What is Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) is a cloud-based platform for eCommerce businesses, providing capabilities for personalized shopping experiences, order management, and seamless integrations with other Salesforce products.
What are the key features of Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Key features include personalized shopping experiences, AI-powered recommendations (Einstein), multi-channel capabilities, and a robust API architecture.
Differentiate between Salesforce Commerce Cloud (SFCC) and Demandware.
Demandware is the original platform acquired by Salesforce in 2016 and rebranded as Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
What are the primary modules in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Primary modules include B2C Commerce, B2B Commerce, Order Management, and Marketing.
What is a Storefront in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
A Storefront refers to the public-facing website for an eCommerce business.
What is the role of the “Business Manager” in SFCC?
The Business Manager is the administrative interface where users manage their eCommerce stores, configure settings, view reports, etc.
Explain the Salesforce Commerce Cloud architecture.
SFCC follows an MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture with a focus on APIs, services, and cloud-based capabilities.
What are cartridges in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Cartridges are code packages that contain functionality and can be added to a project to extend the platform’s capabilities.
What is a Pipeline in SFCC?
Pipelines are visual workflows representing the control flow of a request or transaction in Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
Explain Service Framework in SFCC.
The Service Framework allows developers to make external service calls (e.g., to third-party APIs) and handle the request/response cycle in SFCC.
What is a Custom Object in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Custom Objects are user-defined data structures that extend the platform’s capabilities, typically used to store specific business data.
How are Customer Groups used in SFCC?
Customer Groups are used to segment customers based on attributes for personalized marketing, pricing, and promotions.
Explain SiteGenesis in Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
SiteGenesis is the legacy reference architecture for building storefronts on SFCC, which has been superseded by Storefront Reference Architecture (SFRA).
What is Storefront Reference Architecture (SFRA)?
SFRA is a modernized, modular reference architecture that allows developers to build scalable, flexible storefronts.
What is a Page Designer in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Page Designer is a drag-and-drop tool within Business Manager that allows marketers to create and manage content-rich pages without developer intervention.
What is Open Commerce API (OCAPI)?
OCAPI is a set of RESTful APIs that allows external applications to interact with SFCC for managing eCommerce functionalities such as product data, customer information, and orders.
What is SCAPI (Shop API)?
SCAPI is used to integrate storefronts and interact with the backend functionality (like cart management, customer login, etc.).
Explain how to integrate third-party payment gateways with SFCC.
Integration is done via the Service Framework by making external calls to the payment gateway’s APIs.
What are hooks in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Hooks are customization points within SFCC, where developers can inject custom logic to extend out-of-the-box functionality.
How can you integrate Salesforce CRM with Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Integration is possible using Salesforce Connect, REST APIs, or pre-built integration packages like MuleSoft.
What is the purpose of a job in SFCC?
Jobs are scheduled processes that run specific tasks, like importing/exporting data or executing batch operations.
How do you implement localization and multi-currency in SFCC?
Localization is handled by creating separate locales and configuring localized content, while multi-currency is managed via price books.
What is a Content Slot in SFCC?
A Content Slot is a placeholder in the storefront where dynamic content (e.g., banners, promotions) can be displayed.
Explain the role of ISML in SFCC.
ISML (Interactive Script Markup Language) is a server-side templating language used to render dynamic content on the storefront.
How are promotions managed in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Promotions are configured in the Business Manager, using rules based on customer segments, products, or order values.
What is Salesforce Order Management System (OMS)?
OMS is a system that manages order fulfillment, tracking, inventory management, and customer returns across multiple channels.
Explain the lifecycle of an order in Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
An order typically goes through stages such as Placed, Confirmed, Processed, Shipped, and Completed.
How does SFCC handle split shipments?
Split shipments are managed by splitting an order into multiple shipments based on inventory availability and customer preferences.
What is a Gift Certificate in SFCC?
A Gift Certificate is a prepaid value that customers can apply toward their purchase.
Explain how tax calculations are handled in Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
Tax calculations are handled via a tax engine integrated into SFCC or using third-party tax providers like Avalara or Vertex.
What are Secure Objects in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Secure Objects are objects like Customer and Order that have built-in security protocols to protect sensitive data.
Explain two-factor authentication in SFCC.
Two-factor authentication (2FA) requires users to verify their identity using a second factor (like a code sent to their phone) in addition to their password.
What is CSRF protection, and how is it implemented in SFCC?
CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) protection prevents unauthorized actions from being performed on behalf of authenticated users, implemented using tokens in SFCC.
How are session hijacking and XSS attacks prevented in SFCC?
SFCC provides mechanisms such as session management, secure cookies, and built-in sanitization to prevent XSS and session hijacking.
What is PCI compliance in the context of SFCC?
SFCC is PCI-DSS compliant, ensuring that it meets industry standards for secure credit card transactions and customer data protection.
What are some common performance issues in SFCC, and how do you resolve them?
Common issues include slow page loads, inefficient API calls, and database bottlenecks, resolved through caching, optimizing queries, and scaling resources.
What is the role of CDN in SFCC?
A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is used to cache and deliver content from edge servers, improving load times for global users.
