Your Ultimate Guide to Working with Salesforce Commerce Cloud
To succeed, each of us needs to step out of our organizational bubble and explore what is happening in the ecosystem. Whether you’re just starting or a seasoned SME, this guide is designed to help you navigate the ins and outs of Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
In the daily work of Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Subject Matter Experts rely on various tools to meet business goals. The Commerce Cloud ecosystem is composed of many different products: Salesforce Order Management, Salesforce Payments, Salesforce Omnichannel Inventory, Salesforce B2B Commerce, and, notably, Salesforce B2C Commerce — my main focus in writing. This article aims to highlight essential tools, communities, podcasts, and websites for SMEs, providing a go-to list for daily use.
Communities
We’ll begin with communities, as it’s the primary starting point I recommend.
The Unofficial Salesforce Commerce Cloud Community (MUST HAVE)
Links: Unofficial SFCC & LinkedIn
This Slack-based community is a go-to for thousands of members, including in-house customer teams, partners, and Salesforce employees. It covers various channels discussing Headless, SFRA, LINK Integrations, Multi-cloud solutions, Certifications, Careers, Local Communities, and more.
Official Commerce Trailblazers Community
Link: Commerce Trailblazers
This community is officially endorsed by Salesforce, with dedicated maintenance and moderation by Salesforce employees. Join this global network to connect with fellow Trailblazers, and stay updated on Commerce Cloud product innovations, strategy, emerging trends, upcoming events, and opportunities for career development.
The Unofficial Salesforce Commerce Cloud Podcast
Link: Unofficial SFCC
This podcast was created as a space for everyone to connect, share ideas, and offer mutual support. It provides members with a platform to discuss, listen, and watch Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud content in a free and open environment.
Official Commerce Podcast
Link: Salesforce Commerce Cloud Innovations on Apple Podcasts
Tune in to ‘Salesforce Commerce Cloud Innovations,’ the official podcast where experts from Salesforce, along with customers and partners, discuss the latest in eCommerce. Each episode dives deep into topics like the metaverse, NFTs, and the ever-evolving online customer experience. With real-life use cases and exploration of current solutions, the podcast aims to inspire developers with ideas and visions for the future of eCommerce.
Blogs
The second priority is gaining real-life insights, and a valuable source for this is well-crafted written material, particularly blogs and articles.
Rhino Inquisitor
Link: Rhino Inquisitor
Dive into the world of Salesforce B2C Commerce Cloud with Thomas Theunen, a Salesforce MVP and the proud owner of the Golden Hoodie. As the Head of Commerce at Forward, Thomas is passionate about sharing his extensive knowledge and experience through his blog, The Rhino Inquisitor. From practical guides, like “How to use OCAPI/SCAPI hooks,” to insightful articles on Composable, Thomas consistently delivers valuable content for both beginners and seasoned professionals.
This Blog
Explore Oleg Sapishchuk’s blog, where he shares insights into Commerce Cloud. Oleg posts irregularly, offering a unique perspective on various aspects of the platform. For example, in his post “2021’s Best Development Tools for B2C Commerce Cloud Developers,” Oleg provides a comprehensive list along with detailed descriptions and reviews of the most common and widely used development tools for Commerce Cloud developers.
SEO Blog
Link: Salesforce Commerce Cloud SEO: A Guide To Optimizing SFCC
Explore the world of SEO on Salesforce Commerce Cloud with Edwin Romero’s dedicated blog. As an experienced professional who has worked within Commerce Cloud for over 5 years, contributing to over 200 sites through migrations and strategic partnerships, Edwin brings a wealth of knowledge to the table.
Documentation
Alright, you’ve tapped into the communities, gathered insights from experienced guides, and explored valuable articles for your daily tasks. Now, to deepen your understanding of how the product works, let’s turn our attention to documentation.
SFCCLearning (unofficial)
Link: SFCC Learning
Embark on a learning journey with SFCCLearning, an unofficial project by Jonatan Jumbert. As the mind behind Udemy courses on Commerce Cloud, Jonatan has crafted a valuable resource. From building a “replica” of the deprecated Infocenter to running a blog and creating insightful articles, SFCCLearning is a go-to for deepening your understanding of Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
Official Developer Docs
Link: Salesforce B2C Developer Documentation Resources
Your primary resource for Salesforce B2C Commerce knowledge, the Official Developer Docs is the central hub for the B2C Commerce API and developer-focused content, which includes legacy developer documentation.
Unofficial developer docs
The Unofficial Community Edition of Salesforce B2C Developer Documentation, a project led by SFCC DevOps and spearheaded by Peter Schmalfeldt, an admin of the Unofficial Community. Offering an enhanced experience beyond the official docs, this resource is your go-to for comprehensive insights into Salesforce Commerce Cloud development.
