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Documentation
This Help Center provides documentation on all aspects of the HCL Commerce+ product, from installation and deployment to operating and customization.
Operating
The topics in this section focus on tasks that are performed by business users, marketers, and customer support representatives to connect with partners and attract and satisfy customers.
Business Tools
Commerce+ allows you to manage various business tools such as Promotions, Catalog, Promotions, Inventory, and so on. Users accessing at least one business tool can see the Business Tools menu. The user can see tools that are accessible to the current user.
Catalogs tool overview
Use the Catalogs tool in the Commerce Lab to manage catalogs, categories, catalog entries, merchandising associations, product attributes, and attachments in your store. The Catalogs tool lets business users create, and manage online catalogs. Catalogs provide a way of organizing the products that you want to sell. You define catalog data in groups of categories and products. Catalog data contains descriptions and pricing information for products and services.
Managing attributes
The Category Manager or Product Manager determine the best way to display, price, and sell products in the online store, including assigning or changing product attributes.
Using the attribute dictionary
Before you create products in your store, create attributes. Attributes are characteristics of a product such as size or color. There are two types of attributes, attributes with predefined values, and attributes with assigned values.

Documentation
This Help Center provides documentation on all aspects of the HCL Commerce+ product, from installation and deployment to operating and customization.
- Overview
  Welcome to the HCL Commerce+ overview. Explore these feature overviews to learn how Commerce+ operates. Refer to the related links listed at the end of each topic to access expanded product documentation.
- Deploying
  This section provides details on deploying HCL Commerce+. It explains how to download the Docker images and Git bundles that comprise the product, how to create a minimal environment, and how to plan for a full deployment. It details supported software versions, patches, and configurations to ensure the platform performs well.
- Migrating
  The following topics show how to migrate an existing HCL Commerce Version 9.1 environment to Commerce+. The process consists of an initial migration of your database contents. This is followed by a code migration. Both are fully described.
- Operating
  The topics in this section focus on tasks that are performed by business users, marketers, and customer support representatives to connect with partners and attract and satisfy customers.
  - Commerce Lab
    Accessible through a web-based interface, Commerce Lab enables users to manage all key aspects of their commerce operations, including catalogs, marketing, pricing, users, stores, customers, workspaces, sellers, and administrative functions—empowering teams with greater flexibility and control.
  - Business Tools
    Commerce+ allows you to manage various business tools such as Promotions, Catalog, Promotions, Inventory, and so on. Users accessing at least one business tool can see the Business Tools menu. The user can see tools that are accessible to the current user.
    - Search Tool
      The Search tool is accessible from the Commerce Lab. It enables several functionalities related to search, such as Search Term Associations, Search Analytics, Search Templates, and so on. It allows the admin to preview the search terms displayed on the storefront and delivers customized search results when customers search the storefront. Search analytics helps customers to understand the patterns and items users are searching.
    - Catalog Filter and Pricing tool
      Use the Catalog Filter and Pricing tool in Commerce Lab to create and manage catalog filters, price lists, and price rules. Sellers, Sales Managers, and Account Representatives can use the tool's flexible features to implement catalog filtering and pricing strategies that meet the site's business needs over time.
    - Catalogs tool overview
      Use the Catalogs tool in the Commerce Lab to manage catalogs, categories, catalog entries, merchandising associations, product attributes, and attachments in your store. The Catalogs tool lets business users create, and manage online catalogs. Catalogs provide a way of organizing the products that you want to sell. You define catalog data in groups of categories and products. Catalog data contains descriptions and pricing information for products and services.
      - Working with catalogs
        The Category Manager or Product Manager manages the catalog hierarchy by creating, modifying, and deleting catalogs for stores. There are two types of catalogs: master catalogs and sales catalogs.
      - Managing Catalog Upload
        The Category Manager or Product Manager can use the Catalog Upload feature in the Catalogs tool to upload sales catalogs, categories, catalog entries (products, SKUs, bundles, and kits), attributes, asset references, and more into Commerce Lab.
      - Managing categories
        The Category Manager manages the category hierarchy by creating, modifying, and deleting categories. The category hierarchy organizes products or services offered by the store.