Explain caching mechanisms in Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
SFCC uses different levels of caching, including page caching, fragment caching, and object caching, to improve performance.
What are Site Preferences in SFCC?
Site Preferences allow for configuration and tuning of specific aspects of the storefront, such as session timeout, security settings, and locale options.
How do you monitor performance and errors in SFCC?
SFCC provides tools like Log Center, Pipeline Profiler, and Business Manager reports for performance monitoring and troubleshooting.
What is Headless Commerce in SFCC?
Headless Commerce decouples the front-end presentation layer from the back-end eCommerce platform, allowing flexibility in designing customer experiences.
How do you implement SEO best practices in SFCC?
SEO is managed through customizable URLs, meta tags, and sitemaps, along with performance optimization techniques like page speed improvements.
What is Salesforce Einstein in the context of SFCC?
Einstein provides AI-driven recommendations for products, search results, and personalized customer experiences based on behavior and preferences.
Explain Salesforce Multi-cloud Commerce.
Multi-cloud commerce refers to the integration of SFCC with other Salesforce clouds, such as Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, and Sales Cloud, to provide a unified customer experience.
How are A/B testing and personalization handled in SFCC?
A/B testing and personalization can be managed using the Einstein capabilities or third-party tools integrated via the Service Framework.
How do you debug issues in SFCC?
Debugging is done using Business Manager’s logs, breakpoints in code, and the Pipeline Profiler to identify performance bottlenecks.
What is the role of Site Preview in SFCC?
Site Preview allows users to see how changes will appear on the storefront before making them live.
How do you manage version control in SFCC?
SFCC supports version control by using repositories like Git and managing code changes via cartridges.
Explain how you handle rollbacks in SFCC.
Rollbacks are handled by reverting to a previous cartridge version or restoring data from backups.
What is Unit Testing in SFCC?
Unit Testing involves testing individual units or components (like services or scripts) to ensure they function correctly in isolation.
What are WebDAV and its role in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) is used in SFCC to upload, manage, and version files and assets on the server.
How does Salesforce handle scalability for large eCommerce platforms?
SFCC is designed to scale automatically in response to traffic demands by distributing workloads across multiple instances and data centers.
What is the role of the Site Import/Export feature?
This feature allows users to import and export site configurations, product data, and other assets between environments or as backups.
How do you integrate SFCC with social media platforms?
Integration is done via plugins or APIs, enabling features like social login, sharing, and product recommendations.
What is the purpose of Business Manager roles and permissions?
Business Manager roles and permissions control user access to specific areas or functionalities within the administrative console.
What is the deployment process in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Deployment involves uploading cartridges, data replication (between staging and production), and activating the site.
What is the difference between sandbox, staging, and production environments in SFCC?
Sandbox is for development, staging is for pre-production testing, and production is the live environment for end-users.
How do you maintain and update a Salesforce Commerce Cloud site?
Maintenance involves applying patches, updating cartridges, and using the Business Manager for configuration updates.
What is the role of replication in SFCC?
Replication synchronizes data and code changes from staging to production environments.
How do you handle database backups in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Backups are automated through Salesforce’s platform, but custom backup schedules can also be set via the Business Manager.
What is a Script Node in SFCC pipelines, and how is it used?
A Script Node allows developers to inject custom server-side JavaScript code into a pipeline for handling complex logic.
Explain the purpose of decorators in Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
Decorators are used in SFCC to add behavior or modify the properties of an object dynamically without changing its core implementation.
How can you implement custom error handling in SFCC?
Custom error handling can be done by catching exceptions in scripts or controllers and using the Status class to return custom error messages or responses.
What is the Resource class in SFCC?
The Resource class is used to handle localization in SFCC, allowing you to retrieve locale-specific messages and labels for multi-language sites.
How do you create a custom controller in SFCC?
Custom controllers are created by defining a server-side JavaScript file in a cartridge, using server.get() or server.post() methods to define routes.
What is “Super Pipeline” in SFCC, and when should it be used?
A Super Pipeline is a best practice for creating flexible and reusable pipeline designs in SFCC by modularizing smaller, reusable tasks into separate pipelines.
Explain how you would extend existing functionality in SFCC without modifying core code.
Functionality can be extended using hooks, custom cartridges, or creating overlays on top of existing cartridges to avoid modifying the core platform code.
What are Page Types in SFCC, and how do you use them in custom development?
Page Types define the template and component structure for specific pages in SFCC. They are used in conjunction with Page Designer to build customizable pages.
How do you implement product recommendations in SFCC using Einstein?
Einstein recommendations can be implemented by configuring the Einstein API, training the recommendation engine, and placing recommendation slots in the storefront.
What are Product Lists in SFCC, and how are they used?
Product Lists are collections of products, such as wishlists or shopping carts, which can be associated with customers and managed via Business Manager.
How do you implement a third-party shipping integration in SFCC?
Shipping integrations are implemented via the Service Framework by creating custom service definitions that interact with third-party APIs for real-time shipping rates.
What is the Salesforce Commerce API (SCAPI), and how does it differ from OCAPI?
