sf-customers

sf-customers

Before Writing Code

CRITICAL: Always fetch live documentation BEFORE implementing customer management features.

1. B2C Commerce Customer APIs

   • Web-search: "Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud SCAPI Shopper Customers API 2026"
   • Web-fetch official Salesforce B2C customer management guides

2. SLAS Authentication

   • Web-search: "Salesforce Commerce Cloud SLAS authentication documentation 2026"
   • Web-fetch SLAS authentication flow documentation

3. B2B Commerce Buyer Management

   • Web-search: "Salesforce B2B Commerce buyer groups permissions 2026"
   • Web-fetch B2B buyer management and self-registration guides

4. Data Cloud Integration

   • Web-search: "Salesforce Data Cloud unified customer profile Commerce integration 2026"
   • Web-fetch Data Cloud customer data sync and consent management documentation

Why: Customer API versions, SLAS token flows, B2B permission models, and Data Cloud connector capabilities evolve frequently. Live docs ensure correct schemas and compliance with GDPR/CCPA.

Conceptual Architecture

B2C Customer Model

Object	Description
Customer Profile	Registration data, preferences, custom attributes for personalization
Addresses	Billing and shipping addresses with validation and default selection
Payment Instruments	Tokenized payment methods (cards, wallets) -- never raw card data
Order History	Past orders, returns, order status tracking
Wishlists	Multiple product lists per customer; public, private, or shared visibility
Custom Attributes	Extended profile fields for segmentation and personalization

B2C Customer Groups and Segmentation

Concept	Description
Dynamic Groups	Auto-assigned based on attributes (VIP status, location, lifetime value)
Static Groups	Manually assigned membership for targeted campaigns
Group-based Pricing	Price books assigned to specific customer groups
Group-based Promotions	Exclusive offers for specific segments
Customer Segments	Rule-based segments for dynamic targeting and promotion qualification
Customer Lists	Curated lists for marketing campaigns and email targeting

SLAS Authentication

Flow	Purpose
Guest Login	Anonymous shopper sessions for browsing and checkout
Registered Login	Authenticated sessions with username/password
Social Login	OAuth integration (Google, Facebook, Apple)
Token Refresh	Session extension via refresh tokens
Session Merge	Basket merge when guest converts to registered customer

Token lifecycle: Access tokens have short TTL; refresh tokens extend the session. The Commerce SDK handles token refresh transparently. Store tokens securely (httpOnly cookies preferred over localStorage).

Shopper Customers API (SCAPI)

Operation	Description
Profile CRUD	Create, read, update customer profiles
Address Management	Add, update, delete, set default addresses
Payment Instruments	Tokenize and store payment methods
Password Management	Reset and update passwords
Authentication	Login, logout, token refresh

Fetch live docs for current SCAPI endpoint versions and request/response schemas before implementing.

B2C Wishlists

Feature	Description
Multiple Lists	Customers can create and name multiple wishlists
Item Operations	Add, remove, move items between lists
Sharing	Share via email or link with configurable privacy
Visibility	Public, private, or shared list settings

B2B Customer Model

Object	Description
Business Accounts	Company entities with tax IDs, credit terms, parent/child hierarchies
Contacts	Individual users associated with accounts, with roles (purchaser, approver)
Buyer Groups	Control product entitlements, catalog visibility, and price book access
Buyer Permissions	Browse, add-to-cart, checkout, approval workflow, and budget controls
Self-Registration	Portal user registration with account request workflow and verification
Account Teams	Sales reps and support teams assigned to accounts

B2B Permission Levels

Permission	Controls
Browse	Product and price visibility
Add to Cart	Ability to build orders
Checkout	Ability to complete purchases
Approval	Order approval for certain users/amounts
Budget	Spending limits per user or group
Quote Request	Ability to request quotes from sales

B2B Account Hierarchy

Parent/child account relationships model enterprise structures. Child accounts inherit default settings from parents but can override pricing, catalog visibility, and shipping preferences. Contact roles (decision maker, influencer, purchaser) provide sales intelligence.

Data Cloud Integration

Capability	Description
Profile Unification	Merge B2C and B2B data into a single customer view via identity resolution
Consent Management	GDPR/CCPA compliance -- capture, respect, and audit consent across categories
Bi-directional Sync	Real-time for critical updates; batch for historical data loads
Data Mapping	Field mapping between Commerce Cloud and Data Cloud schemas
Conflict Resolution	Handle concurrent updates from multiple systems
Profile Enrichment	Append third-party data to customer profiles

Consent Categories

Category	Purpose
Marketing	Email, SMS, push notification consent
Analytics	Browsing behavior and usage tracking
Personalization	Product recommendations and content targeting
Data Processing	General GDPR data processing consent

All consent changes must be logged with timestamps for audit trail compliance. Honor right-to-be-forgotten requests with complete data deletion workflows.

Best Practices

B2C Customer Management

• Use SCAPI Shopper Customers API for headless storefronts.
• Implement SLAS with correct grant types (guest, credentials, refresh).
• Store tokens securely; refresh before expiration.
• Merge guest baskets on login to preserve shopping context.

B2B Customer Management

• Model enterprise structures with parent/child account hierarchies.
• Show/hide UI features based on buyer permissions.
• Implement multi-level approval workflows for large orders.
• Validate business email domains and tax IDs during self-registration.

Data Cloud and Compliance

• Capture consent before syncing any customer data to Data Cloud.
• Configure identity resolution rules carefully to avoid false matches.
• Use real-time sync for profile updates and consent changes; batch for order history.
• Honor data deletion requests immediately; maintain audit trail for compliance.

Performance

• Cache customer group lookups; lazy-load addresses on demand.
• Paginate order history; index frequently queried custom attributes.
• Update consent asynchronously to avoid checkout delays.

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Fetch the SCAPI Shopper Customers reference, SLAS authentication guide, B2B buyer management docs, and Data Cloud connector documentation for exact API schemas, token flows, and configuration before implementing.