Keyword TM: Automatically Flag or Block Restricted Keywords
In order to comply with legal requirements and avoid posting items with unwanted or trademarked terms, MerchFoxShop provides a Keyword TM feature. This function scans product titles for any user-defined “banned” or “trademarked” keywords. If it detects a match, the product will automatically be marked as inactive, preventing it from appearing in your live store.
This article covers:
- What the Keyword TM menu is
- How to add new keywords or phrases
- What happens when a product title matches these keywords
- How to manage flagged or inactive products
1. What Is the Keyword TM Feature?
Keyword TM is a dedicated menu found within your Products section in the MerchFoxShop dashboard. Its main purpose is to:
- Identify Prohibited or Trademarked Terms: If you enter terms like brand names or any restricted words, the system will look for them in your product titles.
- Automatically Manage Product Status: When there’s a match, the product is marked inactive to prevent accidental or intentional misuse of these keywords.
- Why This Matters: This helps protect you from potential legal violations or policy breaches, as well as maintain a safe and compliant store environment.
2. Adding Keywords to the Keyword TM Menu
Access the Keyword TM Menu
- From your MerchFoxShop dashboard, go to Products → Keyword TM.
- You’ll see a list (potentially empty at first) of currently monitored keywords.
Add New Keyword or Phrase
- Click Add Keyword (or a similar button).
- Type the keyword you want the system to flag (e.g., a brand name, slang, or inappropriate words).
- Click Add keywork to confirm.
Use Phrases if Necessary
- You can add multi-word phrases, e.g. “Harry Potter” or “Disney Characters”.
- The system will treat these just like single keywords and flag any product whose title contains that exact phrase.
Tip: Be mindful of variations or misspellings if you want to ensure thorough coverage (e.g., “Coca-Cola,” “Coke,” “Koka-Kola,” etc.).
3. How the System Flags Products
Monitoring Product Titles
- Whenever you create or edit a product in MerchFoxShop, the platform compares your product title against all entries in the Keyword TM list.
- If a match is found (even partial matches within the title), the product is automatically set to inactive.
Inactive Product State
- Once a product is inactive, it won’t show up in your storefront or be purchasable.
- You can see the Inactive status in the product list, typically marked with a tag or color indicator.
Notifications or Alerts
- Depending on your account settings, you may receive an email or dashboard notification when a product is flagged.
- This allows you to quickly address the issue if it was unintentional or correct the title if it contains the restricted term in error.
4. Managing Flagged or Inactive Products
Review the Product Title
- Navigate to Products / All Products → Inactive (or wherever your flagged products are listed).
- Click on the product to open its details.
- Identify the keyword match that triggered the inactive status.
Remove or Revise the Restricted Keyword
- If the keyword is there by mistake, you can remove or replace it with an acceptable alternative.
- Save your changes.
- Re-Activate the Product
Once you’ve updated the title, you can manually set the product to active again if the banned term is no longer present.
In some setups, re-activation might be automatic once the offending keyword is removed; check your MerchFoxShop settings or documentation to confirm.
Pro Tip: For legitimate use cases, you may consider editing or removing that keyword from your Keyword TM list—but do so carefully. Only remove truly necessary entries to maintain store compliance.
5. Best Practices & Tips
- Regularly Audit Your Keywords: Over time, you may need to add or remove terms from the Keyword TM list based on new trademarks, expired licenses, or changing brand guidelines.
- Check for Alternate Spellings: If you want to thoroughly protect your store, consider adding common misspellings (e.g., “Starbuks” for “Starbucks”).
- Communicate with Your Team: If multiple staff members are creating products, ensure everyone understands the purpose of Keyword TM and avoids using flagged words.
- Stay Compliant: Keep track of any local or international regulations that might mandate the banning of specific terms or categories (e.g., certain medical claims, adult content, etc.).
6. Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a product is already live and I add a new keyword afterward?
- The system only checks when creating a new product and the Keywork TM list is available. Products added before the keyword is entered will not be checked. Please check and inactive manually.
Can I allow exceptions for certain products?
- At this time, there’s usually no “whitelist” function. If a keyword is in your Keyword TM list, the product title containing it will be flagged, no matter what. You can temporarily remove the keyword from Keyword TM if you really need an exception. Or you can go to edit product, select Active product manually.
Does Keyword TM check other product fields besides the title (e.g., description)?
- By default, Keyword TM primarily scans the product title. Future updates or advanced settings might allow checking descriptions, tags, or other fields.
Is there a limit to how many keywords I can add?
- Most MerchFoxShop plans allow a generous number of entries, but if you encounter limits, consult your plan details or contact support.
Can customers see that a product is flagged due to a keyword?
- No. Flagged products remain inactive and invisible to customers. They won’t see any notices or know the product was flagged.
Conclusion
The Keyword TM menu offers a simple yet powerful way to ensure your store remains compliant and free of unwanted or trademark-infringing terms. By automatically inactivating products that contain flagged keywords, MerchFoxShop helps protect you from potential legal issues, intellectual property disputes, or policy violations.
Ready to Get Started?
- Navigate to Products → Keyword TM in your MerchFoxShop admin.
- Add the trademark or banned terms you want to monitor.
- Rest easy knowing your store is proactively filtering out problematic listings.
For more information on advanced configurations or troubleshooting, visit the MerchFoxShop Help Center or contact our Support Team. We’re always here to help your store stay safe and compliant!
