Commerce services at a glance

Shoppers get pages from Edge Delivery Services. The browser runs drop-ins and calls the configured catalog and shopping APIs. Those APIs can belong to different platforms.

Confirm the services required by your project in Backend options. Use Storefront configuration when you are ready to connect them.

How the pieces connect

Commerce blocks use drop-ins and storefront API clients to connect page features to catalog services and shopping operations.

Loading diagram...

Catalog requests and shopping operations have different destinations. These paths show alternative backend configurations, not services that every project must use.

The Adobe Commerce storefront integration uses GraphQLA query language that drop-in components use to request and update data from Adobe Commerce APIs. Catalog Service, Live Search, and the core Commerce API all expose GraphQL endpoints.. Catalog APIs supply product details and discovery. Core Commerce GraphQL handles carts, checkout, customer accounts, and orders on Adobe Commerce backends.

Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service supports both kinds of requests. With Adobe Commerce Optimizer, shopping operations stay with an existing commerce platform. Connecting catalog services does not automatically adapt cart and checkout to a third-party platform. To compare backend configurations and their requirements, see Backend options.

Commerce Services and integrations

The required services depend on the selected backend and shopping features. Catalog Service, Live Search, and Product Recommendations describe the Commerce Services path. Adobe Commerce Optimizer exposes its own Merchandising API for catalog and discovery requests.

Do not treat this service list as a universal installation checklist. Use Prerequisites by backend and, for an existing Adobe Commerce deployment, PaaS: required packages and services.

Services Connector

For Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on-premises using hosted Commerce Services, the Commerce Services Connector links the deployment to Catalog Service, Live Search, and Product Recommendations. Configure that connection in the Commerce Admin using the API keys and data space for the intended environment.

For Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service, follow the managed environment’s setup rather than the extension-installation steps for an existing Commerce deployment.

Adobe Commerce Optimizer

Adobe Commerce Optimizer provides catalog and product discovery through the Merchandising API . Use that API rather than assuming that the Catalog Service API applies to every project.

The Adobe Commerce Optimizer Connector synchronizes catalog and pricing data from Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on-premises into Adobe Commerce Optimizer. Other data sources use the supported Data Sync integration. Neither route replaces the existing platform’s cart, checkout, accounts, or orders.

Catalog Service

The Catalog ServiceAdobe's fast, read-only GraphQL API for product data. Drop-ins call it instead of core Commerce GraphQL for product pages, search results, and category listings — up to ten times faster. gives storefronts on the Commerce Services path read-only access to product data through a dedicated GraphQL API. It serves catalog reads separately from core Commerce operations.

For projects using Adobe Commerce Optimizer or its connector, the Catalog Service documentation directs developers to the Merchandising API instead. Product-page and discovery requirements therefore depend on the selected backend.

Live Search

Live SearchAdobe's AI-powered search service. It returns results instantly as shoppers type and adjusts rankings and facets based on browsing and click signals in the current session. provides AI-powered search, filtering, and result ranking for Commerce environments using that service. It is a search path for product discovery, not a separate installation requirement for every backend.

When using Live Search outside the classic PHP theme, configure storefront event collection so the service receives shopper activity. See Analytics. Adobe Commerce Optimizer projects use the discovery capabilities exposed through the Merchandising API.

Product Recommendations

On the Commerce Services path, Product Recommendations uses Adobe Sensei to show suggested products. Examples include units such as “Customers who bought this also bought” and “Most viewed.” Configure recommendation units in the Commerce Admin and render them where the storefront needs them.

This service is optional. Its Commerce Admin setup is not the configuration process for every backend’s recommendation capabilities.

Without the classic PHP theme, Product Recommendations needs the same storefront event collection as Live Search before models have signal. See Analytics.

Core GraphQL

Core Commerce GraphQL is the API on an Adobe Commerce backend for carts, checkout, customer accounts, orders, and other reads and writes. Hosted catalog services do not replace these operations. When Adobe Commerce Optimizer supplies the catalog experience, the existing commerce platform still handles transactions. A third-party platform uses its own APIs and requires project-specific integration.