Salesforce Help
Your ultimate destination for administrator and merchandiser content, Salesforce Help is the central hub for invaluable resources, including adoption playbooks and user guides.
Commerce Cloud Developer Center
Your go-to for all things developer-related, the Commerce Cloud Developer Center is the central hub for most developer-focused content. Explore a myriad of resources, including the B2C Commerce Storefront Reference Architecture. Dive into SFRA, access training materials, and find best practice articles to elevate your development journey.
Cross-Cloud Solution Kits
Link: Solution Kits for B2C
Discover a range of Salesforce solution kits, encompassing essentials like Order on Behalf of a Customer, Abandoned Carts, Buy Online Pick Up in Store (BOPIS), and more. These non-productized integrations come with no SLA or roadmap, offering flexible solutions tailored to your unique needs.
Enablement
As we’ve explored communities, diverse blogs, and comprehensive documentation, we’ve laid a robust foundation. Now, let’s delve into the ‘Enablement’ section, where we’ll highlight resources designed to empower you through training and skill development.
Trailhead
Embark on your learning journey with Trailhead, the official platform of Salesforce. Through gamification and personalized learning experiences, Trailhead transforms education into an engaging adventure, making it the fun way to master Salesforce skills.
Salesforce Expert-led Coaching (Premier customers only)
Link: Expert Coaching Catalog
Included in your (customer) Salesforce Premier subscription, Expert-led Coaching offers free training sessions led by Success SMEs. Focused on Out-of-the-Box (OOTB) features and excluding customizations, these sessions provide valuable insights. For a comprehensive start, it’s recommended to explore the “Getting Started…” videos.
Partner Learning Camp (partners only)
Link: Partner Learning Camp
Discover Partner Learning Camp (PLC), the exclusive learning hub crafted for Salesforce partners. Gain access to 1,500+ on-demand trainings and engaging events tailored for Partner Trailblazers — ISVs, Consulting, Agencies, and Resellers. Immerse yourself in a curated curriculum spanning Digital Marketing, Architect Success, and more. Elevate your expertise, earn Navigator distinctions, and seamlessly track progress — all within the Salesforce Partner Community. It’s free and exclusively available for partners.
Tools
As we navigate the final leg of our comprehensive guide, we arrive at the ‘Tools’ section — a compilation of essential resources designed to enhance your Salesforce Commerce Cloud journey. These tools are curated to empower you in implementing solutions, optimizing workflows, and maximizing the potential of the platform. Let’s dive into the toolbox that will elevate your Salesforce Commerce Cloud experience.
Salesforce Commerce Cloud GitHub
Link: Salesforce CommerceCloud
Explore the vast repository of official and community solutions for Salesforce Commerce Cloud on GitHub. A hub for innovation, it houses essential tools for developers, including the b2c-tools CLI tool for data migrations, import/export, scripting, and more. Another valuable repository, sfcc-hooks-collection, provides common or complex API hooks for running headless projects with Commerce Cloud B2C. As a guideline and sample code, it offers insights while emphasizing the need for careful selection and security considerations. Connect your GitHub account to stay in sync with the latest advancements in Commerce Cloud development.
AppExchange for B2C Commerce
Link: Salesforce AppExchange | Leading Enterprise Cloud Marketplace
Navigate the Salesforce AppExchange, the leading enterprise cloud marketplace. The referenced link is specifically tailored for B2C Commerce. Explore a plethora of LINK cartridges within this marketplace, offering a diverse range of solutions to amplify and customize your Commerce Cloud experience.
Others
As you navigate your Salesforce Commerce Cloud journey, keep in mind that the web hosts a range of additional solutions. From handy Chrome plugins like Demandware With Ease to IDE plugins such as IntelliJ SFCC, and NPM open source solutions like isml-linter, the ecosystem is filled with tools.
Dive into GitHub solutions like Charles Clavery’s Repositories, showcasing a wealth of open-source contributions. Remember, the ecosystem is a dynamic space, and staying connected is key. Engage with the vibrant community through Unofficial SFCC, connect on LinkedIn with key individuals, and follow them to stay informed of the latest developments. The Commerce Cloud ecosystem is not just a toolbox; it’s a dynamic and collaborative space to learn, connect, and enhance your expertise.
My name is Oleg Sapishchuk, and I’m an experienced architect providing digital transformation with unified commerce solutions for some of the world’s best-known and most influential brands. Salesforce B2C Commerce is the topic that I write about most frequently. If you are interested in new or previously written material, I invite you to follow my Medium profile.
