Follow the process of creating, previewing, and deploying a Connector from end to end.
The Connector lifecycle spans four scenarios: development, testing, staging, and production. Creators develop, test, and publish the Connector, while clients deploy it to staging and production. You can manage each scenario using the Connect API, the Connect CLI, or the Merchant Center. For the underlying concepts and terminology, see the Connect overview.
Lifecycle at a glance
As a Connector moves through its lifecycle, it takes three forms. You develop Connect applications locally, preview and publish them as a ConnectorStaged, and deploy the resulting read-only Connector for staging and production. Each scenario maps to a Deployment type.
- Development: build and test your Connect applications locally, then create a GitHub release with a Git tag in the GitHub repository that stores the source code.
- Testing: create a ConnectorStaged and deploy it as a
previewDeployment to validate it in a Project. - Staging: publish the ConnectorStaged to create a read-only Connector, then deploy it as a
sandboxDeployment for integration testing outside of production. - Production: deploy the published Connector as a
productionDeployment, which requires a non-trial Project.
Run lifecycle tasks with the CLI, API, or Merchant Center
You can run each lifecycle task using the Connect CLI, the Connect API, or the Merchant Center. In the CLI, all commands are prefixed with
commercetools connect. The following table maps each task to its equivalent across the three interfaces.| Task | Connect CLI | Connect API | Merchant Center |
|---|---|---|---|
| Develop and test applications locally | init, application start, application test, validate | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Create a Connector | connectorstaged create | Create ConnectorStaged | Create connector |
| Preview and test a Connector | connectorstaged preview | Preview Connector, then Create Deployment (preview) | Request preview, then Deploy on Preview |
| Publish for private use | connectorstaged publish | Publish (certification: false) | Publish for private use |
| Publish for the marketplace | connectorstaged certify | Publish (certification: true) | List on Marketplace |
| Deploy for staging | deployment create (--type sandbox) | Create Deployment (sandbox) | Use the CLI or API |
| Deploy for production | deployment create (--type production) | Create Deployment (production) | Deploy on Production |
| Redeploy after an update | deployment redeploy | Redeploy | Redeploy |
| View Deployment logs | deployment logs | Query Deployment Logs | App logs |
The Merchant Center manages ConnectorStaged and Connectors as Organization Connectors and refers to Deployments as installations.