Ignored patterns in purgatory settings allow you to automatically filter out specific items from your orders based on their product name or SKU. This helps streamline your order processing by excluding items that don't need inventory tracking or fulfillment.
How Ignored Patterns Work
When an order is processed, the system checks each line item's product name and SKU against your ignored patterns. If either the name or SKU matches any of your patterns, that item will be marked as ignored during purgatory processing.
Pattern Types
You can use two types of patterns:
1. Simple Text Matching
Enter any text string to match items containing that text. The matching is case-insensitive.
Examples:
gift card- Matches any item with "gift card" in the name or SKUshipping- Matches items containing "shipping"discount- Matches items with "discount" anywhere in the name/SKU
2. Regular Expression (Regex) Patterns
For more advanced matching, you can use regular expressions by wrapping your pattern with forward slashes /pattern/.
Format: /your-regex-pattern/
Examples:
Common Use Cases
Match items starting with specific text:
/^gift/
Matches: "Gift Card", "gift-card-100", "GIFT CERTIFICATE"
Match items ending with specific text:
/fee$/
Matches: "Processing Fee", "shipping-fee", "HANDLING FEE"
Match exact patterns:
/^(shipping|handling)$/
Matches: "shipping" or "handling" exactly (not "free shipping")
Match SKUs with specific format:
/^GIFT-\d+$/
Matches: "GIFT-100", "GIFT-250" (gift cards with numbers)
Match multiple variations:
/(gift|voucher|credit)/
Matches: Items containing "gift", "voucher", or "credit"
Match items with special characters:
/\[.*\]/
Matches: Items with content in square brackets like "[Digital Download]"
Advanced Examples
Match promotional items:
/^(promo|free|bonus)/
Match service fees:
/(fee|charge|service)$/
Match temporary or test items:
/^(test|temp|sample)/
Match items with specific number patterns:
/\d{4,}/Matches: Items containing 4 or more consecutive digits
Important Notes
Case Insensitive: All matching is performed in lowercase, so "GIFT CARD" and "gift card" are treated the same
Both Name and SKU: Patterns are checked against both the product name and SKU
Order Matters: Items matching any ignored pattern will be excluded during purgatory processing
Regex Validation: Make sure your regex patterns are valid - invalid patterns may cause errors
Testing Your Patterns
To test if your patterns work correctly:
Add your pattern to the ignored patterns list
Process a test order containing items that should match
Check the purgatory results to confirm the items were ignored as expected
Common Mistakes
❌ Wrong regex format:
^gift (missing forward slashes) /gift (missing closing slash) gift/ (missing opening slash)
✅ Correct regex format:
/^gift/
❌ Overly broad patterns:
/./ (matches everything) /.*/ (matches everything)
✅ Specific patterns:
/^gift-card/ /shipping-fee$/
Need Help?
If you're unsure about creating regex patterns, start with simple text matching. For complex matching requirements, consider reaching out to support with specific examples of what you want to match, and we can help you create the appropriate patterns.