sf-catalog

sf-catalog

Before Writing Code

Fetch live docs before implementing catalog features.

1. Web-search: "Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud catalog management documentation 2026"
2. Web-search: "Salesforce B2B Commerce Product2 ProductCatalog documentation 2026"
3. Web-search: "Salesforce B2C Commerce price books promotions documentation 2026"
4. Web-search: "Salesforce B2B Commerce buyer groups entitlements 2026"
5. Web-fetch the SFCC Business Manager catalog structure reference
6. Web-fetch the Salesforce Product2 and Pricebook2 object reference

Conceptual Architecture

B2C Commerce Catalog Model

Master Catalog (shared across sites)
  -> Site Catalog (site-specific subset)
    -> Categories (hierarchical tree)
      -> Products (assigned to categories)

Catalog Hierarchy:

• Master Catalog: Contains all products, shared across multiple sites
• Site Catalog: Site-specific subset; inherits products from master
• Categories: Hierarchical navigation tree; products have one primary category, multiple secondary
• Catalog Assignment: Products linked to catalogs via catalog-product relationships

Product Type Taxonomy:

Product Type	Description
Standard Product	Simple product without variations
Master Product	Parent defining shared attributes
Variation Group	Optional grouping layer between master and variations
Variation Product	Specific SKU with unique variation attributes (color, size)
Product Set	Curated collection (e.g., "Complete the Look")
Product Bundle	Package of products sold together at bundle price

Attribute System:

• Products carry standard attributes (name, description, price, images) and custom attributes
• Searchable attributes are indexed for full-text search and faceted navigation
• Variation attributes (color, size) define the master-to-variation relationship
• Custom attributes defined in Business Manager or via XML import

Pricebook Hierarchy:

Concept	Detail
Price Book	Container for prices; supports multiple currencies
List Price	Base price (MSRP)
Sale Price	Promotional price, time-bound
Customer Group Pricing	Segment-specific prices
Price Book Inheritance	Child books inherit from parent; override selectively
Price Tiers	Quantity-based pricing rules

Promotions Engine:

• Product promotions (discount on specific products/categories)
• Order promotions (cart-level, e.g., $10 off $50)
• Shipping promotions (free/discounted shipping)
• Qualifiers: cart total, product quantity, customer group
• Exclusivity rules control stacking; coupon codes single-use or multi-use

Search and Refinements:

• Proprietary search index managed by Salesforce
• Searchable attributes indexed for faceted navigation
• Sorting rules: relevance, price, newest, custom
• Search suggestions (typeahead), did-you-mean, search redirects

Import/Export:

• Bulk XML import via Business Manager or jobs; strict XSD schema
• Delta import for incremental updates (performance optimization)
• Import modes: replace, update, or delete existing data

B2B Commerce Catalog Model

ProductCatalog (B2B container)
  -> ProductCategory (categories)
    -> Product2 (standard Salesforce object)
      -> PricebookEntry (price per pricebook)
        -> Buyer Group Entitlements

B2C vs B2B Catalog Comparison:

Aspect	B2C (SFCC)	B2B (Lightning)
Product object	SFCC Product (proprietary)	Product2 (standard sObject)
Category object	SFCC Category	ProductCategory (B2B-specific)
Price container	Price Book (SFCC)	Pricebook2 (standard sObject)
Price entry	Price per book + currency	PricebookEntry (junction object)
Visibility control	Site catalog assignment	Buyer Group Entitlements
Variant model	Master -> Variation Products	Product2 child records + custom fields
Search	Proprietary SFCC index	Commerce Search (Einstein-powered)
Import	XML via Business Manager	Batch Apex, Platform Events, Data Loader

Entitlements and Visibility (B2B):

• Buyer Groups: collections of buyer accounts (WebStore BuyerGroup)
• Product Entitlements: control which buyer groups see which products
• Price Entitlements: control which buyer groups see which prices
• Account hierarchies: parent-child visibility inheritance

Volume Pricing (B2B):

• Tiered pricing with quantity breaks at different unit prices
• Negotiated pricing via account-specific custom price books
• Contract pricing for long-term agreements per account
• Consider Salesforce CPQ for complex pricing logic

Content Integration (B2C)

• Content Library: Shared content assets (text, HTML, images)
• Content Slots: Dynamic placeholders on category and product pages
• Page Designer: Visual page builder for merchandising pages

Catalog Sync (B2B)

• ERP integration: sync products from SAP, Oracle, or other systems
• Scheduled batch Apex or Platform Events for bulk updates
• Change Data Capture (CDC) for real-time product updates
• Custom Metadata for catalog configuration without custom objects

Code Examples

// Pattern: B2C product retrieval
// Fetch live docs for SCAPI Shopper Products API
// GET /products/{id} -> product attributes, pricing, variants

// Pattern: B2B product query with entitlements
// Fetch live docs for Product2, BuyerGroup, and Entitlement objects
// Query Product2 WHERE entitled for buyer group

Best Practices

B2C Catalog Structure

• Keep master catalog clean; use site catalogs for site-specific products
• Limit category depth to 3-4 levels for performance and UX
• Plan variation attributes upfront (color, size) for consistency
• Use delta imports for incremental updates; validate XML against XSD before import

B2C Pricing and Promotions

• Use price book inheritance to avoid duplicate pricing data
• Set list price and sale price separately (never overwrite list)
• Test promotion stacking rules before launch to prevent unintended discounts
• Schedule promotions to auto-start/end (avoid manual changes)

B2B Catalog Management

• Use standard Product2 fields where possible; avoid over-customization
• Create buyer-group-specific price books; use standard book as fallback
• Document entitlement rules clearly (who sees what)
• Use batch Apex or Platform Events for large catalog syncs from ERP

Cross-Platform

• Maintain single source of truth for product master data (PIM or ERP)
• Rebuild search indexes after major catalog changes
• Test catalog changes in sandbox before production
• Use SCAPI (not OCAPI) for new B2C implementations

Fetch the SCAPI Shopper Products reference and Salesforce Product2 object docs for exact field names and schemas before implementing.