SCAPI is used for real-time operations on the storefront (e.g., cart management, customer data), whereas OCAPI is used for backend operations like product management and order handling.
How do you integrate Salesforce Service Cloud with Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Integration with Service Cloud is achieved using pre-built connectors or REST APIs to enable customer support features like order tracking and returns within Service Cloud.
What is Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and how does it integrate with Commerce Cloud?
Salesforce Marketing Cloud is a marketing automation platform that integrates with Commerce Cloud to personalize campaigns, track customer behavior, and deliver targeted emails or SMS.
How are promotions from Marketing Cloud synchronized with Commerce Cloud?
Promotions can be synchronized using connectors or APIs, allowing seamless promotion management across both platforms.
How do you implement OAuth in Salesforce Commerce Cloud for API authentication?
OAuth is implemented using the dw.oauth2 module, allowing third-party applications to authenticate and authorize access to protected resources via API.
Explain how to integrate a Salesforce app with MuleSoft to transfer data to Commerce Cloud.
MuleSoft is integrated using connectors that enable Salesforce applications and external systems to transfer data via APIs, ensuring synchronization between systems.
How can you use Webhooks in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Webhooks can be implemented by setting up external services in SFCC to trigger HTTP POST requests to third-party URLs when certain events (e.g., order creation) occur.
What is Commerce Cloud Digital Experience Integration?
Digital Experience Integration refers to embedding personalized, commerce-related content and interactions within other Salesforce products like Experience Cloud or Marketing Cloud.
How do you handle multi-site configurations in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Multi-site setups are handled using separate storefronts for each site, while sharing resources such as product data and inventory across all sites.
How do you configure Google Analytics for a Salesforce Commerce Cloud storefront?
Google Analytics is configured by placing tracking scripts within ISML templates and ensuring that all key events are tracked via GA.
What is Salesforce Commerce Cloud Einstein Analytics?
Einstein Analytics in Commerce Cloud is an AI-powered analytics tool that provides insights into customer behavior, sales trends, and product performance.
How do you track abandoned carts in SFCC?
Abandoned carts can be tracked using custom scripts or through pre-built integrations with analytics tools, which monitor customer behavior and trigger recovery emails.
What is the purpose of the Log Center in SFCC?
The Log Center in SFCC is used for monitoring logs, errors, and performance metrics in real-time, helping to diagnose issues within the platform.
Explain the “Pipeline Profiler” in SFCC.
The Pipeline Profiler is a tool used to measure the performance of pipelines in SFCC, showing details such as execution time and memory usage to help optimize them.
How do you monitor and optimize search performance in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
Search performance is optimized by configuring search indexes, tuning relevancy rules, and analyzing search term reports to adjust search algorithms.
What is the role of Business Manager dashboards in reporting?
Business Manager dashboards provide real-time analytics and key performance indicators (KPIs) like sales performance, customer engagement, and inventory reports.
How do you set up conversion tracking for marketing campaigns in SFCC?
Conversion tracking is set up by placing tracking pixels or scripts in the order confirmation page, allowing integration with ad platforms like Google Ads or Facebook.
What is the purpose of product affinity reporting in SFCC?
Product affinity reporting shows relationships between products frequently bought together, helping merchants optimize cross-sell and upsell strategies.
Explain how A/B testing is conducted in SFCC using analytics.
A/B testing in SFCC can be done by setting up variations of a page or promotion and using analytics tools to measure which version performs better.
How do you handle hotfixes and emergency patches in SFCC?
Hotfixes and emergency patches are deployed by quickly uploading changes to cartridges, testing them in a sandbox or staging environment, and replicating them to production.
Explain how you would handle large-scale data migration to SFCC.
Large-scale data migration is done using SFCC’s data import/export features, ensuring data integrity through custom scripts and pre-built data templates.
What is the Site Import/Export tool, and how do you use it?
The Site Import/Export tool is used to transfer site configurations, data, and assets between environments or for creating backups before updates.
How do you manage version control across cartridges in SFCC?
Version control is managed using Git or similar tools to track changes to cartridges, allowing rollback and collaborative development across teams.
Explain how to schedule a job in Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
Jobs can be scheduled using Business Manager, where specific tasks (like data imports, exports, or cache refreshes) can be automated to run at designated times.
What is a release cycle in Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and how do you manage it?
A release cycle refers to the regular update of a site, involving code changes, testing in a sandbox, and replication to production once validated.
How do you manage rollback procedures after a failed deployment in SFCC?
Rollbacks involve reverting to a previous cartridge version or re-importing previous data snapshots, often using version control systems like Git.
Explain the process of a full code deployment in SFCC.
A full code deployment involves uploading cartridges to a sandbox, testing thoroughly, replicating to staging, and then moving changes to the production environment after testing.
How do you replicate product and pricing data from staging to production in SFCC?
Replication is done via Business Manager, where product, pricing, and inventory data can be synchronized from staging to production environments.
What is the difference between build and deploy in Salesforce Commerce Cloud?
The build phase refers to the development and bundling of cartridges, while the deploy phase involves transferring the built code to the desired environment (sandbox, staging, or production).