offers automatically

`auto_publish_offers` controls whether offers go live as soon as they sync.

* **Enabled**: offers are published as soon as they are created or updated by a sync, so they go live without further action.
* **Disabled**: offers still sync but stay unpublished until someone publishes them. Use this when a review step is wanted before new products can be sold.

{% hint style="info" %}
The default is **enabled**: a merchant with no explicit value for this setting auto-publishes. The exception is merchants who connect through an app configured to keep new offers unpublished by default. They start with this setting disabled, whatever their platform.
{% endhint %}

To keep specific tags or vendors unpublished while everything else auto-publishes, use an [exclusion rule](/prism/merchants/configuration/exclusion-rules.md) with `unpublished` instead of turning auto-publishing off for the whole merchant.

## Offer visibility override

`truify_offer_visibility` forces every offer for the merchant to be visible each time the catalog syncs, overriding whatever visibility the merchant set on their platform. It applies at sync time, so it re-applies on every sync.

{% hint style="warning" %}
This setting is stored per merchant, but only channel and admin tokens can change it. Merchant tokens attempting to set it receive `403 Forbidden`, whether through this resource or the global feature flag endpoint.
{% endhint %}

## Updating the settings

Both settings support partial updates:

```
PATCH /merchants/{merchant_id}/catalog-settings
Content-Type: application/merge-patch+json
```

```json
{
  "auto_publish_offers": false
}
```

Field definitions and the read endpoint are in [Merchant Configuration Resources](/prism/merchants/merchant-configuration-resources.md#catalog-settings).

## Related

* [How catalog rules work](/prism/merchants/configuration/how-catalog-rules-work.md) covers the rule types that decide what syncs and what sells.
* [Exclusion rules](/prism/merchants/configuration/exclusion-rules.md) can hold specific products unpublished without changing this merchant-wide default.


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://docs.violet.io/prism/merchants/configuration/offer-publishing-and-visibility.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