The storefront starter code uses separate core and catalog API clients. They can share an endpoint address, but their API responsibilities remain different. See Storefront configuration for connection settings and the GraphQL overview for Adobe Commerce operations.

Storefront Compatibility package

The Storefront Compatibility package extends the default Commerce GraphQL schema with additional support that drop-ins require. Without it on the Commerce deployment that serves those flows, the drop-ins cannot talk to your backend as they expect. See Compatibility Package for who installs it on each backend.

Adobe manages the Storefront Compatibility package on Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service. For Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on-premises with Adobe Commerce Optimizer, install it on the Adobe Commerce deployment.

Optional integrations

These integrations serve additional data and API requirements. They are separate from the catalog and shopping connections in the main diagram.

Data Connection

The Data ConnectionAn optional Commerce extension that sends storefront and order event data to Adobe Experience Platform for use in personalization, segmentation, and cross-channel campaigns. sends shopper behavior and order data to Adobe Experience Platform, where other Adobe tools can use it for personalization and segmentation. For example, Adobe Journey Optimizer, a cross-channel marketing automation tool, can use that data to trigger an abandoned-cart email. Use this optional integration when the project needs Experience Platform capabilities.

This example covers the Data Connection extension on Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on-premises. Its Data Connection documentation distinguishes browser behavior data from Commerce server data. The configured SDKs, APIs, and connectors collect those sources for Experience Platform.

Loading diagram...

Optional event-data integration: browser behavior and Commerce server data are separate sources for Experience Platform. These are not catalog or cart API requests.

API Mesh

API Mesh for Adobe Developer App Builder is an advanced option when a project needs to combine multiple backend sources behind a single GraphQL endpoint. Add it for that requirement, not as a default storefront prerequisite.

Coming from Luma or a classic Commerce theme?

This migration path applies when an existing Commerce theme remains in use. In the classic model, Commerce builds storefront pages with PHP. With Edge Delivery Services, the browser renders drop-ins that call the configured APIs. Moving the storefront does not replace the Commerce Admin, catalog, or order tools.

If Luma pages and Edge Delivery pages must share a cart and sign-in session during the move, use Luma Bridge. For the relationships between the existing platform, the bridge, and the Adobe Commerce Optimizer Connector, see Backend topology. A new storefront without Luma pages does not need this session bridge.

Quick reference

Service	One-line job	Where to find it
Services Connector	Connects an Adobe Commerce instance to Catalog Service, Live Search, and Product Recommendations. Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service includes these services. Adobe Commerce Optimizer uses a different data-ingestion model.	Commerce Services Connector
Adobe Commerce Optimizer Connector	Synchronizes catalog and pricing data from Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on-premises into Adobe Commerce Optimizer. Cart and checkout remain with the connected commerce platform.	Adobe Commerce Optimizer Connector
Adobe Commerce Optimizer	Catalog and discovery through the Merchandising API. Shopping operations remain on the existing commerce platform.	Merchandising API
Catalog Service	Read-only catalog data on the Commerce Services path. Adobe Commerce Optimizer projects use the Merchandising API instead.	Catalog Service page
Live Search	Search and filtering for Commerce environments using this service. Requires storefront event collection outside the classic PHP theme.	Live Search page
Product Recommendations	Optional recommendation units configured in the Commerce Admin. Requires storefront event collection outside the classic PHP theme.	Integration without classic theme Recommendation customization
Core GraphQL	Handles cart, checkout, account, and order operations on Adobe Commerce backends. Third-party platforms require integration with their own transactional APIs.	GraphQL overview
Data Connection	Optional integration described here for Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on-premises. Collects browser and Commerce server data for Experience Platform.	Data Connection page
Storefront Compatibility packageA PHP package you install on Commerce PaaS that extends the GraphQL schema so cart, checkout, account, and order drop-ins can communicate with your backend as expected.	Extends Adobe Commerce APIs for drop-ins. Adobe manages it on Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service. Install it on the Adobe Commerce deployment for Adobe Commerce on Cloud or on-premises with Adobe Commerce Optimizer.	Overview · Manual installation

Adobe Commerce Services on Experience League

For a complete list of merchandising services for your Adobe Commerce storefront, see the Adobe Commerce Services home page on Experience League. The table above links to the services you will use most often with this storefront.