Optimizely Commerce: Configured Commerce and Commerce Connect Explained

Optimizely has two commerce products. Configured Commerce is built for B2B: manufacturers, distributors and suppliers selling to business buyers. Commerce Connect is built for B2C and content-led commerce, running alongside Optimizely CMS. Both connect to the rest of Optimizely One, so content, experimentation, personalisation and customer data can work across your storefront. Which one fits depends mainly on who you sell to and how complex your pricing and ordering are.

Configured Commerce vs Commerce Connect at a glance

Optimizely Configured Commerce (B2B)

Configured Commerce came to Optimizely (then Episerver) with the acquisition of Insite Software in 2019. It is designed for organisations whose buyers expect the same ease as consumer shopping, but need the things only B2B requires:

• Customer-specific pricing and contracts, so each account sees its own prices and terms
• Quoting and negotiated deals alongside self-service ordering
• Account hierarchies and user roles, with approvals and spending controls
• Fast reordering through order history, lists and quick order pads
• Large, technical catalogues with search and product recommendations tuned to account and role
• ERP integration, so stock, pricing and orders stay in step with the back office

Because it is delivered as SaaS, Optimizely handles hosting and platform updates, so your team can focus on the buying experience rather than infrastructure.

Optimizely Commerce Connect (B2C)

Commerce Connect pairs Optimizely CMS with a full commerce engine, so content and products are managed in one place. It suits brands that sell through storytelling as much as through product listings, and teams that want complete control of the storefront design, including headless builds. It covers catalogues, pricing and promotions, carts and checkout, orders and customer accounts. Read our full guide to Optimizely Commerce Connect.

What the rest of Optimizely adds to commerce

• Experimentation: test pricing, promotions, journeys and checkout changes to prove what drives revenue
• Personalisation and recommendations: tailor products and content by segment, account or behaviour
• Optimizely Data Platform: a single view of customers across channels
• AI through the Optimizely Agent Platform (formerly Opal): agents for product descriptions, campaign content and merchandising tasks, paid for in usage credits

From Episerver Commerce to Optimizely Commerce

If you are running Episerver Commerce or Episerver Commerce Cloud, you are on the platform that became Commerce Connect. Episerver became Optimizely in 2021, and Episerver B2B Commerce, from the Insite acquisition, became Configured Commerce. Older Episerver Commerce versions usually need an upgrade to benefit from current features such as Optimizely Graph and the latest CMS. Our Optimizely upgrades team can tell you what that involves.

How to choose

Choose Configured Commerce if most of your revenue comes from business accounts with negotiated pricing, repeat orders and complex catalogues. Choose Commerce Connect if you sell mainly to consumers, want content and commerce in one CMS, or need a fully custom or headless storefront. Organisations that do both sometimes run the two side by side. Our guide to Optimizely pricing explains what affects the cost.

Work with an Optimizely Platinum Solution Partner. Remarkable became the UK’s first Optimizely (Episerver) partner in 1995, and our team has won more than 10 OMVP awards over the years. Find out how we help on our Optimizely partner page, or get an Optimizely quote.