How to set up limiting the display time for items in the store

You can set the display period for an items in the store to:

  • maintain the relevance of the catalog at a given time, for example, during holiday sales
  • create an item in advance without displaying it in the catalog
  • motivate users to buy items by displaying a timer next to the item
Note
When you create a catalog interface using Site Builder, the timer is displayed automatically. When you create a catalog in your own interface, you need to implement the timer.

Limiting the display time is available for the following item types:

  • virtual items
  • virtual currency and virtual currency packages
  • bundels
Note
For virtual items, virtual currency packages and bundles, configuration is available through the Publisher Account and using API calls. For virtual currency, configuration is available using API calls only.

To set a time limit for displaying a virtual currency, virtual currency packages and bundles in the store via Publisher Account, select Time period and specify the time zone, the beginning, and end of the period. To not indicate the end of the item display period, check the No end date box.

Note
After creating a virtual item, virtual currency, or virtual currency package, you can set statuses for the item to determine whether it is available, unavailable, or partially available.

To set a time limit for displaying an items in the store via API, use:

Pass following parameters to the item creation or item update API call:

  • periods[0].date_from with the date and time of the beginning of item display period in YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss±TMZ format, where TMZ is the time zone indicator in hh:mm GMT format
  • periods[0].date_until with the date and time of the end of the item display period in YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss±TMZ format, where TMZ is the time zone indicator in hh:mm GMT format. To not indicate the end of an item's display period, pass null

You can set up multiple periods for displaying an item in the store. To do this, pass an array of objects with the start and end dates of all periods in the API calls.

Example:

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    "periods": [
      {
        "date_from": "2022-06-10T14:00:00+03:00",
        "date_until": "2022-06-30T14:00:00+03:00"
      },
       {
        "date_from": "2022-07-10T14:00:00+03:00",
        "date_until": "2022-07-30T14:00:00+03:00"
      },
       {
        "date_from": "2022-08-10T14:00:00+03:00",
        "date_until": "2022-08-30T14:00:00+03:00"
      }
]

    The getting catalog methods return the items that are displayed in the store at the time of the request. To obtain information about items whose display period has not yet started or has already expired, pass the show_inactive_time_limited_items parameter with a value of 1 when requesting the catalog.

    Note

    Item display time limits are not taken into account within a bundle.

    Example

    1. You create a Booster virtual item and set its display period from October 29th to November 15th.

    2. You create a Legendary Start Pack bundle that includes the Booster. The bundle does not have a time limit, so it is always visible in the store.

    3. On October 20th, a user opens your in-game store. You use the following methods:

    You do not pass the show_inactive_time_limited_items parameter in these methods.

    4. You retrieve the item catalog:

    • The Booster is not included in the response of the Get virtual items list, because its display period is from October 29th to November 15th. If you pass the parameter show_inactive_time_limited_items:1 in the Get virtual items list, the Booster is included in the response, and the periods array indicates the period when it is available for purchase.
    • The Booster is included in the response of the Get list of bundles as part of the Legendary Start Pack bundle, and the user can obtain it regardless of the value of the show_inactive_time_limited_items parameter.

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    Last updated: November 28, 2023

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