      - Managing catalog entries
        The Category Manager manages catalog entries in the store including, products, bundles, kits, and SKUs.
      - Managing products
        The Category Manager or Product Manager manages products, including adding or changing products in the catalog hierarchy.
      - Managing product variants
        The Category Manager manages product variants, including adding or changing attributes to variants.
      - Managing SKUs
        The Product Manager is responsible for determining the best way to display, price, and sell products in the online store.
      - Managing kits
        The Category Manager or Product Manager can organize kits in the catalog hierarchy, and create and change kits to determine the best way to sell them in the store.
      - Managing bundles
        The Category Manager or Product Manager can organize bundles in the catalog hierarchy, and create and change bundles to determine the best way to sell them in the store.
      - Managing attributes
        The Category Manager or Product Manager determine the best way to display, price, and sell products in the online store, including assigning or changing product attributes.
        Attributes
        As a Category Manager or Product Manager, you can use Commerce Lab to manage individual attributes within catalog entries or to manage attributes within the attribute dictionary. The attribute dictionary contains two types of attributes: attributes with predefined values and attributes with assigned values. You can reuse the attributes that are contained in the attribute dictionary across multiple catalog entries. You can assign attributes to catalog entries for use as defining attributes or descriptive attributes.
        Options for managing attributes
        The attribute dictionary in Commerce Lab provides a flexible, alternative method for managing attributes within a store catalog. Before you begin to use the attribute dictionary in Commerce Lab, review the available options for managing attributes.
        Using the attribute dictionary
        Before you create products in your store, create attributes. Attributes are characteristics of a product such as size or color. There are two types of attributes, attributes with predefined values, and attributes with assigned values.
        Attribute dictionary
        An attribute dictionary is a set of attributes and attribute values that can be reused by multiple products. Changing an attribute in the attribute dictionary changes the attribute for all products the attribute is applied to in the store catalog. By adding attributes to the attribute dictionary, you simplify the process for keeping attribute names and values consistent across your site. Maintaining consistency with your attribute names and values improves store search results and product comparisons.
        Best practices for using the attribute dictionary
        Review the following best practices for using the attribute dictionary to learn ways to simplify managing attributes and reduce any impact to site performance:
        Adding attributes to the attribute dictionary
        You can use the catalog upload feature in the Catalogs tool to add attributes with assigned values or predefined values to the Commerce Lab attribute dictionary.
        Organizing attribute dictionary attributes with folders
        As a Category Manager or Product Manager, you can create, change, and delete folders in Commerce Lab to make managing your attribute dictionary attributes easier. You can add attributes to folders and create subfolders to simplify organizing your attributes and navigating to locate attributes.
        Ribbon ads (image overlays) for catalog entry thumbnails
        A ribbon ad is an image overlay that is displayed over the thumbnail image of catalog entries and contains text that describes shared characteristics of the catalog entries to draw the attention of shoppers.
        Adding a ribbon ad (image overlay) to catalog entry thumbnails
        To draw attention to certain catalog entries on the storefront, you can display a ribbon ad over the thumbnail image. To do so, you must create an attribute in the attribute dictionary to represent the ribbon ad. Then, you can assign the attribute to one or more catalog entries.
        Changing attributes in the attribute dictionary
        When you change an attribute, the attribute is updated for all catalog entries that it is assigned to. When you change defining attributes, any updates to the properties or predefined values are automatically reflected within all catalog entries that use the attribute.
        Deleting attributes and predefined values from the attribute dictionary
        You can delete attributes and attribute predefined values from the attribute dictionary if conditions change. For example, if the manufacturer no longer makes a product in various sizes and the product is now available only in one size fits all.
        Listing attributes in the attribute dictionary
        You can view all of the attributes that are contained within an attribute dictionary by opening the Attribute Dictionary-Attributes list view. Use the Attribute Dictionary-Attributes list view to display a list of the attributes and view details for a specified attribute, such as the description or data type of the attribute.
        Using catalog entry attributes
        You can manage attributes within individual catalog entries.
