Introduction

To ensure a successful installation of the connector, we strongly recommend enlisting the expertise of a technical resource with a proven track record of SFCC B2C skills and Akeneo PIM knowledge. This individual or team should have a demonstrated proficiency in both SFCC Commerce and the specifics of the connector to carry out the installation effectively. Their experience and knowledge will be instrumental in setting up the connector correctly and maintaining its optimal performance. For added convenience and to streamline the installation process, Akeneo offers a Professional Service Assistance option. Please reach out to your Customer Success Manager (CSM) for further details and assistance.

Before getting access to the SFCC connector, please check the what you need to know before using the connector section.

Prerequisites and access

Akeneo Connector for SFCC (Enterprise Edition) is compatible with Akeneo PIM Enterprise Edition (please refer to the compatibility and pre-requisite article for more information). This version is officially supported and maintained by Akeneo.

To acquire the Enterprise Edition of the connector, please reach out to us through the app store or directly by contacting your dedicated CSM. We will provide you with access to our Private GitHub repository, where the supported version of the connector is hosted. Our Akeneo teams will guide you through the installation process via our Partner Portal and assist you in leveraging Akeneo Support for your enterprise needs.

Downloading the code from the Portal

The Akeneo Connector for SFCC B2C code access is hosted on the Project Console of the Akeneo portal. Before you can begin the installation, make sure you meet the following project management prerequisites:

1. Ensure that you have access to the connector within the Akeneo Portal (if you have not already done so).
2. Create a developer profile within your organization who will be responsible for the installation. Grant this developer access to the Project Console.

Once you click, you will have to select the archive version that you want to install.

Configuring your PIM API in Akeneo 

Before setting up the Akeneo Connector for SFCC, make sure the prerequisites are covered. For the API configuration, you first need to generate a "client ID" and “secret” in the PIM to enable the API connection.

Please refer to our specific documentation to do so.

You will be given the following items:

1. Your PIM URL (ex: https://mypim.cloud.akeneo.com)
2. Your PIM API Client ID and Secret

Your PIM user who will be dedicated to the use of the API (Username and Password). Make sure you save them, as you'll need them later.

The connector handles the API authentication itself: it requests and renews the access token from these credentials, and stores it in the AkeneoToken custom object. You do not need to generate a token manually.

Firewall requirements

There is one firewall requirement on the Akeneo instance. The merchant must provide their outgoing IP address to Akeneo, to be configured in the API environment so that the SFCC environment is whitelisted.

Installing the connector on SFCC B2C

Upload the cartridge on SFCC

WebDAV

Upload cartridges to WebDAV using any method of your choice.

 

 

Set up the cartridge path

1. Go to Business Manager Menu > Administration > Sites > Manage Sites
2. Click on Business Manager in the Manage the Business Manager site text
3. Prepend "bm_akeneo:" to the "Cartridges" field
4. Click on Apply button

Import the metadata

For the Akeneo Connector for SFCC to work, the following object structures (metadata) need to be imported and configured in the Business Manager.

Follow the steps below:

1. In the cartridge bundle, find metadata/simple-akeneo-workflow_site-import and compress it to generate the simple-akeneo-workflow_site-import.zip file.
2. Go to the Business Manager Menu: Administration > Site Development > Site Import & Export
3. Under Import > Upload archive: Make sure that the radio button with label Local is enabled (otherwise click on the radio button to enable it).
4. Click on the Choose File input field, select the simple-akeneo-workflow_site-import.zip file from the open dialog box, and click on Upload.

1. After finishing the upload, from the Archives list, click on the radio button corresponding to simple-akeneo-workflow_site-import.zip and click on Import.
2. Click on the OK button in the confirmation box asking "Are you sure that you want to import the selected archive?"

Add the cartridge to your sites

1. Go to the Business Manager Menu: Administration > Sites > Manage Sites
2. Select your site
3. Click on the Settings tab
4. Append bc_akeneo (or bm_akeneo depending on the cartridge version) to the Cartridges field
5. Click on Apply
6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 for all sites, including the Business Manager one

Configure OCAPI (Open Commerce API)

The Akeneo Connector for SFCC uses OCAPI (Open Commerce API) calls for its operations. For the connector to function properly, OCAPI settings have to be adjusted in Business Manager by following these instructions.

1. Go to Administration > Site Development > Open Commerce API Settings
2. Select the type as Data and the context as Global (organization-wide)
3. Locate the text file Akeneo-OCAPI-Data-Config.txt in the documentation folder of the Akeneo SFCC Connector cartridge package. This file contains the OCAPI Data configuration for the connector.
4. Copy the configuration from the Akeneo-OCAPI-Data-Config.txt file and paste it into the Open Commerce API Settings in Business Manager. If you plan to keep your existing OCAPI configuration, you may want to add the connector's OCAPI configuration at the end of your existing one instead of replacing it entirely.
5. Replace "PLACEHOLDER_OCAPI_CLIENT_ID" with your OCAPI client ID
6. Click on the Save button

Establish the connection within the connector configuration panel

In the connector configuration page, fill in the parameters below with the PIM information collected above:

Next steps

Fill in the remaining connector parameters in Site Preferences. See Configuration panels of the connector and the catalog configuration articles.

Schedule the import jobs and start the synchronization with your Akeneo instance. See Synchronization: load and transfer data.

To enable API communication logging, adjust log levels, or understand how the connector stores its data — including the AkeneoToken custom object — see Monitor data, logs and errors.

If you are installing the connector on an SFCC instance that already holds products or categories managed outside Akeneo, see Installing alongside an existing SFCC catalog.

Please also read the additional documents in the "documentation" folder of the GitHub repository for more technical information about the Akeneo Connector for SFCC.