Configuration

Understanding the Architecture

Commerce Connect creates a powerful integration between WordPress® and BigCommerce:

• BigCommerce: Your source of truth for products, inventory, pricing, and checkout
• Commerce Connect: Syncs product data to WordPress® for display and SEO
• WordPress®: Handles content, pages, SEO, and marketing using synced product data

What BigCommerce Manages

Product catalog, inventory, pricing, checkout, orders, and payment processing all remain in BigCommerce. You continue using BigCommerce for all commerce operations.

What Commerce Connect Does

Syncs product data to WordPress® so you can display products using WordPress® blocks, benefit from WordPress® SEO, and create rich content pages. Products shown in WordPress® checkout on BigCommerce.

Connecting to BigCommerce

Creating Your BigCommerce Account

Commerce Connect guides you through creating a BigCommerce trial account directly from WordPress®:

1. In WordPress® admin, navigate to Commerce Connect → Connect
2. Click Continue
3. New window opens with BigCommerce signup form
4. Fill out the form:
   • First Name
   • Last Name
   • Email Address
   • Store Name (your business name)
   • Password
5. Click Create Store
6. Copy the authorization code displayed
7. In the BigCommerce authorization window, paste the code
8. Click Authorize

Result: Your BigCommerce store is created and automatically connected to Commerce Connect.

The Connect tab will now display:

• Store Name
• Connected status

You can log into BigCommerce admin using the credentials you just created.

Products Settings

Configure how products display on your site from Commerce Connect > Settings > Products.

Display Options

Setting	Description	Default
Products per page	Number of products to show per page	10
Products per row (Desktop)	Grid columns on desktop devices	3
Products per row (Mobile)	Grid columns on mobile devices	1
Products open in	Where product links open (same tab/new window)	Current tab/window

Currency Display

Choose how product prices display:

• Symbol (e.g., $ or €) - Show currency symbol only
• Code (USD, GBP) - Show ISO currency code
• Name/Symbol (“$100” rather than “US$100”) - Use short form
• Name (“dollar”) - Full currency name

Product Ordering

Set the default order for product listings:

• Newest to oldest - Sort by creation date (newest first)
• Oldest to newest - Sort by creation date (oldest first)
• Price: Low to high - Lowest price first
• Price: High to low - Highest price first

These settings apply globally to product blocks unless overridden at the block level.

Checkout Domain Configuration

Default Checkout Domain

When you connect to BigCommerce, a checkout domain is automatically configured:

Default pattern: checkout.yourdomain.com

Setting a Custom Checkout Domain (Recommended)

For better branding and security, configure a custom checkout subdomain:

1. Navigate to Commerce Connect → Settings
2. Note the current checkout domain
3. Click Manage Domains (opens BigCommerce admin)
4. In BigCommerce:
   • Disconnect the current checkout domain
   • Click Connect Custom Domain
   • Enter your custom subdomain (e.g., secure.yourdomain.com)
   • Click Next
   • Select Add SSL Later
5. Complete the setup

Configure DNS for Custom Checkout

After setting the custom domain in BigCommerce, update your DNS:

1. Log into your DNS provider (Cloudflare, GoDaddy, etc.)
2. Add a CNAME record:
   • Type: CNAME
   • Name: Subdomain only (e.g., secure if using secure.yourdomain.com)
   • Value: BigCommerce URL provided (format: [hash].mybigcommerce.com)
   • Proxy Status: Set to DNS Only (important for Cloudflare users - do not proxy)
3. Save the record

Verify DNS Propagation

1. Use dnschecker.org to verify propagation
2. Search for your full checkout domain (e.g., secure.yourdomain.com)
3. Select CNAME record type
4. Verify propagation across multiple locations

Confirm Connection in Commerce Connect

1. Return to Commerce Connect → Settings
2. Refresh the page
3. Checkout Domain should now show your custom domain
4. Status should display “Connected”

If status shows “Not Connected”: DNS has not propagated yet. Wait a few minutes and refresh.

---

Webhooks (Real-Time Sync)

Webhooks ensure that changes made in BigCommerce automatically sync to WordPress®.

Registering Webhooks

After completing data migration and product sync, register webhooks:

1. Navigate to Commerce Connect → Settings → Webhooks
2. Click Register Webhooks
3. Wait for confirmation: “Webhooks successfully registered”

Result: Changes made in BigCommerce now automatically sync to WordPress®.

What Webhooks Sync

Once registered, webhooks automatically sync:

• Product updates - Title, description, price changes
• Inventory changes - Stock levels, availability
• Price updates - Regular and sale prices
• Category changes - Product categorization
• Image updates - Product images and galleries

Sync happens quickly - no manual intervention required.

Automatic Sync

After webhook registration, all BigCommerce product changes automatically sync to WordPress®. You don’t need to manually trigger syncs.

Troubleshooting Webhooks

If products aren’t syncing automatically:

1. Navigate to Commerce Connect → Settings → Webhooks
2. Check webhook status
3. If webhooks show as inactive or failing, click Re-register Webhooks
4. Verify webhooks successfully registered

Common issues:

• Webhooks not registered: Complete Step 14 in Installation guide
• Changes not syncing: Check BigCommerce admin permissions
• Sync delays: Normal sync time is seconds; if delays exceed 5 minutes, re-register webhooks

For developers: See WP-CLI Commands for programmatic webhook management.

Next Steps

After completing configuration, verify everything works:

1. Test your setup → - Verify product sync, checkout flow, and webhooks
2. Add product blocks → - Create store pages with Commerce Connect blocks
3. Customize templates → - Build custom product page layouts
4. Troubleshoot issues → - Common problems and solutions