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:

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:

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:

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.