Deploy to Connect

Prerequisites

Before you get started, you need to have:

• A commercetools Composable Commerce Project (get started) and one of the following:
  • A Custom Application configured in the Merchant Center. When configuring your Custom Application, enter a dummy URL value for Application URL as you will update it after the Custom Application is deployed.
  • A Custom View configured in the Merchant Center. When configuring your Custom View, enter a dummy URL value for Application URL as you will update it after the Custom View is deployed.

Create your Application

Custom Application

1. Install a Connect starter template.

2. Open the merchant-center-custom-application folder in the Connect starter template and install the Custom Applications starter template inside this folder.

3. Add your environment variables to custom-application-config.mjs.

   custom-application-config.mjsJavascript

   const config = {
     name: 'Example Custom Application',
     entryPointUriPath: '${env:ENTRY_POINT_URI_PATH}',
     cloudIdentifier: '${env:CLOUD_IDENTIFIER}',
     env: {
       development: {
         initialProjectKey: 'my-project-key',
       },
       production: {
         applicationId: '${env:CUSTOM_APPLICATION_ID}',
         url: '${env:APPLICATION_URL}',
       },
     },
     oAuthScopes: {
       view: ['view_products'],
       manage: ['manage_products'],
     },
     icon: '${path:@commercetools-frontend/assets/application-icons/rocket.svg}',
     mainMenuLink: {
       defaultLabel: 'Template starter',
       labelAllLocales: [],
       permissions: [PERMISSIONS.View],
     },
     submenuLinks: [
       {
         uriPath: 'channels',
         defaultLabel: 'Channels',
         labelAllLocales: [],
         permissions: [PERMISSIONS.View],
       },
     ],
   };
   
   export default config;
   

4. Update the value of entryPointUriPath in constants.ts/constants.js.

   constant.jsJavascript

   export const entryPointUriPath =
     typeof window === 'undefined'
       ? process.env.ENTRY_POINT_URI_PATH
       : window.app.entryPointUriPath;
   

5. Open connect.yaml in the root of the Connect starter template and replace it with the following:

   1. Enter a name for the application.
   2. Define the environment variables you included in custom-application-config.mjs.
   connect.yamlyaml

   deployAs:
     - name: name-of-custom-application
       applicationType: merchant-center-custom-application
       configuration:
         standardConfiguration:
           - key: CUSTOM_APPLICATION_ID
             description: the Custom Application ID
             required: true
           - key: CLOUD_IDENTIFIER
             description: The cloud identifier
             default: 'gcp-eu'
           - key: ENTRY_POINT_URI_PATH
             description: The Application entry point URI path
             required: true
   
   APPLICATION_URL is automatically provided by Connect and you do not need to define it in connect.yaml.

   CUSTOM_APPLICATION_ID and ENTRY_POINT_URI_PATH must only be used for the Custom Application’s Application ID and Application entry point URI path respectively.

6. Push your code to a GitHub repository and make a new release. Your release must have a Git tag.

   Your GitHub repository can be public or private. If you are using a private repository, you must provide access to the GitHub machine user connect-mu.

Custom View

1. Install a Connect starter template.

2. Open the merchant-center-custom-view folder in the Connect starter template and install the Custom View starter template inside this folder.

3. Add your environment variables to custom-view-config.mjs.

   custom-view-config.mjsJavascript

   const config = {
     name: 'Example Custom View',
     cloudIdentifier: '${env:CLOUD_IDENTIFIER}',
     env: {
       development: {
         initialProjectKey: 'my-project-key',
       },
       production: {
         customViewId: '${env:CUSTOM_VIEW_ID}',
         url: '${env:APPLICATION_URL}',
       },
     },
     oAuthScopes: {
       view: ['view_products'],
       manage: ['manage_products'],
     },
   };
   
   export default config;
   

4. Open connect.yaml in the root of the Connect starter template and replace it with the following.

   1. Enter a name for the application.
   2. Define the environment variables you included in custom-view-config.mjs.
   connect.yamlyaml

   deployAs:
     - name: name-of-custom-view
       applicationType: merchant-center-custom-view
       configuration:
         standardConfiguration:
           - key: CUSTOM_VIEW_ID
             description: the Custom View ID
             required: true
           - key: CLOUD_IDENTIFIER
             description: The cloud identifier
             default: 'gcp-eu'
   
   APPLICATION_URL is automatically provided by commercetools Connect and you do not need to define it in connect.yaml.

   CUSTOM_VIEW_ID must be used only for the Custom View’s View ID.

5. Push your code to a GitHub repository and make a new release. Your release must have a Git tag.

   Your GitHub repository can be public or private. If you are using a private repository, you must provide access to the GitHub machine user connect-mu.

Publish and deploy your application

You can publish and deploy your application using either the Connect API or the Merchant Center. You will require the Application ID and Application entry point URI path of your configured Custom Application or configured Custom View.

Use the Connect API

1. Create a Connector which references the GitHub repository and release tag of your application.
2. Publish your Connector using the preview or publish flow.
3. Deploy the Connector with the correct configuration values:
   • For Custom Applications, the CUSTOM_APPLICATION_ID must be the Application ID and ENTRY_POINT_URI_PATH must be the Application entry point URI path of your configured Custom Application.
   • For Custom Views, the CUSTOM_VIEW_ID must be the View ID of your configured Custom View.
4. Once your Connector is deployed, get the Deployment and copy the value of applications[*].url. This is the URL where your Custom Application or Custom View is deployed.
5. In the Merchant Center, update the Application URL of your Custom Application or Custom View with the URL where it is deployed.

Use the Merchant Center

1. Create an Organization Connector which references the GitHub repository and release tag of your application.
2. Publish your Connector using Request Preview or Publish for private use.
3. Install the Organization Connector with the correct configuration values:
   • For Custom Applications, the CUSTOM_APPLICATION_ID must be the Application ID and ENTRY_POINT_URI_PATH must be the Application entry point URI path of your configured Custom Application.
   • For Custom Views, the CUSTOM_VIEW_ID must be the View ID of your configured Custom View.
4. Open Manage connectors and click Installations. When the Status of the Connector is Installed, click the Connector and select your application from the list. Copy the value of the URL field. This is the URL where your Custom Application or Custom View is deployed.
5. Update the Application URL of your Custom Application or Custom View with the URL where your Custom Application or Custom View is deployed.

Test your deployment

Install the Custom Application in the Merchant Center and access it in your Projects. Install the Custom View in the Merchant Center and access it in your Projects.