        Task flow: Using attribute dictionary attributes in promotions
        You can create promotions that use attributes from the Commerce Lab attribute dictionary. This task flow guides you step-by-step through the process of creating and activating an attribute-based promotion and creating a web activity to advertise this promotion.
        Task flow: Using attribute dictionary attributes to create price rules
        You can create price rules that use attribute-based catalog filters. This task flow guides you step-by-step through the process of creating an attribute-based catalog filter and then creating a catalog condition to create attribute-based price rules.
      - Managing merchandising associations
        Product Managers, can find, list, create, and change merchandising associations (such as up-sells or cross-sells).
      - Managing catalog assets
        A catalog asset is a URL that is associated to a category or catalog entry. For example, the URL can be a link to a more detailed product image, or a PDF document that is related to the product. The usage type of the catalog asset determines the store page on which the asset is displayed, and the location on the page.
      - Managing search term associations
        The Product Manager is responsible for creating and managing search term associations. Search term associations include synonyms and search term replacements, and linking search terms with landing pages.
      - Managing site search statistics
        By reviewing site search statistics, you learn what customers are intending to find on your web site when they enter keywords in the search field. You can then make targeted improvements to optimize your site search, improve your site navigation, and ultimately increase conversions. Commerce Lab provides site search statistics in two reports: the Top Search Hits report and the Top Search Misses report.
      - Managing content versioning
        Category Managers and Product Managers can manage versions of business objects to: rollback changes, make seasonal changes, or track the history of a business object.
      - Improving search results on your site
        Commerce+ provides several tools that you can use to improve search results from search engines, and search results on your storefront.
      - Default and hidden fields
        Not all fields in the Catalogs tool views are displayed by default. This page lists all of the database fields that can be displayed in a properties view in the Catalogs tool, and if they are displayed by default.
      - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
        Find answers to some frequently asked questions about using certain features of the Catalogs tool and completing tasks.
    - Marketing Tool
      Use the Marketing tool in the Commerce Lab to create and manage marketing campaigns and other store content, excluding catalog content. You can use the extensive precision marketing features in the tool to deliver targeted marketing messages to customers.
    - Inventory tool
      Commerce+ offers various Packaged Business Capabilities (PBCs). This section explains the Commerce Lab tooling support for the Inventory.
    - Promotions Tool
      Use the Promotions tool in Commerce Lab to create and manage promotions that support the marketing campaigns for your site.
    - Customer Management
      Customer Management tools are used to manage business accounts and catalogs for Commerce Lab.
    - Store Management
      Store management tool allows you to manage stores, taxes, shipping, and installments through the Commerce Lab.
    - Workspace Management tool
      The Workspace Management tool is a graphical user interface tool that is used to manage workspaces and workspace-related activities. It provides a single view across all workspaces and all tasks in the workspaces where managers can see how work is progressing.
  - Analytics Tool
    Commerce Lab has the Analytics tool listed in the hamburger menu.
- Administering
  The site administrator performs the tasks needed to support day to day operations of the Commerce+ site.
- Extending
  Using Commerce+'s xC programming model, you can use HCL-provided extension points to extend existing Commerce logic. You can implement these extensions with the xC Customization toolkit provided by HCL. Commerce+ also provides Packaged Business Capability integrations that extend the product's reach and functionality.
- Securing
  These topics describe the security features of Commerce+ and how to configure these features.
- Performance
  Topics in the Performance section describe the means by which to plan, implement, test, and re-visit the optimization of Commerce+ site performance.
- Troubleshooting
  Topics in the Troubleshooting section highlight common issues that are encountered with Commerce+, and how they can be addressed or mitigated.
- Reference
  Topics in the Reference section contain all of the Commerce+ reference documentation.

Using the attribute dictionary

Before you create products in your store, create attributes. Attributes are characteristics of a product such as size or color. There are two types of attributes, attributes with predefined values, and attributes with assigned values.Attributes are shared across products. If you assign an attribute to a product, and then change the attribute, the attribute is also changed in all the products that it references. Both types of attributes are creating by using the attribute dictionary.