Store preview
We can use store preview to ensure that changes that are made in Management Center show up in the store as expected. We can use store preview in production, authoring, and staging environments.We can use store preview within the authoring instances for any of the environments. Do not use store preview within the live instance of the WebSphere Commerce environments.For example, your marketing team decides to promote a line of leather coats. You create an e-Marketing Spot for the new coats in the Management Center. By using store preview, we can ensure that the e-Marketing Spot shows the ad in the store as you expect.
Here is an example of the store preview that is showing a starter store:
What we can do with store preview
Here is a summary of key tasks we can do in store preview:
| Task | For more information |
|---|---|
| Ensure that product and category information is accurate and correctly formatted on store pages. | Previewing a store |
| Test whether marketing information is displayed as
expected in e-Marketing Spots.
We can view the name of each e-Marketing Spot in store preview, and review processing information about web activities that are scheduled for the e-Marketing Spot. | Previewing a store |
Test that time-sensitive content, such as a promotion, web
activity, contract, or a price change, is displayed only when expected. For example:
The current system time is the default setting in store preview. | Previewing a store
Select the option View the store at a virtual date and time. |
| Test marketing campaigns that are targeted at specific
customers.
Within preview, we can create a new registered user by following the store's registration process. This user will exist in the database after you close the preview. See How operational and transactional data is handled. We can also test prices under different contracts by logging in as two customers that belong to different contracts or accounts. | Previewing a store
In the storefront, click Sign In/Register to create a user with the characteristics to test. |
| Ensure that shipping charges are correctly displayed on store pages. | Previewing a store
In the storefront, click Sign In/Register to create a user with the characteristics to test. |
| Test inventory filters.
A store developer can enable a web activity inventory filter. As a result, catalog entry recommendations in e-Marketing Spots display only if the inventory level for the catalog entry is above a configured amount. For example, if a developer sets the inventory level to 100, only catalog entries with at least 100 units in stock are displayed to customers. This filter is off by default. | Previewing a store
In the preview options, leave the Product recommendations option set to Use the inventory level as in the database (default). |
| Test web activities, promotions, and search rules that target a specific customer segment.
Preview the store from the perspective of customer who belongs to that customer segment. This way, we can see how the store looks and operates for those specific customers. | Previewing a store as a customer in a customer segment |
| Test the effect of search rules on search results. | Manage search rules |
| Verify that search terms and synonyms produce the results you expect. | Improve storefront search results by using search term associations |
| Verify that search engine optimization metadata is added to store pages as expected. | Changing the SEO properties for categories and catalog entries |
| Verify that the default catalog is displayed.
If the store has multiple store catalogs, we can set a default catalog. Customers in the store see content from the default catalog. | Setting the default catalog |
| Share store preview URLs with people who might not have access to Management Center, and preview the store on different browsers and devices. | Generating and sharing store preview URLs |
| Create and edit catalog entries, categories, e-Marketing
Spots, web activities, marketing content, and search rules directly from store
preview.
For pages managed in the Commerce Composer tool, create and edit layouts, and edit pages and widgets. | Click-to-edit function in store preview |
For pages managed in the Commerce Composer tool, open
pop-up windows that provide the following details about the current page:
| Viewing information about pages and layouts in store preview |
In-context preview
When we are working on certain business objects in Management Center, store preview opens directly to the associated store page, rather than to the home page. For example, if we are editing a bicycle product and you launch store preview, the store opens directly to the product details page for the bicycle. In-context preview saves you time because you do not need to browse to a specific store page from the home page to preview our changes.In-context preview is available for the following Management Center tools and business objects:
- Catalogs tool:
- Categories
- Catalog entries (products, SKUs, bundles, and kits)
- Commerce Composer tool:
- Pages (category, catalog entry, and content pages)
- Layouts
As you work with any of the business objects in the previous list, we can click a Save and Preview button. This button launches store preview in the following states, to help you work more efficiently:
- For a catalog entry, category, or page, store preview opens directly to the page. The date inside store preview is the current date.
- For a layout, store preview opens directly to the page to which the layout is assigned. The date
inside store preview is the start date for the layout.
Note: If the layout is assigned to multiple pages, the Store Preview Options window is displayed. From this window, we can choose which page to view. In this case, if the layout start date is in the future, we must set the date inside store preview to the future date.
Previewing at different resolutions
At the top of the preview window, we can select a resolution at which to view your page. Each resolution simulates how the page is rendered for a specific screen width. If you have pages that use a responsive web design pattern, we can check multiple resolutions for the same page. Store preview also has a Rotate button so that we can switch between portrait and landscape orientation for a specific resolution.
Tip: Changing the resolution in store preview does not
switch the user agent device ID in the browser. Therefore, to find out how a
device-specific page looks on different devices, we can use the user-agent-switching capability in the browser or install a browser plug-in for
user agent switching.
Preview delays during reindexing
When you preview our changes to the catalog in store preview, there might be a delay before you see our changes. The delay is required so that our changes can be reindexed by WebSphere Commerce search. The delay can be anywhere from a few seconds to a few hours, depending on how many changes you made and how busy the system is.To check whether the reindexing is complete, the store preview header shows its status. We can refresh the status at any time by clicking Refresh Details.
How operational and transactional data is handled
While we are previewing the store, we can perform actions that modify operational and transactional data, for example, registering new users, placing orders, and redeeming coupons. When operational and transactional data is modified, the information is recorded in the database, just as when a real user performs these actions. For example, new users will still exist in the database after you exit from preview. We can log in as these users in the store inside or outside of a preview session. Another example is if you redeem coupons within preview, the redemption counts toward any defined redemption limit. If you collect analytical information from this data, your actions during preview might affect your analytics.- When you preview the store on an authoring environment, operational and transactional data on the authoring environment is treated differently, depending on the context of the preview.
- When you preview the store from the production-ready data, operational and transactional data is treated the same as described previously. The store preview reflects the state of the store in the production-ready data. We cannot see changes that are made to managed assets in workspaces.
- When you preview the store from a workspace, the store preview reflects changes that are made to managed assets only in the selected workspace. For order activities, the store preview reflects only order activities in the workspace. Any order activities in the production-ready data are not visible the store preview. Activities in the store preview related to member data occur directly in the production-ready data because member data is not a managed asset. Examples are the creation of new users and organizations.
To prevent operational and transactional data from being changed, we can restrict certain commands from running within a store preview.
Restricting commands in preview
Restrict commands in preview to prevent them from affecting our production server data. An order that is completed in preview affects the production data. The order might also affect inventory levels and cause fulfillment centers to be notified of a transaction. Coupons might be redeemed and even payment authentication might be started on a production environment.
Restrict commands in preview to prevent them from affecting your production environment data. An order that is completed in preview affects the production data. The order might also affect inventory levels and cause fulfillment centers to be notified of a transaction. Coupons might be redeemed and even payment authentication might be started on a production environment server.
Preview limitations when we are previewing from a workspace
Consider the following preview limitations when we are previewing from a workspace:- Previewing store changes that are made in workspaces is supported by default.
- When we are previewing a store from within a workspace, attempting to process an order might cause errors that prevent you from completing the order.
Related concepts
Click-to-edit function in store preview
Related tasks
Previewing a store
Generating and sharing store preview URLs
Previewing a store as a customer in a customer segment
Testing web activities
Testing web and dialog activities
Manage search rules
Testing a search rule in store preview
Manage facets
Related reference
Preview behavior