Getting started with Umbraco Commerce: The Backoffice
A guide to setting up Umbraco Commerce, including an introduction to basic concepts and configuration.
This tutorial focuses exclusively on setting up Umbraco Commerce, introducing key concepts, and the configuration process in the Backoffice. It has been tested on the latest releases of Umbraco CMS version 14 and Umbraco Commerce version 14.
This tutorial does not provide instructions for building a complete eCommerce website. It focuses solely on the setup through the Umbraco Backoffice.
Introduction
Umbraco Commerce is an eCommerce platform that integrates seamlessly with Umbraco CMS. It provides features such as product management, order processing, and payment integrations. This guide will walk you through the setup of Umbraco Commerce so you can hit the ground running.
Prerequisites
To follow this tutorial, you'll need the following:
Visual Studio Code or your preferred IDE
SQL Database (LocalDB or any SQL server)
Setting Up an Umbraco Project
To set up your Umbraco project, see the Installation article.
Installing Umbraco Commerce
Once your Umbraco site is up and running, you can install the Umbraco Commerce package.
If you installed Umbraco CMS using an SQLite database, you may encounter errors after installing Umbraco Commerce. To resolve these, follow the instructions in the Configure SQLite support article.
Configuring Umbraco Commerce
To access the Commerce section, additional configuration is needed. For detailed steps, see the Configuration article.
Accessing the Umbraco Backoffice
You can access the backoffice by adding /umbraco at the end of your website URL. For example: https://mywebsite.com/umbraco.
Setting Up a Store
A store is an online platform where products or services are listed for customers to browse, purchase, and complete transactions over the internet.
Setting up a store allows you to manage both the content and commerce aspects of your site. It allows you to create a custom and scalable online shopping experience. For more information, see the Stores article.
To set up a store:
Navigate to the Settings section.
Click + next to Stores.
Enter a Name for the Store (For example: Umbraco Swag Store).
Click Create.
Click Save.
Setting up a Location
If your business operates in multiple regions, setting up locations helps:
Configure stores for different locations with their own language, shipping addresses, regional offers, local regulations, and payment gateways.
Ship products from different locations. The system can be set up to route orders to the nearest warehouse based on the customer’s location.
To set up a location:
Select your store from the Stores menu in the Settings section. In this case, Umbraco Swag Store.
Go to Locations under the Store.
Click Create Location.
Enter the Name for the Location. For example: Denmark
Provide the necessary address details.
Click Save.
Setting up Order Status
Order status tracks the progression of an order. It helps both the store owner and customers track the progress of the order from the moment it is placed until itis delivered (or returned).
When you first set up Umbraco Commerce, it comes with predefined order statuses to help manage the order lifecycle. These statuses include New, Completed, Cancelled, and Error. These statuses can be customized based on your specific business requirements.
To create an order status:
Go to Order Statuses under the Store.
Click Create Order Status.
Enter a Name for the order status. For Example: Processing
Select a Color for the order status.
Click Save.
Setting up Payment Methods
Payment Methods define the payment options available in the store. By default, Umbraco Commerce includes basic providers like Invoicing and Zero Value to get started.
Umbraco Commerce also supports the integration of different third-party payment gateways. For more information, see the Umbraco Commerce Payment Providers Documentation.
To set up a payment method:
Go to Payment Methods under the Store.
Click Create Payment Method.
Select a payment provider from the list. For example: Zero Value.
Enter a Name for the payment method. For example: Zero Payment.
Configure the payment method as per your requirements.
Click Save.
Setting up Shipping Methods
Shipping methods determine how customers receive their orders. Setting up shipping methods effectively is crucial, as it impacts customer satisfaction, fulfillment costs, and overall operational efficiency.
By default, Umbraco Commerce comes with the basic Pickup option. For more information on the integration for different providers, see the Umbraco Commerce Shipping providers Documentation.
To create a shipping method:
Go to Shipping Methods under the Store.
Click Create Shipping Method.
Choose the shipping provider from the list. For Example: DHL.
Enter a Name for the shipping method. For example: DHL.
Configure the shipping method as per your requirements.
Click Save.
Setting up a Country
Setting up a country involves configuring settings related to shipping, payment methods, tax rates, localization, legal compliance requirements, and so on for that specific country.
To set up a country:
Go to Countries under the Store.
Click Create Country.
Choose an item from the list. For Example: Create Country from ISO 3166 preset.
Select a country from the list. For example: Denmark.
Configure the country details as per your requirements.
Click Save.
Setting up a Currency
Setting up currency is essential for ensuring that prices are displayed and transactions are processed accurately. For information on configuring an exchange rate service, see the Currency Exchange Rate Service Provider article.
To set up a currency:
Go to Currencies under the Store.
Click Create Currency.
Enter a Name for the currency. For Example: DKK.
Configure the currency details as per your requirements.
Click Save.
Setting up Taxes
Tax setup is crucial for compliance with local regulations and for ensuring that your pricing is accurate and transparent. You can set up tax rates for each jurisdiction where you need to collect tax. For more information, see the Tax Sources article.
To set up taxes:
Go to Taxes under the Store.
Click Create Tax Class.
Enter a Name for the tax class. For Example: Custom.
Configure the tax rates as per your requirements.
Click Save.
Setting up Templates
Defines the different Email, Print, and Export templates available for the store. These templates help maintain consistency and professionalism in communication with customers and facilitate data handling.
To create an Email Template:
Expand the Templates folder under the Store.
Go to Email Templates.
Click Create Email Template.
Enter a Name for the Email template. For Example: Shipping Notification.
Configure the email details as per your requirements.
Click Save.
Similarly, you can create custom Print and Export Templates.
Configuring the Store Settings
You can customize your Store's currencies, countries, locations, shipping, tax calculations, and so on. Additionally, you can set Notification, Order, Product, and Gift Card Settings. For detailed settings, see the Stores article.
Built-in Property Editors
Umbraco Commerce includes default property editors that help manage and configure eCommerce functionalities within the Umbraco backoffice.
The available property editors include:
Price: Used to manage and define product pricing.
Store Picker: Allows selection of a specific store for products or configurations.
Store Entity Picker: Used for selecting entities like products or categories within a store.
Stock: Helps manage stock levels for products.
Measurements: Allows the configuration of product dimensions and weight.
Variants Editor: Used for managing product variants, such as sizes or colors.
Accessing Store Permissions in Umbraco Commerce
When editing a store in Umbraco Commerce, the Permissions tab allows you to control who can access the store's management interface. This ensures that only authorized individuals or user groups can make changes or view store data.
The Permissions tab contain the following options:
User Groups: You can assign permissions to entire user groups. A toggle is provided to either allow or deny access to specific user groups. This is useful for assigning store management roles to groups like "Store Managers" or "Editors" without setting permissions for individual users.
Users: In addition to groups, you can assign permissions to individual users. This feature lets you grant or deny store access to specific individuals based on their role in the organization. Like the user group settings, toggle allows you to control what each user can access.
If both a user group and an individual user have conflicting permissions, the "Allow" control will always take priority. For example: "Deny" at the group level and "Allow" at the user level. This ensures that users explicitly granted access will not be denied by group-level settings.
Conclusion
We have now covered the essential steps to set up Umbraco Commerce - from installation to store configuration.
Umbraco Commerce provides a flexible solution for creating and managing eCommerce websites directly within Umbraco CMS. While this tutorial helps you get started, feel free to explore advanced configurations to extend your store's functionality based on your business needs.
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