Install B2B Commerce + Content Cloud

Ready to join together two powerful systems that will help you build your dream eCommerce website? Follow these steps to install B2B Commerce, Content Cloud and a reference site for you to use as a starting point when you’re ready to begin building out your website.

See the B2B Commerce + Content Cloud User Reference for a list of the actions users should perform in each system.

How B2B Commerce + Content Cloud work together

Content Cloud is the front-end of an eCommerce website and B2B Commerce is the back-end. Manage content in Content Cloud and leverage B2B Commerce to manage, products, users and other functionality on the back-end. Content Cloud leverages the APIs in the B2B Commerce C# SDK in a headless manner to expose B2B Commerce data and capabilities within Content Cloud. (See the C# SDK quickstart guide.)

Prerequisites

Before you install anything, make sure you meet these prerequisites:
• Licenses for both Content Cloud and B2B Commerce (2 separate products)
• Content Cloud v12 (or higher)
• B2B Commerce Cloud 5.1 or later
• .NET 6 SDK (if you’re working with the deployment)

Step 1 – Install B2B

Be sure to set up some sample products, images and categories before starting on the Content Cloud installation. You will need the sample data to know if the systems are working together correctly.

Follow instructions here:
Getting started with B2B Commerce

Step 2 – Install Content Cloud

You can use install a sample site and create an empty starter project after you set up your developer environment.

Follow instructions here:
Getting started with Content Cloud

Step 3 – Install B2B Commerce + Content Cloud reference kit

The reference kit offers a starting point for you to build on when using B2B Commerce with Content Cloud. The reference kit is not a sample site or a template.

Follow instructions here (be sure to reference the Readme file):
B2B Commerce + Content Cloud reference kit

Step 4 – Build out website

Use the reference kit, in conjunction with the B2B Commerce C# SDK and related documentation, to begin building your eCommerce website.

Visit Optimizely Academy and search for the Content Cloud Developer and B2B Commerce Developer learning paths.

Step 5 – Manage upgrades

Before upgrading Content Cloud, review the APIs to ensure B2B Commerce is delivering the data, then proceed with the upgrade. Keep in mind the release schedule of both systems:
• B2B Commerce releases monthly and requires websites to keep up with a 3-month sync schedule. See Cloud release schedule article.
• Content Cloud releases weekly and you can upgrade based on customer needs. See the Releases page.

Upgrading Content Cloud (CMS 12)
B2B Commerce Cloud release schedule

Support

You can submit a support ticket for both B2B Commerce and Content Cloud to Optimizely Support. Please indicate on your ticket that you are using both systems together and be specific about where the errors are occurring.